There was a knock on the door at almost exactly 2 PM. Jaffer rushed to the door, his tail wagging idly, which told Jack that he didn't know everyone on the other side of the door, but that it was interesting, whoever it was. It never ceased to amaze Jack how well he could read Jaffer's body language. It was a rare thing when he couldn't figure out what the black lab was telling him.
He opened the door, and smiled when he saw Monica on the other side. Jaffer's vet was standing next to another woman, a small, pretty Hispanic woman who was looking just a little nervous. The woman was holding a leash, and on the other end was a black lab, who looked up cheerfully when the front door opened, her tail wagging, idly.
"Jack," Monica smiled, and gestured to her friend. "I'd like you to meet my friend, Marissa. Marissa, this is my friend, Jack."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Jack." Marissa told him, holding out her hand. Jack took it, and smiled.
"The pleasure is mine," he said to her. "Come in, please."
It was a fairly cold day – even for spring in Colorado, and he didn't want to leave them on the front porch for long.
Jaffer had been very polite while he was waiting to see who was at the door. The black lab never jumped on people by way of greeting, and he knew that Jack preferred for him to stay back from the door when it was opened – mainly because Jack had always worried Jaffer would rush out the door and get hit by a car or something equally awful when he was a puppy. As a result, he was standing there, waiting to greet the newcomers when they walked through the door.
Marissa noticed him immediately, and gave a startled double-take.
"Oh, he's gorgeous."
Jack couldn't help but puff up just a little.
"This is Jaffer."
The black lab with Marissa had walked over to sniff noses with Jaffer, who was just as eager to meet her. The three people watched as the two dogs introduced themselves.
"This is Abby," Marissa said, reaching down and unsnapping the leash. Monica had told her that Jack had long since dog-proofed his house, so there was no reason to keep Abby on her leash.
"She's beautiful." Jack said, crouching down to get a better look at her. Of course, Jaffer was blocking the view with his big butt, but that was easily fixed. "Jaffer, move so I can see, too, little man."
The big black lab did what he was told, and came over to stand next to Jack, who put a hand out to Abby, inviting her to come over and say hello. Which she did more than willingly. As she sniffed his hand, Jack admired her lines. She really was beautifully proportioned. Not as big as Jaffer – but no lab Jack had ever seen was – she was sturdy and delicate at the same time, and her black coat was just as silky and shiny as Jaffer's.
While Jack watched Abby, Marissa watched Jaffer, and Monica could tell her friend was just as impressed by Jaffer as Jack was by Abby. She knew she would be, though. Jaffer was huge, yes, but he was also a gentle dog, with a heart of gold, and he was so well trained that he responded well to anything Jack said. Which made him seem almost human sometimes.
"Can I get you something to drink?" Jack offered, standing up and looking at the two women.
"I'll have a cup of coffee, Jack." Monica could smell it brewing, and it was just the thing for such a chilly day.
"Me, too, please."
"Make yourselves comfortable," he told them. "I'll be right back." He pointed to the living room, and headed for the kitchen, followed by Jaffer and Abby. Jaffer because he never missed a trip to the kitchen, and Abby because she was curious who this guy was and where he was going.
"He has a lovely home," Marissa said to Monica, looking around. Monica nodded. She'd been to Jack's several times.
"Yes, he does."
"He's not married?"
"No, but he's engaged."
"He's good with his dog."
"Jaffer is Jack's pride and joy, Marissa." Monica said, smiling. "Come here."
She led her friend over to the Wall, and Marissa couldn't help the surprised expression on her face. The Wall was Jack's shrine to Jaffer – more or less. Pictures of the black lab from the day he was born all the way to the present, and every collar and leash he'd ever owned. Including the chewed up ones.
"Oh, my."
"He dotes on that dog. Even more than you do on Abby."
Obviously. She smiled and started looking at the pictures, trying to get a sense of what kind of man he was and liking what she'd seen so far. Any man who loved his dog this much was all right in Marissa's book.
..................
"Are you hungry, little girl?" Jack asked the smaller lab, who was sitting next to Jaffer in the kitchen, watching as Jack fished cups out of the cupboard and filled them with coffee.
Abby's tail wagged as she realized he was addressing her, and Jack smiled. Her eyes were just as cheerful and happy as Jaffer's were.
"Hey, Marissa?" Jack called from the kitchen. "Is it okay for Abby to have a snack?"
Marissa couldn't take her eyes off the pictures on the wall, but she did nod.
"Sure, Jack."
He smiled again. "Hear that? You can have a snack."
He opened the snack drawer and pulled out a bag of bacon treats, and set it on the tray with the cups of coffee, but opened it and tossed Jaffer a treat. The black lab caught it and gobbled it down, and watched as Jack handed Abby one as well. She took it from his hand carefully, but it vanished just as quickly once her teeth had cleared his fingers. Obviously she was well-trained, too. Which was good, because Jack liked his fingers.
He picked up the tray, and carried it into the living room, followed by Jaffer, who was careful not to get in the way, and Abby, who went over to Marissa. He wasn't really surprised to see the two women were by the Wall. Everyone went to the Wall when they were looking around Jack's house. That was the whole point of having it, right?
"What do you do for a living, Jack?" Marissa asked, coming over to the sofa and sitting down as Jack set the tray on the coffee table.
"I'm in the Air Force."
"Oh?"
"Yup."
"Jack's a Colonel, Marissa. He's in charge of long range space telemetry, or something like that, right Jack?"
O'Neill smiled. "Something like that, yeah."
"Do you leave Jaffer alone when you go to work?" Marissa asked.
