Page 130 of Sloane

Tank only let me pet him for a few seconds before he leapt up and spun one way, then reversed direction and spun the other, then reversed one more time. I knew what was coming next and pointed him toward the open door.

“Look out!” I yelled before he dove from the top step and took off in a full sprint around the circular driveway then did a few laps around Ryan’s car.

“He’s happy to see you,” Stu observed as I hoisted myself back to a standing position.

“I’ve missed that damn dog so much.”

“Is he always this hyper?” Crash asked as we watched from the top step while the dog zoomed around the front yard of the beach house.

“Only when he’s really excited.” Crash took a step down, and I warned, “Be careful. His name is well deserved. He will take you out.”

Tank looked like he was about to charge Ashley head-on at full speed, and I barked, “Tank! Down!”

The pup instantly obeyed and a chorus of “Good boy!” echoed off the concrete.

Ryan looked over at me. “I didn’t know he could do that.”

I chuckled.

“Well, that answers my question if you’d been working on his commands with him.” I looked at the dog and ordered, “Tank, come.”

He popped up, trotted to where I was standing with my walker, and instantly sat.

“Good dog.”

Stu and Crash offered their hands for him to sniff. Once Tank indicated they’d passed the smell test with a lick to their hands, the two men knelt and showered him with affection while Ryan and Ashley came back up the stairs.

“Do you mind if he comes in the house?” I asked.

“I don’t,” Ashley said.

“Yeah, no problem. He can come in,” Crash answered as he and Stu stood back up and followed us into the house.

Once we were all inside, I heard Millie’s cries, but it sounded like they were coming from the kitchen. Then I noticed Stu lift a baby monitor off the counter and announce, “Baby girl’s awake!”

“I hear her,” Ashley said and started toward the stairs.

My gaze might have lingered a little longer on her ass than it probably should have, and I felt my cock jump in my shorts. Just like it had when she’d sassed me during our therapy session.

She wasn’t mine anymore; I had no business staring at her ass. Or getting hard when she gave me attitude. According to Ashley, she never was mine.

Crash’s voice drew my attention back to the kitchen where he and Stu were standing with Tank.

“Hey, would it be okay if we took him to play ball on the beach?”

“He’d love it,” Ryan replied for me as he pulled a tennis ball from his pocket and tossed it to Crash. They took off out the back patio door, leaving me and Ryan alone.

I motioned toward the couches in the family room, and we sat.

“So, did you get to spend some time with your daughter?”

“Yeah.”

“How’d it go? Was that enough time so you can walk away without any regrets?”

“You think you’re so damn sneaky. You knew perfectly well once I held her, I’d never walk away.”

“Honestly. I didn’t even think you’d have to hold her, but, yeah, you’re right. I knew it wouldn’t take more than a minute, but I factored in ten, just to be safe.”

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