The tapping of nails in the hallway broke the tension as we both looked over to find the dog cowering in the doorway.
She crossed her arms. “Only if the dog can come too.”
“Fine.”
She paused at the bed. “Which is your side?”
Even now she was worried about making sure I was comfortable? Unreal.
“Left.”
She nodded and crawled across the bed just so she wouldn’t have to walk in front of me. I wasn’t sure which was worse. Seeing her crawl across my bed jolted something awake inside of me. I blamed it on her ridiculously perky ass and closed my eyes.
“C’mon, buddy.” She patted the bed.
I wasn’t sure if she was calling me or the dog. And the urge to steal that honeyed warmth darkened my mood.
The dog carefully crouched his way through the doorway.
I jerked my head toward the bed at him and he scrambled up on the bed and into her arms.
I had to clean the sheets anyway.
I couldn’t have her scent in my head after tonight.
With a sigh, I shut off the bathroom light and limped my way around the bed to my side. That weird, diffused light of a snow swollen sky left the room soft and hazy.
Normally, I couldn’t sleep in anything but full dark. I’d have to get blackout curtains, but exhaustion still pulled at me.
Phoebe and the dog became a unit. When she pulled open the sheets to let the dog under the blankets, I grunted. “Over the blankets.”
“But he’s cold.”
“He’s a dog.”
She sighed and spooned around the dog. “It’s okay, I’ll keep you warm.”
The dog’s tail thumped as he wiggled even closer.
I slipped under the covers and rolled onto my side, facing the door to the bedroom—away from her and the dog.
I vaguely heard her murmur to the dog in a sweet voice.
It was going to be a damn long night.
The pain and length of the day dragged me under into sleep, certainly not the ball of sunshine in my bed.
FIVE
Phoebe
A rough tongueon my face dragged me out of sleep.
I squinted at the watery gray room. Definitely not my room. I huffed out a quiet laugh when the dog licked me again, and I buried my nose in his neck. “I know I need a shower, but this isn’t the way.”
He wiggled beside me, trying valiantly to get into my skin. I wrinkled my nose at the grit of his fur. Both of us needed a bath.
I peeked over at Dutch. He’d rolled onto his back, his arm stretched out toward me.
