Spoiler
Ok guys. I hadn't originally wanted to post this edited version because many of you have read it already. But I need feedback and motivation and who better than you?
Spoiler
Where we left off: Shanna, night shift clerk was almost robbed by one of her trusted customers when her guard dog Riley came to the rescue. 
Chapter 2
“Shanna, can I ask you a favour?”
I turned at my boss’s voice, rubbing the band-aids on my arm. The cops had called him during the night to let him know about the attempted robbery. I’d insisted I was fine, but they had equally insisted.
He’d arrived in a panic and had remained with me at work for the remainder of the night. As he approached me, he was jittery, as if high on adrenaline.
“What’s up, Boss?”
He pushed his glasses back up his nose. “Look, I know you’ve had a rough night, but Travis hasn’t shown up yet and it’s half past seven.”
I snapped my head to the left and sure enough, Riley was sitting on the sidewalk, alert and tense, his head whipping left and right. He was looking for his owner who’d never been late before.
I turned my head back to my boss. “That’s unusual. I assume he hasn’t called?”
David shook his head. “No, and I was wondering if you’d take him home with you.” When he saw both my eyebrows shoot up, he added quickly, “We can’t leave him here; we don’t know if he’ll think he’s still on duty and we can’t have him going all ‘guard dog’ on us.” His green eyes pleaded with mine. “Please? We have cats at home, and I don’t know who else to trust. He knows you already.”
Biting my lip, I turned back to Riley. He looked brave and beautiful out there and I felt a tug at my heart; nobody should be forgotten or left alone. “Ok, but I need his food.”
David practically ran to the back as I made my way outside to Riley. “Listen boy,” I said, as I crouched beside him. “Travis isn’t here and we can’t leave you at the store, so I’m bringing you home with me.”
As if he completely understood my words, he whipped his head and met my eyes. I searched his steady gaze. “I’ll keep you safe, I promise.”
He rose on all fours, his tail wagging slightly, ears perked. His head was cocked as he regarded me, telling me without words that he trusted me.
“Has anyone ever told you that you act very un-dog like?” I muttered, as I rose from my crouch.
Riley seemed to grin at me. Before I could comment, and possibly make a fool out of myself, David walked out with a container of Riley’s food and his bowls. “You sure you don’t mind?”
“Nah, he won’t be any trouble.” I looked down at the big dog whose body reached my hip. Would he fit in my small car? Probably. I opened the back door and Riley jumped in right away. I settled myself in front, started the car and threw it into drive.
“Shanna, wait! I forgot to give you your mail.” He handed me a couple of envelopes through my open window.
“Thanks David! See you tomorrow.”
I noticed Riley looking at the mail scattered on my passenger seat and I smiled. “Curiosity killed the cat, Dog.” I smirked when Riley growled low in his throat. “What? Don’t like cats?”
He ignored me and I felt a twinge of guilt. Maybe he was just feeling abandoned and needed the familiarity of my voice. I could offer him that.
“Wondering why David gave me some mail?”
Slowly, Riley turned his massive toward me, his nose barely touching my shoulder. I glanced in the rear view mirror and met the dog’s gaze.
“You want the short version or the long one?” Riley cocked his head. “Okay, short.” I sped up as I hit the highway and cracked a window open so Riley wouldn’t suffocate in the back. “Let’s just say my parents were rather strict when I was young and wouldn’t allow me to go to the library or watch television or movies. It was years before that was allowed.”
I glanced at Riley before returning my gaze to the road. “Six years ago, I started dreaming rather vividly of magicians and gods, of worlds that didn’t exist and the people who lived in them. I didn’t tell my parents about the dreams because I knew they’d freak out. I wasn’t allowed a creative thought of my own: never mind vivid creative dreams.”
I was quiet for a moment, remembering my past. I hadn’t had a bad childhood, but a difficult one nonetheless. My parents seem to constantly make up new rules for no obvious reason.
