“That why it ended up in the playroom?” he asked.
What ended up in the playroom? Oh, the toy dinosaur.
“Yeah. That’s exactly why it ended up in the playroom.” She nodded. “It didn’t have a thing to do with the fact that I like dinosaurs; it was because Mr. Fluffy doesn’t.”
“Right,” Spike said.
He didn’t sound all that convinced.
“Oh, no, did we forget the potato salad?” she cried, turning around to look into the backseat.
“No, I put it in the very back, in a cooler,” Spike told her. “Didn’t want to risk a Mr. Fluffy incident.”
“Good thinking, Daddy. He would have been all over that potato salad. He loves potato salad.”
“He loves any food.”
“Now, that’s simply not true,” Millie told him. “He really doesn’t like that diet dog food the vet put him on. He said it tastes like cardboard that’s been chewed up and spat out.”
Spike shot her a look, then shook his head. “Told you that, did he?”
“He did. Not so much with words, seeing as he can’t talk, but it was more the look in his eyes. He looked . . . desolate. You know? It’s like all his worst nightmares were packaged up in that disgusting, dry cardboard food. Do you know what I mean?”
Spike grunted.
They pulled into Ink and Betsy’s driveway, and she started to bounce around with delight. “I love the Fourth of July. Don’t you love the Fourth of July, Daddy? You get to have fun with your friends, eat lots of nice food, wear clothes that are red, white, and blue and then at the end of the day, you get to watch pretty lights sparkle in the sky. It’s like the perfect holiday, really.”
Spike parked and turned to her, unbuckling her seatbelt. Then he grasped hold of her chin, tilting her head back slightly. “Listen to me.”
“I always listen to you,” she said.
He gave her a skeptical look, as if he didn’t quite believe that.
How rude.
“No wandering off. You’re to stay with everyone, and if you need to go anywhere, like the bathroom, then you’re to tell me.”
“Daddy, you’re acting like there’s a threat here. There’s no threat.”
“Always the possibility of a threat, baby, and I just want to keep you safe.”
“And that’s why you’re the most romantic man I know.” Leaning over, she kissed him on the lips. “Now, let’s go eat! Sunny said she was going to bring cupcakes for us to decorate. I’m so excited.”
As soon asSpike exited the truck, he knew something was wrong. He glanced around. Everyone looked tense andconcerned. What was going on? This was supposed to be a fun barbecue.
He moved around to the passenger side, but didn’t open the door for Millie. She gave him a surprised look, but he just held up his hand, telling her to wait.
Then he glanced around and saw Hack and Greer standing close by. “What is it?”
“There’s no threat,” Hack reassured him. “The girls are just upset because Zinnia Danes collapsed on stage during a country and western show in Las Vegas.”
Ahh. Right.
Millie wasn’t big on country music, but even she thought Zinnia Danes was cute and lovely. He thought it probably had something to do with her lilac-colored hair and carefree attitude.
Spike opened the front passenger door and helped Millie out.
“What’s going on?” she said. “Why does everyone look glum? This is meant to be a party.”
