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Jet was almost to the approaching Yorkie. The man walking the dog scooped him up just before he reached them.
He cradled the small fur ball and nuzzled him. And then sent a death glare in my direction. “You need to control that beast.”
“You’re a dog owner. You should understand sometimes they get excited,” I said as Jet stared up at the Yorkie, panting.
The man muttered something under his breath and scooted past. Jet looked after them, like he couldn’t understand why they’d left.
Pepper gaped at me.
I saved people from burning buildings, but walking two dogs at a time had proved to be too much for me.
“You took up for Jet?” she asked in disbelief.
“Of course I did. He’s just curious.” I shrugged and attempted to get the paper still dangling from Sadie’s mouth.
She backed up.
I followed.
She took another step back.
I managed to get a corner of the wrapper, but most of it remained in her mouth.
Then she pranced forward, and Jet fell in step. I had no choice but to follow.
Pepper, Oscar, and Millie joined us.
“But yesterday. You were so mad at Muffy.”
I looked toward Pepper. Her hair was a disaster. She had a stain on the side of her shirt I hadn’t noticed before that I really couldn’t be sure what it was. Kinda looked green. There were deep-set lines around her eyes. Yet she hadn’t complained once about being tired when it was obvious she was.
“Umm . . .” She pointed to Jet, who had wound his way around a streetlamp pole.
I managed to untangle him, while Sadie looked on with that wrapper still in her mouth like she was taunting me.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I’d just gotten off a bad phone call and took it out on the two of you. It won’t happen again.”
Pepper nodded once. “Apology accepted.”
Some sort of weight I didn’t realize was bearing down on me lifted.
I wasn’t normally a jerk, but there were times after an especially long shift that I was less patient than others. Add in a call from my father? I had wronged Pepper, though, and it was right to apologize. Right for her too if the surprise in her eyes was anything to go by.
I grinned. “But you still owe me a truck wash.”
Chapter Nine
Teague
“What’s up, big brother?”
I smacked Lincoln on the shoulder and tossed my gym bag on the bench beside him.
“You’re early.”
“By five minutes.”
“Might as well be an hour for you.” He tied his sneaker and stood. “How are you holding up?”
