Tails N Scales (Holiday Howlz 4)

Holiday Howlz: Tails N Scales
Tuesday Richards
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Copyright ©2009 Tuesday Richards

Midnight flew down the highway as if she was brand new and off the assembly line. When, in fact, she was a fully restored -- twice -- 1965 chopped-out panhead Harley Davidson, black metallic paint and chrome... well, everything else. Dolly, being motorcycle stupid, usually just smiled when Bryce and BD were jabbering on about it.

A small Prairie Dawg... err... dog... sat -- or bounced excitedly -- around in her backpack. BD had shifted and came along for the ride because somebody needed to take Midnight back to Barkus, Kansas.

Arriving at the airport, Bryce parked, BD jumped out of Dolly's backpack faster than a joey finally free of its mother's pouch, and all she wanted to do was pick the bugs out of her teeth. Will I ever get used to riding this thing? She opened the saddlebag and removed her purse and the animal carrier.

Bryce unstrapped the suitcase from the back of the bike, letting it bounce off the pavement.

BD pulled his clothes out of Dolly's bag after he shifted back to human and dressed quickly. "All right, kids, I'm outta here. Try not to behave." He was on the bike, peeling out the tires before either Bryce or Dolly could say anything.

Strong hands slid around Dolly's waist and drew her into a rock-solid chest. "So tell me again why I'm the one going into the cargo hold of the plane in a Pet Taxi."

She sighed, laying her head against his shoulder. "We've been through this, Bryce. One, they're not going to allow an alligator into the cargo hold. They'd be afraid I would eat the other pets. Two, we couldn't afford two tickets, and three, it was your idea to begin with." She kissed his stubbled chin, pushing away from him. "Now, suck it up, big man, and get in the carrier."

Bryce shifted without further argument. She scooped him up and placed him gently inside the carrier, closing the lid before he could think about escaping. Meeting her parents, traveling at Christmas, and in a pet carrier to boot, would drive any man to run for the hills and hide till New Year's Day. Dolly folded his clothes neatly, placing them in her backpack, and pulled it over her shoulders, picked up the carrier and began the walk to the ticket counter.

The woman behind the counter stared at the furry critter in the carrier and smiled. "At least you're not going to the West Coast. I heard those states would confiscate a wild animal, have them spayed or neutered and then send them to a rescue facility without ever telling the owner."

Bryce chirped nervously from the carrier, moving as far to the back as he could go.