Page 112 of In It to Win It

They shake hands, sizing each other up.

“Not at all. Come in.” JP steps aside and we walk into his condo.

Dad checks the place out, nodding, apparently satisfied.

Byron’s on the couch. He lifts his head and his tail moves, but he doesn’t come bounding to greet me. I frown and speed right over to him. “Hey, Byron, my boy.” I caress his head and look up at JP. “Is he sick?”

“Um.” He swallows. “Yeah.”

“What’s wrong?” Panic has my heart lodging in my throat. I cup Byron’s head in both hands and peer at him.

“He got into some food last night. I took him over to Grandpa and Chelsea’s place.”

“Oh no.” I turn to JP. “What did he eat?”

“Er, he got hold of a box of chocolates.”

“Oh no!” I stare first at JP, then at Byron, in horror. Chocolate can kill a dog! “Are you okay, my guy?” I rub his head again.

Dad crouches down beside me. “He seems quiet.”

“Yes.”

“We called the vet,” JP says, his voice rough. He fills me in on the details. “So I’ve been keeping an eye on him. I think his stomach doesn’t feel well. Besides the chocolates, he also ate a bunch of cheese and salami and bread.” He clears his throat. “He’s had some diarrhea. But none of the other signs they mentioned.”

“Oh my God. You poor pup.”

“How the hell did that happen?” Dad stands and gives JP an accusatory stare.

“Itoldyou he likes to eat weird things!” I say.

“Yes, you did.” JP holds his hands up, palms out. “I take full responsibility. It was a dumb idea to take him. We’re a big family and there was a lot going on, and I took my attention off him for a few minutes.”

I’m . . . upset. My dog! How could this have happened? For a few seconds, I’m pissed at JP. He should have watched him better!

But I can see how distressed JP is, how he’s beating himself up over this. I take a deep, calming breath, then move over to JP. “It’s okay. Byron’s okay.” I think I’m telling myself as much as him.

“I feel terrible about it,” JP says. “I’m so sorry.”

Dad returns to Byron and gets a hand lick. “Miss you, Byron.”

“He misses you too,” I say.

“Guess it’s a good thing I’ll be able to take him at my new place,” Dad says.

I sense JP tensing. “I’m sorry,” he says again shortly. “But yeah, it’s probably a good thing.”

Right. Byron won’t be living here anymore.

I don’t think I like that.

I remember the first day I brought him here, how dismayed I was about him living in a high-rise condo without a yard. But he’s been fine. JP takes good care of him, despite what just happened, and I’m around too and . . . I don’t know what to say about this. I rub the faint ache in my chest, watching Dad interact with Byron.

I turn back to JP and meet his eyes. “It’s okay,” I say again quietly.

Dad doesn’t stay long, and I hate the tension between him and JP. Clearly Dad blames him for not looking after Byron and that’s not going to help JP’s guilt at all. Also, I want Dad to like the man I . . . care about.

Okay, the man I’m falling in love with. I’ve thought about it a lot the last couple of days, when I wasn’t playing with my nieces or visiting with Amy and Jeff and Dad. I’m falling in love with JP.

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