Reggie sat patiently in the crate waiting for Michael to come and get him. Today he felt unsettled. His new groomer had followed the same routine as his regular one – but for some reason it caused Reggie to feel restless. He had been on edge ever since he and Michael moved into the big house with the lady and the girls. He felt there was something he was supposed to do. Something important, but he had to wait until he knew what that was. Dogs were barking and jumping in their holding crates, and several others were on tables being dried or trimmed. The noise and chaos further fueled his uneasiness.

He looked up when the door opened and found that the lady had come to get him instead of Michael. He immediately stood up and wagged his stubby tail.

"Look at you Reggie! Aren't you handsome?"

He responded with a whine, to let her know he was anxious to be let out.

Pretty soon one of the groomers stopped what she was doing and came over to the counter. "Are you here to pick up Reggie?"

"Yes, Michael got held up."

"Just a minute and I'll get his groomer for you."

Grace opened the crate and let Reggie out to greet her. She crouched down to his level and ran her hand over his soft head. The Airedale trim made him look distinguished.

"Hi, I worked on Reggie today," a man behind the counter said.

Grace stood up and found a man who wasn't a complete stranger to her.

"Oh, hello, I'm picking him up for Michael."

"Well, he's all ready to go."

Grace paid him and was about to leave when she turned back to the counter. "I think I saw you last night at Pacific State."

"Oh yeah, I'm taking some classes. I'm studying veterinary medicine. What are you taking?"

"No, I'm not a student, I was just checking into something." She struggled for an explanation, not really wanting to go into details.

He smiled at her. "I had to bribe his regular groomer. I haven't worked on an Airedale before, so I begged her to trade with me."

"Well, you did a good job. He looks great," she complimented, as she reached for the door.

"Here let me get that for you." He rushed around the counter causing Reggie to let out a loud bark. He gargled back a growl while moving in front of Grace.

"Oh," she said in surprise. "I've never seen him act like that."

"It's normal, he had to stand still for longer than he would have liked, and besides, I'm a stranger to him." He smiled again and held out his hand, "I'm Ray."

Grace reciprocated introducing herself and shaking his hand. He opened the door for them to exit. She managed a goodbye as Reggie pulled her forward with a sudden force that shocked her.

"See you next time, Reggie." He let the door close behind them.

"Well, you do look wonderful." She opened the door and he jumped into the passenger seat.

She probably wouldn't have remembered Ray except for his roughish smile. He was near 6 feet tall, with a slender build and tanned skin. He had a pleasant if not handsome face. His sandy brown hair had a hint of gray at the temples.

Reggie settled into the seat and relaxed for the first time since Michael had dropped him off at the groomers. He liked Grace and sensed that Michael did too. He lay down and rested his head on his paws. Finally, he knew what he had been waiting for. His instincts had been put on full alert and now he knew what he was supposed to do.