Page 26 of Katherine's Last Hope
Cody hopedKatherine and Ollie couldn’t see the anxiousness creeping over him as he led them up his porch and fished his keys out of his pocket. So far, Ollie seemed to like him. At least the boy’s constant chatter on the drive to his house smothered any tension he or Katherine experienced.
A big, loud bark boomed from inside.
“Be prepared. Bailey’s a sweet girl, but she doesn’t understand how big she is. She can get a little excited. Make sure she knows you’re the boss, okay?”
Ollie puffed up his chest. “I’m the boss,” he repeated.
“I’ll introduce you both to her then come out to grab your bags.”
“I can help with that,” Katherine said. “No need to fuss over us.”
He wanted to argue, to admit he wanted nothing more than to fuss over them. Give them whatever they needed to make their lives a little more comfortable. But he didn’t want her to feel smothered or as if he was swooping in and taking control.
Frantic barking told him he better open the door before Bailey burst through the front window. He unlocked the door and swung it open, stepping over the threshold to stop his dog from barging outside and knocking poor Ollie on his backside.
“Hey, girl. Calm down. I brought some new friends for you, but you have to sit.” He crouched and looped an arm over the dog’s neck to pin her in place.
Excitement vibrated Bailey’s entire body, her tail thumping against the wooden planks of the porch.
Katherine covered her mouth with her hands. “Oh my gosh, she’s so cute!”
“Can I pet her?” Ollie asked, taking one step forward.
“Go for it,” Cody said. “But remember. You’re in charge.”
Ollie lifted a hand for the dog to smell, and when Bailey’s giant tongue shot out to lick him, he giggled. He erased the distance between them and threw his arms around the dog.
Bailey sat still, her mouth open in a dopey smile.
Katherine patted the top of Bailey’s head. “She’s so fluffy. And big. I swear she looks more like a curly-haired wolf than a dog. How long have you had her?”
“A couple of years.” He didn’t want to go into how Bailey had ended up in his care. Especially in front of Ollie. “Let’s head inside.”
Bailey bounded in the house as if wanting to lead the tour. She ran in a giant circle in the living room and jumped in the air like a kid on a damn trampoline.
Ollie’s laughter made the dog’s antics welcome for once. “She’s funny. Does she fetch?”
Cody flicked a wrist toward a basket in the corner of the room. “All her toys are in there. She’ll take any kind of attention you can give her.” He glanced at Katherine and her wide smile as she watched her son play with the dog turned him into a puddle of mush. “I’ll grab the bags now while he’s having fun. You can help if you want or stay and join in the excitement.”
“If you don’t mind, I think I’ll stay. Keep an eye on him just in case.”
Although he knew without a shadow of a doubt Bailey wouldn’t do anything on purpose to hurt the boy, he understood her wanting to keep an eye on her son with a new to her dog.
“I’ll be right back.”
He hurried outside to secure their bags and brought them back inside.
“Do you want to see your room?” he asked Ollie. “I’m sure Bailey will follow you. Heck, she’ll probably want to sleep with you tonight if your mom’s okay with it, but just know she’s a bed hog.”
“She’s like a giant pillow,” Ollie said. “Can she sleep with me, Mom? Please!”
“Unless you’re planning on going to bed before dinner, we can discuss this later. Here, let me help you with those.” She grabbed her duffle from Cody, her fingers brushing against his.
He gritted his teeth at his body’s reaction to her simple touch. No way he’d survive having her stay in his home if he couldn’t keep a tighter leash on his emotions.
Needing some space, he led the way down the hall. “I have two rooms. Ollie, you can sleep in this one.” He flipped on the light to the guest room and set the child’s bag on the floor, leaning the superhero suitcase against the wall. “Looks like your mom packed you enough stuff to stay for a month.”
“That’d be so much fun.” Ollie ran past him and jumped onto the bed. He laid on his back and settled his hands behindhis head as he stared up at the ceiling. “Can we stay that long, Mom?”
