Lilah gave a small whine, then trotted away, her coat gleaming in the sun.
“She’s Noah’s favourite,” Tabby said. “He’s always picking her up when he thinks I’m not looking.”
“Really?”
“Uh-huh.”
Nicole imagined Noah cuddling Lilah and felt a flush ripple across her skin. She looked over, but Tabby was safely absorbed in her phone. She fanned herself. “Instagram?”
“Tobes. We’re meeting up tonight to discuss how to wash all six puppies at once.”
Asking why they were attempting such a thing, or how Toby fit into this situation, was unnecessary. Toby’s parents had bred the puppies, though they’d planned to kill them once they discovered they were mutts. He and Tabby had rescued them, sharing the bulk of their care ever since. Though Nicole doubted the puppies were the thing keeping Toby around. “What’s going on with the two of you?”
Tabby shoved her phone in her pocket. “Nothing. We just hang out.”
“He’s very good-looking.”
She shrugged. “He’s too basic for me to go to town on.”
Well there was no denying that. Tabby’s tastes had always run to the extreme—face tatts, hardcore goths, guys who thought Bigfoot was real. Weirdos. Nicole’s least favourite had been a pro-skateboarder with a forked tongue. Just thinking about him made her shudder. “Maybe basic might suit you? Something different?”
Tabby rolled her eyes. “Yeah, maybe you should keep your attention on Lilah, she’s eating that guy’s copy of…is thatParadise Lost?Wow. What an edgester.”
Nicole followed her sister’s gaze and saw Lilah heckling a guy reading on the lawn. He was laughing as he tried to pull his book from her teeth, but she was still mortified. “Oh my god, stop her!”
“You stop her.” Tabby shoved her side. “She likes you best! Also, I have to go get the others back. They’re raising public ire.”
Tabby pointed to where the other five puppies were rushing across the lawn like a horde of black and gold wildebeest.
“Oh my god.”
“Don’t worry about it. Just go get Lilah.”
Nicole was already sprinting toward the book guy. “I will!”
As she got closer, she saw the guy tussling with Lilah was polo shirt preppy. She hoped he wasn’t going to be a jerk. “Lilah,” she called. “Come here!”
Lilah glanced over, her teeth still latched ontoParadise Lost.
The guy looked up at her, revealing laughing blue eyes. “She yours?”
“My sister’s.” Nicole patted her thighs. “Come on, Lilah! Come here!”
With a last shake ofParadise Lost,Lilah released the book and trotted over, looking pleased with herself. Nicole picked her up and tucked her under her arm. “Sorry about that.”
The guy stood, the sunlight glinting on his close-cropped hair. “She’s super cute.”
“Thanks,” Nicole said, flustered by his handsomeness. “She’s a brat.”
“Who doesn’t love a brat?” He walked toward her, and she realised he wasn’t as tall as Noah. Though why that had even occurred to her was ridiculous.
He held out a golden brown, tattoo-free hand. “I’m Davis.”
Nicole shook his hand, careful not to drop Lilah. “Nicole.”
“So Lilah belongs to your sister?”
“Kind of. It’s a long story.” She gestured to Tabby who was running in circles around the park, five puppies in tow. She looked as she was—a nutcase. Davis followed their progress across the park, looking amused. “Bit of a free spirit?”