I squeezed my walk in before I met with Sam. The house was in an older neighborhood and was really large, but not at all stately. It was simply a big old house. "You been waiting long?" I asked.

"Just enough time to eat my breakfast, and drink my second cup of coffee."

"Good then I won't feel bad that I wasn't here first," I suggested.

"Well lets go get you a puppy," Sam said leading the way to the old wooden door. Sam knocked then looked at me and smiled. "You gonna love Ms. Alma."

The woman who came to the door appeared to be eight years old if she was a day. She also appeared to have her wits about her. "Sam, I thought you promised to give me one more week. The puppies were just weaned."

"I'm not here to take the puppies, I brought John Abba to look at them. He is looking for a best friend. John don't like people much, and I hear tell people don't like him much either." Sam smiled and the woman took a good look at me.

"Mr. Abba welcome, I don't like people near as good a my dogs." Her smile was warm and gentle.

"It isn't quite as bad as Sam says I promise."

"You take care of my puppy, and I don't give a hoot in hell what people think of you." She smiled that, grandmother's just made warm cookies, smile at me.

The puppies were on her rear porch along with the mother of the brood. The older dog watched us carefully. "She might get a little upset," Sam suggested.

"I would expect so Sam," I replied. I turned to the old woman and asked, "So what's the breed?"

"Well Rosie is a irish setter, and I'm pretty sure the boxer down the street caught her in the yard and raped her." There was that grandmother smile again. "I don't know for sure, since Rosie didn't complain."

All of the puppies except one had brown coats and just looked ordinary. Sure they were puppy cute, but were going to be just ordinary brown dogs when they grew up. That is all of them except the little guy who came up to me and peed on my shoe. He was brown, gold, and rust all brindled together. He was gorgeous. He was also the only who stood beside his mother but kept his attention focused on me and Sam.

"I think I like the brindle one," I said to Sam.

"Let me run some shelter tests to see, if I can predict what his personality will be." Sam spent about five minutes handling the dog and pushing him around. "John he probably will be a good match for you. But if you want him to get along with people you should spend a lot of time socializing him. I had watched animal planet on TV enough to know what Sam meant.

Ms Alma took Rosie into the house and we took the puppy out the rear. I knew she missed him, and knew she would realize that he was gone forever, but at least she didn't have to watch him go.

The puppy rode on the floor in front of the passenger seat. I drove straight home, since I didn't really want to leave him in the car alone while I went puppy shopping. Fortunately Molly's car was in the drive. I thought that it might be since school was over for her. Misty had a year to go, but Molly was already working for the fire department. I expected her to tell me any day that she would be leaving soon.

She took one look at the puppy and it was obviously love at first sight for both of them. "You got a puppy. He is beautiful. What's his name."

"No name yet. Thought I might just call him dog."

"I should tell you that he needs a proper name, but I kind of like that idea."

'Would you do me a favor would you puppy sit? while I go buy him some dinner and a place to sleep?"

"Of course I will, but I warn you I may not give him back."