They were getting a late start, even for a Saturday. Sometime in the early morning hours, Harry and Madelyn stirred hungrily. Satiating the most prominent craving first, next, they dipped into the bag of 'supplies' Harry had brought upstairs hours prior. Madelyn pulled out some washcloths and was pleased to find beneath them, grapes, apples, a block of hard cheese and some crackers. After their snack, Harry wet the washcloths in the utility sink where paintbrushes were cleaned. Somewhat freshened, they slept until the sunlight spilling through the windows could no longer be ignored.

"Harry, remove yourself from that shower, now!" Madelyn had already made coffee, laid out her clothes for the day, and called the Humane Society animal shelter in town. She was impatient.

Last night's pillow talk, circled back to her previous mention of getting a dog. Jack had forbidden pets; they were unclean. According to Harry, the fact that they weren't quite ready to share an address, didn't mean they couldn't start looking for a companion to stay with Madelyn when he wasn't around. Next, was just opening and would require his attention. It was best if Harry remained in the upstairs apartment until the restaurant staff was confidently independent and Noah was ready for more responsibility. Noah had accepted Harry's offer to train him as an assistant manager.

"Get in here with me and close the damn door. It's cold!"

"You wish, Styles," she knew a leer when she saw one. If she dropped her robe to join him, it would be another hour before they would get out of the house and Madelyn wanted to go play with the dogs.

*****

"Days like this give me hope for a world of new beginnings," Madelyn turned her nose to the partially open passenger window of Harry's Jeep and inhaled deeply. The snow was melting off, leaving the winding road into town clear.

"How's that?" he asked.

"You know, the sun is out, the sky is gorgeous. Snow is receding so that you can see bits of green at the edge of the road. Even the birds are coming back and singing. This morning I saw a male pheasant and several hens outside the kitchen window. I hope they lay their eggs close by, so we can see the chicks."

Sneaking a peek, Harry's heart swelled. She was radiant. Madelyn's long, dark hair was pulled back, her eyes sparkling with excitement. He fleetingly wondered how he had gotten so lucky.

"Cocks," Harry grinned.

"Excuse me?"

"They're called 'cocks,' or 'roosters.' The males, I mean."

Madelyn rolled her eyes and tried not to smile. "You just wanted to say 'cock.'

"Yep."

Harry glanced her direction and they both burst out laughing.

The circuitous drive around town brought them to the base of the mountain pass that connected to the Interstate. Harry nearly missed the turnoff onto a packed, gravel road leading to a sprawling compound. They heard barking before they could see the dogs. A handler stood in the middle of a large, fenced-in field. He was aggressively chucking tennis balls, two-handed. Enthusiastically, a pack of various sized canines barreled forward to retrieve the balls. Tongues lolling, they raced back.

"Look at them all! There has to be one in that mass of fur that will be perfect for us."

A smile spread across Harry's face at her use of the word, 'us.'

With the warming temperatures, it seemed all of the dogs were outdoors. Marta, a gregarious, middle-aged, volunteer greeted them at the front desk, leading them out the back way seconds after they checked in.

"I'm happy to say, that the group you saw coming in, are not available for adoption. Those dogs are part of our post-adoption training program. Some of these animals have had a tough time of it and manners are not always a priority when survival-mode is the only thing they know." Although she smiled, sadness flashed in her eyes before she continued. "After being rehomed, all of our alumni are invited to join us for three complimentary training sessions."

"And they get to play fetch when they're done?" Madelyn tracked the dogs, happily leaping around the trainer.

"Not exactly," Marta chuckled. "These loves typically arrive a bit wound up. Some harbor negative feelings if they spent considerable time waiting with us for their forever home. We are a no-kill shelter. That can translate to a lengthy stay. Others are just natural bundles of energy. The first task, before training begins, is to wear them out. They run, fetch, carouse and just enjoy some freedom before we begin."

"They're not too tired to learn after all of that?"

