Page 107 of Beware of Dog

“That you were going to be…”

“Defensive?”

“Determined,” he countered. He smirked. “You are.”

“God,” Cass groaned.

“Alright.” Shep had had enough. “If you’re going to shoot me, do it already. Otherwise, we’re going back to bed.”

Tenny pointed again. Shep wanted to break his skinny finger. “You…”

Reese gripped his shoulder. “Babe,” he said, softly. “Just stop.”

Tenny stopped. He sighed. Deflated into the chair.

In a softer voice, Cass said, “You aren’t actually angry. Are you?”

Tenny tipped his head back, so it rested against Reese’s hand. “Would you care if I was?”

“No. But I’d make the appropriate noises.”

Tenny smiled. Then chuckled. “Shit,” he said. When he looked at Shep, his gaze had softened. A little. It wasn’tsoft, but he looked less murderous. “You in it? I mean, for the long haul. For King, and Charlie, and Phil, and the old man?”

“I’m not in it for them,” Shep said. “Just her.”

Tenny’s grin widened, and it was uncanny how much it looked like Cass’s.

“Can you please,” Cass said, “stop being a wanker? I will throw you out. Sorry, Reese.”

Reese tilted his head in an understanding way.

Tenny looked at Cass. At Shep. At Cass again. “Damn,” he said.

“Yeah,” Cass responded.

It was silent a second, two, three, four…

Shep said, “Can I punch him?”

Cass scratched pleasantly at his chest. “No. I don’t guess so.”

~*~

It was Saturday, so Cass didn’t have class. She didn’t question it when Shep stood, went to the kitchen, and started pouring drinks. Tenny could for sure benefit from some whiskey, she thought, and she herself wasn’t going to turn down some five a.m. wine.

Reese sat down in the second chair, and sipped his whiskey slowly.

Tenny threw his back, got up, and went for seconds.

Shep, his arm heavy and sturdy around her shoulders, said, “Just say what you wanna say and get it over with.”

“Okay,” Tenny said, and when he aimed his glass, it was off-center.

Reese snorted, softly, and adjusted his hand.

They werethatcouple. The kind that filled in each other’s sentences, and completed each other’s angry gestures.

“Okay,” Tenny said again, sloppy, squinting, and Cass knew it would be okay. Dad was still a wild card, but he’d approved of Toly, so he couldn’t be too strict. King would fuss, but what could he do? “Do you,” Tenny said, “love her?”

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