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Chapter 29

"But she doesn't like it out there Harm!" Mattie whined hanging tight to her ugly little friend. The bow atop her head didn't do a lot to improve her appearance, but she felt prettier..the girls were both sure they could see it on her face.

"If the other dogs have to go out then Daisy does too." Harm said sternly.

"The other dogs aren't outside." Chloe said.

"Oh?" Harm said. This was getting ridiculous. They'd agreed...he'd given them a few days to settle the dogs in but now they had to get them used to being outside, the house was starting to smell like a kennel. "Where are Rocky and Bullwinkle?" he asked with frustration.

"Rocky's in Josh's room." the girls said together.

"And Bullwinkle?" Mattie shrugged.

"Dunno." Chloe said. "Isn't Daisy looking better Harm?...She's prettier don't you think with her hair brushed and fixed?" Harm patted the small dog's head as she nuzzled his hand affectionately with her sticking out tooth.

"Yeah she's a beauty alright." He lied. Poor little thing was the ugliest mutt he'd ever seen but she was sweet in her own way. Sort of. "Now take her outside...show her what grass is."

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Harm took off in search of Josh and Rocky. He knew he was in there because he could smell him from the doorway...the dog not Josh.

"Josh that dog has to go outside." Josh looked up from his book and did his best to look vacant like he had absolutely no idea what Harm was talking about.

"Huh?" he muttered.

"The DOG...Rocky? He stinks and he has to go outside."

"Rocky?" Josh asked...his voice sounded like he had no clue but his eyes darted to the lump inside his bedding that was whining at the insult.

"Uhhuh...large smelly hairy dog..." Harm pointed to the rather large and very obvious lump in the bed. He pulled back the covers...Rocky gave him a hang dog expression and laid his head on Josh knee. It was clear where his loyalty had been placed, firmly in Josh's lap.

"Come on Harm...he's not hurting anyone...he's lonely out there."

"He's not lonely...he has two other friends who need to be out there with him."

They're not out there either."

"So I've been told. The girls were told to take Daisy outside...again...just a few minutes ago. Now take Rocky out there too." Rocky yawned and closed his eyes. "Feigning sleep won't help."

"Ok." Josh said putting down the book he'd been pretending to read and picking up a ball. "Can he come inside tonight?"

"If you give him a bath." Harm said wrinkling his nose. On cue Rocky farted... "Oh geez." Josh looked at Rocky who hung his head.

"Not helping Rocky...He's old Harm he can't help it."

"Take him outside." Harm said trying not to laugh.

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Harm continued his quest, this time his search was for Bullwinkle. He went downstairs and checked the family room...nothing. The kitchen...still nothing...he checked every room downstairs and even went outside where the other two dogs were laying in the sun with their friends. He checked out the garage...even the laundry room. Where could he be? Harm thought. He didn't want to admit it but he was starting to think he might have gotten out of the back yard some how. There was no way he wanted to alert the kids and start what he knew would be a major panic.

"Bullwinkle?"he hissed as loudly as he dared. "Bullwinkle...!" He looked out the back window again and all the kids and two of the dogs were accounted for. There were only two members of the family missing. Bullwinkle...and MAC.

He took the stairs two at a time and went straight to his and Mac's room, not bothering to knock. "Mac?" he called. Mac came out of the bathroom drying her hair...only it didn't look wet...not at all. Her fluffy white robe appeared to be covering her freshly showered body...but something wasn't right. The room wasn't steamy and...

"Hi..." she said distractedly pulling the robe around her a little tighter.

"Where's Bullwinkle?" Harm asked with a grin...she was worse than the kids...she did how ever look very cute while she was trying to get away with hiding another one of the smelly mutts.

"Couldn't you find him?" she asked. She knew they'd agreed that morning that the dogs were going outside but she just couldn't resist Bully's big saggy sad face...when he'd heaved himself up onto their bed and rested his giant head in her lap and licked her arm, he'd won her over. When she'd heard Harm pounding up the stairs it was all she could do to just move him into the bathroom.

