The sun rose in New Castle to start another day.
Mike and Debbie were still sound asleep, and Rascal slept inches from Mike's face. Rascal woke up and licked Mike's cheek, and he smiled. Rascal licked Mike's lips, and Mike kissed back with a smile.
"Mmmm! What's the occasion honey?" he said while he opened up his eyes in anticipation of Debbie kissing him. His eyes widened in shock when he saw Rascal's sparkling brown eyes that admired Mike. "Ahhhh!" Mike screamed and jumped out of bed.
That woke Debbie up in a panic and she jumped up and looked around to see the emergency. "What happened?" she asked a little surprised, as to why Mike screamed.
"That ugly mutt kissed my lips!" Mike yelled out while he pointed at Rascal, who cowered in fear on the bed.
Debbie saw Rascal and laughed. "Come here, boy," Debbie called out to the dog.
Rascal quickly ran to her and wagged his tail.
"Get this dog out of my room," Mike yelled out, then frantically wiped his lips with the sleeve of his tee-shirt.
Debbie chuckled some more while she took Rascal out of their bedroom.
Later that morning, the Hanson's sat down for breakfast.
Jenny and Chris ate a bowl of Cocoa Krispies at the kitchen table.
Debbie cooked some scrambled eggs and bacon for Mike on the stove. Rascal sat on the floor near her and watched with a vigil eye in hopes she would accidentally drop food on the floor.
Mike entered the kitchen dressed for work and had a look of disapproval the second he saw Rascal. "We need to talk. I've just about had enough with this dog," Mike told Debbie while he crossed his arms.
"About what?" she replied with a tone that she knew what was coming next.
"About what? I'll tell you about what. This dog broke the rules I established," Mike snapped back with a raised tone.
Jenny and Chris looked upset while they glanced over at Mike.
"Lighten up. He's only a puppy. He doesn't mean any harm," Debbie said while she scooped up some eggs and placed them on a plate.
Mike walked over and grabbed Rascal by the scruff of his neck. Rascal yelped in pain.
"Daddy, you're hurting, Rascal!" Jenny cried out, concerned.
Mike ignored Jenny's concern. "As I said, he's not allowed in the kitchen," he said while he walked over to the kitchen door. He opened it and dropped Rascal onto the floor of the back porch. He slammed the door closed and locked it.
Rascal stood by the door with the saddest brown eyes wanting to be inside with his new family.
Jenny and Chris got up from the table and rushed over to the door. They looked upset when they saw Rascal, who looked so sad.
"You're a meany, Daddy!" Jenny called out and ran out of the kitchen then down the hallway, and to her bedroom.
"Yeah, a meany!" Chris joined in and ran out of the kitchen then down the hallway, and to his bedroom.
Debbie looked at Mike with his plate of eggs and bacon in her hand. She looked at Mike and got mad. She walked over and opened up the cabinet under the sink. She dumped Mike's breakfast into the trash, then set his plate in the sink.
"What are you doing?" he asked her.
"Make your own breakfast, meany!" she said at a raised voice at Mike then walked over to the kitchen table and grabbed the kids cereal bowls.
Mike walked out of the kitchen, knowing he better leave for work.
Debbie walked over and set the kids cereal bowls in the sink. She waited for Mike to leave the house.
After a few minutes, she heard Mike leave through the front door. It was safe, so she walked over and opened the kitchen door.
Rascal ran inside and jumped up on Debbie's legs with his tail wagging.
He ran out of the kitchen and down to the hall. He wanted to be with the kids.
Thirty minutes later, Mike entered his office trailer with a Burger King bag in hand.
Russ reviewed some blueprints and looked up at Mike while he sat down at his desk, looking upset. He opened up the bag and removed a Sausage Egg and Cheese Butty sandwich and a large cup of coffee.
Mike took a bite out of his breakfast sandwich and stared out the windows in deep thought.
Russ knew something was wrong and waited a few seconds while Mike chewed. "What's bugging you? That OSHA citation bugging you?" Russ asked a little concerned then he sipped his coffee. "When do you meet with them?" he added.
"Tomorrow morning at eight and I want you there. And I'm not worried about them," Mike replied.
"Then what's eating you?"
"It's that dumb dog. I have to find a way to get rid of it," Mike said then took another bite of his sandwich.
"What's wrong with having a dog?" Russ asked.
"He's ruining my home life," Mike replied, then sipped some coffee.
"That's too bad as like I said before, a dog is known to be man's best friend."