"On the contrary, Harry. They are more relaxed, calm and able to focus. We don't completely exhaust them. We just let them work out their wiggles, sort of like children. Do the two of you have kids?"

"Not yet," Harry replied for both of them, his expression filled with earnest enthusiasm. "She's convinced me to start with a dog." Madelyn patted his chest when he pulled her under his arm. Harry wondered if she had tapped out morse code for 'hold your horses.' He couldn't help it; he was a decisive guy.

"Okay, so we need to find you a family pet," Marta winked. "Do you prefer a puppy? We have a lovely litter of six that just came in. They appear to be some sort of labrador cross."

"I think I'd rather not have a puppy, Harry. They're so cute, I'm sure they'll find fast homes. I'd rather have a dog that's a little older."

"We have plenty of senior dogs available right now, if you prefer, though they can require additional care as they decline."

Harry's heart squeezed at the thought of elderly animals needing shelter. Be that as it may, he needed Madelyn to have a dog that would be more than a pet.

"Madelyn is sometimes alone at home and I'd like her to have not only a companion but a protector, Marta. We need an extra set of eyes and ears, as well as a pet."

"Let's go look around. I'm not sure we have exactly who you're looking for today, but I think I might have an idea for you to check out."

The facility was a surprise. None of the animals were in squalid pens or seemed to have untreated medical conditions. Most were either playing outside or interacting with volunteers and staff. Each kennel displayed a short biography explaining how the dog ended up in the shelter. Most of their stories were sad, some were heartbreaking. All things considered, Harry and Madelyn agreed it was a stroke of luck that the animals wound up in a Humane Society shelter.

Together, they wandered the runs and fenced fields with Marta. Several small dogs had been delivered from an out of state kill-shelter. An open house was scheduled for the following week, featuring these little dogs; many of whom were released into the streets when they weren't tiny enough to be considered 'purse puppies.'

Marta left them in the puppy playroom. Harry was nearly won over by the new litter the shelter had received. All floppy ears, tongues and fluff, the pint-sized mutts were difficult to resist. Madelyn had been correct though. In the time that they played with the puppies, three other families arrived with hopes of adopting a tiny, tail-wagger of their own. Each would have a new home within days.

"Let's go check out," Madelyn sighed, and threaded her arm through Harry's, leaning in to rest her head on his upper arm.

He knew she was disappointed. "Don't get down, love. We'll keep looking."

"No luck?" Marta asked when they arrived at the front desk.

"Not today, unfortunately," Madelyn tightened the ponytail that had come loose as they tussled in the puppy room. "It was fun, though. Thanks for showing us around."

"Marta, you mentioned that you had another idea for us," Harry wasn't giving up hope.

"Oh, yes, I do!" she tapped some keys on the computer. "Ah, here it is," grabbing a pen, she wrote across a small scrap of paper. "This is the contact information for a trainer that volunteers in the shelter. He works with an organization that trains dogs to be service animals. Occasionally, an animal won't quite make the cut. But they're accomplished and need good homes."

"Might be a long shot, but it definitely sounds appealing." He dipped into his back pocket, pulling out his wallet. After sliding the lead into it, Harry withdrew his debit card. "We'd like to make a donation."

Madelyn reached for her purse, "Let's split it."

The drive back into town was somewhat subdued. The disappointment was tempered slightly by discussions about the possibility of finding a pet through Marta's connection.

"I can make time to check it out at the end of the week," Harry kissed the back of Madelyn's hand that he held as they drove. "Can you carve out some time on Friday?"

Disappointment doubled down.

"I have to be at a conference all weekend. Why don't you come with me," she said, her voice hopeful. "You could study while I'm busy and we can spend the evenings together."

Harry laughed at her eyebrow wiggle. "I'm really not sure which of us is more insatiable. You have no idea how much I want to slack off and go, but I have to run point at the restaurant next weekend. I'm sure you'll have a good internet connection, though. Maybe we can try something new?"

Madelyn grinned naughtily and made a mental note to update her phone so FaceTime and Skype were operating at full performance.

***

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