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“Smart when she wants to be,” he muttered, narrowing his eyes at the dog. Molly narrowed hers back.
“You don’t have to do it, Kea.” Leah shook her head. “Forget I even asked. And I’m not saying that to be passive-aggressive—I genuinely mean it. I’ll just cancel.”
It would be the smart thing to do. Let her cancel and try to make it up to her some other way. Maybe he could treat her and Molly to a weekend away once Leah was feeling better. Or maybe he could get someone to redo the flooring in a way that would remove all the squeaks.
You mean, throw money at the problem instead of doing the actual thing she wants.
Shit.
“I’ll do it,” he said before he could fully think about the consequences of accepting the request. Was there such a thing as decision remorse? Because something that felt a heck of a lot like it coursed through his body.
But he could hardly say that his only goal in life was to take care of his family if he wasn’t willing to back it up.
Leah held up a hand. “No, don’t—”
“I’ll do it,” he said, more resolute this time. “I’ll shuffle some stuff at work.”
Thomas was going tokillhim. And right around the time he was making a hard push for named partner as well...but none of that mattered if Leah wasn’t happy. Besides, how difficult could a talent show be? He’d take the dog, make her sit, stay and howl at the moon, then he’d do his work through the night and grab a few hours’ sleep in the early morning.
Easy peasy.
“Are you sure?” Leah’s brow furrowed. “I know it’s a huge ask.”
“It’s fine. I’m happy to do it.” He nodded.
“You’re not, but I appreciate it anyway.” Leah reached out her arms and he went over to envelop her in a hug. He cradled the back of her head as he felt her melt against him.
Nothing mattered as much as this. As much as her.
He pulled away when the kettle let out a shrill whistle. “Send me an email with the details, okay?”
“I will.” A small smile brightened her face, masking some of the tiredness momentarily. “You could always ask August for help?”
Keaton poured the piping hot water into the mugs and brought them over to the table. “This better not be some elaborate setup scheme.”
He knew his sister wouldneverfake a flare-up for any reason, but he wouldn’t put it past her to seize the chance to get him and August together should the opportunity present itself organically.
“Believe me, I’m so bummed to miss out on the competition.” She shook her head. Molly whined for attention and Leah stroked her head. “I only suggested it because she might be able to give you a few pointers, given she has a background in dog training.”
Molly snorted as if to say,I don’t need any help. I’m fabulous just as I am.
“It would give you a leg up,” Leah added.
Maybe it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world to ask for August’s help. After all, Leah was right about her experience. And frankly, Keaton would need all the help he could get in putting up with Molly the Drama Queen’s antics for a whole weekend.
As if sensing his disdain, the dog swung her head toward him and whined again.
“Trust me,” he said, grimacing. “The feeling is mutual.”
Yeah, he was definitely going to need all the help he could get.
August ran the clippers down the side of the miniature poodle’s legs and the dog stayed still and calm. Cream-colored fur fell onto the table where she was working.
“Aren’t you a good boy?” she cooed, grabbing her comb and running it over the section she’d just shaped to free any clumps of clipped hair. “So well-behaved. Not like your little brother—he’s a real handful.”
What did she expect from a house where all the dogs had silk bedding?
August’s pet grooming business catered to a high-end clientele—she specialized in animal influencers, pets of celebrities and other folks of a high station in life, and she had a couple of former show dogs on her schedule as well. The people who hired her often preferred to have her groom the dogs in their home and paid a premium for it.
