Puppy Love

The sun was just peaking over the horizon when Katie made it down to the beach. Tom, her French Bulldog, took off barking with joy as his little legs sprinted on the sandy surface. Katie sighed and kicked off her sandals before running after the excited little puppy. By the time she finally caught up to Tom, he had already found a playmate. A Labrador nearly five times the size of Tom came bounding over and jumped up nearly knocking Katie on her backside.

"Bella!"

Both Katie and the dog looked up to the source of the heavy booming voice. A man with arms decorated by art and bulging with muscles came sprinting from the jetty with a leash held up in his hands. Katie gently guided the dog back on all fours and knelt down to be eye level with the animal.

"So, your name is Bella. I'm Katie, and that's my dog, Tom. Do you come here often?" Katie giggled softly as the dog barked and let her tongue droop out of her mouth.

Tom, soaking wet from splashing in the shallow ocean water, ran up to Bella as fast as his tiny legs could carry him. He let out a few short yips before taking off in the opposite direction. Katie stood up straight and watched as her dog ran to the tattooed man who had toned down his run to a brisk walk. The French Bulldog jumped up running his wet, sandy paws all over the man's pant leg.

The man bent down and picked up the yapping dog. Katie walked down to the shore line with Bella by her side. "I'm sorry about her jumping on you. I'm trying to work on it." The man said as soon as they were in earshot.

Katie smiled and shook her head, "Don't worry about it. I was just caught off guard. Tom doesn't quite have the same amount of force."

"Tom?" He asked raising an eyebrow.

"Tom." Katie pointed to the little dog in his muscular arms and laughed, "You know… like Tom Hardy?"

He shook his head, "I don't follow."

Katie gasped, "Tom Hardy! He's in Inception and I'm pretty sure they just cast him to be in the Batman movie."

"Haven't heard of him." He shrugged and readjusted the backwards baseball hat on his head. He extended a hand and smiled flashing a pair of dimples, "I'm Matt by the way, and that's Bella, obviously."

"Nice to meet you, Matt. I'm Katie; you've obviously already met Tom."

Matt bent down and attached the leash to Bella's collar. He gave her belly a quick rub before standing up again and smiling. Katie could have sworn her heart skipped a beat when those deep set dimples made a reappearance. She felt a light blush creep up on her cheeks as she took a squirming Tom from his arms. The feeling of their hands brushing against each other sent electric shocks up her arms.

"It was great to meet you, Katie. I've got to get going but hopefully I'll see you around down here one day?"

Unable to find words, Katie just nodded. She tucked a piece of stray hair behind her ear and smiled as Matt and Bella walked off the beach. As soon as he was gone, Katie mentally slapped herself for not asking for his number, or at least saying someone when he left. Instead she just nodded like an idiot.



Matt gave Bella a kiss on the top of her head and smiled, "Good job today, girl. Now all we've got to do is go back tomorrow and I'll be able to ask her out on a date."

Bella barked happily as Matt pulled out of the parking lot and began his quick drive back to his home. Once back at his place, Matt and Bella walked in to find two of his best friends and their dog, Pinkly, sitting in the living room watching TV. The little white Maltese ran over to her friend before the two went off and did their own thing. Matt kicked off his shoes and sat on the couch opposite his friends. "Don't you guys have your own house to watch TV at?"

Brian grunted in response while Emma smiled, "McKenna is staying with us for a few days while Papa Gates and Suzy are on vacation."

"So? Kenna likes watching these crimes shows with you guys. Why'd you have to come here?"

"You don't understand, Matt!" Brian sat up from his lounging position, "My house has been taken over! Giggling girls, nail polish, girl talk. I don't want to know about who the hottest boy in class is!"

Matt chuckled and picked up Pinkly as she trotted by. He saw something situated on the top of the dogs head causing Matt to squint and take a closer look. He wrapped his hands around Pinkly's tiny body and held the dog right in front of his face. "Is that a pink bow?" Emma and Matt burst out in laughter as Brian nearly pulled out his hair.

