Chapter 11- Arizona

I had pretty much locked myself away in my room, the door was shut, and I hadn't talked to anyone since Alex left. I heard the truck roll down the driveway a while ago now. He should be back at any time, so when I heard a car, I didn't think much of it. I usually don't during the day anyway, there are usually people in and out of here, dropping off and picking up their dogs. I didn't pay any attention to anything until there was a soft knock on my bedroom door, and it opened slowly. When I looked up my heart about leaped out of my chest. I thought I'd never see her again "can I come in?" her voice was soft. I nodded and she stepped in, closing the door behind her. I hadn't opened the window like Alex told me to, and I see her smile, at what I'm assuming to be the smell of sex still evident in the room. I'm quiet, I don't even know what to say, as she sits down on the edge of the bed, where just hours ago she was naked in. "I'm sorry I left like I did"

"hmm"

"no really" she sighs "I shouldn't have expected you to say it back, I overreacted"

"Alex came to see you didn't he?" she nodded "hmm" I hum, I had a feeling after the way things were he'd stop and see her.

"I wasn't supposed to work today, but I went in anyway, you know to try and keep my mind off" she stops and looks at me "that's where he found me" I nod, I understand, after all I've been locked in my room since she left.

"did he tell you about Joann?" I ask softly.

"he did" she nods

"so you're here out of pity" I ask, looking away

"no, I'm here because I love you" she says taking my hand "and I'm admitting that I over reacted when I left earlier" I look up and finally meet her eyes. She was beautiful, and I felt my heart melt at hearing the words "I'm sorry I can't say it"

"don't be" she smiles "just talk to me"

"what if I can't"

"then find a way to show me" she leans in and kisses me softly on the lips, reaching out I pull her into me, hugging her. I could feel the tears sting my eyes, that's one thing I hadn't done, was cry, after she left. But with the words she's saying I can feel myself starting to now. "I'm sorry" I whisper, and the flood gates open. "I'm sorry I'm such a mess"

"honey, you're not a mess, you just had bad shit happen to you" I pull back and meet her eyes "I can't take it away, but what I can do is make sure nothing like that ever happens again" how does she know the right words to say "we're going to have problems, arguments, every relationship does" she stops. We're in a relationship? She wants to be in a relationship with me? I was blown away by that thought. "you're freaking out again aren't you" she asked.

"a little" I laugh "I just" I shake my head "I haven't been in a relationship in a very, very long time"

"I know" she smiles taking my hand again "and I've never been in one with a woman"

"we're difficult"

"apparently" she laughs and leans in "but you're so worth it" she says and kisses me. We made out like a couple of teenagers, only pulling away when the need to breathe took over us. "I do you know"

"you do what?" she asks

"all that"

"you love me?" she smiles, I nod "I can't say it, not yet"

"I understand" she kisses me again, we hear a horn blare from outside, and I know it's Alex. "he's back"

"and I'm sure he saw my car"

"didn't he know you were coming?" she nods shyly "well for that, you get to help unload the dog food" I say and stand reaching out my hand, she takes it and I pull her into me, and we share another kiss. "come on, I got to show you how much muscles I have" she says laughing pulling me out of my room.

Xxx

It didn't take long with three of us unloading, and now Callie is off playing with a puppy, that someone had just dropped off. Apparently, they had found it on the side of the road and thought of us. Dad had said he was thinking about turning the kennel into a shelter for both dogs and cats, along with the boarding we already do. I'm all for it, if I can help an animal I'm there. This puppy was cute, I wasn't too sure what it was, but Callie seemed to fall in love with it as soon as she saw it. "looks like you've got some competition" Alex joked, as we stood watching Callie with the puppy.

"I'm not worried" I smile

"guess we're keeping it" he laughs, I look up and see both Jack and Rose sniffing it "you just got yourself a kid"

"what?" I look at him

"exactly the reaction I thought I'd get" he slaps me on the back and walks away laughing.

"fucker" I mutter after him, but he just turns around and smiles. Shaking my head I walk over to where Callie was still playing with the puppy. "it's cute"

"she is" Callie smiles back at me "what do you think you'll do with her?"

"well" I look down at Jack and Rose, who have pretty much adopted the thing "guess we're keeping her"

"oh can I name her?" she asks, and I have to laugh.

"go for it" dad says coming out of the office "when I first saw her I knew we were keeping her" he smiles

"hmm" Callie hums "she's all white" I shake my head "how about" she says some word in Spanish. Causing dad and I both to laugh "we have no idea what you just said"

"ok so not that then" she smiles

"Penelope" Alex calls from the back of the kennels, and the little puppy perks up.

"I guess we have our name" dad says, bending down to scratch her ears, and walks away.

"Penelope?" I ask, looking at Callie, she smiles and nods "we can call her Pen for short"

"well, she's your dog" I say wrapping my arms around her. This is going to take some getting used to, being able to touch my girlfriend whenever I want. Callie places a kiss on my cheek, and I squeeze her tighter. "can I ask you something" she says quietly.

"hmm"

"how come you weren't shy last night?"

"I don't know" I shrug "maybe you make me feel safe"

"but not safe enough for you to tell me you love me"

"I don't know" I let her go "maybe it was the shock of it all, I mean you came, we kissed and then"

"I didn't really give you much of a chance to over think things"

"that's probably it" I laugh and reach for her hand "come, take a walk with me, there's a place I wanna show you"

"ok" she smiles and takes my hand.

"we'll be back dad" I call out, and we leave out of the back door "can you drive a 4wheeler?"

"it's been a while, but I think I can handle it"

"hmm" I hum as we enter the barn "we'll take the big one, it rides 2"

"does that mean I get to wrap my arms around you"

"we're definitely taking the big one" I smile, the thought of her wrapped around me, causes wetness to form in my pants.

"you said walk though"

"I decided to not walk, it's a ways, and I don't know about you, but I'd rather save my energy for later"

"you have big plans later?"

"if you're good" I reach out and pull her towards me, as our lips locked, I felt the now familiar feelings invade my body. "and what if I'm not good?"

"I'll think of something else to do" I say and kiss her again

"we could do it here" she says looking around "I could take you on the 4wheeler"

"we could, but then you'd miss the place I want to take you"

"we'll do it in here another time" she smiles and hops on the 4wheeler. I laugh and climb on in front of her. "I probably should have grabbed the helmets, but I'll go slow"

"ok" she says wrapping her arms around me, kissing my neck, right below my ear. I fire the thing up, and drive it out of the barn, and head towards a trail that went into the trees.