Of course, you couldn't really make a statement like that without backing it up. Monica smiled, and suggested Jack prove just how smart Jaffer was. Not that the black lab was auditioning for the right to father Abby's puppies, but Monica loved how well trained Jaffer was, and she knew the big lab was better trained than any other dog she'd ever met. And that included Abby, who Monica had seen many times. It would be fun to see Marissa's reaction.
Jack shrugged, always more than willing to show off Jaffer's bag of tricks to an appreciative audience. He didn't have him do them all – there were an awful lot – but he ran him through a lot of fetching and other indoor ones, including sending Jaffer to the kitchen for a variety of things, all of which the lab brought back. Not surprisingly, Marissa was impressed, and she made no effort to hide it.
"He's a regular doggie genius, isn't he?" She asked, rubbing Jaffer's ears when the lab brought her a soda out of the fridge.
"He's right up there, alright," Jack agreed. "Of course, his brother Jack is just as smart."
"His brother's name is Jack?" Marissa smiled, and rubbed Abby's ears when the smaller lab came over for some attention as well.
"My friend Murray thought it'd be funny to name his dog after me. Jack's not as big as Jaffer, and he's a yellow lab, but he's just as sharp as Jaffer, here."
"Where did you come up with the name Jaffer?" Marissa asked. "I've never heard anything like it before."
"It's just a name." He lied, smiling when Jaffer jumped up beside him, taking the rest of the couch. "I'm not all that good at naming things, but I wanted to be a little more creative than Blackie, or Rex."
"Tell me something, Jack..." Marissa said, leaning forward, slightly, her hand protectively on Abby's shoulder. "Do you like all dogs? Or just Jaffer?"
Wondering what that meant, Jack shrugged. "Dogs are great, Marissa. My dog in particular, but all dogs."
"If Abby were to stay with you for a couple of days, would you take care of her? Monica says that she doesn't think Jaffer would be very obedient for me if we tried to have him staying at my place, so if I want Abby to have Jaffer's puppies, apparently I'm going to need to leave her with you..."
Monica had actually told her there was no way in hell that Jaffer would do anything Marissa or her husband tried to tell him to do. He was a good dog, but was only good for Jack. Everyone else was merely in the way.
"Nothing would happen to her, Marissa," Jack said, confidently. "I'd never let her get hurt here." Jack was thinking that the idea of Jaffer having puppies was getting better and better. Especially now that he'd seen Abby. She was a perfect match for his dog.
"You couldn't leave her alone..."
"I wouldn't. If I had to go anywhere, she'd come with us."
"Does this mean the two of you are considering this?" Monica asked, smiling.
"Monica says you'd want pick of the litter as payment?" Marissa asked.
"I'd love to have one of Jaffer's puppies, yes."
"For yourself?"
He shook his head. "I have someone in mind, though. The puppy would be in very good hands."
Monica wondered whom Jack had in mind. Sam was her first bet. Maybe as a wedding present? She'd have to remember to ask him later.
"First choice of the litter it is, then." Marissa said, making up her mind, instantly. Jaffer was a good looking, well trained and well-behaved dog. Perfect for her Abby. Besides, Marissa had seen Jaffer's breeding lines in a copy of Jaffer's registration papers that Monica kept on file in her office. Jaffer's lines were better than Abby's, and Marissa hadn't thought that was possible. He came from a line of champions – hunters and show dogs – and Marissa's Abby came from just as impressive a line. They were a perfect match.
"We're pretty sure she'll be coming into heat in a few days, Jack," Monica said, smiling. This as going to be great. She couldn't wait for the puppies. "When that happens, we'll bring her over to stay a couple days. You'll need to make sure Jaffer's the only male dog that gets close to her, though."
Which meant Jack wasn't allowed over for those days.
"I can do that."
"If you need to go to the base, it'd be better if you left them here, with someone watching them."
That wasn't going to happen, since Jack never left Jaffer home alone. Too many things could be chewed up in his absence. He had a better idea, anyways.
"If you give me enough notice, I'll take a couple days off." He had a ton of leave coming, anyways; he'd just never had a reason to take it. All his vacation time was from injuries – and those weren't counted against his regular leave. "That way I can stay close."
This satisfied Marissa, who nodded, pleased. "I'll be able to tell a day or so in advance. We're certain it'll be sometime this week. If it's okay, I'll get your number from Monica and call you the day before we bring her over. Then my husband can meet you, too."
"Fine with me."
"Why don't you show Marissa the rest of the house, Jack?" Monica suggested. "Let her see for herself how doggie-proof it is, and let her see your back yard." It would also give Abby a chance to see the house, too, and get accustomed to it. If she weren't comfortable there, she wouldn't have a thing to do with Jaffer, after all. And that wouldn't be good.
He nodded, and stood up; glad he'd made the bed and picked up his underwear off the bathroom floor that morning.
"Sounds like a good idea."
Marissa agreed, and for the next half hour she and Jack wandered through his house, with Abby poking her head into cupboards and under Jack's bed, then running the length of his back yard, already playing with Jaffer, who was loping beside her sounding like a freight train. By the time she'd finished her tour, Marissa was satisfied. Jack's house was safe for her baby, as Monica had told her it would be. After all, Monica had been the first person to help Jack puppy-proof his house when Jaffer had been tiny enough that he got into everything. This was going to be perfect.
