Things were going along. Steve and Danno were talking a lot about a food place they were making. One day, I heard them talking about names. I was curious, so I listened in.
"It's our restaurant," Danno was saying. "Why is it being called Steve's?"
"It just has a really cool ring to it. What else would you suggest?"
"I dunno...Danny's?"
"That doesn't have a ring to it."
"It shouldn't be named after just one of us."
"Okay, okay," Steve was saying. He pointed at me. "What about Eddie's?"
"Eddie's? I'm not naming it after a dog! Who names a restaurant after a dog?!" Danno asked, exasperated. I cocked my head. What was wrong with my name?
"Then let's just leave it as Steve's," Steve went on.
"We are not done discussing this," Danno insisted.
"I am," Steve said. His little box rang, and he talked into it. Then, as usual, he had to leave.
"Have a good day," he said to me before he left.
I always had a good day. There was no fear about that.
...
Junior was going for a run. I could tell because he put on the shoes that smelled of grass and dirt. I mean, all of his shoes smelled that way, but these ones just had that smell, you know?
"You ready, Eddie?" Junior asked, laughing. Was I ready? I wasn't prancing around for nothing!
"Hey," Tani said, coming in. I lowered myself so that my butt was in the air. I knew what was in that bag. It was for me!
"I'm just going out for a run," Junior said. He reached for the bag, and she pulled it away.
"What? I thought they were for me?"
"Nope," Tani smiled. Those two had such a sweaty smell when they were around each other. I wondered when they were going to lick faces. Junior managed to get one of my treats out of the bag anyway, and he stuck it in his mouth. I smiled because I knew he wasn't going to like it.
"Ah!" he said, spitting it out.
Well, don't waste it. It's still food.
"Told ya," Tani said, tossing me a treat. I snagged it out of the air. When they kept talking, I snuck around to eat the one he had disposed of. I was still smacking my lips when Junior said it was time to go.
I loved runs.
...
This run ended badly. Junior fell down a big hole, and I was up top because I had been exploring and missed everything. I was upset with myself because I could have pulled him back or something. I thought maybe I could go down and rescue him still.
"No, Eddie!" he shouted at me. He started throwing stuff at me to make me go away. I was hurt. What did I do to deserve stuff thrown at-? STICK!
I loved sticks more than runs. It landed behind me, and I got it and came back to the edge, looking down at Junior. This was an interesting game of fetch, but I was up for it.
"Get back, Eddie!"
All right, all right. I huffed. Then I whined. I could smell that Junior was hurt. I suddenly knew what to do. I had to get Tani! I wished Steve had gone running with us, I thought as I ran. He would have known what to do to save Junior.
...
It took a long time to get to the place where Steve lived for most of the day. I gathered he lived there because he sure wasn't living with me until nighttime. I had been here a couple of times, so I knew where to go. It wasn't hard to find it. I stood around the door until someone went in. I easily went in behind them.
"Hey, bud," the guard said. He looked down at me, and I wagged my tail. I know that cuteness goes a long way with some humans. "Awww who are you looking for? McGarrett?"
Tani, but whatever.
"Come on, then," he said, leading the way. As if I needed an escort. I knew where I was going. We found the gang right where I knew they'd be, around that special table. I didn't like the smell of that table. It smelled metallic and foreign to me. I was most certainly not allowed to pee on it. I had tried. I don't remember why.
"Eddie!" Tani cried, bending down to me. "Why are you here?" She picked up my leash that was still attached to me. I had tried to chew it off, but it was stuck. It slowed me down a lot catching on stuff. I don't know how to make people understand that it is a bother to dogs when we are free of the person holding the other end.
"Where's Junior?" she asked me. I whined. He needs help! I tugged the leash towards the door.
"I think he's trying to tell you something," Lou said.
"It's Junior," Tani said, getting it. She really was a sharp girl. I liked her.
...
I led her to where Junior was hiding. He was still there. He smelled distressed, and I also smelled blood. I don't know how I missed the blood smell earlier. I hoped he was okay.
"Hang on!" Tani shouted. She helped Junior escape, and I tried to help. I liked to think that barking was being encouraging. When Junior was out, he reached for me, and I accepted his scratches.
"You saved me, buddy," he said.
Of course I did. It's my job.
"Come on," Tani said. "Let's get you to a hospital."
Ummmm, no. I don't like hospitals. I backed away.
"Eddie, come," she ordered.
Nuh uh.
"Eddie!"
"Wanna treat?" Junior asked, pulling one from his pocket.
Does a bear crap in the woods? Of course I want one! I figured I earned one for saving him, so I went for it, but Tani led me to the car with it dangling from her fingers. I fell for the oldest trick in the book.
Damn.
...
We returned much later when it was dark. Tani dropped us off at home, and I bounded ahead of Junior to the door. I scratched at it eagerly. Steve opened it, looking at us, and I could smell it very strongly. Her.
Catherine.
Where was she?! I bolted around him and dashed around the room. I could not see her anywhere.
"You all right?" Steve asked Junior.
