Page 50 of Three of a Kind

“Like this?”

“Yeah, just like that. Keep it flat, though, okay?” I flatten my hand under hers to show her what I mean.

“I can do it!” she declares.

“Come.” I give Nova’s leash a tug, and she bolts forward to stand at my side. I give her the command to scent Libby and let her know she’s a friend. Once that’s done, I tell her, “Greet.”

Libby giggles as Nova’s nose bumps around our hands. “Hi, puppy.”

“Go on, you can have it,” I tell Nova, nodding to the treat. She hasn’t been around a ton of kids, but she has been around a few. She’s extra careful as she licks her reward from Libby’s palm. “You can pet her now.”

I give Nova’s head a scratch and murmur, “Protect.” Her ears jump as her head tilts, like she wants to make sure. “You heard me. This is a guard-only situation.”

Nova’s entire body starts to wag. She knows that her goal is to keep Libby safe, but she can’t engage unless there’s a threat.

Honestly, I trust her judgment better than my own most days. And she’s happiest when she has a job to do.

It’s a win-win for all of us.

My eyes fly up, and Brooklyn stands at the back of the stroller. Her eyes are wide, but she’s got a timid smile on her face.

“Would you like to come say hello, too?” I smile, pushing myself up to stand.

“She’s yours?” Brooklyn asks, shaking her head. “I mean, of course, she is. You didn’t borrow someone’s dog to…” She steps around to the front of the stroller, and I fish another treat from my pocket.

Before I can even give Nova her greeting commands, she’s got her snout plastered to Brooklyn’s stomach as she nuzzles her massive, blocky head around.

Huh, that’s bizarre.

She knows better.

Bless reluctantly gave me a heads-up that Brooklyn brings her daughter to the park every Sunday morning.

It’s a huge part of the reason I dragged Nova with me. Not only is she built-in backup in any situation, but I figured she would be a good buffer with Brooklyn and maybe even make her feel more at ease.

We finally make it to the park, and it’s not packed, probably because of the heat.

There’s a large playground and a smaller area with moderately sized equipment.

Brooklyn heaves Libby out of her stroller, and it’s a little shocking to see how tall her daughter already is in comparison to Brooklyn’s height.

Libby runs off and makes her way into the area with the smaller equipment. There are a few other kids that seem to be around her age. Some parents lean against the fence, while others seem to be splitting their attention between the two areas.

Brooklyn grabs a bag from under the stroller and glances back at the picnic table shaded by a tree a few feet away. “I think I’m going to have a seat. That walk was more intense than I remember.”

“I have water in my bag. It’s probably warm, though.”

“That’s very sweet, but I have a couple of bottles straight from the fridge.” She reaches into the bag and pulls out a toddler cup and two bottles of water. Once she’s done, she leans over, shoving the bag back where she grabbed it from.

My eyes widen as her dress gets caught in her thighs, making the material, which has been baggy, mold perfectly to her stomach.

Holy fucking shit.

I’m pretty sure that’s a baby belly.

Chapter Fifteen

Brooklyn

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