Page 139 of Jay Bird

“Puppy.”

“I know it’s a puppy.”

“Lily puppy.”

Willow laughed as she pushed open the door leading out of the rescue center and held it while Lily shuffled through, Ellie tucked beneath one arm and the most pitiful expression imaginable covering her little face. Stopping here on the way home had definitely been a mistake, because after spending almost thirty minutes sitting inside the enclosure with a litter of black Lab puppies crawling all over her, Lily had apparently decided that same one with the purple collar belonged to her.

After leaving Nova’s gym, Willow had fully intended to go straight home, take a shower, figure out something easy for dinner, and relax until Jay Bird returned from Bayside.

Then Lily had started asking about the puppies.

Since the rescue center was still open and practically on their way home, Willow had caved. Now she was paying for it.

“Jay puppy,” Lily announced as they started down the sidewalk.

Willow looked down at her daughter and snorted. “Oh, absolutely. You can ask Jay. Mommy wants no part of that negotiation.”

“Jay say yes.”

“That’s exactly what I’m afraid of.”

She was probably right too. Jay Bird could stare down grown men with that intimidating expression of his and probably scare the hell out of someone without ever raising his voice. Yet Lily had somehow discovered that all she had to do was look at him with those big brown eyes, say his name sweetly enough, and the man folded like a cheap lawn chair.

Willow’s phone buzzed inside the small bag hanging from her shoulder, and she reached inside as they walked toward the parking lot. Seeing Jay Bird’s name on the screen immediately brought a smile to her face.

Jay Bird: You two heading home soon?

Willow: Yes. Your peanut demanded puppies.

The dots appeared almost immediately.

Jay Bird: That’s going to cost me, isn’t it?

Willow laughed.

Willow: Probably.

Jay Bird: Figures. How’d training go?

Her smile grew because she hadn’t told him yet.

Willow: I put a former cop on his ass.

This time, the pause was longer.

Jay Bird: I’m gonna need video evidence.

She laughed aloud, earning a curious look from Lily.

Willow: I knew you were going to say that.

Another message appeared before she could put her phone away.

Jay Bird: I’m proud of you.

Those three words hit Willow harder than she expected. Her father had always been proud of her, but after losing him, she couldn’t remember the last time anyone had said those words and made her believe them without question. Jay Bird had a way of doing that. He never said things just because he thought she wanted to hear them, so when he told her something, she trusted he meant it.

Her fingers moved across the screen.