Spark And Flame (5 page)

Chapter 10

“We were just outside!” Aiden complained as he jumped up and ran toward Shepherd. Lane laughed as he watched Aiden pick up the puppy and hold him as far away as his arms could stretch as he rushed toward the back door. “Potty outside!” He pleaded and Lane sighed as he sat up straight and stretched. They were just getting comfortable on the sofa when Shepherd squatted and pissed on the floor. Lane hoped Aiden would admit defeat soon. A long nap sounded like heaven.

“I’ll get this one but it’s your turn next time,” Lane called as he went after the paper towels and spray.

“I’m still very uncomfortable with touching his urine and feces,” Aiden complained and Lane shrugged.

“Tomorrow’s Monday. You’ll be cleaning up his
urine and
feces
all day,” he said and Aiden looked quite distraught.

“All day?” He asked and Lane nodded.

“Until I get home,” he clarified and Aiden’s eyes went to the cleaning gloves on the counter and he straightened his spine.

“Fine. You’re responsible for his surprises when you’re home,” Aiden declared and Lane narrowed his eyes as he ran his tongue across his teeth and considered arguing. It couldn’t be that much longer.

“Fine,” Lane said. There was a rapid tap at the front door and they turned toward it. A young woman bounced excitedly and cupped her hands around her eyes as she peered into the house and Aiden’s lips pulled tight as he bent to pick up Shepherd.

“You get it,” he said as he went back to the sofa. “If she has a baby or appears to be in the late stages of pregnancy, send her away,” Aiden declared and Lane threw his hands up as he went toward the door. He pulled it open and the woman deflated as he looked down at her. Her brunette hair was pulled into a messy bun and her nose wrinkled as she regarded him.

“Hello?” Lane said and she took a deep breath as her eyes darted around Lane.

“Is Dr. Aiden Sharp home?” She asked and Lane clenched his jaw as irritation and a bit of anxiety plumed within him.

“May I help you?” He asked sternly and she looked frustrated.

“If I could just meet Dr. Aiden Sharp…” She said as she ducked to see around Lane. He lowered his head and tried to find her eyes.

“I’m
Chief Lane West
and you’re on private property. Why are you here?” He asked and she made an exasperated sound as she straightened.

“I just thought that if I could meet Dr. Aiden Sharp I would feel closer to Gavin Langley…” She stopped when Lane pulled the door shut as he backed her away from it.

“Ok. You have to leave now and
NEVER
come back,” Lane commanded as he pointed away from the house.

“Can I at least see him?” She asked as he continued to point. “Just have him come to the window where I can see him,” she begged and Lane shook his head.

“Go away and never come back or I’ll have you arrested,” he stated and she glared up at him.

“You’re just awful as they say you are,” she grumbled and Lane shrugged.

“Great. Tell all of your friends,” he said as he waved toward her car. “I’m not playing around with you monsters. We’ll press charges,” he promised and heard her curse rapidly under her breath as she jogged to her car. Lane waited until it disappeared around the corner before he turned back to the house.

“What did she want?” Aiden asked as Lane shut the door. He locked it silently and shook his head as he walked into the living room.

“She was confused and I pointed her in the right direction,” he said as he lifted Aiden’s legs and sat on the sofa.

“Hmmm…” Aiden hummed distractedly as he reached for the remote. “Shepherd peed by the dinner table,” he mumbled as he scrolled through the documentaries and Lane exhaled loudly as he lifted Aiden’s legs and stood.

“You’re on your own tomorrow,” Lane warned as he walked into the kitchen. The thought made him a little uncomfortable and his eyes went to the front door before they jumped to Shepherd. He finally wore himself out and was passed out on his back with his paws folded limply against his chest. Lane suddenly wished he was larger, older and possibly a more protective breed.

