Page 55 of Interference

“Very. Let’s see how the ones for her back paws fit.”

We found her a pair that fit comfortably on her back paws. I put two pairs of each into the cart.

“Does she need anything else?” Anthony asked. “We can make another run to the pet store if we can’t get it here.”

God, this man was amazing.

I gazed into the cart at all the things we’d already picked up, mentally tallying what Lily might need. I still had her food and water dish—those had been in my rucksack when the cops stole our shit—and we’d grabbed some waterproof blankets as well as a sleeping bag. We’d concluded that there was a better first aid kit available online than here—one that was compact, lightweight, and included a few extra items for pets—and Anthony had ordered it on his phone. Beyond that…

“I think we’re good for her?” I said. “It’s kind of surreal, being able to get what I need like this. When I was evicted, all we had was what we already owned and what I could afford from a military surplus store. Now I actually know what it’s like out there, what we need, and I can get my hands on it.” I exhaled. “I thought I knew what I’d need because I’d spent time in the field in the Army, but the first time around, I was completely unprepared.”

“I bet,” Anthony said quietly. “Seems like a miserable thing to learn the hard way.”

I grunted. “You have no idea.” The moment threatened to get unbearably awkward, so I cleared my throat and said, “I could use some socks.”

That broke us out of the awkwardness, and we headed upstairs to the clothing level.

When we’d finished raiding the store for anything and everything Lily and I could possibly need, the cart was full. Not overfull, of course—I had to be able to pack and carry everything easily—but I was almost dizzy with relief over how much better prepared we’d be this time around.

“I think that’s about it,” I said. “We could—” I chewed my lip. I really didn’t want to push my luck.

Anthony tilted his head. “We could…?”

Heat rushed into my face. “I, um…”

“Anything you need,” he said softly. “Seriously.”

“It’s… Well, it’s not much of a need.” I glanced down at Lily and swallowed. “She… When our stuff was taken, she had a couple of toys…”

His jaw fell open. “They took your dog’s toys? Seriously?”

“Are you kidding?” I laughed bitterly. “They took everything I didn’t have in my rucksack.”

“Jesus fuck.” He huffed with a startling amount of anger. “After this, we’re hitting up the pet store again.” He made an irritated noise. “Fucking cops.”

“Right? But I can’t ask you to—”

“Fuck that.” He waved a hand and shook his head. “If you were asking for a souped-up sports car or something, I’d say, ‘Hold on there.’ But a couple of toys for your dog? Pfft. We’re off to PetSmart after this.”

I stared at him. “Are you sure?”

To my surprise, he smiled. “Have you seen how much of my house is occupied by cat toys? Trust me—some squeaky toys and a bone or something is not an imposition.” He paused. “I need to pick up some catnip anyway.”

I laughed. “Okay, I definitely want to see your boys high as balls.”

His bright smile made my balance waver. “They’re a kick when they’re fucked up. Trust me.”

I wasn’t sure what intrigued me more—the thought of Moose and Bear stoned off their fluffy butts, or Anthony laughing at their antics. Either way, I couldn’t wait to see it.

We didn’t need anything else at this place, so we went downstairs and got into the checkout line. After we’d been standing for a couple of minutes, Lily pawed at my leg. I glanced down at her, and she did it again.

I knew that cue. It wasn’t urgent—she was good about waiting until we were able to get outside—but I would definitely stop as soon as we were outside. Which probably wouldn’t be long; there were only two people in front of us, and neither had much to ring up.

“Is she okay?” Anthony asked quietly.

“She’s fine. She’s just letting me know she needs to go outside.” I patted her neck. “She’s good for a little while, though.”

“Oh. Well, there’s no need to make her wait. Why don’t you go ahead and take her, and I’ll deal with all this?”

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