Page 58 of Claim Me

Our first night with the dogs is chaotic and leaves Indigo mopey. Grumpy and Sleepy love the girls’ attention. They hang out in the backyard, sniffing everything and marking their territory. We eat dinner on the back patio and enjoy the mild weather.

By the girls’ bedtime, the dogs are inside and staring at the front door. Indigo lets them back in the yard while I take the twins to their room.

“Bubbles is scared,” Deirdre tells me as I sit with them in bed.

“She’ll chill out once she realizes the dogs are sticking around.”

“They want to go home.”

“They’re confused, but they’ll figure out how things work. We just need to be patient.”

The twins cuddle up and listen to me read them a book. They trust the dogs will learn to love the house.

The mood is far less chill outside. Indigo stands with his arms crossed and a frown plastered on his handsome face. He stares at the dogs sitting in front of him staring back. I take a spot next to Indigo to create a united front for the dogs.

“What’s happening?” I ask when Indigo doesn’t speak.

“I don’t think they want to stay here.”

“They’re used to running wild on the farm.”

“I should take them over to Tack’s house. His yard is bigger.”

“Um, no.”

“They’re not happy.”

“If you take them over to Tack’s house whenever they’re unhappy, they’ll never learn to stay here.”

“Maybe they shouldn’t.”

“Okay, let’s just put the truth out there, okay?” I say and take his hand. “The dogs will be happiest at the farm. But you and Tack don’t live there anymore, so the dogs can’t, either. You don’t want them turning feral by living out in the woods. That means they need to learn to live in a house with rules.”

“Tack has a bigger yard,” Indigo mumbles, sounding brokenhearted.

“I know, but it’s not Tack’s scheduled night.”

“I could keep them during the day and take them to his place at night.”

Squeezing his hand, I smile. “I appreciate how sweet you are with animals. You’ve got the biggest heart. However, those dogs are fucking spoiled, and you need to lay down the law.”

Offended by hearing his dogs threatened with tough love, Indigo nearly tugs his hand free. “I want them to be happy.”

“I know, but people move all the time. Their pets learn to live in new environments. We just need to be patient. Bubbles is currently hiding in a closet because she’s pissed about the dogs sharing her space. Over time, she’ll realize it sucks to live in a closet, so she’ll need to adjust to her new reality.”

“If I took the dogs to Tack’s house, your cat would be happier.”

“Is the goal here to punish yourself?”

“No. I want my dogs to be happy.”

Frustrated by his stubborn desire to always give himself the short end of the stick, I try another tactic and mutter, “I hope this isn’t how you’ll be as a father. I refuse to be the bad guy all the time, just so you can be the fun parent.”

Indigo finally tugs his hand out of mine and steps back. “I took care of my brother. I taught him how to ride a bike and read.”

“But did you tell him no?” When Indigo glances at his dogs, I feel him telling them goodbye. His self-sabotage breaks my heart, and I decide to use tough love on him. “Don’t you dare take those dogs to Tack’s house tonight.”

Indigo’s stance instantly hardens. He’s no longer a lost little boy or sullen man. He’s a biker on alert. I’ve seen this shift a thousand times from the men in my life.

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