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She shrieks and barrels through the house, the bump on her head long forgotten. I step into the kitchen and tug open the pantry, pulling out a blue box of mac and cheese. Movement on the deck outside has me leaning over the sink to look out the window, then I laugh to myself when I spot the familiar dog lying on the porch, looking out at the lake, her tail wagging.
“Sydney,” I say, shoving the window to the side and speaking to her through the screen.
Her head perks up and she looks at me.
“What are you doing, girlfriend?”
The dog’s mouth opens, her tongue flopping out, and I swear she’s smiling at me. Probably reveling in however it is she’s sneaking out of Reid’s.
Shaking my head, I walk to the back door and swing it open, Sydney immediately barreling through and heading right into Junie’s room.
My daughter shrieks again. “Sinny!”
I chuckle to myself and return to the kitchen, putting a pot on the stove to boil water as Junie and Sydney chase each other around the house for the next fifteen minutes, my daughter giggling like a maniac and Sydney bounding around like Junie is the coolest toy she’s ever played with. It really is one of the cutest things I’ve ever seen, and I’m feeling eternally grateful for Sydney’s ability to run my daughter ragged. Hopefully, this helps get out that extra energy my mom was talking about and Junie sleeps hard tonight.
I’m mixing in the highly nutritious powdered cheese when I hear Reid’s voice outside.
“Sydney!”
I lean over the sink again and look out the window, spotting him on his deck, looking around.
“Sydney!” he calls out.
“She’s in here with us,” I shout to him.
His head whips to the side, and I spot the way his shoulders droop. A few beats later, he’s standing on the porch, looking in through the screen door.
“Is she seriously here again?”
The sound of the door opening precedes him as he steps into the living room, his large body making the already small space feel even tinier. That’s when Sydney sees him and bolts across the room toward him, her tail wagging. She twists around hislegs then drops onto the ground, belly side up. Reid drops down into a squat and begins stroking along the soft fur of her tummy.
Junie crosses the room slowly, inching toward where Reid is petting Sydney, then lies down on the ground next to her four-legged friend, her own belly in the air.
“Oh, are you a dog, too?” he asks her, poking her stomach, an easy smile on his face.
Junie squeals then turns and wraps her arms around Sydney, snuggling in close. I watch him as he talks to Junie, my eyes scanning the lean muscles of his biceps, the firm roundness of his shoulders, the way his ass looks in those dusty old work jeans.
When his eyes connect with mine, catching me watching him all googly-eyed as he pets his dog and talks sweetly to my daughter, I spin away, clearing my throat and returning my attention to the boxed pasta that could use another few stirs before it’s ready.
“Thanks for always letting her hang out when you find her out there.”
I nod but don’t turn around. Instead, I reach up and grab one of the plastic bowls out of the cabinet that Junie picked out over the weekend at the thrift store. It’s white with a red rim and has a Care Bear in the middle. I had one just like it as a kid, so I was thrilled when she pointed at it and clapped when I added it to our cart of kitchen items.
“I promise I’m trying to figure out how she’s getting out. I’m not a…neglectful owner.”
“I don’t think you are,” I offer, scooping a small portion of the neon orange noodles into the bowl. “Honestly, I think you’re missing out, though.”
When I glance his way, I find his head tilted to the side as he watches me with confusion.
“Clearly, your dog is a magician. You could take her to Vegas. Make some of the big bucks.”
He chuckles and rolls his eyes then pushes up to standing.
“Well, we’ll get out of your hair and let you two eat dinner.”
Licking my lips, I glance at the pot on the stove then back at Reid. “You’re welcome to join us, if you want,” I say, the words flying out of my mouth faster than I can manage to stop them.
Reid pauses his movements toward the door.
