New Dog in Town

Charlie watched this with great interest. "Wonder who's moving in?"

A limousine pulled up. The chauffeur stepped out and opened the back door. A regal Irish setter came out, sporting a diamond-studded collar. He started to investigate the yard, but a woman, apparently his owner, came chasing after him and grabbed his collar. "Be careful, Shane. You've got a dog show tomorrow, and there's a lot of dirt in this yard!"

"Gosh, Charlie," Itchy said, "do you think it's them?"

Charlie nodded. "Probably so, Itch."

They watched as the owner nearly dragged Shane up the front steps and into the house.

"This should be interesting," Charlie mused.

"There's the new dog in town," Bess said.

"Let's say hello," Sasha suggested.

The four dogs headed over to the show dog. "Hi!" Sasha said to him.

"Hello," the show dog replied. "I'm Shane. And who do I have the pleasure of meeting?" He said this looking at Sasha.

"I'm Sasha, and these are my friends Winnifred Bessime . . ."

"Bess," the cocker spaniel quickly interjected.

"Bess," Sasha corrected herself, "and these are Itchy and Charlie."

"Pleased to meet all of you," Shane greeted them all. "I just moved here from Boston."

"We're glad to have you here," Sasha said.

Itchy stole a glance at Charlie. The German Shepherd's expression was getting darker and darker. He wasn't pleased at all.

Just then Shane's owner showed up. "Here you are!" she said to the show dog. "I've been looking everywhere for you!" She snapped a leash on Shane and started to lead him away.

"Well, I've got to go now," Shane said apologetically, as he was half-dragged away.

"Goodbye!" Sasha, Bess, and Itchy called. Sasha added, "Anytime you need anything, just call!"

Shane's eyes fixed on Sasha as his owner led him into the limousine.

Itchy glanced at Charlie again. His face looked like a storm cloud. "What's the matter, Charlie?" the dachshund asked.

"Did you hear what that . . . that . . . show dog said to Sasha?" Charlie said, trying very hard not to yell. "‘Who do I have the pleasure of meeting?'" He imitated Shane's greeting. "And then did you see how Shane looked at Sasha?"

"Oh, Charlie, I'm sure it's not what you're thinking," Itchy said.

"Oh, yeah? Well, why not?" Charlie snapped. "Sasha is an Irish setter. The show dog is an Irish setter. He's after Sasha, that's what!"

"Oh, Charlie---" Itchy started to protest.

"No, Itchy, you'll never convince me otherwise!" Charlie interrupted, staring in the direction Shane had gone. "When I said this would be interesting, I didn't know that I might lose my girl to that show dog! And that's definitely not interesting! That's disastrous!"

"Hey, Killer, what's new?" Charlie asked.

Killer stopped and looked at them. "You know the new dog in town, Shane?"

Charlie and Itchy both nodded.

"Well, Sasha has hired him to work in the Flea Bite," Killer announced.

Itchy was shocked. He hadn't expected that news.

Charlie was shocked too. "She did? See, Itchy, I told you Shane was after her! Now she's falling for him and hired him to work in her place!" He turned and rushed into the Flea Bite. Itchy followed. Killer stared after them, puzzled.

"Why else would Sasha hire him?" Charlie said to Itchy. "She's never hired anyone except Gerta! It's been four years since she got the Flea Bite up and running and she's never even thought about hiring anyone else! Then this new dog moves to town and she hires him to work here! Why, I ask, why?"

"Actually, Charlie, we'll never know until we ask Sasha," Itchy replied.

Charlie wasn't paying much attention to his friend. "Why would she hire him?" he repeated. "Why, unless she was charmed by him? No, Itchy, I've got big problems now! Shane is after my girl, and he's getting her!"

"Actually, Charlie, did you ever notice how much Shane looks like Sasha?" Itchy asked.

"They're both Irish setters. Why shouldn't they look a little alike?" Charlie shot back.

He watched Shane carry an umbrella over Sasha as they walked to the Flea Bite in the rain.

"Hey! That's it!" the German Shepherd said to himself. "I'll be extra nice to her!"

Shane opened the door for Sasha as they arrived at the cafe. Charlie nodded to himself. "If that's the kind of dog Sasha wants, that's the kind she's gonna get!"

"This . . . is . . . horrible," Charlie panted after he'd raced for several blocks to get a delivery for Sasha that the delivery man had forgotten to leave. "And I don't think it's doing any good, either, Itchy," he said to the dachshund. "I'm not going to be able to win. She's really falling for that new dog!"

"Oh, Charlie, I'm sure she's not," Itchy said. "Hey, have you ever noticed the resemblance between Shane and Sasha?"

Charlie glared at the little dog. "Oh, c'mon, Itch. They're both Irish Setters. Of course there'd be a resemblance!"

"I actually used to live in San Francisco," Shane said. "I was born here, but shortly afterward, this lady bought me and moved to Boston.

Trying to get into the discussion, Charlie said, "I used to live in New Orleans."

Shane turned to him briefly. "You did? That's interesting, Charlie."

Turning back to Sasha, Shane continued, "My owner wanted me to be a show dog. She started entering me in big shows, and for a while, I was top dog of my breed.

"Then, at one show, I finished second place in my breed, despite being liked by the spectators and judges.

"My owner wasn't pleased, to say the least. She figured that I hadn't been doing everything I should to win the dog shows, and she became even more strict and protective. She was determined to bring me, Shane Mackensie LaFleur, back to the very top . . ."

Shane stopped. Everyone was staring at him. "What? What did I say?" he asked, puzzled.

"What did you say your name is?" Sasha finally managed to say.

"Shane Mackensie LaFleur," Shane repeated.

"LaFleur is my last name, too," Sasha said in barely above a whisper.

Shane gasped. "You don't say!" He rushed for the door. "Excuse me," he said, "I'll be right back."

The dogs gathered around. The birth certificate stated that Shane's parents were William Arnold LaFleur and Jaycie LaFleur.

Sasha gasped. "Those are my parents, too!"

The two Irish Setters looked at each other, realizing that they were siblings.

"Didn't your—our—parents tell you that you had a brother?" Shane asked.

Sasha shook her head. "I was still a very young puppy when they . . . died." She looked very teary-eyed. "They probably would've told me if they had . . . lived. You were probably taken away before I was born."

Itchy felt very uncomfortable. He felt like he was intruding. "Uh, we'll leave you two alone to get acquainted," he said, managing to herd Charlie out the door, who was looking stupefied.

Itchy, knowing it was best not to disagree with Charlie at this point, said nothing.

Charlie glanced at Shane, who was coming down the street. "Well, hi!" Shane called.

"Hello," Charlie and Itchy replied. "How does it feel to know you've got a sister?" Charlie asked the Irish Setter.

Shane grinned. "It's great! I never dreamed I had any living relatives, and certainly I never dreamed that I have a sister!" His grin broadened. "And guess what!"

"What?" the other dogs chorused.

"My best friend from Boston, a miniature American Eskimo dog named Snowy, is moving here!"

"Really?" Charlie said. "Well, that's cool."

Shane laughed, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "I've gotta warn you, though, that Snowy prides himself on being my bodyguard, and he's very tough, even though he's half my size!"

Charlie and Itchy looked at each other. "This should be interesting," was Charlie's only comment.

Note: Shane is JP's character and is not to be used without his permission.

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