Page 141 of Will Bark for Pizza
What’s that noise?
Tap, tap, tap.
Mom, don’t you know it’s bedtime?
Tap, tap, tap.
Big stretch.
Full-body shake.
Tap, tap, tap.
Mom, are you working?
It’s bedtime.
Tap, tap, tap.
“Sorry, Bubbies.”
Ooh, booty scratches.
All is forgiven.
“I’m almost done for tonight. I promise.”
Okay.
Becauseit’s bedtime.
Circle, circle, circle.
Plop.
I’m going back to sleep now.
Tap, tap, tap.
Zzzzz . . .
FORTY-THREE
BECKETT
“The butterscotch oakwas definitely the right choice,” Aspen said approvingly as she surveyed my work in the bookstore apartment. Unbeknownst to Kira—who was currently helping Connie in the garden at the farm—I enlisted the help of both Aspen and Lila. When I finally revealed this space to Kira, I wanted it to be everything she imagined it could be, and more. But one brief description before the encounter with Charlie wasn’t enough to go on. I needed reinforcements.
“Good. I think so, too. And the paint color?”
I’d been nervous about the color, worried it would turn out too dark and make the space feel small. But the tone,mapped blue, complemented the floors well. The best part: it matched the color of Kira’s eyes.
“It’s perfect, Beckett. Seriously.”
We moved around the apartment, and I asked questions with each space we discussed. Backsplash for thekitchenette, finishes for the bathroom, where to install can lights for extra illumination.
“I thought I might add lighting inside the shelves too,” I said, remembering a picture I found online. “Is that too much?”
Aspen stared at me for several beats, a smile growing. “You really care about her, don’t you?”
