Page 31 of The Best Kind of Bad

It’s an effort to keep my gaze locked on eye level. “Don’t look so judgmental. You don’t even like Ed.”

“I don’t, but isn’t that a little harsh?”

I pretend to glower at her. “You want me to get the dog, or what?”

“Obviously.” She huffs, watching me close the distance. “What’s got him so riled up?”

I pause on the bottom step. “He always gets that way with storms.”

She looks overhead. “Is it supposed to storm?”

I laugh. “Don’t you pay attention to the weather?”

“I’m not a sailor, so no, I don’t pay attention to the weather.”

“We’re under a tornado warning.”

She looks surprised. “Really?”

As if on cue, a low rumble of thunder sounds in the distance.

She gives me a horrified look. “Tell me you don’t leave the dog out during a storm.”

“No. I’m not a monster.”

“Good.”

“He usually bunked with Gus during the storms.”

Her eyebrows fly up. “Uncle Gus let your dog come inside the house?”

“For storms? He made an exception. Besides, he was the one with the basement.”

Her gaze lifts over my shoulder, towards the barn. “You don’t have a basement over there?”

“Nope.”

“So, where do you go?”

I shrug. “Same place as the dog.”

“What was your plan this time around?”

I grin. “I was just going to find something solid and hold on.”

She gives me a flat stare. “Dusty.”

“Yes?”

“Do you need to borrow my basement?”

“If you’re offering.”

21.

Marnie

Dusty follows me into the house, and I do my best to act like I’m completely used to having a giant, sexy shadow. He’s close enough he could reach out and run those callused fingers across my shoulders. I lean against the counter, nodding at the frozen pizza I just pulled out of the oven. “Have you eaten?”

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