Page 19 of Summer with a Single Dad

Luke lifted his head, gave a huge yawn, and burrowed into the now unmade bed.

“I’m glad at least one of us is comfortable.”

At Emily’s, I relayed the story as we tossed balls to the dogs in the backyard.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I guess you’re going to have to come up with a better barricade.”

“I’m going to put some chairs in front of it tomorrow. See if that works. What I really should do is hire a dog walker.”

“I’d do it if I didn’t have my classes,” she said.

“Really?”

“Well, yeah,” she said. “He’s good company for these guys.”

“And they’re a good influence on him.” I tossed the ball again and sighed. “What I should do is make a permanent dog run on the side of the house. If I put a dog door on the door to the garage, he could hang out inside or outside.”

“That would be expensive,” Emily said.

“Not if I did it myself. I just need the bricks and cement. And a gate.”

“You can do that kind of stuff?”

“Yeah. My dad taught me. He’s very into home improvement projects. It might take me a weekend or two, but I could do it.” I took a deep breath and considered my options. “But, if I hired someone, it would save me the hassle and time. I’ll figure it out.”

“Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.” Her words hit the spot deep inside that I completely forgot existed. The place where you know you have someone in your life—outside of your family and friends—who has your back and will do whatever they can to make life easier. In the short span of a few weeks, Emily had moved into that piece of my heart that made me hope, feel, and love.

As I stole a look while she ruffled the dogs’ ears and heads, I realized I was falling in love.

It scared the crap out of me and filled me with intense happiness.

“What are you smiling about?” Emily asked, still wrapped up in dogs.

“You,” I said, closing the distance between us. “You make me very happy.” I tucked her in my arms and kissed her thoroughly.

When I pulled away, she pushed the hair away from my face and looked deeply into my eyes. “Being with you makes me happy too. I didn’t know I’d feel this way, but . . .”

“What?”

She shrugged. “For all my life, I’ve thought of myself as someone who needed to be the lone wolf.” When I chuckled, she smacked me playfully and asked, “What’s so funny?”

“You’re not a wolf, honey. A wolf is a boy. You’d be a she-wolf or a bitch.”

She smacked me again.

“I’m sorry. That’s what the literature says.”

“You know as well as I do that the word bitch is used with dog trainers, but don’t you?—”

I shut her up by kissing her. “You’re a she-wolf, not a bitch.”

“That’s better,” she said, our lips still touching. “Did you know she-wolves are known for their endurance and strength?”

Her husky, sexy tone had me swallowing my tongue. “Is that right?”

“Let me show you.” She sent me a come-hither look before she whistled. “Come on, boys, it’s time for dinner.”

We dutifully followed our alpha female into the house.

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