"Not this man! I hate dogs with a passion," Mike replied, then took another bite of his sandwich.
Russ rolled his eyes and knew it would not be worth his time to argue against Mike's thick head.
Mike stared out the window while he sipped his coffee.
He noticed some scrap plywood and 2x4 boards on the front dirt yard of a nearby house. His eyes widened with an idea.
He got up from his desk and rushed over to the door.
Russ watched while Mike rushed out of the door.
He looked out the windows and saw Mike rush over to that house with the scrap wood.
A few seconds later, Mike came back out of that house with one of the carpenters, and they walked over to the scrap wood. He watched while Mike removed some cash from his wallet and gave it to the carpenter who shoved it into his pants pocket.
"What is he up to?" Russ asked while he watched Mike walk back to the trailer and the carpenter picking up some scrap wood and walked it inside the house.
Russ sat back down at his desk and returned to reviewing his blueprints.
Mike entered the trailer and sat back down at his desk with a bit of a smile. He started working on his paperwork.
Later that evening, Mike returned home from work and backed his pickup truck into his backyard.
In the back of his pickup was a dog house built from scrap wood.
From her back porch, Louise watched while Mike manhandled the dog house out of his pickup and then moved it to under a shade tree.
Mike then walked back to his pickup and got out a piece of re-bar and a sledgehammer. He walked back to the dog house and proceeded to pound the re-bar into the ground.
From her back porch, Louise shook her head in displeasure with the sight of the dog house.
From the back porch of Mike's house, Debbie, Jenny, and Chris watched while Mike connected a dog chain to the re-bar. Rascal sat and watched and looked curiously at Mike.
"Why is he putting that little house in our backyard?" Jenny asked curiously.
"It's called a dog house, and I think it's for Rascal," Chris replied and looked upset.
"Rascal can't live there! He lives with us inside our home. Right mommy?" Jenny said, then looked up with Debbie with sad eyes.
Debbie looked at Jenny then looked upset with Mike. "Let's go inside and eat dinner," she told the kids.
They all went inside while Mike got inside his pickup and drove out of the back yard.
A little while later, Mike walked into the dining room where Debbie and the kids ate dinner.
"What's with that dog house?" Debbie asked but knew the answer.
"That mutt will live outside, starting after dinner. Starting this weekend, I'm going to fence in the backyard so the mutt can run around and play with the kids all they want," Mike said while he sat down at the table.
Jenny and Chris gave him the cold treatment while they ate dinner.
Later that evening, Debbie, Jenny, and Chris watched while Mike chained Rascal to his chain on the re-bar.
"Mommy, Rascal will die out there. He needs to be inside here where we can take care of him," Jenny cried out while her eyes welled up
"Don't worry, honey, he won't die out there," Debbie assured them.
Mike walked away from Rascal.
Rascal ran toward the house. He was quickly jerked back by his neck; the second the chain reached the end of its length.
During the rest of the evening, Mike played his Les Paul guitar in his den since the whole family gave him the cold shoulder. He didn't worry because he believed they would come around in a few days after Rascal got used to living outside.
While Mike played his guitar, Jenny and Chris watched Rascal still chained up from the back porch, and they looked ever so sad.
Debbie walked up to the kids and felt so sorry for them. "Don't worry; we'll bring him inside when daddy's not around. It's our secret, okay?" she said, then winked at them.
Jenny and Chris felt better.
They walked out of the porch and ran through the backyard to be with Rascal.
Debbie left the porch and went back inside the house.
She walked into the den while Mike played his Les Paul.
"What's wrong with you?" she said while she stood in the doorway with her arms crossed.
"What do you mean?" Mike responded while he stopped playing his guitar.
"How could you keep Rascal outside in the elements?" she said while she glared at him.
"Dogs belong outside as nature intended," he replied.
"I don't believe you!"
"Sorry, but the rules I established were broken, and he's never allowed in the house. That dog's closer to being off my property for good," Mike said then went back to playing his guitar.
Debbie stormed away in a huff.
It was later that night, and everybody was asleep in the Hanson household, and it was quiet in the neighborhood.
The screen door to the back porch opened, and Jenny sneaked outside in her pajamas over to Rascal's dog house.
Rascal ran out of his house, happy to see someone since he was lonely.
Jenny unchained him and picked him up. "You have to be quiet while inside the house while mister meany's there," she whispered in Rascal's ear.
He licked her face so happy to be with her.
Jenny went back inside the house and quietly walked into her bedroom. She closed her door.
The sound of thunder was heard outside while a storm approached New Castle.