Cal clipped a leash to Pudding's collar before lifting him out. The little guy trembled slightly, pressing against Cal's chest.
“He's still nervous around new people.” Cal set Pudding down gently. “Takes time.”
Pudding sniffed the dirt road cautiously, his little paws barely making an impression. Every few seconds, he'd glance back at Cal like checking for permission to exist.
My chest squeezed. Too much. This was too much for him—the open space, the unfamiliar smells, everything overwhelming his little system.
An idea sparked.
“Wait here.” I darted back inside, scanning the kitchen before grabbing a picnic blanket from the linen closet. Then a muffin tin from under the sink. The crisper drawer yielded three carrots, and I snatched them before racing back outside.
Cal watched me spread the blanket across the grass in front of the porch, one eyebrow raised. “What are you doing?”
“Creating a less terrifying world.” I patted the blanket. “Come on, both of you.”
Cal hesitated, then scooped Pudding up and settled cross-legged on the blanket. The puppy immediately burrowed against his thigh.
I broke the carrots into puppy-sized pieces, dropping them into the muffin tin's compartments. “Is this okay for him? Carrots?”
“In small amounts, yes.”
I set the tin down a few inches from Pudding's nose. He sniffed, tentative, then pawed at the edge.
“That's it.” I stretched out on my stomach, propping my chin on my hands. “You've got this, Pudding.”
The puppy managed to nose a carrot piece out of one cup. His tail wagged once, then twice, gaining confidence.
Cal stretched his legs beside me, close enough that I could feel the warmth radiating from him. “How'd you know to try this?”
“My mom's ex-boyfriend.” I watched Pudding nose another carrot free. “She dated this guy, Dave, when I was seventeen. I couldn't stand him, he wore too much cologne and called me 'kiddo' even though I asked him not to. But he had this dog, Rocket. Beautiful border collie.”
Cal shifted, angling toward me. “You bonded over the dog?”
“Yeah. Dave mentioned Rocket loved carrots, so I'd bring some whenever I had to be around them.” A smile tugged at my lips. “Rocket would sit at my feet the whole time Dave droned on about his fantasy football league. Best part of those dinners.”
Pudding discovered another carrot piece, his tail wagging steadily now.
“When they broke up,” I continued, “I was more upset about losing Rocket than Dave leaving. Is that terrible?”
“Sounds reasonable to me.” Cal's mouth quirked. “How long did that last?”
“Eight months? Maybe nine.” I plucked at the blanket's fringe. “After that, Mom had a couple more boyfriends, but I never met them. She's been single for years now.”
“By choice?”
“Yeah.” I watched Pudding find the last carrot piece. “She says she's done with that whole circus. Swore men off entirely.”
Cal went quiet, studying Pudding with more focus than the situation warranted.
I rolled onto my side, propping my head on my hand. “What about your parents?”
“Still together.” He scratched behind Pudding's ear. “Thirty-eight years.”
“That's amazing.”
“Depends on how you look at it.” He pulled up a few blades of grass, letting them fall through his fingers. “I'm not sure they really love each other anymore.”
I sat up straighter, careful not to break whatever door had just cracked open. “What do you mean?”