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He pointed toward Garrick’s place, and heart in his throat, Garrick spun around. There on the porch lay Cookie, looking for all the world like she was waiting on him. Her fur was dusty with muddy clumps and she was chewing on some mangled tennis ball, but she was there.
“Cookie. Stay!” he called as he hurried over, Rain fast behind him.
“Got you.” Rain lunged for Cookie’s sparkly collar, which was looking a little worse for the wear after her adventure. “And you got yourself all dirty, girl. Bath time?”
“Don’t think I can do it myself,” Garrick admitted, patting Cookie’s head with a still shaky hand. “And you seem bushed. I’ll call Dad, see if he can help me take her to the groomer they’ve got part time at the feed store.”
“I can handle a bath for her. You don’t need to call anyone.” Rain sounded all indignant, eyes all but shooting sparks at Garrick.
“Okay, okay. But you’re going to let me make you dinner afterward. Let’s hurry her into the bathroom before she can get dust everywhere.”
“On it.” Rain scooped up Cookie like she was a sack of potatoes instead of fifty-odd pounds of dog. He clomped to the bathroom, heavy tread saying he was in a mood of some sort. “Now stay. Neither of us is gonna like this, so let’s make it quick and easy, okay?”
Still frowning, Rain deposited Cookie in the tub, then stripped down to a very basic pair of black boxer briefs.
“Laundry day?” Garrick tried for some levity but didn’t get a laugh from Rain, who peeled them off with far more force than usual.
“Work pants chafe with lace. Sorry if you were expecting something sexy.”
“I wasn’t.” Staying in the bathroom doorway, Garrick held up his hands. “You know I don’t require...a certain wardrobe, right? I like you every which way.”
“I know.” Rain huffed out a breath.
“What’s wrong?” Garrick asked as Rain dug under the sink for the bottle of dog shampoo they’d bought last trip to get dog chow and then never used.
“Dunno.” Rain hopped in the tub with Cookie, who seemed rather bemused with the whole proceeding. “Guess I’m mad at myself for having to work late. And mad that you needed to take Cookie out on your own. You could have waited—”
“Hey now. I appreciate your help. So much. But this—” he gestured between them “—doesn’t come with chore expectations. She’s my dog, and I need to be able to take her out on my own because you’ve got a life too. I never meant that I expected your assistance indefinitely.”
“Obviously.” Rain’s voice was way harsher than his gentle hands as he soaped up Cookie.
Garrick tried to figure out where he’d gone wrong here because Rain was certainly acting like Garrick was trying to shove him out the door. Heck. Was that it?
“You know I love having you around, right? I sleep so much better when you’re here, and I actually eat a real dinner, not simply a sandwich, on the nights you’re over too.”
“Glad to be of service.”
And now it was Garrick’s turn to get irritated. “Are you only with me because you think Cookie and I need taking care of? I mean, I know we both enjoy doing things for each other, but if you’re thinking I need...dunno...some sort of full-time keeper, I’d like to know that now.”
“Nah.” Some of the ire seemed to leave Rain as his shoulders slumped. He carefully rinsed Cookie with the spray attachment. This had to be the weirdest damn location for a state-of-the-relationship talk. Not being able to kiss some sense into Rain was particularly irksome.
“Why are you in this thing then?” Maybe it was ego but Garrick needed more than monosyllabic answers.
“Uh, you have to ask? You’re sexy as fuck. You make me feel...special.”
“Good.” Garrick liked knowing that because he did try to show his appreciation for Rain as a person he cared a lot about.
“Even when I’m feeling lousy, like the other night, you make me feel sexy. Wanted. And you take care—wait. That’s not really the word. You pamper me. Like I’m the princess instead of this one.” Tone lighter now, he ruffled Cookie’s head. “I like it. A lot. And yeah, I do like returning the favor, helping you out because you do so much for me from cooking to workout plans to making me rest. Guess I worry about not being able to do anything in return to make it worth it for you.”
“You. You make it worth it for me. I’d want you around even if you couldn’t or didn’t want to do favors anymore.”
“Thanks.” Rain quickly rinsed his own body before grabbing two towels from the rack. He toweled off Cookie first, who still managed to shake enough water off to get Garrick damp too, and then wrapped the other towel around his waist. “I appreciate that. And sorry. I’m just in a weird mood. Ever since... Never mind.”
