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I picked up my phone while Dallas got up to let her husband in, answering a call from Ari with a frown. “Is everything okay? Isn’t it super late over there?”
“Tell me you’re headed home.”
“I’m already here.” I gnawed on my lip, fighting a fresh wave of panic.An emergency, perhaps?“Why? Did something happen?”
“Nothing bad.” In fact, she sounded excited. “But I need you to sign off on a delivery.”
“A delivery?” I groaned. “Dude, please, no more candles. Dallas and Frankie gave me enough scented candles for an Easter vigil.”
Ari’s laughter filled the other line—and my chest. “It’s not candles.”
“Well, what is?—”
Dallas swung the door open, cutting me off with the sight of Romeo lugging something behind him. He wore a massive frown, unsatisfied with being relegated to delivery man.
“You still there?” Ari whined. “I want you to open it before I go to sleep.”
Romeo set the giant box in the center of the studio. Tiny holes peppered most of the surface area. I inched toward it, tugging the ribbon off.
“I’m opening it,” I declared, just when my gift decided to introduce itself to me with a shrillwoof.
Oh. My. God.
I tore the lid off, squealing while Ari laughed in the background. More barks jumped at me. I collected a crate from the box and flipped it open.
A pair of huge black eyes stared back at me, surrounded by a ball of tar-black curls. If it weren’t for the bright-pink tongue lolling out of its mouth, I would’ve thought she’d gifted me a giant hairball.
“That is…” I squinted, pulling the puppy out of the crate.
“A Cockapoo. Part cocker spaniel, part poodle. A shelter baby. Can you believe he hasn’t found a home in almost a month?”
“What?” I pressed his wet nose against mine and gave him an Eskimo kiss. “Silly people. He’s perfect.”
“I thought you’d say that.” I could hear the smile on Ari’s face. “Now that Vera isn’t there to bitch about the mess and shedding, your dream dog is yours.”
“I can’t believe you remembered.”
“Of course, I remembered. You’re my best friend.”
Dallas leaned in, letting the pup nibble on her finger. “Welcome to the family.”
“Zach is gonna shit his pants. The dude loathes messes.” Oliver hopped off the couch. “You should name it Dogstoevsky. Soothe the burn when you run back into his arms.”
“She is not naming it Dogstoevsky.” She elbowed Ollie out of the way. “How about Mary Puppins?”
Genuinely, I feared for their future children.
I pressed a kiss to the top of the puppy’s head. “Allow me to introduce Vezzali. The greatest fencer of all time.”
As if on cue, he tucked his head under my chin, staring up at me with adoration, confirming we’d be each other’s ride or die for life.
I was not going to cry.
I wasn’t.
But then Vezzali started licking my face, wagging his tail in my arms so hard it swatted me like a baseball bat. His whole body swayed from side to side.
He was so light, so tiny, and so incredibly furry. The perfect bedmate.
