Page 41 of Timelessly Ours

“What?” she snaps.

“I think the dog needs to go.”

She stomps down the stairs. “No, he doesn’t. He just went.”

“Well, he’s doing that thing where he—oh forget it, I think I know what to do. Come on Rover, let’s go outside.”

“Wait,” Rory calls after me.

I step out back with the dog and scratch his ears. “Just play along, okay boy?” I whisper.

Rory snatches the leash from me and takes him down the steps over to his tree. I glance over at her in between my sneaky task as she waits impatiently for Rover—who isn’t sure what he’s supposed to do.

“Come here, boy,” I call and the rottweiler races back toward me. “You want some water?”

Rory shakes her head. “See? He didn’t have to—”

Aiming the spout directly at her bare feet, I turn up the pressure and squeeze the nozzle.

“Heeeyyyy,” she shrieks as cool water bursts over her. Tiny hands reach up, shielding her face from the heavy cascade.

Relentlessly, I trail the spray up her body, following her as she jumps around between screams and laughter. I aim it over her head, watching pieces of mulch flow out of her messy hair and onto the ground.

Rover jumps around with his tongue extended, catching as much of the action as he can.

“Stop, stop,” Rory shrieks through her giggles.

The word strikes deep in my chest and I freeze. I can’t move. I can’t breathe. I can’t even stop the flow of water. All I feel are the chills that run down my arms and spine.

“Nicole, that’s enough!” The roar comes from below the elevated porch, and I blink, snapping out of my daze, then finding Coach heading our way. I release the nozzle and turn my head slowly to the drenched child and one excited dog. Coach races over and shuts off the water.

Quickly, he snatches the throw blanket off the swing and wraps it around Rory. “Get inside, now.” It’s a low order directed only at her and his little girl is inside in seconds.

Rover follows but not until he stops to shake himself dry in front of me. I hold up my hands and turn my face from the sudden strong mist.

“What the hell was that?” he shouts.

“She needed a bath. So I gave her one,” I answer steadily.

“Is this some kind of joke? Nicole, this isn’t a game. She’s a child. She…she could get an ear infection, she could catch a cold. It’s October, not July.”

Come to think of it, it is a little chilly now that I’m all wet myself.

Royce scans me slowly and swallows, then opens the back door. “Let’s get inside.”

I step in and stop in the hallway, Rory’s screams echoing in my ear.

He removes the leash from Rover and hangs it up. “Rory,” he calls. She appears with the throw blanket around her little body. “Go upstairs and run warm water in the tub. I’ll be up in a minute.”

“I can do it,” I offer.

He holds up his hand. “You’ve done enough.”

“Fine. Maybe you’ll have better luck,” I mutter before he storms off.

I grab a kitchen towel nearby and dry off Rover instead of myself, then fill his bowls. Resigned, I settle next to him on the floor, rest my head against the wall and pet his thick fur.

“You’re not surprised, are you boy?”

---