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“Yeah, thanks,” I said flatly.
She smiled so big you could nearly see all her teeth. She got way too much joy out of my misery.
“So, what are you making?” she asked, pointing at the project I’d been working on all morning.
“It’s a ramp.”
“A ramp?” Her brows lifted as she curled her lips between her teeth to keep her smile at bay.
I shot her a glare. “Yes. A ramp.”
She let out a snort. “What kind of ramp?”
“Just... you know, a regular ramp.”
She giggled and shook her head. “Oh, I don’t think so, big brother. I think that right there is a dog ramp.” Her face split on a grin. “Aw, did you build a ramp for your wittle doggy?”
Yes, I built the dog a ramp, and I refused to feel embarrassed about it. At least not openly, anyway. “Shut up. Churro can’t jump up onto the bed by herself. Her big ass head is too heavy.”
She clasped her hands together at her chest. “Awww! That’s the cutest thing ever! You love her,” she sing-songed. “Your wittle bittle baby sleeps in your bed with you.”
“You’re the worst. I should have sold you off to another family when you were an annoying baby. Mom and Dad would have gotten over it eventually.”
She let out a deep belly laugh, hopped off the workbench, and skipped over to me, laying her head on my shoulder. “You’re just the cutest. Deputy Clarke and his ugly dog.”
I shrugged her off and moved over to rescue Churro from the death grip of my niece who was currently trying to tie her giant ears up with ponytails. I grabbed up the trembling dog and tucked her under my arm. “She’s not ugly,” I insisted on a scowl. “She’s just strangely disproportionate.”
Alexis sputtered out a laugh. “Come on, guys.” She started to wrangle her kids. “Time to go so Uncle Holton can finish his super special doggy ramp.”
My niece and nephew came running back at me for another hug. “Bye, Uncle Holt!” they shouted before racing each other to the car.
“You know, it’s times like this when I wish I’d been a single child,” I told her as she came over and placed a kiss on my cheek, then gave it a slapping pat.
“Love you too, big bother.” She started walking backward. “And Mom said to tell you, if you miss the next family dinner, she’s going to skin you alive.”
“Of course she did. And love you too.”
I waved them off and looked down at the dog curled up in my arms. “You’re not ugly,” I assured her, carrying her over to her bed and placing her back in it now that she was no longer in danger of being mauled by tiny, chaotic humans. “You’re perfect.”
She yipped and danced in place before curling into a ball. I turned the music back on and got back to work on her special ramp, telling myself that this time, I wasnotgoing to think about Lyric Jackson.
And as usual, I was wrong.
ChapterNine
LYRIC
“That’s good.Hold the position. Feel the stretch in your back and hamstrings.” Aurora’s voice held a low, soothing cadence that she only used with her students whenever she taught a yoga class.
With my eyes closed, I deepened the stretch, feeling that pleasant burn in my muscles. I exhaled slowly and geared up to pull in a cleansing inhale, then was immediately hit in the face with warm, damp puppy breath.
My eyes popped open and a giggle erupted from my mouth at the sight of the tiny fluffball puppy sitting less than an inch from my face.
At my laugh, the puppy hopped up and darted closer, its long, wet tongue dragging across my face from chin to nose.
A peel of laughter from my right caught my attention, and I looked over to see Deva had given up completely on yoga all together and was currently on her back, holding a puppy aloft, and cooing at it as it licked wildly at the air near her face.
“You’re just the cutest little guy in the whole world. Yes, you are. Just the cutest thing on four legs!”