Jack shrugged, always more than willing to show off Jaffer's bag of tricks to an appreciative audience. He didn't have him do them all – there were an awful lot – but he ran him through a lot of fetching and other indoor ones, including sending Jaffer to the kitchen for a variety of things, all of which the lab brought back. Not surprisingly, Marissa was impressed, and she made no effort to hide it.
"He's a regular doggie genius, isn't he?" She asked, rubbing Jaffer's ears when the lab brought her a soda out of the fridge.
"He's right up there, alright," Jack agreed. "Of course, his brother Jack is just as smart."
"His brother's name is Jack?" Marissa smiled, and rubbed Abby's ears when the smaller lab came over for some attention as well.
"My friend Murray thought it'd be funny to name his dog after me. Jack's not as big as Jaffer, and he's a yellow lab, but he's just as sharp as Jaffer, here."
"Where did you come up with the name Jaffer?" Marissa asked. "I've never heard anything like it before."
"It's just a name." He lied, smiling when Jaffer jumped up beside him, taking the rest of the couch. "I'm not all that good at naming things, but I wanted to be a little more creative than Blackie, or Rex."
"Tell me something, Jack..." Marissa said, leaning forward, slightly, her hand protectively on Abby's shoulder. "Do you like all dogs? Or just Jaffer?"
Wondering what that meant, Jack shrugged. "Dogs are great, Marissa. My dog in particular, but all dogs."
"If Abby were to stay with you for a couple of days, would you take care of her? Monica says that she doesn't think Jaffer would be very obedient for me if we tried to have him staying at my place, so if I want Abby to have Jaffer's puppies, apparently I'm going to need to leave her with you..."
Monica had actually told her there was no way in hell that Jaffer would do anything Marissa or her husband tried to tell him to do. He was a good dog, but was only good for Jack. Everyone else was merely in the way.
"Nothing would happen to her, Marissa," Jack said, confidently. "I'd never let her get hurt here." Jack was thinking that the idea of Jaffer having puppies was getting better and better. Especially now that he'd seen Abby. She was a perfect match for his dog.
"You couldn't leave her alone..."
"I wouldn't. If I had to go anywhere, she'd come with us."
"Does this mean the two of you are considering this?" Monica asked, smiling.
"Monica says you'd want pick of the litter as payment?" Marissa asked.
"I'd love to have one of Jaffer's puppies, yes."
"For yourself?"
He shook his head. "I have someone in mind, though. The puppy would be in very good hands."
Monica wondered whom Jack had in mind. Sam was her first bet. Maybe as a wedding present? She'd have to remember to ask him later.
"First choice of the litter it is, then." Marissa said, making up her mind, instantly. Jaffer was a good looking, well trained and well-behaved dog. Perfect for her Abby. Besides, Marissa had seen Jaffer's breeding lines in a copy of Jaffer's registration papers that Monica kept on file in her office. Jaffer's lines were better than Abby's, and Marissa hadn't thought that was possible. He came from a line of champions – hunters and show dogs – and Marissa's Abby came from just as impressive a line. They were a perfect match.
"We're pretty sure she'll be coming into heat in a few days, Jack," Monica said, smiling. This as going to be great. She couldn't wait for the puppies. "When that happens, we'll bring her over to stay a couple days. You'll need to make sure Jaffer's the only male dog that gets close to her, though."
Which meant Jack wasn't allowed over for those days.
"I can do that."
"If you need to go to the base, it'd be better if you left them here, with someone watching them."
That wasn't going to happen, since Jack never left Jaffer home alone. Too many things could be chewed up in his absence. He had a better idea, anyways.
"If you give me enough notice, I'll take a couple days off." He had a ton of leave coming, anyways; he'd just never had a reason to take it. All his vacation time was from injuries – and those weren't counted against his regular leave. "That way I can stay close."
This satisfied Marissa, who nodded, pleased. "I'll be able to tell a day or so in advance. We're certain it'll be sometime this week. If it's okay, I'll get your number from Monica and call you the day before we bring her over. Then my husband can meet you, too."
"Fine with me."
"Why don't you show Marissa the rest of the house, Jack?" Monica suggested. "Let her see for herself how doggie-proof it is, and let her see your back yard." It would also give Abby a chance to see the house, too, and get accustomed to it. If she weren't comfortable there, she wouldn't have a thing to do with Jaffer, after all. And that wouldn't be good.
He nodded, and stood up; glad he'd made the bed and picked up his underwear off the bathroom floor that morning.
"Sounds like a good idea."
Marissa agreed, and for the next half hour she and Jack wandered through his house, with Abby poking her head into cupboards and under Jack's bed, then running the length of his back yard, already playing with Jaffer, who was loping beside her sounding like a freight train. By the time she'd finished her tour, Marissa was satisfied. Jack's house was safe for her baby, as Monica had told her it would be. After all, Monica had been the first person to help Jack puppy-proof his house when Jaffer had been tiny enough that he got into everything. This was going to be perfect.