Page 18 of Wild Card
It was a rhetorical question. The cats didn’t follow me around like the dogs did. A few of them would spend some time in the camper when it got colder out, but there were plenty of places to take shelter in the junkyard that didn’t include a pack of dogs.
They were mostly too wild to want a home with me, and I could respect that.
With the animals fed and watered, I headed over to the house.
Sugar and Taz followed me out of the gate. Loki and Oreo were engaged in a game of chase and pounce, so I left them to it.
When I entered the house, the scent of sausage and peppers made my mouth water. Sugar and Taz ran ahead, eager to beg for a second breakfast.
Snarling ensued. I quickened my step.
“Cut it out,” Holden scolded as Taz and Banshee snapped at each other.
I scooped up Taz before Banshee could decide to chomp on his annoying little head. “Okay, that’s enough.”
Banshee whined and jumped against my legs. I crouched down to pet her. “How’d she do?”
“She was mostly okay overnight,” Holden said. “She got a little antsy this morning. Kept looking out the windows for you.”
Gray turned from the stove, where he was making some sort of egg scramble that made my stomach growl. “She sure imprinted on you fast.”
“Yeah, she was terrified when I found her. I guess she just fell in love with her rescuer.” I winked at him. “Kind of the same reason Emory imprinted on you.”
“Funny,” he said dryly.
Once Banshee and Taz were touching noses without all the jealous snarling, I put the Chihuahua down and joined Gray by the stove. “Any chance I can talk you out of some food?”
“Sure. Grab a plate.”
Emory entered the kitchen looking freshly showered. “Bathroom’s free if Bailey wants a shower.”
Holden snorted. “He’ll probably be in bed for a while. He went out with Nova and some other friends last night. I heard him trip over something and cuss up a storm around two when he came in. Banshee barked her head off too.”
“Little punk,” I said fondly. “I hope he’s finally getting laid.”
Gray chuckled, but Holden just looked pained. Of us all, he struggled the most with the idea of Bailey growing up. At eighteen, he was well past the age I’d started having sex. ButBailey was gay and had only come out to us last summer. Hecouldhave hooked up on the DL before then, but I didn’t think he had. He’d spent too much time pretending Nova was his girlfriend.
Emory poured a mug of coffee, doctored it with a splash of Irish cream, and then handed it to me.
“You’re the best,” I told him. “When you get tired of Gray, I’m all yours.”
Gray turned a glare my way. He really hated when I flirted with Emory. I really loved to get under his skin. It was a win-win.
“Watch it,” he growled.
“Aw.” Emory stepped in close to kiss his cheek. “You’re so cute when you’re jealous. But what am I gonna do, move into his RV?”
“So if he had a bigger place, you’d happily leave me?”
Emory laughed, eyes teasing. “Well, I do love his…dogs.”
“There’s no shortage of those,” I said with a grin. “You can join me this winter. We’ll sleep in a puppy pile while it snows outside.”
“That sounds strangely wholesome,” Emory said.
Gray dished up scrambled eggs with sliced peppers, onions, and mushrooms and handed me the plate. “Nothing about Axel is wholesome.”
“I don’t know,” Emory said, watching as I gave my first bites of breakfast to the dogs. “I think he’s tamer than you all think.”
