I used my cell to call the number for the first ad. The man sounded a bit brusque as if my planned visit inconvenienced him. Shrugging it off, I led Clay to the address. A rusty car parked on the front lawn with a “for sale” sign affirmed I had the right place. Clay and I walked toward the car.

A man called hello from the open garage and made his way toward us. As he neared, his demeanor changed, and I inwardly groaned. He introduced himself as Howard and looked me over with interest. Clay moved to stand between us, his stoic presence a good deterrent.

Howard talked about the car for a bit, going through the laundry list of its deficiencies. Then he popped the hood so I could look at the engine. In the middle of Howard’s attempt to impress me with his vast mechanical knowledge, Clay sprang up between us. Howard yelped at Clay’s sudden move and edged away as Clay placed his paws on the front of the car to get a good look at the engine, too. I fought not to smile at the man’s stunned expression. At Clay’s discreet nod, I bought the car, not bothering with the second ad.

No matter what errand I wanted to run during the week before classes started, Clay insisted on tagging along. On Friday, when I drove to the bookstore, Clay rode a very cramped shotgun and waited in the car while I made my purchases. Later, he sat in the hot car again while I bought some basic school supplies.

However, Monday, when I tried leaving for my first class, I put my foot down. He bristled and growled and tried to follow me.

“Your license only wins you so much freedom. Dogs aren’t allowed on campus and definitely not in the classroom.”

Thankfully, Rachel had left first and didn’t hear me scold him.

I tried to leave again, but he stubbornly persisted. Finally, exasperated, I reminded him that he slept on my bed because of my good grace. He resentfully stepped away from the door.

After the first week of classes, I didn’t have time to mind Clay’s constant attention. Maxing out at eighteen credits, desperate to get the general requirements out of the way so I could delve into clinicals sooner, I spent much of my day on campus in a classroom or in the library. When I actually found myself at home, I spent my time studying. I’d known when signing up for the courses that they would occupy all of my time and prevent me from having much of a life. Other than the fact I couldn’t get a part-time job while taking the overload, I hadn’t minded the commitment.

Even though I ignored him, Clay still stayed close to me. I realized how bored he’d grown when I came home and found one of my books on the couch, the bookmark on the wrong page. The next day, I took pity on him and brought back some books I thought might interest him. The one I thought particularly clever, about flora and fauna of North America, I included to remind him of home. He eyed the titles dispassionately. The day after, a bookmark nestled between the pages of two of the books.

I woke up one morning with a single-word note on my dresser. It simply said “mechanics.” The first stack of books lay next to the note.

I turned to glare at Clay, who still lounged on the end of the bed.

“So you can write words to me, just not speak them?”

He blinked at me.

“Whatever. You’re going to get caught creeping around the house at night.”

Later that day, I returned the books on forestry and wildlife and checked out several books on mechanics. For fun, I threw in a do-it-yourself book for home repairs.

The second Friday after school began, I sat on my bed with the door to my room closed. Clay lay in his usual spot beside me, his eyes devouring the words of his current book. He’d spent enough time reading next to me that I’d grown used to our system, a nudge when he needed a page turned. Trying to turn the page with his nose hadn’t worked out well for him or the first book.

When he nudged me, I turned his page without looking up from my own book. When he did it again, I lifted my head. He read fast, but not that fast. He briefly met my eyes then turned toward the door. Just then, I heard the front door open, and I froze at the sound of Rachel’s voice.

“...and this is where I live. Please have a seat, and I’ll change quickly. My roommate and our dog should be around here somewhere.”

“No rush,” a man answered. “Our reservations aren’t until six.”

I turned wide eyes to Clay. Rachel had brought a man home? I didn’t have time to think about it further because she knocked on my door. I wanted to ignore it, but instead, quickly closed the book in front of Clay.

“Come in.”

Rachel walked in still wearing her scrubs. Her smile and flushed cheeks spoke volumes, as did the way she tactfully closed the door behind her.

“There you are. Come meet Peter.” She walked close and leaned in so she could whisper more. “Don’t kill me, but he has a friend without a date tonight, and I said I had a friend without a date tonight...please come with.”

I groaned quietly. “Don’t do this to me, Rachel. This won’t end well, and you’ll probably never forgive me.”

“Come on...please?” she said, sitting on the bed next to me. “I really like this one.”

“That’s the problem. Remember what I said? It’s always a guy that ruins a friendship. I don’t want to go out tonight.” I looked at Clay from the corner of my eye. He glared at Rachel. Not good. Too human. I nudged him with my foot while keeping my focus on Rachel.

“I like having a friend,” I said.

She smiled at me. “If he hits on you, then it wasn’t meant to be. Don’t worry so much.” She pulled me off the bed, and I reluctantly followed her out the door. Clay was close behind.

Peter, a pleasant looking man with light blonde hair and blue eyes, stood when we walked into the living room. He was an inch shorter than Rachel and, with his coloring, seemed her polar opposite. He immediately smiled at Rachel, and I could tell he had eyes only for her. I sagged with relief. His kind were rare.

“Peter, this is Gabby. Gabby, this is Peter. He’s going to med school. I bumped into him at the library last week. Peter, why don’t you tell her about Scott while I go get dressed?”

Rachel left the room in a rush, probably so I couldn’t retreat. I smothered a grin as I watched Peter’s gaze follow her. It took him a moment to collect himself.

“Nice to meet you, Gabby.”

“You too. Want to sit?” I motioned him back to the couch and took the chair for myself. Clay settled on the floor between us. “This is Clay.”

“He’s huge,” Peter said, appearing to notice Clay for the first time.

A huge pain in the butt, I thought without any malice.

“Yeah,” I said instead. “So, who’s Scott?”

“Oh, a friend of mine,” he said looking up from Clay. “He’s also in med school. We had plans to go to O’Donell’s tonight for dinner and a drink or two. Then, I ran into Rachel and invited her to join us. We thought it’d be more fun if you could come, too.”

Rachel waltzed back into the room at that moment. Amazingly, she had already changed into a skirt and complementing silky top. She’d heard Peter’s last comment.

“Of course you will, won’t you, Gabby?”

Two love-struck fools, who wouldn’t even consider my presence if it weren’t for Scott, had me cornered. Rachel really didn’t know what she was asking of me. A public restaurant wouldn’t be enjoyable. Yet, as she watched me hopefully, I knew my answer.

“Okay...but I need to be home early enough to let Clay out.” A lame excuse, but I needed to prep the idea now so I would have an out later.

“I’m sure he’ll be fine for that little while.” Rachel waved her hand dismissively at Clay. Clay huffed, but she didn’t notice. Instead, she shooed me toward my room.

“Go get dressed.”

I stood to go to my room, but Clay leapt to his feet in front of me. I stepped to the right to go around him but he mirrored my move, blocking me.