Beyond the Ordinary

Chapter 73

KATE 

The man managed to have Max's collar ready in under a half-hour. He handed it to me, saying congratulations as my father paid him. In the car, it was mostly silent since I was still in shock by what my father had said.

"I meant it, you know," he says.

I smile. "He's not just mine, though, he's ours."

My father sighs. "Kate, if he was ours, he would have slept in his dog bed downstairs and not in your room. If he was ours he would have sat between us on the couch and not next to you. If he was ours I would have told you to put "the Hart's" on the back of his collar and not your name," my father says, using air quotes around the words "the Hart's".

"He loves you too, though," I say, trying to make him feel better.

He shakes his head, smiling. "It's okay, Kate, it doesn't bother me. I'm glad I found something to keep you happy. That's the whole reason I wanted a dog in the first place."

I smile. "I know, but I was happy before him too. Sure, he makes me even happier, but it's not like I wasn't happy before him."

"I know, but now you have something to look forward to when you come home," my father says, turning on the car and reversing out of the parking lot. "Now let's get home before your friends arrive."

Once we arrive at home, I attach the collar back around Max's neck, feeling a swell of pride at the thought of having my name on his collar, marking him as my property. I set the white jar onto the kitchen table beside the toaster, emptying both bags of treats inside before deciding to feed him one.

I raise my arm and Max sits, eying the treat. "Good boy," I say and he wags his tail before I toss him the treat and he catches it easily in his mouth. I bend down and pet him kissing his head.

"Hey, dad, do you want to give him a treat?" I ask my father and he nods, I take another treat out of the jar and hand it to him.

He holds it above Max's head like I'd shown him and Max sits obediently. My father smiles and suddenly jumps, slightly frightened when Max decides to jump up and snatch the treat from his hands.

"Oh my gosh, did he hurt you?" I ask, inspecting my father's hand.

He shakes his head, laughing once his breathing has returned to normal. "As I said before, he belongs to you."

I smile before heading up to my room to tidy it up before my friends come over. Not surprised, Max follows me up the stairs, carrying a toy in his mouth.

✡ ✡ ✡

As I had predicted, my friends show up around three, carrying their overnight bags and bathing suits in their arms. Once he hears the door open, Max charges down the stairs barking excitedly and wagging his tail. I head down after him, making sure he's not going to kill anyone and notice that he's just sniffing everyone as if to say, "Hi, nice to meet you".

He then comes up behind Kyle and sniffs his ass making him let out a surprised laugh. He turns to Max and pats his head, looking him dead in the eyes before saying, "You gay?"

My father chuckles at his comment. "Unfortunately, I don't think so. He sleeps with Kate every night, so I've come to the conclusion he may have a thing for her."

"He wouldn't be the only one that does," Kyle says, making Amy elbow him a little too roughly.

"Relax, I was referring to her boy toy from work, not me," he says, defensively.

My father laughs. "Oh, you mean Axel? He's hardly her boy toy as you so-called it," my father says, smiling, "in fact, last time I checked, he was her boyfriend."

Suddenly, all of my friends' eyes, except Corey's, turn and look straight at me in a mix of confusion, happiness, and hurt.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Kyle asks and my father awkwardly leaves the room, knowing that he'd unintentionally exposed a secret that I wasn't quite ready to share until tonight.

"I was waiting until it got serious, which it has, so I was going to tell you guys tonight," I say.

The hurt leaves their eyes as if a switch went off and they just look happy for me.

"Wait, did your father say his name was Axel? Damn, that's a hot name," Amy says, making Kyle glare at her but she swats him away. "Sorry babe, but it's true."

"I know right? That's exactly what I said! A hot name for a hot boy," Corey says, once again exposing me.

Kyle stares at her in disbelief. "Wait, you knew? And you didn't tell us?"

Corey laughs. "No offense, but I wouldn't tell you guys even if Kate hadn't asked me not tell, I just don't do that kind of thing to people. I'm not a drama queen like you," she says, raising her voice.

Suddenly, Max starts barking loudly and comes up beside me. "Thank you, Max," I say to him. "Now, who's ready for the beach?"