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“Yeah, so,” she whispers toward me, low enough for my ears only. “That’s pretty much how I ended up adopting your daughter a dog without asking you. I’m sorry. Like, so, so sorry. I know I shouldn’t have done it, but the whole thing just broke my heart, and before I knew it, I was driving back with a dog in a Yeehaw T-shirt.”
I meet Leah’s eyes, and she offers another small, please-forgive-me smile.
“Please let me keep Ernie, Daddy. Please-please-please. Bless his little heart, he needs a mama. He needs a family. He don’t have nobody but me and you and Leah.” Joey sniffles and tucks her chin into her chest and grips Ernie so tight, the dog’s already bugged-out eyes look like they’re about to pop out of his head.
“That’s one ugly fucking dog,” I whisper back to Leah, and she snorts.
“Trust me, I’m aware.”
I stare over at the dog—a ball of fur and nervous tremors wearing a T-shirt in ninety-degree Utah heat.
“Why ya got a T-shirt on him, Joe?” I question. “It’s hot enough to melt cement out here.”
“Because he gets cold a lot. See? He’s shaking ’cause he’s cold.”
“I don’t think he’s shaking because he’s cold.”
“He also gets a bit nervous sometimes.”
That dog isn’t a little nervous. He’s scared shitless. I think a feather falling from the sky would have him running for the fucking hills.
And he’s now been brought to a ranch with roaming animals that are a million times his size.
“Well, I think it’s safe to say you’re gonna have to make sure that dog doesn’t get anywhere near the horses or the bulls,” I comment. “Or the chickens. Or, well, pretty much everything on this ranch. The fear he’d feel is liable to kill him. Not to mention the coyotes at night. There’s no way we can let ’em out alone.”
“He’ll be fine, Daddy. If you let me keep him, I’ll take good care of him.”
I shake my head and smirk down at Leah. “You owe me.”
“I’m very aware of that. Name the price and I’ll pay. Promise.”
Name the price. Goddamn. All sorts of dirty fucking things fill my head, and every single one of them includes a naked Leah Levee on my cock.
Quickly, I shake off the rogue thoughts and look toward my master-manipulating kid.
“Fine, Joe,” I agree. “Ernie can stay with us, but you’ll be the one responsible for him. You’re gonna have to feed him and bathe him and clean up his poop, you hear me?”
She nods, eyes serious. “I promise, Daddy! I’ll do everything!”
“Okay. Sounds like we have an understanding.”
Joey cheers and hugs her tiny, ugly-ass dog, and before I know it, she’s hopping out of the truck and heading up to Leah’s cabin. With Ernie in tow.
“Where ya goin’?” I call toward her.
“I need to pee!” she shouts over her shoulder.
“Again, I’m very sorry.”
I look down at Leah and laugh.
“Please tell me that dog is the only thing you brought home for her,” I say and make a show of leaning into the truck and looking toward the back seat where Target bags are piled high.
When she tries to block my view, I reach one hand to her ribs and playfully tickle her skin.
She squeals and laughs and slaps my hand away. “Mind your business! There’s nothing in here you need to see!”
We’re both laughing by the time I pull away, and I can’t stop myself from noticing just how fucking beautiful Leah looks when she’s laughing and smiling and carefree.
Fucking hell. She’s a damn goddess.
My chest tightens, and I busy myself by stepping back and opening up the door for her.
“Thanks for taking Joe with you today, even though you brought her back with a fuckin’ dog,” I tease, and her responding smirk is equal parts amused and mischievous.
“So, now probably isn’t the time to tell you that I kind of, sort of, maybe bought her a few things to help decorate her room…?”
“You’ve got to be fuckin’ kiddin’ me.”
Leah grimaces.
“Christ, my kid, I swear, she could talk a poor man out of his fuckin’ shoes.”
She laughs at that. “I won’t deny that your daughter is dangerously cute and well versed in pleading her case. Especially if her case revolves around getting something she wants.”
“She’ll probably make one hell of a lawyer.”
Leah nods and grins. “Yeah. I wouldn’t be surprised if she could talk her way into law school already.”
I sigh and open the back passenger door to start unloading the bags, but she stops me before I can get started.
“Honestly, most of those bags are either for your parents or your house,” she states and reaches in to grab only two of what have to be fifteen bags from the back seat. “These are mine.”
“Of course.” I shake my head on a chuckle. “Well, how about this? You drop those off inside and come with me and Joe to drop the rest off at my parents’. Then, we can head back to my place to eat some dinner.”