The guitarist grunted in anger before pushing himself off the couch, "My god has a fucking bow on her head. I'm one of those people now. Next thing you know, she'll have real diamonds on her collar and be eating better food than I do."

Emma reached out and gave her husband a good smack in the stomach, "Shut up. It looks cute, Bri."

Matt leaned back on the couch and watched his friend's bicker in such a loving manner. After things with Val fell through, Matt felt like there was a missing piece in his heart that would ache when he was surround by his friend's and their relationships. However, he was never one to bring the mood in the room down because of his own loneliness. His mind began to wander back to the girl he had met on the beach and her little dog, Tom. Bella trotted over and plopped herself right at his feet.

The Haner's left around noon and returned with McKenna. Close behind, Johnny, Lacey, Zacky, Gena, and three dogs joined together at Matt's house for a big get together. What started out as a calm and relaxing morning turned into a wild, exciting afternoon. Beer was flowing through everyone's cups, except McKenna's of course, and the dogs were all running young Matt's fenced in yard. Emma was floating in the pool with Pinkly on her lap when she called Matt over.

"What's up?" He asked sitting on the edge of the pool dropping his feet in.

Emma pushed up her sunglasses and gave a sheepish smile, "I invited a friend of mine over. She's got a cute little puppy, too… French Bulldog I think?"

Matt nodded unaware of the fact that his friend was in fact trying to set him up, "Cool, let me know when she gets here."

The brunette nodded and pulled her sunglasses back over her eyes and pushed away from the edge with Pinkly still on her lap. Matt watched his friend float away before the wheels started turning in his shaven head. The singer laughed to himself, surely in Huntington Beach, California, more than one person had a French Bulldog puppy. He jumped up and began tending to the grill and occasionally passing a scrap or two to the hoard of dogs running around.

On the other side of the tall brown fence, Katie held Tom in her arms securely as she knocked twice. The group was loud enough to be heard all throughout the city. Dogs were barking and people where talking loudly to be heard over all the animals. Tom began to wiggle in his owner's arms as the smell of all the unfamiliar canines finally hit his little wet nose. The entrance of the fence swung open to reveal a man with a mohawk on his head and a beer in his hand.

"Listen," He said, the thick smell of beer wafting from his breath, "I dunno how you go this address, but you need to leave. This is private property and I'll call the police if you don't leave."

Katie took a step back as Tom snarled at the slightly intoxicated man. She bit her lip, "I don't understand. I was invited here by Emma… Emma Haner."

"Of course you were." He smirked, unconvinced.

There was a shrilling yap from the ground which sent Tom in a tizzy. Pinkly stood by the rude man's ankles barking up at the familiar puppy in Katie's arms. Close behind were Emma and Brian in a slow jog trying to keep an eye on their baby. Katie gave a small wave and set Tom down to play with his friend. Emma smiled and pulled Katie into a hug, "Oh, I'm so glad you could make it! I can't wait for you to meet my friend."

Brian saw Johnny standing with yet another beer in his hand and gave Katie a sympathetic smile, "Sorry if this shit head gave you a hard time. He's just stupid."



"Babe, where the hell is the leash? If Bella and Tom don't get walked soon you'll be cleaning up their shit and piss off the carpet!"

Matt cringed at the thought of cleaning up dog shit off the carpet. He ran into the closet and pulled their favorite two dog leash from the beach bag and jogged downstairs to find his wife standing by the front door her hands on her hips. Both dogs were sitting on either side of her patiently, something they never did for him. "Sorry… I forgot it was in my bag after I went for a run with Brian last night."

Katie just nodded her head as she did her best to bend over despite the five months pregnant belly in her way. "I just hope you don't forget the pup's things when the time comes."

The musician chuckled and leaned in to kiss his wife before zipping up her hoodie as she stepped out in the cool October air. It only seemed fitting that the Sanders's referred to their unborn child as the pup. Their whole relationship began thanks to their loyal companions; their love for their companion was one of a million things the couple had in common. It was puppy love that grew and evolved into a beautiful union between two people so very much truly, madly, deeply in love.