"He loved him dearly."
----------------
Outside, Collin regaled Julian with a nonstop stream of chatter.
"And I taught Jolly how to stand on his back feet. Look! Jolly, stand! Stand!"
Collin dangled a dog biscuit above Jolly's head. The playful pup reared up on his hind legs and let out a playful yelp.
"Good boy!!!"
Collin fed Jolly the promised treat.
"I have never seen a dog this big before," the little boy mused as he looked at Rex. "What can he do?"
"Not much," Julian said. "I haven't taught him any dog tricks."
Instead, he had been busy training Rex to be his loyal sidekick, a crucial asset in the ongoing pursuit to expose the illegal distribution of a forbidden drug.
"Awwww."
Collin looked disappointed. "What a pity. Hey, if you don't mind, can you let me play with him? My parents won't let me play with anything bigger than Jolly..."
