I thought about that for a long moment. “Why don’t you bring him over here? Do you mind if I go get him?”
“Not at all, but grab my dry cleaning bag, too,” he muttered, half asleep. “It would help me immensely.”
I went ahead and pulled the door closed behind me after that.
An hour later, after getting Bourne’s dog, a black lab named Moses, I worked him in the yard with my pups in training.
Two hours after that, my sister arrived home to say that she was only here long enough to grab clothes, then she was going to spend the day at Booth’s.
“Isn’t that Bourne’s dog?” she asked, eyeing Moses.
“Yep,” I said as I commanded, “Moses, sit.”
Moses sat.
He was a boisterous little devil that only stirred up more when he was around my rowdy little Cane Corso—and I say little meaning he was small for his breed at a cool one hundred and thirty pounds at two years old.
“Why’s he here?” she asked, looking across the street at Priscilla’s place where I knew she assumed Bourne was.
“I asked Bourne if he wanted me to bring him over here during the day, and he said he’d like that,” I answered, not quite lying, but definitely not telling the full truth, either.
“Huh,” she said as she walked up the front walk. “You should come meet Bobo. He’s really sweet.”
I’d heard about Bobo. Bobo was a retired military working dog that she got from one of her friends. I’d also heard that he was a little wild and scary. He’d also saved my sister’s life in an alley behind her work when her old childhood friend, Kerrie, had tried to strangle her.
If it hadn’t been for Bobo, who knows where Dillan would be right now.
“I actually had intended to stop by.” I paused. “I also heard that Malachi was going to adopt him.”
Malachi was one of the men that worked on the SWAT team with Bourne and Booth.
“He is,” she confirmed. “But I’m still going to go see him. I feel bad that he got hit by a car.” She paused. “I’m going tonight if you want to go.”
“I have Asa,” I said. “And what I’ve heard from Booth, the dog doesn’t do well with kids.”
Dillan sighed. “I don’t actually know that. But yeah, the guy that helps place the Military Working Dogs suggested he not be with kids or other animals.”
Moses bumped my hand because he wanted attention, and I gave it to him, rolling my hands over his ears in affection.
“I heard that you were selling another one,” she said as she took a few more steps toward the door.
I touched the Irish Setter’s head. “This one. He’ll be going to that little boy that I went to that wedding to talk to a few weeks ago. He’s coming to get him this weekend.”
“That’ll be fun.” Dillan frowned. “Is someone here?”
Thank God Bourne had parked at his sister’s place.
Before I could answer, Booth called, and she lit up like a Christmas tree, ignoring me completely as she walked inside.
I sure hoped that she didn’t wake Bourne, but he’d assured me that he was a heavy sleeper, and nothing short of waking him up by shouting in his ear would get him up.
I went back to working with the dogs, putting them all through their paces. Even Moses.
And wondered idly if Bourne would let me do this every day.
Because I could certainly get used to it.Chapter 10
Ambitchous-the desire to become a better bitch.
-Text from Delanie to Bourne
Bourne
I squeezed Delanie’s hand as we walked together to the front door of her house.
I glanced at my watch as I did, wondering if we’d have time to get this over with before Asa got off the bus.
Probably not. But if the inevitable happened and he was here, I’d just text Priscilla to get him off and she would.
“I don’t want to do this,” Delanie said, then opened the door.
It was a surprise to see David standing there beyond the threshold. Not because I didn’t know he was coming, but because he looked like he was old. Very old. Way older than the last time I’d seen him—though, granted, that was five years ago now.
“Father,” Delanie said, voice bland.
David’s eyes immediately flicked to me, and I saw the anger there at having me standing in front of him.
“Booth?” he asked.
“Bourne,” I said. “The other twin.”
David’s lips tightened and he looked at Delanie. “I thought this was a private meeting.”
“This is,” she said. “With my man, Bourne.”
“Fiancé,” I corrected her, knowing that she was going to look at me in surprise. “It’s a new thing.”
Delanie’s eyes looked wide when she glanced at me, and I leaned forward and placed a light kiss on her nose. “Just go with it.”
She pulled away, but when she looked at her father, there was no surprise or choking involved when she introduced me again. This time as her fiancé.