Scene Eighteen
After visiting 'PetsMart', where Gil thought Heather would buy every item the store carried for a puppy, they stopped at a bar-b-que joint called 'Riley's' to pick up some take-out for dinner. Heather volunteered to wait in the car with the dogs while Gil when in to order. She told him that she wanted ribs and sausage along with whatever side orders they typically offered. As he opened the door to go inside she rolled down her window and called to him. "Gil, please make sure that they put my bar-b-que sauce in a separate container; not directly on the meat." He waved and went in.
Once they were back at the chateau Jake trotted out to greet them. "Miss Lily asked me to tell you that she will be along momentarily to greet you. She's very anxious for news about the puppy Hank found."
Gil informed him, "Alright, and we're going to need a luggage trolley so that we can haul in all of Heather's puppy-related purchases without making more than one trip."
When she heard this, Heather laughed complaining to him, "Gil, I didn't buy that much." while Jake stepped back inside to grab a trolley
"Heather, you've got seven bags here; plus a dog bed, and two different kinds of puppy food. I don't see how she could really need all seven bags of stuff when she's small enough to fit in one of those bags with room to spare."
Heather scooped the little dog off the front seat of the car and cuddled her. "Baby, don't listen to him. He's just a grouchy old man who needs a nap. I promise I won't let him stuff you in a shopping bag."
Gil rolled his eyes as he opened the trunk lid. "I said she was small enough to fit in one; not that I'd put her in one. You take her in. I'll help Jake unload the trunk and bring dinner up to the room. Hank, are you staying with me or going with the ladies?"
Hank looked at the puppy in Heather's arms, and when she started to walk toward the door, he barked and trotted after her.
Heather laughed, "We'll see you soon."
When he made it into the lobby a few minutes later, Heather was still there; sitting in a wing back chair across from Miss Lily, who held the little black puppy in her lap while Hank sat at her side. "Oh Hello Gil; have a seat. Did you enjoy your day?"
"I did; very much, thank you." He said, taking one of the other chairs.
"Heather and I were just discussing what to name this tiny little angel. We've decided not to go with any of the Shakespearian heroines. She growled when one of my employees suggested she be called Fifi; so we discarded that as well. I've suggested naming her after a bottle of wine to commemorate your visit here. Heather likes the idea, but we're having a tough time finding one suitable."
"Let's see… Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Bordeaux, Cabernet… I see the problem. What about the different types of wine grapes?"
Miss Lily laughed, "That's a long list."
"Okay red ones only." He offered.
"That's still an awfully long list Gil, but a common one here in California is the Rubired. Hey… That's it! Heather, you could call her Ruby."
The little dog barked and licked Miss Lily's hand and Hank whined approvingly.
Heather laughed, "Well, Ruby it shall be!" She scooped up the little dog from Miss Lily's lap. "Come on Ruby; let's go have some dinner… and thanks for the help Miss Lilly."
"Anytime Dear." She called after them waving.
Once in their room, Heather rummaged through the bags long enough to get out two small bowls and one of the sacks of food. While Gil fed Hank she fed Ruby, and once the dogs had their bowls of food and fresh water, Gil and Heather sat on the bed with their meals in their laps, and ate contently. He gave Heather a piece of his chicken in exchange for one of her ribs, and she gave him her coleslaw because it was too sweet. Afterward, while she changed in the bathroom he cleaned up the mess from dinner. Shortly after he'd finished, she came out wearing the knee-length back silk shirt she liked to sleep in, and put her shopping bags in the middle of the floor, sat down cross-legged beside them and started pulling things out. Both Hank and Ruby eyed her curiously from their spot on Hank's big green pillow. Hank was stretched out taking nearly all the space available, but Ruby found a spot between his fore legs and laid her head and her injured paw over one of them using it for a pillow.
Heather patted the floor in front of herself. "Ruby, come here."
Ruby lifted her head and looked at Heather as if deciding whether to obey or stay where she was. Heather simply looked at the dog and waited.
After a moment, Ruby decided to stand, stretch, and limp over to where Heather sat.
Gil noticed that her limp was not bad, that she'd occasionally applied light pressure to the injured paw, and guessed that in a few days she'd be good as new.
When the dog reached Heather, she scooped her up and praised her. "Yes, you're a good girl." Heather located a box of treats in one of the bags, opened it, and gave her one. Hank decided he'd 'come here' too since treats were involved.