Chapter 11

“No, no, no, no, no!” Aiden cried as he ran across the living room and grabbed Shepherd as he squatted. “For the love of whatever it is dogs hold holy, please potty outside!” He begged as he pushed the back door open and set Shepherd on the grass. “It can’t even be mathematically possible for you to have anymore liquid in your body. And how many times do you need to shit in one day?” He asked in disbelief as he looked back toward the puddle by the window. “Is there any possibility you could be trained to clean up after yourself?” He muttered as he picked the puppy up and stalked back to the house. “Bed,” Aiden said firmly as he set Shepherd in his bed.

He cursed under his breath as he tugged on the gloves and grabbed a gallon sized ziploc bag, paper towels and the disinfecting spray. He quickly mopped up the puddle and sealed the paper towels in the bag then dropped it in the trash. He washed his gloved hands and was drying them when Lane stepped through the door.

“I am so glad you’re home!” Aiden said as he rushed at Lane. He threw his arms around Lane’s neck and hugged him tight. Lane’s head swung around to make sure there was nothing on the gloves before he turned back to Aiden.

“Did we have a good day?” He asked and Aiden could feel his lip tremble. He had a miserable day but he was determined to be as positive as he could for Lane’s sake.

“It was acceptable,” he said as he stepped back. He pressed his hands downward and exhaled slowly, attempting to gather his nerves and appear calm. “I am confident I can endure this every day,” Aiden said and offered Lane a large smile. Lane’s head pulled back and he cringed. The smile might have been too much.

“Acceptable?” Lane asked as Shepherd romped in his direction. Aiden nodded as Lane bent and swatted at the puppy playfully until he rolled onto his back. His tail wagged quickly and Aiden breathed deeply as relief loosened the muscles in his shoulders and neck that had been twisted tight all day. “Did you have an acceptable day?” Lane baby-talked at the dog as he rubbed his stomach and Aiden felt a ridiculous amount of joy as he pulled off his gloves for the last time. Until Lane went back to work.

“He will eventually learn to use the bathroom outside, right?” Aiden asked as he washed his hands for good measure.

“Eventually,” Lane murmured as his arms closed around Aiden. “The length of time it takes to potty train varies from dog to dog. It could be a few weeks or several months,” he warned as his lips traced the curve of Aiden’s ear.

“Months!” Aiden pulled in his lips and winced. “I will optimistically hope that Shepherd is cooperative and learns in a few weeks,” he said as he turned in Lane’s arms. His neck stretched forward and his lips were about to brush against Lane’s when he caught sight of Shepherd out of the corner of his eye. “Lane,” he said and tilted his head toward the dog.

“Hmmm…?” Lane hummed as he nibbled on Aiden’s lip.

“The dog poooooo…” It turned into panic as Shepherd sniffed at it. “What’s he doing?” Aiden asked and Lane’s nose wrinkled as he released Aiden. Aiden watched in horror as Shepherd licked curiously. “Oh, God! Stop him!” Aiden cried as he covered his mouth to keep from gagging.

“Outside,” Lane said as he plucked Shepherd from the floor.

“Why would he do that? I fed him as much as the bag directed,” Aiden complained and Lane laughed softly.

“He’s a dog, Aiden. Sometimes they eat shit and other…shit,” he said and Aiden waved his hand in front of his face as more nausea assaulted him.

“Why? Why? Why?” He asked then, “Heeeeerpah,” as more nausea pulled at his jaw as the smell of Shepherd’s poop reached him. “Fuck, that doesn’t smell even remotely desirable,” he choked out as he ran to the other side of the counter.

“I think he was just curious,” Lane explained as he grabbed the paper towels. “Dogs lick things to investigate them,” he added and Aiden felt the blood leave his face.

“He licked me several times today,” he said as he looked at Shepherd. He was dragging a stuffed lamb across the floor and Aiden turned his head away in disgust. “I can’t even look at him right now,” he whispered angrily and Lane sighed as he dropped the paper towels in the trash and tied the bag. He washed and dried his hands then reached for Aiden.

“I can’t do this anymore,” he said as he pulled Aiden against him and kissed his hair. Aiden’s chest tightened and he leaned back in Lane’s arms.

“What?” He asked warily.

“Put you through this,” he said and Aiden shook his head quickly.

