2

Back in the snow, Gage cursed out the professor. Not so much for keeping him out of class, but for proving that going to class at all was a waste of precious time. He found the tracks of the emaciated dog he’d spotted out in the snow. Followed them into the alley where he’d lost sight of the poor thing. He’d grabbed a bag of dog food at the corner store and had a handful in his pocket in case he needed to tempt the mutt close enough to get him off the streets.

As he trudged through the snow, the cold seeped through his jeans, but he hardly noticed. The dog had probably been sleeping out here, and who knew how much longer the poor pup would survive as the temperature continued to drop? At least the wind had calmed down a bit, making it easier to follow the tracks, though most of them were filled in.

He heard laughter in the distance, past where the alley between the old apartments forked. A dog’s pain-filled whine quickened his pace. He ran around the corner and saw three young teenage boys surrounding the dog, pelting it with snowballs. He wasn’t sure why the dog couldn’t seem to get away. All he knew was he needed to get the little shits to stop.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing? Get out of here!” Gage lunged at the closest boy, who dove out of reach and scrambled to his feet, taking off without waiting for his friends. The other two boys dropped their snowballs and bolted after him.

Cowering in the snow, the dog stiffened as Gage approached. Tried to stand and dropped hard as though his legs just couldn’t support him any longer. Gage stuffed his hand in his pocket, moving slowly as he offered the food to the dog. The dog sniffed the food. Whimpered and took a little bit, but most of the hard pellets spilled into the snow.

“It’s all right, pal. I’ve got you.” The dog wasn’t small—Gage was pretty sure he was a German Shepherd—but he was frighteningly light as Gage carefully picked him up. Despite the boys’ attacking him, the dog didn’t growl or struggle as Gage carried him to his car. His cold, wet nose pressed against Gage’s neck. He let out a soft whine as Gage lowered him onto the backseat and used his jacket as a makeshift blanket. “I know. We’re gonna get you all warmed up, buddy. Maybe get you something to eat? I got some leftovers. Might be easier than that hard stuff.”

Getting to his apartment took longer than usual since not all the roads were clear, and plows slowed the progress on the bigger streets. He finally pulled into the outdoor parking lot, parked, and got out to lift the shivering dog into his arms. He’d had the heat blasting, so hopefully the shivering was a good sign. He kept his jacket around the dog and brought him inside.

He made it to his apartment before a new problem arose. His nosy neighbor had opened her door just as he was unlocking his. He knew from when he’d first moved in that she would call the landlord over anything—he’d gotten a knock on the door within minutes of unpacking for a noise complaint. Middle of the day and he’d been tuning his guitar without speakers or anything. He never had friends here anymore because he’d gotten warnings just for them talking in the hall.

No animals allowed meant he could expect another pleasant visit from the super. This place fucking sucked, but he couldn’t afford to find another apartment. He’d find the dog a good home after he made sure the poor thing would be all right. He settled the dog on his worn, brown, second-hand sofa and covered him with a few blankets before going to the kitchen to see what he could feed him. He had some leftover chicken, so he put a few slices on a plate. Filled a bowl of water and brought both to the living room.

The dog weakly climbed off the sofa as he came in. Laid on his belly and sniffed the chicken Gage set in front of him. He ate slowly, his gaze darting to Gage every time he moved. It took a while, but the dog cleaned the plate.

“Good boy.” Gage sat on the sofa and scratched behind the dog’s ears. The dog had thick fur, which had probably helped him survive out there, but it was dirty and matted. “Gonna get you to a vet before I worry about cleaning you up, but until then, just looking at you, I’ve got the perfect name. What do you think of ‘Matty’?”

Tipping his head back, the dog grunted then licked Gage’s hand.

“I’ll take that as a yes. All right, Matty, here’s the deal. I can’t keep you here, but I’m gonna find you a real good family. After we make sure you ain’t just lost.” He chuckled as Matty plunked down next to the sofa and closed his eyes. The dog needed to get looked at, but no harm in letting him rest for a bit.

Gage took out a few of his course books and decided to make a dent in the assignments. He was comfortable with most of his subjects, but he’d put off starting the midterm chemistry paper because he was struggling with some of the basics and refused to turn in anything substandard. The professor was a soft-spoken old man who appeared as bored with the work as most of the students, which meant Gage was doing most of his learning on his own.

And sucking royally at it.

He was good at biology though, so he finished his latest assignment and closed the books a couple of hours later with a sense of accomplishment. Quiet while he studied usually made him jumpy, but he hadn’t even noticed the silence. He grinned at the dog. Having him here had probably helped. Matty lifted his head as Gage stood. His wagging tail began thumping against the sofa when Gage knelt beside him.

“Time to go, Matty. Maybe the road will be cleared and this won’t take too long.” Gage sighed as he wrapped Matty in a thick, gray flannel blanket. The dog was great company, but if he kept Matty too long, he’d get attached. Getting attached would be bad. And not just because he wasn’t allowed to have a pet in the apartment. “You remind me of my dog, Gunner. He was meaner than you, though. Those stupid punks would have been sorry if they messed with him.” He laughed as he held Matty against his chest and the dog licked his cheek. “He didn’t like being picked up, but you’re a cuddly thing, aren’t you? You’d probably do great with kids.”