Page 78 of Fit for Love

“Sadly, yes.Randy has already done me a huge favor looking after Sir Ems beyond our original agreement.I promised I’d relieve him tonight.”

She pouts prettily.“I seem to sleep better when you’re around.”

Has she forgotten how little we actually slept when we shared a bed?Then again, when I did sleep, it was pretty deep, especially considering how hot it was on the island.

“I could stay over tomorrow if you’d be okay with me bringing my dog.”

She looks uncertain.“Will he make a mess?”

I shake my head.“He’s a good boy.He hasn’t made a mess since he was seven months old—which is the equivalent of a twelve-year-old kid.And before you ask, he didn’t inherit such good behavior from me.I was a devil way beyond that age.”Especially if you listen to my parents.

She chuckles.“Youwerea devil?Past tense?”

“That sounds like my cue to leave.”I very reluctantly get up and get dressed—and when I catch her watching me, her expression is difficult to read.

Once I’m dressed, she puts on a robe and walks me to the door, which is where I kiss her goodbye before trudging to the car that’s still waiting for me.

“Where to?”the driver asks.

I tell him, and we get going.A few minutes into the trip, my sister calls.

“Hey,” she says, her voice sounding odd.“Sorry I couldn’t take your call.I was on the stupid hike.”

Stupid?She loves hiking.“Is everything okay?”

“No,” she says.

I grip the phone tighter.“What happened?”

She blows out a breath.“I just got home from the doctor.A tick attached itself to my shoulder, so I had to get it removed.”

“Fuck.”

“Yeah.I wore long sleeves and boots.The asshole managed to get me anyway.”

“But the doctor removed it?”

“Yeah.They’re going to test it for Lyme disease.”

“Fucking fucker.”I never would’ve thought I’d want to do violent things to a tick, but here we are.“Please take some time off.And don’t worry about that dinner I texted you about.I’ll?—”

“Yeah, right,” she says, sounding like her usual self.“Your new girlfriend will be there.A whole army of ticks couldn’t keep me away.”

“I mean it,” I say firmly.“I’m ordering you to take it easy.”

“And I will.But I’m not skipping that dinner.No way.”

“Fine.”When it comes to my little sister, I know which fights are worth it and which aren’t.“Let me know as soon as the tests come through.”

“Sure.Now if you don’t mind, I’m going to go get some sleep.”

“Of course.Talk to you tomorrow.”

I hang up and start typing a query in my phone’s search engine.My vet prescribed Sir Ems a pill that prevents tick bites.Should I have provided my sister with something similar?

Turns out, no.Such things only exist for dogs.

When I stepinto my apartment, Sir Ems greets me with such excited tail wagging you’d think it’s been a decade since I left.

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