He took advantage of the fact that Heather sat on the floor and licked her face happily. "Hank, ssssittt." She laughed; trying to fend him off.
Hank not only sat, but then decided to stretch out flat on his belly. "Oh okay you're a good boy." Heather rewarded him with a treat of his own.
First she picked up a tiny bright red 'Martingale' collar, and said to Gil, "Give me the tags that Dr. Jarmin gave her please." He stood from his chair, pulled them out of the front pocket of his jeans and handed them over before sitting down next to her on the floor. There were two tags. One was a metal bell shaped tag that indicated that Ruby had been properly vaccinated, and the other was a yellow diamond shaped tag made of plastic that indicated she had a 'Home Again' microchip implant. Heather secured both to the collar and then slipped it onto Ruby's neck. "There kid; now it's official. You have a home."
She rubbed the puppy's head affectionately, and Ruby sniffed at one of the shopping bags. "You want to see what else I got for you?" Heather took out a red and black dog sweater, and attempted to put it on Ruby. Ruby growled menacingly and gave a loud clear bark while struggling to be free. Hank joined in, adding his own protest of the sweater.
Heather let her go and laughed when Ruby backed her way out of the sweater, picked it up, still growling and shook it ferociously.
Heather looked at Gil. "I don't think she likes that at all." She said taking the sweater away from Ruby and hiding it in a bag.
"I'd have to agree. Don't spend your money on dog sweaters."
Heather extracted a matching red leash to go with Ruby's new collar and clipped it on.
"Are we going out?" Gil asked; looking at Heather's night shirt.
"No, but I doubt she's leash trained. Let her drag it around and at least get acquainted with the feel of it."
Gil nodded his head. For more than an hour, Heather played with the dogs; occasionally extracting a new toy or dog care item from a bag. She'd bought a few things for Hank as well, because as she informed Gil when they were shopping, "It isn't fair to take two dogs into a place full of fun dog things, and only buy for one of them." So they all laughed and played. The shopping bags slowly emptied and when there was only one bag that still contained any items and that bag was found to be turned on its side, Ruby hobbled into it and growled.
"What's her problem?" Gil asked laughing.
"I don't know the only things left in there are Hank's new blanket and a couple of really big bones I got for him to chew on."
Ruby backed out of the bag doing her very best to drag a cellophane-wrapped bone out with her, growling and snarling because she could barely move the massive treat and Heather collapsed against Gil's side. He folded his arms around her; both of them overcome with laughter.
After a moment when Heather thought she had her laughter under control, she called "Here Ruby…" and offered the dog a much smaller bone that was the appropriate size for her.
Ruby would have none of that. She turned her little nose up, and went back to growling at the big bone. Heather picked it up and Ruby barked in protest.
"Hey at least let me take the cellophane of it; will you? Plastic is no good for dogs to eat."
Ruby barked impatiently and Hank joined in too.
Heather giggled, "Okay, okay I'll hurry. I don't know how you think you're going to eat this thing Missy. It weighs more than you do." When she had removed all the plastic Heather set it back on the floor and watched Ruby go at it attack-style. Gil held her as they laughed. "She can't even close her mouth around it." Heather choked out the words while clutching her belly."
"No, but that is one determined little girl." Gil laughed.
After a few moments of trying to tug the bone unsuccessfully, Ruby growled in frustration and barked. She bumped into the bone accidentally with her nose and it rolled over once. Then she did it again; this time on purpose, pushing the bone slowly toward the big green pillow in the corner. After a few repetitions, Hank grew impatient and picked the large treat up, and toted it to the pillow himself. Ruby barked loudly in complaint, and Hank whined in invitation from his spot on the pillow. Ruby scampered to him and found her spot between his paws again. As they watched the dogs, Hank gnawed one end of the bone while Ruby licked the other."
Heather smiled warmly at Gil. "They're amazing together."
"Yes they are. You want to see if there are any good movies on TV tonight?"
"Sure just let me pick up all this stuff on the floor first."
He helped her tidy up, stripped down to his boxers, and then climbed into bed with the remote in hand. A short while later as she was drifting off to sleep in his arms, he kissed the top of her head and whispered "Thanks for today."
She murmured something into the curve of his shoulder that he couldn't quite make out, but he smiled, flicked off the TV and then turned out the lights.