AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“They’re going to jump on you.” I winced. “Give me a sec to get them into the kennels.”
“Don’t be silly.” She carried on toward me. “I’m all about the puppy love.”
“But your outfit—”
“We go through this every time we come by,” she said good-naturedly. “They’re only clothes, right, Eric?”
“Right.”
My interaction with them was limited to a few minutes a day. In that time, I’d never once seen Lexie treat her brother like he had a disability.
“With what I’ve made off Beau, I can afford a replacement.” She winked.
I didn’t know their arrangement, but I had the sense Lexie was donating her time and resources to feed our dogs.
And she was too pretty to hug.
I opened the door a little wider, and she and Eric shimmied through while I tried to keep any dogs from escaping. Silly me. When their noses caught the scent of what she had in her hands, they had no desire to bolt out the back door.
They swarmed her.
And Sadie was the worst.
She jumped on Lexie from behind. Lexie stumbled forward, fumbling the dishes. Fortunately, she was close enough to the counter she dropped them onto it as if she’d meant to do that all along.
“At least I know they approve of the food.” She brushed a strand of hair out of her face that had come loose from where she had it pinned back.
I appreciated her good nature.
More so, right then, I was thankful for two smiling, welcome faces. I took a deep breath, trying to find calm in the midst of my latest storm.
“You know they more than approve of your amazing food, Lexie.”
At least the dogs weren’t distressed now but were jumping with excitement rather than fear. Food would do that. If only it was as easy to switch gears as a human.
“I have two more.”
“I’ll distract them since you brought their supper.” I held up a bowl. “There’s a doorstop if you need it.” I pointed toward the floor close to the exit.
She kicked it in place on her way out, careful to make sure no one went rogue and followed her.
Sadie barked, and I tapped her nose. “We gave you the wrong name.” She kept talking right over me. “Trouble. That’s what we should’ve called you.”
She trotted over to her kennel and stamped her paws impatiently.
“I’m hurrying,” I said before I placed her bowl on the floor.
“Where’s Milwaukee?” Eric searched frantically for his favorite dog.
She was hard to spot in the mass of bodies.
“Right . . . there.” I pointed to where she stood near the back of the pack, tail going a million miles an hour.
He barreled toward her and made himself at home on the floor. “Can I have her ball, please?”
I dug in the toy basket and tossed it to him. He threw it and Millie happily fetched.
Lexie breezed back in, kicking the doorstop out of the way, and set the next delivery on the counter. A fond expression formed on her face when she took in Eric playing with Millie.