“I can do this, Lane,” he insisted and Lane smiled tenderly.

“I know,” he said then kissed his forehead. “But you don’t have to. We’re not keeping the dog,” Lane said and Aiden felt like he failed. He couldn’t manage a single day alone with a dog without making Lane feel guilty.

“I swear, I’ll get used to it and I won’t complain,” Aiden promised and Lane’s hands closed around Aiden’s face.

“We’re not keeping him. He’s not our dog,” Lane said clearly and Aiden’s head pulled back in confusion.

“I don’t understand.”

“The dog is for Henry,” Lane explained and Aiden could only blink in response. “Kat and I agreed we would keep the dog until you were at your wit’s end and then she would take him,” he explained and Aiden wasn’t sure if he should be more grateful than he had been in years or if he should be indignant.

“Were you testing me?” He asked and Lane shook his head.

“No,” he said firmly before he kissed Aiden. “You got this insane idea that my life wasn’t complete and wouldn’t stop talking about pets. I wanted you to see that having a dog wasn’t ideal for us.” He rubbed Aiden’s back soothingly and he slowly nodded in agreement.

“I want you to be happy, Lane,” he said. “I don’t want you to feel like your life is incomplete because you married me,” Aiden said as he searched Lane’s eyes for any sign of disappointment. Lane shook his head slowly as he shushed him.

“I’m happy, Aiden,” he swore. “You are enough,” he said slowly and kissed him again. “I don’t need a dog, a cat, a bird, a lizard…a child,” Lane added. “All I want is you. I love our life and I love you,” he said and pressed another kiss on Aiden’s lips.

“You don’t garden to fill a void?” He asked and Lane rolled his eyes.

“It’s a hobby,” he said. “I find an incredible amount of satisfaction in turning seeds and dirt into something beautiful and edible,” Lane said and Aiden wanted to smack himself in the forehead. He didn’t consider that Lane enjoyed gardening because he could successfully create a tangible product. It was an actual accomplishment to keep a thriving garden.

“You don’t do it because you have a need to nurture?” Aiden asked and Lane shrugged.

“Maybe I enjoy it but I like that the nurturing is limited to the planters and an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening. I like dogs but puppies are a lot more work than I want to deal with right now. When I come home after a long day, I just want to see you, have dinner, putter around the garden for a bit then burn up whatever energy I have left in bed with you,” he said and Aiden exhaled loudly and laughed.

“You have no idea how happy that makes me,” he admitted. “I do not enjoy Shepherd. He is very cute but the urine, feces and hair all over the place makes me very uncomfortable,” he said and Lane nodded as he pulled his phone from his pocket.

“I noticed,” he said as he swiped then held up his hand as he waited. “Kat!” He said cheerfully. “Come and get your dog,” Lane said and Aiden almost cried as he wrapped his arms around Lane and buried his face in the corner of Lane’s neck. “Great. We’ll see you in about an hour,” he said and ended the call. He leaned back and found Aiden’s eyes. “She was out of her mind, she couldn’t wait for us to call her,” he said and Aiden felt like his bones were melting. “I’ve been sending her pictures and telling her about Shepherd since we brought him home. I’m surprised she was able to wait,” Lane laughed and Aiden risked a glance at Shepherd. He was gnawing on the lamb’s ear and attempting a growl.

“Did you warn her about all the peeing and pooping?” He asked. He knew he should be grateful to have the puppy off their hands but he didn’t want Kat to be unhappy.

“We had dogs, horses and barn cats,” Lane said. “She was thinking about getting a dog before I asked her and she was completely on board. She wants Henry to grow alongside a puppy and have a dog of his own. There’s a dog park across the street from her condo and she has a yard. She planned on getting a puppy,” he insisted and Aiden nodded.

“I hope the three of them will be very happy,” he said as he pulled away from Lane. “I’m going to the study for a little peace and distance from Shepherd. I’ll come out and say hello when Kat and Henry get here,” Aiden said and Lane gestured toward the study.

