Tough Love

The tap at her front door woke Maggie and Norwood with a start. The young mutts looked mostly German Shepherd, maybe with a little Collie thrown in. Sounding like the hounds of hell, they charged the front door. Vanity couldn’t hear herself over the ruckus, so it was no wonder the dogs didn’t hear her when she tried to calm them.

Their wagging butts knocked her this way and that, but she finally managed to get leashes attached to their collars. Wrapping the leashes securely around her hand, she dared to open the door.

Big mistake.

The dogs shot out—and took her with them.

Luckily it was Armie who’d knocked, and he caught her before her face hit the porch.

“Hey now.” He got her upright, then took the leashes from her. Though it was getting colder by the day, the November weather didn’t seem to bother Armie. He wore a loose flannel shirt over a T-shirt that read I’m Irresistible, and then in smaller print beneath, You’ve Been Warned.

A recent shower had left his bleached hair spiky. Dark lashes cast long shadows over his chocolate-brown eyes.

He was a good friend to everyone, so she shouldn’t have been surprised to see him.

“You know them?” she asked Armie, seeing how the dogs were beside themselves with joy at a visitor.

“Nope.” Laughing, he sat on the stoop. “But they’re obviously good judges of character.”

The dogs were all over him, landing sloppy tongue kisses across his face, trying to wiggle into his lap, all in all being so funny that Vanity had to laugh, too.

She stepped back inside to grab her coat, then sat beside Armie on the cold concrete step.

It took a good five minutes for the dogs to start to quiet, and once they did, they wandered to the yard, going as far as the leashes allowed, then plopped down beneath the shifting rays of sunshine.

“They had a rough night,” Vanity explained.

“Yeah, Stack told me all about it.”

Her face went hot. Just how much had Stack shared? Surely he wouldn’t—

Shoulder-nudging her, Armie laughed. “Now, Vee, you know Stack doesn’t kiss and tell.”

He was the only one to call her that ridiculous name. Around a yawn, she explained, “It was a crazy night.”

“Sounds like. He said his mom’s house was trashed?”

“The dogs had taken it apart. The garbage was chewed up everywhere. One curtain and some blinds pulled down from where they’d tried looking out the window, all the couch cushions kicked off, a few chairs overturned.” The house had looked like a disaster zone, but Stack, being the awesomely wonderful man he was, had been more concerned with the dogs than the mess. “They’d had two accidents.” She wrinkled her nose. “Luckily, on the tile and not the carpet.”

“And you helped clean?”

She scooted closer to steal some of Armie’s warmth. The afternoon was a lot warmer than the night had been, but winter was upon them. “Stack was already worried about his mom and stuff. Of course I helped.”

He continued to look down at her. “And you insisted on keeping the dogs?”

“Look at them! They were already confused over being left alone all day. They knew Lynn had been hurt, so they were scared for her. And then they saw Tabitha just long enough for her to freak out and start crying and stuff.”

As if they understood, the dogs shifted their eyebrows, and their eyes looked all big and innocent.

Armie laughed. “You’re a pushover.”

Maybe. “I like them. They’re boisterous, but very sweet.” Half under her breath, she added, “As long as I don’t forget to take them out. Often.”

“That’s why I’m here. Stack was worrying about you, so after I finished up my training, he asked me to swing by.”

“Well, thank you, but we’re fine.”

“We?”

“The dogs and I.”

Armie pushed to his feet, and that prompted the dogs to leap up, too. “Come on, beasts. Let’s go check out the backyard.”

Feeling more sluggish than she wanted to admit, Vanity started to stand. Before she’d even gotten her tush half an inch off the step, Armie caught her arm and hauled her upright.

Once they were all inside, he bent to look into her face, then huffed in annoyance. “You’re about to fall on your face. Have you slept at all since before the wedding?”

“I’m fine,” she insisted—even though complete and utter lethargy tried to drag her down. Given half a chance, she could crash for a solid eight hours.

Right at sunrise Stack had left her with a short but stirring kiss, admonishing her to “regain your energy” before he returned. Knowing that as soon as his obligations ended, he’d be back, more than ready to live up to the promise of that kiss, she’d done her best to nap. But each and every time she’d started to doze off, the dogs wanted or needed something. They were more demanding than toddlers, and just as cute.