"Yea. It looks worse than it is."
"I'll help you get set up on the couch," Steve offered.
"I actually am really tired. I just want to go to bed," Junior said.
I was still trying to find Catherine. I headed upstairs now. The smell was getting stronger. I could hear Steve helping Junior to his room, but I was more focused on my hunt. I reached Steve's door, and it was shut. I stared at it. What the heck? Her smell was definitely coming out of there. I scratched at it, whining. No one came to open the door. I looked up at the ball on the door. How could something so small be so infuriating?
"Whatcha doing?" Steve asked, coming up behind me and scratching me. I was torn between wanting the scratches to continue and wanting him to open the bloody door.
"Let's go out," he suggested. He tugged on my collar, and I resisted.
No freaking way was I going to miss Catherine!
"Come on," he urged. I stood my ground, looking up at him. He had an expression on his face I couldn't read.
Let me in there, damn it!
I whined again.
"All right," he sighed, pushing the door open. He made it look so easy. I pushed my way in past him and immediately found her hiding in his bathroom.
"Hello," she giggled when I started licking her face. She tasted so nice.
"He wouldn't go out," Steve said.
"Is Junior still up?" she asked.
"No. He's down for the night."
"I should get going. I just didn't want to raise a lot of questions for you by being seen," she said. She was still scratching my ears, and my God, I was in heaven. My eyes rolled back into my head. I'm pretty sure I was drooling. My tongue was definitely out.
"Okay. I'll walk you out," Steve said.
No, no, no! She was leaving?! Already?!
They walked out together, and I followed, upset. This couldn't be happening. Catherine made Steve happy. She needed to stay! I tried getting in front of her to slow her down, but that wasn't working either. She just stepped over me. I wished I was taller. Then they were outside, and I was left inside. I pushed against the door, whining. Then I realized I could hear them talking, so I listened.
"Thanks for helping me," Catherine was saying.
"No problem. You'd do it for me."
"I have," she laughed.
They were quiet for a moment. Were they licking faces? Was I missing it?! I jumped up onto the couch and looked out the window. No. They were just looking at each other.
"You're happy? With Lynn?" Catherine asked.
"Yea," he answered. Liar. I knew he wasn't. Why was he lying?! Aaaarrrrgghh! I barked.
"Shhhhh!" Steve scolded me through the window. I scolded him with my eyes for lying. I don't think he got it. I stayed quiet, though. Maybe they'd talk themselves back into the house.
"Until next time, I guess," Catherine said.
"You were here," Steve blurted out. "When...when I was sick. A while back."
Yes! She was. Thank God he brought it up! It's not like I could.
"I just...I checked in," she said. She sounded like her face was going red. That tone was usually associated with that.
"Well...thank you."
"You're welcome."
LICK FACES ALREADY!
"Take care," she said, giving him a hug. Then she was gone. Steve came back inside, and I glared at him.
"What?" he asked me.
You know what.
"We didn't do anything."
I know that. I know what mating smells like, and there wasn't any of that smell in his room or in this house. That's what I'm mad about! That they didn't do it!
"I really do miss her," he said, petting me again. All right. The rubs were helping me forgive him slowly.
"I wish she had stayed. I wish..." he trailed off.
Wished what? I looked at him. He didn't answer, but he did sigh and get up and go to his room. I didn't follow. I knew when someone wanted to be alone.
...
A long time later, Lynn was over, and I knew something was wrong. Steve was not himself. If anything, he was nervous. I sat and watched, knowing that something was going to happen here. It came after dinner.
"Lynn," he started. "We need to talk."
"I know what that means," she said, sighing.
"I just..."
"It's her, isn't it?"
"What?"
"Catherine. You're still in love with her," Lynn cut him off. My ears perked at "Catherine." Was she here? I looked around eagerly. I didn't smell her.
"No..."
"Don't lie, Steve," she said impatiently. "I get it. You were going to propose to her and she just up and left you. It's hard to get over something like that."
I looked back and forth between Steve and Lynn. It was tense.
"I think I just need some time before I can be in a committed relationship again," Steve said. Lynn grew frustrated.
"And you couldn't tell me this sooner because...?"
"I thought I was ready. I'm not."
"Okay, well, thanks for telling me I guess," Lynn said, getting up. She grabbed her small bag and headed for the door.
"I really think that in a different time..." Steve started.
"Don't," she cut him off. "Don't use that line on me."
"It's true, though."
"Goodbye, Steve," Lynn said, closing the door behind her. I went over to Steve, who smelled sad. I rested my head on his knees as he stroked my head.
"She was right, buddy," he said. "I'm still in love with Catherine."
Well, duh. Even I knew that.
"She's gone, though. I can't get her back."
Says who?
"I think being single for now is just a good idea," Steve told me. He was right. We sat like that for a long time, the two of us. I was always there for him, and I always would be.
Thank you to those who keep reading and reviewing! I'm glad you're all still enjoying the story. I am going to do a time jump for my next chapter, though. Just saying ;)