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And because the universe didn’t hate Liam enough, Coury turned out to be a great running partner. Their strides were about equal and Coury didn’t tire easily. If anything, it was Slider slowing them down.
“Did I tell you Pop has a girlfriend?” Liam said when they stopped at an intersection.
“No way.” Coury grinned. “Have you met her?”
Liam shook his head. “If he didn’t act all weird whenever she called, I’d swear she was made up.”
The light changed and they set off again.
“What does he do that’s weird?” Coury asked.
“He stands up taller, talks in strange sentences, and—get this—he fixes his hair. Like she can see him.”
“They don’t FaceTime?”
Liam snorted. “Are you kidding? I heard him trying to help her with her phone and he’s techno-challenged.”
“That’s kind of cute.”
“Cute?” Liam said it so loud, Slider barked. “He’s . . . he’s . . .”
“He’s an adult who lost his soul mate and she makes him feel alive.” Coury smiled like it was the sweetest thing. Fuck. Coury’s smile was the sweetest thing.
“Why would you say that? You didn’t even know he had a girlfriend.”
“Come on, Liam. You moved in and he perked up. Now he’s met someone who makes him want to look good and be better. It’s nice.”
Liam nearly stopped running. Only Slider pulling on the leash kept him moving. Coury had nailed what Liam couldn’t pin down. “That’s actually amazingly accurate.” Another example of Coury being more than the dumb jock he claimed to be.
“Not to be morbid, but he won’t be around forever,” Coury said. “Try to be supportive. Let him enjoy the years he has left. I never met my mom’s father. And my gran died three years ago.”
Coury sucked in a quick breath and rubbed his left eye. If they weren’t running, Liam would have hugged him.
“Wow. I’m sorry. I didn’t know.” Beckett probably did, but he’d never told Liam.
“It’s fine. I just meant don’t tease him.”
“Okay. Point taken. But I’m not going to dinner with them tomorrow.”
“Are you supposed to go?”
Liam shook his head. “Pop asked if I would, but . . . no.”
They were a step too slow to make the next light as it changed red.
“No way. You need to go. It’ll help calm him.”
“What? Are you crazy? Me and two seventy-five-year-olds in a restaurant? Do you know what that’s like?”
“No, but I wish I did.”
Ouch. “Oh. Sorry.”
“Don’t be. It is how it is. If you want, I’ll go with you.”
“Seriously?”
“Sure. Assuming you want to go, that is. If you don’t, I understand.”
Coury really wouldn’t understand if Liam didn’t go. Pop had been good to Liam. He should step up for him. “You’re right. I should go. Are you sure you don’t mind coming?”
“Pop treats me like family. It’s what family does. Right?”
“Right.” The light changed and he started to go.
“Coury, hold on. Slider’s not moving.”
He didn’t look hurt. He just stared at Liam like he’d had enough.
“What’s wrong? He seems okay.” Slider watched Coury as he walked closer.
“I know. He was fine until we stopped.”
“You think he’s cold?”
“He’d be less cold if he kept running.”
Coury laughed. “You think he understands that?”
“It doesn’t matter what he thinks. What do we do?”
Coury squatted. “C’mere boy.” Slider practically jumped into his arms.
“Well, we know he can move. If he wants to.”
Coury put him down and Liam tried again with the same results. If he tugged hard enough, he could move the dog, but he didn’t want to hurt him.
“I think he’s just lazy,” Coury said. “He’s never been running. We may need to work him up to a full run.”
Liam liked how he said we, but it didn’t fix the current problem. “Right, but that’s not getting us home.”
“Nope.” He bent down, and Slider bounded into his arms again. “But this will.”
“You’re going to carry him home?”
“It’s either that or come home without Pop’s dog.”
“He told us to take the dog running.”
“Next time take him on a shorter run and bring dog treats to keep him going.”
Liam sighed. Next time. “Right.” He turned back the way they’d come. “Let’s get moving before I get too cold and you need to carry me, too.”
Chapter Seven
Coury
“What did you do to my dog?” Pop barely held back a laugh. Slider remained perfectly content around Coury’s neck; the lazy little sod had snuggled into his hoodie.
“Halfway into our run, Slider decided he’d sniffed and snaffed enough and wasn’t walking another step.” Liam slid a cold hand against Coury’s dog-warmed neck. Shivers slung down his back.
“So Coury decided to wear him as a scarf?” Pop took the dog from Liam and stroked its neck.
“It was that or leave him,” Coury yanked the hoodie over his head. “Wearing him as a neck warmer was better than leaving him two miles away.”
Pop put Slider down, and the little dog ran to his bed in the kitchen. “My other question is why did you carry him home and not Liam?”
