Page 43 of A Reluctant Boy Toy
It was awful.
“You don’t have any contact with them?” I asked.
He shook his head. “It was too tough on them to have me around.”
Leave it alone.
He’s a grown man.
He doesn’t need your opinion on his personal life.
“I should go, I think.”
“Probably.” He gave a weak laugh. “I think you’re right. I was too drunk for that last game.”
I crawled out of the kennel and packed up my gear. “You don’t have to walk me. I’ll find my way.”
“Wait a minute.” He came after me and grabbed something from a trunk by the rig. “Let me get Hades and Seph ready. They need a walk before they bed down for the night anyway.”
“Really?” I asked.
“Really. They don’t shit in their cages, you know.”
In awe, I watched as our fierce, fluffy hybrids stood patiently while being fitted with harnesses, leashes, and soft basket muzzles.
“I’ve never seen you muzzle them.”
“Obviously, I can’t make them wear muzzles for a scene, so I—”
“Keep up thepretensethat people need to stay well away so you can control them at all times.”
“I say it’s for insurance purposes, but really I just don’t want to lose them because some asshole startles them.”
“Oh my god, you’re such a great guy.”
I almost said,dog dad,but nope, nope. Ixnay on the subject of fatherhood. It was obviously painful for him.
“All right. Ready to go.” He kept the hybrids’ leashes but gave me Morrigan’s. She walked between us. We took up the entire gravel road walking like that. After a few feet, our only light was from his flashlight.
“It’s so dark out here.”
“The dogs will let us know if anything or anyone is coming. We just need to keep on the gravel. It leads directly to your place.”
“I’m glad you decided to walk me. It’s eerie out here. Normally I hear the waves loud and clear, but they seem muffled tonight.” I’d been hearing a foghorn, though. What a mournful sound.
“It’s because of the fog. Tiny water particles distort sound waves.”
“Makes sense.”
I couldn’t stop myself from asking, “You really only ever kissed one woman in your whole life?”
“Just Serena.”
“Any guys?”
He chuckled. “That’s what the men in my unit asked all the time. No. No guys.”
“How come, do you think?”
