Page 38 of Daddy's Naughty Dog Trainer

"Mmm, I would." I rise on tiptoes to brush my lips against his. "Though some of your training methods might be frowned upon at a family-friendly dog showcase."

His hands slide lower, coming to rest on my hips. "Those methods are reserved for you alone, princess. Speaking of which..."

But before he can finish that thought, Lucky trots into the kitchen, leash in mouth, tail wagging hopefully.

Sean sighs, releasing me. "Someone wants his morning walk."

"Duty calls," I laugh, stepping back. "The showcase training starts today. Let's take him to the park near the community center. There's usually a lot going on there on Sundays. Good practice for handling distractions."

"Always working," Sean teases, taking the leash from Lucky.

"Says the man who checks his government security emails at three in the morning," I retort, grabbing my jacket from the back of a chair.

His expression turns sheepish. "You noticed that?"

"Of course I noticed. I notice everything about you, Daddy." I wink, heading for the door. "Now come on, we've got a champion to train."

The next two weeks fly by in a blur of intensive training sessions. We take Lucky everywhere, busy parks, pet stores, outdoor cafés, anywhere he might encounter the kinds of distractions he'll face at the showcase. Sean, true to form, creates a detailed training schedule that maps out each day's activities, complete with measurable goals and progress indicators.

I would tease him about it, but honestly? It's working. Lucky is thriving under the structured approach, mastering new skills and reinforcing old ones with remarkable consistency. Lucky is on his way to becoming therapy dog certified. Sean wants to honor his sister’s memory by having Lucky hang out with pediatric cancer patients at the local hospital.

By the day before the showcase, I'm confident he's as ready as he'll ever be. We hold our final practice session in Sean's backyard, running through all the commands Lucky will need to demonstrate in the obedience category we've entered him in.

"Perfect," I declare as Lucky completes a flawless "stay" despite me tossing his favorite toy nearby. "He's got this."

Sean doesn't reply immediately, his expression uncharacteristically distracted as he gives Lucky his reward treat.

"Sean?" I prompt, moving closer. "Everything okay?"

He straightens, offering a smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes. "Fine. Just thinking about tomorrow."

"Are you nervous?" I ask, surprised. Sean Ferguson doesn't do nervous, at least, not visibly.

"Not nervous," he corrects, running a hand through his hair. "Just... want everything to go well."

"It will," I assure him, wrapping my arms around his waist. "Lucky is more than ready. And even if he isn't perfect tomorrow, it's just a local showcase, not the Westminster Dog Show."

"I know." He returns my embrace, his body relaxing against mine. "I just want to make you proud."

The simple admission catches me off guard. "Me? I thought this was about Lucky."

"It is," he says, pulling back to meet my gaze. "But it's also about showing everyone what we've accomplished together. What you've taught us both."

Something warm and tender unfurls in my chest. "Sean Ferguson, are you getting sentimental on me?"

A hint of his usual confidence returns. "Absolutely not. Just acknowledging facts."

"Mmhmm." I stretch up to kiss him softly. "For what it's worth, I'm already proud. Of both of you."

His arms tighten around me briefly before he steps back, all business again. "Let's run through the routine one more time, just to be sure."

"Always the perfectionist," I tease, but I comply, positioning myself at the start point for our practice run.

Later that night, as we lie tangled together in Sean's bed, I feel him tense beside me, his breathing indicating he's still awake despite the late hour.

"Can't sleep?" I murmur, snuggling closer to his warmth.

"Just reviewing everything in my mind," he admits, his voice low in the darkness. "Making sure we haven't missed anything."

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