Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 89674 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 448(@200wpm)___ 359(@250wpm)___ 299(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89674 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 448(@200wpm)___ 359(@250wpm)___ 299(@300wpm)
Dash.
My heart and my head finally aligned, seeking out my guy any time I could find him. I wasn’t sure why I’d put such a long time restriction on us being apart. It seemed silly now. He’d actively shown me how much he’d changed back into the man he once was. Those changes had to be hard to make.
It had taken discipline and structure to keep Dash at a distance. I didn’t have the strength to continue to hold him off. I’d met the goals I set for myself, I lived my life on my terms, paid my way, but it wasn’t near as satisfying a place as I thought it might be.
I loved Dash, nothing had changed for me. An overwhelming love, an all in devotion to Dash, and yes I planned to make him work to be back in my life, but he’d be here with us in the near future, for sure.
My cell phone rang. Scott’s name appeared on the screen. With the swipe of my thumb, I answered. The dogs took notice, standing at alert, which always made me smile. They never figured out where the ring came from. “Yo.”
“What the fuck did you do?” Scott bellowed so loudly I jerked the phone from my ear.
“What?” I asked with the phone about six inches from my mouth.
“Is this some kind of joke?” I had two choices. I could pretend I didn’t know or I could explain.
I decided on the latter, he seemed pretty freaked. “I came into some money, and I shared it with you and the girls.”
“What the fuck,” Scott said. My eyes closed and my chin hit my chest. He sounded frantic, which technically pleased me. The puffing of breath though might mean he was hyperventilating. “Brooks, I can’t accept this. It’s too much.”
“Did you get the information on the girls?” I asked.
“What about the girls?”
I decided to let him figure that out on his own. “Lee, you’re the best friend a guy could have. You make me feel like I’m family.”
“That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard,” Scott replied with anger, making me chuckle.
The doorbell rang, causing me to glance at the time. I’d scheduled a mobile dog grooming service to come by every Saturday around two in the afternoon. It was noon now, making them unusually early. Both dogs ears popped up again, and they came to my side of the small table. I pushed my laptop lid closed and rose.
“Then the only thing left to say is… I win.” I couldn’t contain my laughter. I was barely able to say, “Someone’s at the door. I’ll call you back.” Duke and Dixie followed at my feet, ready to accompany me to the door to greet whoever was there. Generally the person on the other side of the door panicked when my good dogs tried to give their happy kisses to strangers.
“Place,” I called, stopping them in their tracks. Based on the way they didn’t immediately still, they weren’t happy with my command. “Place…” I said again, firmer this time. They knew that meant they had to stay where they stood, no matter what happened from this point on, until I released them. The whining they were doing now meant they knew who was on the other side of the door and wanted to greet them.
That was a little weird. They weren’t usually happy to see the groomer. They didn’t like being separated to have their baths and de-shedding treatments. Without looking through the peephole, I pulled open the front door.
Dash stood there, a large suitcase at his feet and a garment bag hanging over his shoulder. He didn’t wait to be invited in, rolling the suitcase over the threshold, while glancing around the townhome.
“It’s pretty. I like the old meets the new. You decorated it nicely. Bohemian. I thought this would be how you made it.”
The townhome wasn’t that big. He kept going a few steps further, fully into the living room where the dogs were better able to see him. They whimpered in earnest as their bodies wiggled, tails wagging, but stayed where I’d left them. In the last year, I’d never seen them behave this way.
“What’re you doing here?” I asked, once I found my voice.
Dash tossed the garment bag over the only chair in the living room as he started for the backyard. From inside his sporty windbreaker, he produced two large treats, taking them to the dogs. Prancing in place was the only way I could describe how they greeted Dash.
“Can you release their hold?” Dash asked, dropping to one knee in front of them to give each a treat.
“Release,” I said, and they did instantly. Dixie leaped forward, knocking Dash to his butt. Duke was right there behind her, making sure Dash couldn’t easily get up. Before I had time to give another command, Dash started laughing a joyful sound, taking Dixie in his arms. Duke had left the scene to grab my sandal by the door, carrying it in his mouth as he trailed back and forth between me and Dash. “They know you?”