Page 13 of Summer Heat
"I bet you could train him," Kinsley said, her voice filled with confidence.
"Maybe." I wasn't so sure I was capable of training a dog. Years of my family's skepticism had me questioning my ability to keep one alive, much less train it. But Kinsley thought I could do it.
"The people you work with will love a dog," Maya said simply, sounding much older than her years.
"I think you're right." And Maya would love a dog too. I hadn't seriously considered one before now. But since I was living with these two, I was starting to think that anything was possible.
Chapter Four
Kinsley
Shep was fun at the store. I kept remembering things that were destroyed, and before I could feel despair at everything I'd lost, he'd joke about something or make up a silly story to entertain us.
By the time we were done, we had two shopping carts full of stuff. Shep had insisted that we replace everything that was lost. He assured us that the insurance company would cover our personal items. Especially since he'd already sent the required photographs to the insurance company for me. I couldn't remember anyone ever taking care of something like this for me before. I'd always been on my own. Or at least since I was an adult.
I bought clothes, toiletries, books, stuffed animals, toys, and sheets and blankets. I had a feeling shopping wasn't Shep's favorite thing to do, but he was a good sport about it. Maya even remembered to buy his socks before we checked out.
I wasn't positive that he needed socks. I suspected that he wanted to spend the day with us, maybe to ensure that we got everything we needed. I'd have bought far less if it had just been us two.
I buckled Maya into her car seat and then helped Shep get everything into the bed of the truck.
"What happened to you isn't right. The landlord should have taken action before it leaked this much. Then you wouldn't have lost all your things," Shep grumbled.
I placed a hand on his forearm, noting the sinewy muscles underneath my palm. "They're just things. We can replace them."
He waved a hand toward where Maya sat in the truck. "Those things had sentimental meaning. The outfit she wore home from the hospital. Her favorite book or toy."
"I'm upset about losing those things too. But we can build a new life somewhere with a better landlord." The thought of finding a new place was daunting. Between work and Maya's activities, I was busy.
His jaw worked as he threw in the last bag and closed the hatch. "You shouldn't have to rent."
I snorted. "There's no way we can afford a house on the island. The prices are crazy high."
"I still don't like it," he grumbled as he pushed the cart over to the corral.
By the time he was back, I was in the passenger-side seat.
On the drive home, he was uncharacteristically quiet. I wondered if he was regretting his decision to let me move in with him.
His phone buzzed in the cupholder, and he inclined his head toward it. "Can you look at that?"
"Sure."
He told me the password, and when I entered it, a message from Mom popped up. "It's your mother."
He groaned. "It's family dinner night. She probably wants me to go."
I nodded with a smile. "She wants to know what time you'll be there."
He shook his head. "She's so happy that everyone's home; she won't take no for an answer."
"You should go. We'll put all this stuff away and have a quiet night."
"Yeah, that won't do. You're coming with me," he said easily as he changed lanes on the highway.
I scoffed. "I'm sorry?"
"Dad is going to find out you're living with me, and if you're there, he'll have to be polite and won't be able to say what he's thinking."