“Enjoy your break. You’ve earned it,” he said and Aiden waved over his shoulder as he dodged Shepherd on his way through the living room and Lane laughed. “I’m going to make us all dinner. Kat and Henry will head back to the city after they eat.”

“Great!” Aiden said loudly and offered Lane a quick nod before he shut the door. He collapsed against it and pressed his hands against his face to stifle the loud laugh/cry that bubbled in his throat. He waited until it passed and lowered his hands. “That’s so great,” he whispered then a large yawn poured from him.

Aiden pushed away from the door and trudged toward his chair as he gave into another yawn. He dropped into the seat and leaned over his desk and rested his head on his folded arms. He would sleep through the next hour and when he woke up the nightmare would be over.

Chapter 12

Lane whistled happily as he carefully lifted the large gift box out of the passenger seat and strode toward the front door. He leaned and tapped the door with his elbow and waited. A moment later a concerned Aiden pulled the door open then smiled at the box.

“What is that?” He asked as he stepped back and Lane gave him a pointed look as he passed.

“You’ll find out in just a moment,” he said as he carried the box to the table and set it down. He stepped aside and gestured for Aiden to open it.

“It’s not my birthday or our anniversary,” he mumbled as he stepped closer and Lane shook his head as he leaned close and kissed Aiden’s cheek.

“I can celebrate having the most amazing husband in the world whenever I want,” he declared and Aiden slid him a dubious look.

“I suppose…” he agreed carefully and Lane tilted his head toward the table.

“Just open it,” he ordered.

Aiden threw his hands up then approached the box. He untied the large red bow and slowly lifted the lid. He set it aside then peeked into the box. His brows pulled together as he looked up at Lane.

“What’s all of this?” He asked and Lane grinned.

“Just take it all out carefully,” he said and Aiden’s lips pulled tight as he reached into the box. He pulled out the large round bowl and set it on the table before reaching back in. He pulled out a bag of clear glass pebbles and set them next to the bowl and slid Lane a questioning look. Lane gestured for Aiden to continue then silently cheered as he lifted the small lidded cup out of the box.

“It’s a fish,” he said and set it on the table then bent to get a closer look.

“It’s a beta,” Lane said and Aiden nodded absently.

“Why did you give me a beta?” He asked as he watched the bright blue and purple fish swirl around the cup.

“They’re also called Siamese fighting fish,” Lane said. “Watch this.” He gently pressed his finger against the side of the cup and the fish flared its large fins and Aiden gasped.

“That’s very clever of him! He’s using his fins to make himself appear much larger in order to scare you away from what he considers his territory,” he explained and Lane nodded in agreement.

“I know, it’s why he’s a fighting fish. You can’t have more than one in a bowl,” he said.

“I think that would end poorly,” Aiden mumbled as he slowly pressed his finger against the cup then gasped again. “Why did you give me a beta?” He repeated and Lane raised a shoulder.

“Why not? I thought it was time you had your first pet and a beta is the perfect starter pet,” he said and Aiden laughed as he kissed Lane.

“He’s perfect! He doesn’t make a mess and I don’t have to touch him,” Aiden said excitedly.

“His bowl has to be cleaned regularly,” Lane warned as Aiden turned back to the fish.

“You can do that,” he stated and Lane snorted as he reached into the box.

“
You
have to give him 4-6 of these pellets every day,” he said and Aiden nodded.

“I can do that,” he stated and Lane grabbed the bowl, pebbles and the rest of the supplies and went to the sink to prepare the bowl.

“I think it’s your turn to pick a name,” Lane said over his shoulder and Aiden chewed on his lip as he studied the fish.

“Lancelot,” he announced and Lane raised a brow. “He was the best swordsman of his age and renowned for his beauty,” he explained and Lane smiled.

“I love it,” he said and Aiden looked surprised.

“You do?” He asked and Lane nodded.

“It’s a very clever and appropriate name,” he said. “Well done.” He turned back to the sink and Aiden ducked and crossed his elbows on the table and watched Lancelot.

“I think I’m going to be a very competent fish owner.”