Page 97 of Lorcan
“She, uh, did the rest of her business this morning. Generally, she goes once a day in the morning. She’s very regular that way.” Byron shrugged. “This is what all pet parents discuss.”
I opened the back door. I was about to help her in when she leapt into the back seat and sat next to the harness.
Byron handed Lorcan her leash. “Best of luck.” Without a backward glance, he headed back inside.
Lorcan slid into the seat next to Mei and grabbed something from his coat pocket. “You’re such a good girl, Mei. Looking forward to a car ride?” Nice, pleasant, and easygoing.
“Uh, okay.” I leaned in to secure her into the harness system.
She licked my face.
Lorcan laughed as I secured her bag in the hatch with everything else. “Do you think she knows?”
I closed the hatch, secured the backdoor, and slid into the driver’s seat. “Knows?”
“That we’re rescuing her?”
“I…I don’t know.” I met Lorcan’s gaze in the rearview mirror.
She put her paws on the back end of the center console—which was as far as she could reach.
I moved my hand for her to sniff. She did. And then she licked.
“I think, in time, she’ll settle in. Hopefully, she’ll see we love her.” I offered her another grin. “You’re a very good girl.”
“I can take her out before I go to work. Will she be okay during the day? I’m home before you most nights.”
“We can leave a pee pad in the bathroom. Her former owner worked all day outside the house. She’s been spoiled with Carter working from home.”
“Well, she’s got me for a week.”
Theoretically I had the week before Christmas and New Year’s off, but I was on call on the twenty-eighth, should any emergencies arise.
“She’s going to be spoiled rotten.” I turned onto the larger street that would lead us home. “Can you think of anything we need?”
“I did the grocery shopping three days ago.” He grinned. “Before the last-minute chaos. I have your gift—although it’s not nearly as good as this one.” He sighed.
“You didn’t have to get me anything.” I wanted to admonish him. He’d received a couple more paychecks from Riley, but he was still woefully lacking any kind of savings. He was making noises about helping me with the mortgage. I was deflecting. After all, he’d just bought food for both of us.
“It’s just a little token.”
I turned left onto our street and, within moments, was opening the garage door. “I take it you’re otherwise ready for Christmas?”
He tapped his thigh. “I snuck up to the Christmas Market while Maddie was installing my winter tires.”
“Oh?” I backed into my spot since I wasn’t going to be charging the SUV.
“I bought something for your aunt.”
I shut the engine, then placed my hand on his thigh. “She’ll love it—I promise.”
“How can you know?”
“Because it came from your heart.”
He arched an eyebrow.
“You get Mei settled and I’ll grab her stuff.”
