“You can’t go in the stores.”
I went to the driver side of my truck and Mouse muscled me aside to jump inside.
“What did I say?”
He sat in the passenger side, panting happily.
I glanced across the road to see Phoebe’s truck in her drive.
“I can’t just kidnap you.”
He barked and I rolled my eyes, stowing the bags behind my seat as I got in.
“Now I have to go talk to her. You’re a menace.”
I lowered the window down and he stuck his head out. On the slow roll toward her place, my stomach knotted. It shouldn’t matter. The dog free roamed, she probably wouldn’t even notice if I left with him.
I backed up her lane and she came out of her studio with a rag in hand wearing a pair of overalls with a strappy nothing of a tank top under it. Duck-yellow Crocs streaked with paint peeked out from the overlong cuffs of her pant legs.
She leaned into the truck, accepting a kiss from Mouse. “Why do you have my dog? I thought you didn’t like him.”
“He won’t get out.”
Her lips twitched, but she didn’t let the smile bloom. “He is very stubborn.”
“I’m going into town. Just didn’t want you to wonder where he was.”
“That was nice of you.” She ruffled Mouse’s fur. “Have fun.”
“Do you need anything?” I blurted out.
She paused. “Are you offering a neighborly favor, Dutch?”
“Never mind.” I put the truck into drive.
“How about I just come with you?” She opened the door and Mouse instantly wiggled with glee.
“That’s not what I meant. You’re not dressed to go anywhere.”
“It’s warm enough.” She hopped in.
“It’s barely forty degrees.”
“Okay, California boy.”
Annoyed, I pulled off my hoodie and handed it to her.
“I don’t need your hoodie.”
“Just take it.”
She rolled her eyes. “Fine.”
It was too big on her, but seeing her in my SFSU hoodie settled something in me I did not want toanalyze. “Seatbelt.”
She gave me a snappy salute then buckled in. Mouse practically climbed in her lap to keep his big head out the window. Instead of being annoyed, she just looped her arm around him and did the same. “I missed the sun.”
It was the first semi-sunny day we’d had in days. “Is it always overcast around here? You know—lake effect.”