"Takin a shower?" he asked... "Again?"

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The kids all laid on the grass with the other two dogs.

"You think he's found where Mac was hiding Bullwinkle yet?" Chloe asked with a giggle.

"Probably." Josh said. Maybe they'll let us keep the dogs inside if we bathe them."

"Good idea." Mattie said. "Where?"

"The downstairs bathroom." Chloe said."We can regulate the shower better and not scare them."

"You think Harm's gonna go for that?" Mattie asked. "It's a people bathroom...we bathed Daisy in the laundry room sink."

"Yeah but Daisy weighs practically nothing..." Josh said. "How the hell ARE we gonna lift Rocky into that sink...specially if he doesn't want to go in there."

"True." Mattie admitted.. "And Bullwinkle's even heavier."

"Uhhuh." Chloe said. "We'll take Daisy with us...she won't run away if we need to use all our hands to keep Rocky in the shower."

"Ok...let's do it now while there's still enough sun to get him dry."

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"Are you looking for the dog or measuring water now Flyboy?"

"Hmmm. Don't care about the water..." he said creeping closer. Before she could stop him he tugged on the tie of her robe and it fell open. "Uhhuh."

"Ok...would you believe that I put these shorts on after my shower?"

"Nope." he said with a grin. Mac giggled.

"Would you believe that I was just about to get INTO the shower?"

"Nope...the only thing I believe, is that your fibbing to cover for a giant dog that's hiding in our bathroom...Come out Bullwinkle." Bullwinkle waddled his giant self out and once again sat on Harm's foot and yawned.

"Now where did you come from?" she asked the dog.

"You lied to me Mac." Harm said with a grin. You know what happens to the kids when they tell lies...

"I'm not a kid." She said backing further into the bathroom...grateful that her new friend was anchoring harm to the spot by his foot.

"You're acting like a kid." He challenged. Mac smiled, her eyes twinkling...

"He's cute though isn't he?"

"Don't change the subject."

"I wasn't..." Mac chuckled as Harm tried to shake his foot free. Finally he succeeded and she backed faster into the bathroom but Harm was on her in a minute, he bent her over the counter and raised his arm, ready to give her a playful spank or two...

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It took all three kids to get Rocky into the shower but he seemed fine. They wet him with some warm water from a bucket first so they could soap him up. The he started to cry...whimpering over and over, not liking the feeling of the wet stuff at all. They all felt really bad for him and tried to get the job done quickly. The real trouble came though when they tried to rinse him. Chloe adjusted the spray from the hand held shower nozzle to warm and then proceeded to rinse off the muddy looking suds. Rocky suddenly stopped whining and bolted...knocking over Josh and Mattie in the rush. Chloe made a dive for him but he was too quick...seemed he could actually move fast if he had to. He ran through the kitchen... the shiny tiles slowing him a little as he ran seemingly on the spot for a minute or two. Finally he escaped and ran into the living room dropping suds everwhere he went.

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Bullwinkle jumped to attention when the tall man raised his hand to his friend. He growled menacingly as he approached Harm...stealthily eyeing off Mac's threat... Mac's eyes widened and Harm immediately brought his hands to his sides.

"Only joking Bullwinkle...seriously." Mac leaned up and kissed Harm to show the dog that she was ok.

"See...he loves me...it's ok." she said. She patted the dog's head and he calmed. Harm tried to pat his head as well but he just glared at him...making sure he knew that he wasn't quite forgiven yet...no one was going to hurt his Mac.

Harm opened his mouth to say something...that it wasn't the end of it...that the dog had to go outside... but there was giggling, yelping and shouting from downstairs so he went to see what the commotion was.

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Harm ran down the stairs and into complete mayhem. Kids and dogs and mess were all over...He stood and scratched his head. He had no idea where to start. He looked down and Daisy was smiling at him with her crooked one toothed smile and wagging her tail and he couldn't help but smile at the ridiculousness of it all. He did the only thing he could. He sat on the bottom step and took Daisy into his lap...and burst out laughing.

TBC