"Nah, he goes with me. We have kennels at the base, but usually he just hangs out with me unless the guys have a new trick they want to teach him."
"Does he know a lot?"
Jack grinned. "He's the smartest dog in the world."
He opened the door, and smiled when he saw Monica on the other side. Jaffer's vet was standing next to another woman, a small, pretty Hispanic woman who was looking just a little nervous. The woman was holding a leash, and on the other end was a black lab, who looked up cheerfully when the front door opened, her tail wagging, idly.
"Jack," Monica smiled, and gestured to her friend. "I'd like you to meet my friend, Marissa. Marissa, this is my friend, Jack."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Jack." Marissa told him, holding out her hand. Jack took it, and smiled.
"The pleasure is mine," he said to her. "Come in, please."
It was a fairly cold day – even for spring in Colorado, and he didn't want to leave them on the front porch for long.
Jaffer had been very polite while he was waiting to see who was at the door. The black lab never jumped on people by way of greeting, and he knew that Jack preferred for him to stay back from the door when it was opened – mainly because Jack had always worried Jaffer would rush out the door and get hit by a car or something equally awful when he was a puppy. As a result, he was standing there, waiting to greet the newcomers when they walked through the door.
Marissa noticed him immediately, and gave a startled double-take.
"Oh, he's gorgeous."
Jack couldn't help but puff up just a little.
"This is Jaffer."
The black lab with Marissa had walked over to sniff noses with Jaffer, who was just as eager to meet her. The three people watched as the two dogs introduced themselves.
"This is Abby," Marissa said, reaching down and unsnapping the leash. Monica had told her that Jack had long since dog-proofed his house, so there was no reason to keep Abby on her leash.
"She's beautiful." Jack said, crouching down to get a better look at her. Of course, Jaffer was blocking the view with his big butt, but that was easily fixed. "Jaffer, move so I can see, too, little man."
The big black lab did what he was told, and came over to stand next to Jack, who put a hand out to Abby, inviting her to come over and say hello. Which she did more than willingly. As she sniffed his hand, Jack admired her lines. She really was beautifully proportioned. Not as big as Jaffer – but no lab Jack had ever seen was – she was sturdy and delicate at the same time, and her black coat was just as silky and shiny as Jaffer's.
While Jack watched Abby, Marissa watched Jaffer, and Monica could tell her friend was just as impressed by Jaffer as Jack was by Abby. She knew she would be, though. Jaffer was huge, yes, but he was also a gentle dog, with a heart of gold, and he was so well trained that he responded well to anything Jack said. Which made him seem almost human sometimes.
"Can I get you something to drink?" Jack offered, standing up and looking at the two women.
"I'll have a cup of coffee, Jack." Monica could smell it brewing, and it was just the thing for such a chilly day.
"Me, too, please."
"Make yourselves comfortable," he told them. "I'll be right back." He pointed to the living room, and headed for the kitchen, followed by Jaffer and Abby. Jaffer because he never missed a trip to the kitchen, and Abby because she was curious who this guy was and where he was going.
"He has a lovely home," Marissa said to Monica, looking around. Monica nodded. She'd been to Jack's several times.
"Yes, he does."
"He's not married?"
"No, but he's engaged."
"He's good with his dog."
"Jaffer is Jack's pride and joy, Marissa." Monica said, smiling. "Come here."
She led her friend over to the Wall, and Marissa couldn't help the surprised expression on her face. The Wall was Jack's shrine to Jaffer – more or less. Pictures of the black lab from the day he was born all the way to the present, and every collar and leash he'd ever owned. Including the chewed up ones.
"Oh, my."
"He dotes on that dog. Even more than you do on Abby."
Obviously. She smiled and started looking at the pictures, trying to get a sense of what kind of man he was and liking what she'd seen so far. Any man who loved his dog this much was all right in Marissa's book.
..................
"Are you hungry, little girl?" Jack asked the smaller lab, who was sitting next to Jaffer in the kitchen, watching as Jack fished cups out of the cupboard and filled them with coffee.
Abby's tail wagged as she realized he was addressing her, and Jack smiled. Her eyes were just as cheerful and happy as Jaffer's were.
"Hey, Marissa?" Jack called from the kitchen. "Is it okay for Abby to have a snack?"
Marissa couldn't take her eyes off the pictures on the wall, but she did nod.
"Sure, Jack."
He smiled again. "Hear that? You can have a snack."
He opened the snack drawer and pulled out a bag of bacon treats, and set it on the tray with the cups of coffee, but opened it and tossed Jaffer a treat. The black lab caught it and gobbled it down, and watched as Jack handed Abby one as well. She took it from his hand carefully, but it vanished just as quickly once her teeth had cleared his fingers. Obviously she was well-trained, too. Which was good, because Jack liked his fingers.
He picked up the tray, and carried it into the living room, followed by Jaffer, who was careful not to get in the way, and Abby, who went over to Marissa. He wasn't really surprised to see the two women were by the Wall. Everyone went to the Wall when they were looking around Jack's house. That was the whole point of having it, right?
"What do you do for a living, Jack?" Marissa asked, coming over to the sofa and sitting down as Jack set the tray on the coffee table.
"I'm in the Air Force."
"Oh?"
"Yup."
"Jack's a Colonel, Marissa. He's in charge of long range space telemetry, or something like that, right Jack?"
O'Neill smiled. "Something like that, yeah."
"Do you leave Jaffer alone when you go to work?" Marissa asked.
"Nah, he goes with me. We have kennels at the base, but usually he just hangs out with me unless the guys have a new trick they want to teach him."
"Does he know a lot?"
Jack grinned. "He's the smartest dog in the world."