I Hope You Dance

Chapter 28

I stared at the envelope, dazed as I grabbed my duffel to sit outside and wait for Rooster. "Magnolia? You okay?" I turned to find Bob walking over his own duffel on his shoulder. "Uhm, maybe." I said as my throat closed up. "No, I uh-I got orders." I said as I held up the envelope. "What? You just got back!" Bob was usually calm and collected, I've never seen him yell out like he just did. "When do you leave?" I bit my lip, fiddling with the envelope. "October thirtieth." His jaw dropped at my answer. "That's a little less than two weeks away!" I nodded, it was currently the eighteenth which means I had twelve days before I left. "I'll be gone eight weeks. Which means I get to come home the week of Christmas." I huffed, sitting on the sidewalk. "Better than three months or longer." I nodded. "Um, are you not going home? Wait, where's your jeep?" I looked over at him, sliding my sunglasses down my nose. 

"Rooster has it. Dahlia had a vet appointment I forgot about so while I was talking to Cyclone he offered to take her for me." It was quiet for a moment before he stepped closer, holding his hand out for me to take. "Come on." I looked up at him, brows furrowed in confusion. "I'll take you to the vet." I shook my head. "I don't want you going out of your way for me." He chuckled, grabbing my hand and hauling me up anyway. "It's not out of the way for my friends, now come on." I smiled at him, wrapping my arm around his waist. "You're the best friend a girl could ask for, Bobby. You know that?" He chuckled, putting our bags in the truck as I got in. "No one's ever said it. But I do appreciate it, Magnolia." He said as he cranked his truck. It had to be an early two thousands, nothing new like Jake's. "Any time, Bobby. Any time."

My ride with Bob made me feel a little better, we sang along to pop songs on the radio, talking about my deployment. "I hate that I have to leave. I won't even be here when the house gets finished." He nodded, turning the radio down. "It will be when you come home though." I nodded, he was right, at least I wasn't coming home to a half done house. "I also hate to leave Bradley. I mean, things just got better and now..." I trailed off, tears gathering in my eyes. "He understands. That's the great thing about being with someone who knows your job, they understand." I rolled my head over, looking at Bob as he drove. "Can you just be wrong so I can feel bad for myself for just a minute?" 

A small grin grew on his face. "No." I huffed, looking back out the window as he continued to drive. Once we were at the vet he grabbed my bag as I got out. "You're awesome, Bobby." I said, taking my bag from him. "I can be." I hugged him before saying goodbye and heading inside. "Hi, my boyfriend brought in my dog for me. Dahlia." The tech nodded, looking at her screen. "They are in the large exam room, all the way down the hall." I nodded, knowing exactly which room it was and made my way to the door. I knocked quietly before opening the door. Rooster was sitting on the bench against the wall, scrolling on his phone. He turned and saw me, his phone immediately going in my pocket. "Hey, Mags. How'd you get here?" He asked as he stood, taking my bag. "Bob caught me outside, offered to drive me." I said, placing a kiss on his cheek. 

"That's great. Look, I gotta tell you-" Movement caught my eye and I turned, seeing Dahlia laid out in the floor, a small chihuahua curled up with her. "Um, mind telling me why my dog has another dog curled up with her?" He sighed, rubbing his face. "That's what I was going to tell you. When I was checking her in this woman came in with her. She basically threw her at the girl at the front desk saying she had her third litter of puppies." I sighed, looking at the little dog fast asleep against Dahlia. "She wanted to have her put down because she couldn't have anymore puppies." My anger grew at his words, realizing this dog most likely came from a puppy mill or something of the like. "She left and the girl up front decided not to euthanize her, but she still needed an exam so I offered to pay for it. We realized pretty quickly this is the same dog that would curl up with her while she was boarded." I looked at them, Dahlia was peacefully asleep as was the other dog.