The dog moved away from the boy to sniff Dan’s hand, then lick him enthusiastically as if to demonstrate that he remembered him. His silly growl got even louder with pleasure when Dan rubbed his ears.
“Hey!” Grayson protested. “My dog!”
He’d barely finished speaking when his father snatched him up and hauled him away, objecting loudly, toward the perceived safety of the inn. Dan slipped two fingers under the dog’s collar to hold him still, and Ninja leaned obligingly against him, making no effort to pull away.
Kinley joined them, shaking her head in dismay. “I can’t believe this,” she muttered.
“I’ll take him back to Logan’s yard,” Dan offered.
“Thank you.”
“Where did that creature come from?” Eva asked from a circumspect distance, which required her to raise her voice to a somewhat painfully shrill level. “Someone should call animal control immediately.”
“There’s no need for that, Eva. This is my brother’s dog. He’s completely harmless.”
“Harmless? He’s growling!”
“He isn’t growling. That’s just his way of communicating.”
“He terrified my grandson. Listen to him crying.”
“Mom, Grayson is crying because Connor won’t let him play with the dog, not because he was afraid,” Serena explained with frayed patience. “Please don’t overreact.”
“I’ll take the dog home,” Dan said again.
“I’ll come with you to make sure the gate is securely fastened,” Kinley volunteered immediately.
“We promise the dog will be properly restrained during the rest of the weekend,” Bonnie said from behind Eva and Serena. “If you’d all like to come inside now, we’re setting out appetizers in the parlor for your guests. I’m sure you’d like to visit with the wedding party as they arrive for the rehearsal.”
“Come inside, Mom. Please.”
Eva allowed herself to be nudged inside. Bonnie shot a quick grimace over her shoulder at Kinley and Dan, then continued to herd all the others through the back doors into the inn.
“Oh, my God,” Kinley groaned, rubbing her temples with both hands. “Seriously, what next?”
Still holding the dog’s collar with one hand, Dan laid his other hand on her shoulder. “Rough day, huh?”
She dropped her hands and straightened. “I’ve had easier. Let’s get this stupid dog back to Logan’s.”
Unoffended, Ninja yawned, reached out his massive head, cleanly snapped off a rose blossom with his teeth and dropped it at Kinley’s feet. Dan burst out laughing. Kinley was not amused.
“Let’s take him back now,” she said through clenched teeth as she retrieved the rose from the path and glared at the bare branch. “Before I drown the mutt in the fountain.”
“Don’t worry, Ninja,” Dan said, urging the dog toward Logan’s cottage. “She’s all talk.”
“I wouldn’t advise him to bet his life on that,” Kinley grumbled.
Grinning, Dan kept walking with the dog at his side and Kinley right behind them. The side gate into Logan’s yard stood partially open when they reached it, explaining how the dog had gotten out. The signs Logan had posted were clearly evident, but had been ignored. Dan suspected it was because the perpetrator wasn’t yet old enough to read.
“Grayson could definitely reach this latch,” he observed, ushering Ninja inside the fence and snapping the latch into place. “It wouldn’t be that hard for him to open the gate.”
“You’re probably right,” she said, studying the gate closely. “He probably opened it last time, too. Grayson is slippery. I thought at least someone in his family was watching him this time, but obviously not.”
“I think the kid needs to be on a leash more than Logan’s dog does.”
She laughed shortly. “You’ve got that right. But I’m going to tell Logan he’ll have to put a lock on this gate at least until after the wedding. His signs aren’t going to keep Grayson in check, and I wouldn’t trust the kid’s family to watch him closely enough to prevent this from happening again. It wouldn’t surprise me if he managed to slip away during the wedding—and he’s the ring bearer. He’s supposed to stand in front of everyone the whole time.”
Dan felt his brows draw down into a scowl. “People shouldn’t have kids if they aren’t going to take care of them,” he muttered.