Page 75 of Sully

“No, she let me know with her eyes what she thought of me,” Sully said. And I swear Zima did shoot him a strangely knowing glance.

But when he climbed off the chair and made his way to the bed, she didn’t grumble. Not even when he got in bed with us. Though the belly rub he gave her couldn’t have hurt. “What time is it?” I asked. “Whatdayis it?”

A chuckle moved through Sully as he glanced at the clock. “Four. I’m assuming at night, not morning.”

“We’re giving her a very bad schedule,” I said, petting Zima’s neck.

“Hey, dogs sleep like fourteen hours a day, don’t they? We’re just encouraging her beauty rest.”

“True. But we should take her out and get her some dinner.”

“And get us some dinner,” Sully said, patting his flat stomach. “We missed lunch. What are you feeling? Chinese? Italian? Indian? Sushi?”

“Tacos.”

“The best choice,” he declared, hopping up off the bed. “Wanna go outside, Zima?” he asked, but she was off the bed the second he said the ‘o’ word. “Meet me out there,” he said, slipping into his shoes, then heading out.

I reached down, rubbing my sore legs for a second before I forced myself to get up, find pants, socks, and shoes, then make my way out into the common area.

“She treed a squirrel,” Sully said, standing in the doorway, watching Zima sniff around the trunk.

“Oh, the poor thing. Zima!” I called, grabbing one of the bags that had been delivered while Sully and I had been… indisposed.Finding a toy, I squeaked it until she came running. “See? Isn’t that better than a squi—oh,” I said, wincing as she tore at the little stuffed bunny until she had a hole in it and started to pull out the fluff.

“Well, gonna need to up that toy budget,” Sully said as Zima found the squeaker, then started zooming around the room with it. “So, tacos?”

“Tacos,” I agreed.

“Wanna take a ride?”

“Are we allowed?” I asked.

“Gotta ask someone to head out with us, but yeah. It’s a quick trip. Should be fine.”

He rounded up some guy named Valen that I hadn’t met before, then we were climbing into the SUV to head halfway across town to the taco place that Sully claimed would ‘change my life.’

They might be life-changing.

But the place didn’t even have awebsite, let alone online ordering. So no matter how good they were, unless Sully was going to be the one procuring them, I would have to be going without.

“I like this one,” the woman behind the counter said as we waited for our food, Sully’s arm casually draped around my shoulders.

“I like her too,” Sully agreed, making my belly swoop.

“And she actually ordered the veggie tacos, so that makes her even better. No one orders those.”

“How do you know it wasn’t me?” Sully asked.

“Because I raised five sons,” the woman said, giving Sully a motherly smile. “I don’t think they’ve ever willingly eaten a vegetable in their lives, lettuce aside. Your extra steak is on top,” she said, passing him three bags. “You,” she said to me. “Makehim try one of the veggie ones. If there’s anyone who can, it’s a girl with all that pretty.”

“I will,” I told her as we headed out.

“Now you have to eat some veggies,” I told Sully. “I promised that lady.”

“Well, maybe I can—“ he started, but my phone beeped, interrupting him.

“Sorry,” I said, reaching for it, figuring it was some email or something because no one ever actually texted me.

Except, of course, my boss.

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