I shook my head, gathering my thoughts. “The only time I seriously argued with my parents was several months into the dreams, when I thought I was going crazy. I needed a break from my life, from my parents and our house. I told them I wanted a job, and I started looking for one without their blessing.” I took the exit a little faster than usual and Riley yelped when he hit the door. “Sorry, Riley.”
I turned left at the stop. “I found the job I now have and I’ve been working there for five years. I started writing my dreams down on paper, and after a few months, I bought myself a laptop. I finished the book, found a literary agent renown for her discretion and sent her my first novel.”
Riley released an excited yip as I parked the car, grabbed my purse, the mail and his food, and then let him out. Thankfully, the landlord didn’t mind pets in the apartment; although I wasn’t sure she meant I could bring the King Kong of dogs home.
He ran in a circle before turning to me, ears pricked, head cocked. “More?” I asked, smiling. “Well, she accepted my story and found an editor right away for it. She also sold the three other novels I sent her and I have to admit my books have been selling fairly well.”
I led Riley into my first-floor apartment. I dropped my purse on the small bench in the hallway before heading for the kitchen to feed the dog. I felt a hard nudge in my leg and I spun around, “Hey!”
Riley had the mail tucked delicately inside his mouth which he had raised toward me as an offering. “Oh man! You bring the mail?” I smiled. “Do you fetch slippers, too? Fetch my slippers, boy. Fetch!” I made a shooing motion but he obviously didn’t get what I meant. I looked from the envelopes to Riley, then back again. I shrugged. Who knew what his habits were with his owner? Maybe he had to retrieve the mail or newspaper. Maybe he had to water the plants and mow the lawn.
I smiled at the mental image of this huge dog up on two legs pushing a lawn mower. Riley cocked his head, then nudged my leg again. I laughed. “Okay, I get it; I’ll open my mail.”
I scanned the letter quickly, a smile tugging at my lips. “She’s given me a deadline for my newest story,” I murmured, then looked over the letter. “She loves the proposal I sent her.”
I felt a silly grin on my face. It never got old, selling my ideas. I absolutely loved writing. “You see,” I told Riley in a conspiring whisper, “my full name is Shanna Cameron but I gave myself a pseudonym for my writing using the first letter of my name and last name. And so I go from Shanna Cameron, clerk in a gas station, to Shayna Cambridge, best-selling unknown author!” I laughed delightedly. “Ingenious, isn’t it?”
Riley jumped up excitedly, running back and forth, barking wildly. I cocked my head at the dog and realised, as he spun in circles trying to catch his tail that this was the first time I’d seen Riley actually act like the dog he was.
“Dog, you are weird,” I muttered.
I stretched and yawned until it felt my jaw was going to unhinge itself. “My identity is a secret: you mustn’t tell anyone.” I giggled, reached over and pat his head. I groaned low in my throat at the silky feel of it. Tentatively, I lowered my hand, caressing his neck and beneath his ears. Riley made a low sound that strangely resembled a cat’s purring.
“You like this, don’t you boy?” I murmured. Working my shift was a lonely experience, I knew that from the start. I longed for companionship but what I got was vicious degenerates whose idea of a good time was peeing on my car and throwing garbage cans at my window. The fact that they fuelled my writing was one of the reasons I stayed there. But if my career kept picking up, I wouldn’t need to stay there very long.
When Riley whined, I realised that tears were blurring my vision. If I was crying over something as stupid as my job, I really needed to head for bed.
With a last pat, I reluctantly pulled away from Riley and led him back out, waited until he’d done his business and offered a small prayer of thanks that I didn’t have anything to scoop up.
I headed for the shower, took a quick one and came out wearing my nightwear: a t-shirt and baggy shorts.
I didn’t particularly want Riley in the room while I was sleeping. I was afraid he’d wake me up if he roamed. But when I tried closing the door, he whined and pawed at it and I just didn’t have the heart to keep him out. He was probably as lonely as I was.
“Come on, then, but you lie down and don’t make a sound. And I really hope you don’t snore.” If worse comes to worse, I’d shoo him out.
The last thing I heard before falling blissfully asleep was the sound of Riley’s heavy breathing.
