Shadows
The day was hot and humid, slowly suffocating the life out of them. Much was left to be done, but as it was Saturday, Lilly had spent much of that time reading, stretched out in front of the air conditioner, pausing to glare at the bright, hostile sunlight pouring in the windows of her small house.
Aggravated, she finally got to feet, chucking the book back down onto the couch, where it proceeded to bounce until it hit the floor with a dull thud. She ignored the noise, slipping on the closest pair of shoes she could find, tucked beneath the end table, and hurried over to the Big House, hoping for more entertainment.
She stomped across the yard, wishing she had had the patience to find a pair of flip flops, and not hurriedly slipped on her tennis shoes without putting on socks first.
Lilly threw the screen door open and shoved against the front door, easing off when it popped open loudly, only to shut it quickly behind her. First thing, she discarded the pink and white shoes, leaving them in a heap on the floor.
"Well, hello there! Who are you?" Lilly asked quietly, padding into the house on bare feet, when she spotted a dog stretched on the floor, blocking her path.
She glanced up, just to see if anyone else was about, only to find no one, not that any of them had any dogs that she knew of. She knelt down beside the hulk of a dog just as it was getting to its feet. The dog was fairly large, with dark eyes and large pointed ears. A German Shepherd mix if she had to guess, although he was mostly black and had a small white patch on his chest.
"Aren't you lovely?" she whispered, holding out her hand for him to inspect.
"Bandit," came a growl from in front of her. Lilly flicked her eyes up as the dog stepped away, glancing over Cain's slim form until she met his eyes.
He gave her a disapproving look. "He doesn't like people," he answered her silent question.
"Really? I think it's you who doesn't like people, Cain," she replied coolly, getting to her feet and stepping closer.
She wanted to lock his gaze, to hold his eyes with a confidence she didn't actually have, instead she looked between him and the bright eyes of his companion.
"Here, sweetie pie," she called, patting her leg and softening her voice.
Bandit's ears pricked at the term of endearment, as if he had never heard such things, not that he probably had. He glanced at Cain for approval, but his master wasn't focused on him. Lilly thought it was likely that Cain didn't actually know any better. Perhaps he actually thought his dog would stay at his side and not venture forth, she wanted to prove that theory wrong.
"It's alright, baby boy," she reassured him, falling back on all the words she had used on her previous pets, and he came.
One weary step at a time he approached her, sniffing her outstretched hand and letting her pet his thick fur. Lilly smiled at him, rubbing his back and scratching behind his ears, finding the best spots.
Without thinking she turned that smile back up to Cain, his eyes narrowed as he examined the pair. He stayed silent, but offered her an exasperated nod, surrendering for the moment, before returning to whatever it was he was doing deeper in the house.
Somehow the meaning in that small nod felt a lot deeper than letting her play with his dog, like something had changed.
Lilly shook her head to stop the speeding thoughts, focusing back on reality. Bandit watched her closely, head cocked to the side, deep chocolate eyes boring holes into her soul, the way only a dog could do.
"We all have a lot to learn, huh?" she whispered, grabbing his muzzle affectionately.
Bandit gave her what could only be a grin, tongue hanging from his mouth. He followed at her heels for the rest of the day, not that she minded, but he was like a dark shadow, reminding her of things she'd like to forget, and distracting her from things that stood in her way.
He was just a dog, Cain's dog, and yet he had somehow, in a matter of moments, become her guard, her shadow.