Page 35 of Spindrift

“It’scalled a treadmill.”

“You’rea runner, too?” Emilia asked her.

“Ohno,” said Angie.

“It’shappening,” said Stevie.

Inunison, they broke out in an off-key rendition of “Can You Feel the LoveTonight” fromTheLion King.

“Letme know if you need a jogging partner,” Lillian said as she clapped her handsover her friends’ mouths. “Since I clearly don’t live with any.”

“Icould use some motivation,” said Emilia.

Lillianreleased her grip on Stevie and Angie. “Sorry, Morgan. I’m stealing your newfriend.”

“Notif I weigh her down with red meat first.”

“Butthen I’d have to jog it off,” Emilia said.

“Butwould you?” said Angie.

“Ikeep hearing about all these dogs, but I don’t see any,” Emilia said to shift thesubject away from her body.

“They’reout back, supervising the grill. Want to meet them?” asked Morgan.

Emilianodded, and Morgan walked to the back door. The others remained inside.

“Braceyourself.”

Krakenskidded to a halt on the patio flagstones first, his tail wagging. A brindle pitbullbulldozed into him seconds later and presented his butt for her to scratch,only to be upstaged by the hopping arrival of a three-legged monster of a muttwith a black muzzle, brown body, and absurdly fluffy white tail. She did herbest to greet the three of them at once with two hands.

Aninsistent scratching at her pant leg caused her to glance down. Another tripoddog stared up at her out of an Italian greyhound’s slightly neurotic eyes. She presentedher hand to the tiny black button nose.

“Youcan pick her up if you want,” said Morgan.

Emiliascooped the slender dog onto her lap. “Introduce me?”

“Thatlittle demon is Hermione, and before you ask, she does have a Hogwarts sweater.She and the other tripod are Lil’s.”

“Twotripods?”

“We’retrying to find her a third so she has a complete set, but yes. Muffin was arescue, and Hermione had a bad fracture. Owners couldn’t pay for it.”

“Didsomeone step on you?” Emilia asked the dog.

“Marvin—that’sthe pittie—is Stevie’s. I believe she named him after a robot from some book.In case you didn’t notice, we’re all exceptionally cool.”

“Well,they’re cool,” said Emilia. “But you don’t seem to have any visible nerddoms,so I’m going to have to reserve judgment.”

“Letme know what you decide.”

Morganleft Emilia in her sea of dogs and walked over to the grill, giving Emilia achance to glimpse Morgan’s ass in jeans. The cool evening air warmed severaldegrees. She ripped her eyes away and examined the rest of her surroundings.

Theback patio had an eclectic collection of lawn furniture gathered around a brickfire pit. She moved to stand beside it, which the little dog seemed toappreciate, as she stopped shivering.

“Ihave a big one of you,” she told the dog as she watched Morgan. The blue ofher shirt emphasized the dark blue-gray of her irises, which seemed even darkerin the gathering dusk.

I’dfall intothatocean.

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