Today’s Teaser: A Dog Called Valentine

The dog lay in the back of the chain-link run, his head on his paws, his eyes deep and soulful. And hopeless. He was bigger than she expected. Dirtier. Stinkier. Sadder.

“Oh, my,” Lily said. “What’s his name?”

“Valentine,” Ariel replied. “He was a flea-market puppy, purchased last year as a Valentine’s Day gift by a guy for his girlfriend. She dumped them both by spring, and Valentine’s been bouncing around since then.”

Lily raised her eyebrows. “He looks a bit like Marley, from the movie. Can’t we call him that instead?”

“Sorry,” Ariel said, not sounding sorry at all. “Every new owner has tried to change his name. It’s the only one he knows. I think everyone expects him to be like the movie dog. Then they get him home and find out how energetic he is. He doesn’t listen, they say. He destroys their furniture. They can’t walk him. He runs away. He jumps on the kids.”

Lily’s heart ached. “And with each new home, he gets worse.”

“Underneath that dirty, matted coat is an adorable personality just waiting to be released by the right person.”

Lily and the dog surveyed each other. The tilt of his head and his half-cocked ears suggested that Ariel was right. It’s just that there was so much of him. And so much mud.

Lily bit the inside of her cheek. He needed so much. Would she be equal to the task? “Keep in mind, I’m no Cesar Millan. I’m more… See Spot Run.”

“You’ll be fine,” Ariel assured her. “A little basic obedience. You know, sit, down, off, heel, maybe a couple of tricks. Oh, and get him used to grooming. He enjoys rolling in stuff. A bath and a good brushing and he’ll be gorgeous.”

Not likely. But he had that heart-tugging quality in spades. “You haven’t had much luck, have you, boy?” she murmured. “No one’s ever even gotten to know you.”

She knew what it was like to strike out, over and over again. And be overlooked.

Copyright c 2019 by Roxanne Snopek

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