Page 89 of The Seven Rings
“In the meantime,” Owen said, “why don’t you offer Pye a couple of those treats. She’s being a really good girl.”
Because they knew thet-word, tails thumped.
“Good idea. Treats all around.”
By the time they finished, Pye limped a little, but allowed the dogs to sniff at her as she went to the back door.
“She wants to go out, but…”
“She’s good,” Owen assured Cleo.
“Maybe I’ll just watch her for a few minutes. Shit. I left my things in the car.”
“I’ll get them,” Trey told her.
“Dinner.” Cleo rubbed fingers on her temple. “I was going to do swordfish, blacken it, and I got some nice fingerling potatoes, and—”
“I can handle it, get it started.”
“Oh, but—”
Ignoring that, Owen pulled a bottle of wine from the fridge, poured her a glass. “Take this with you.”
“Maybe you could just prep the potatoes. You need to—”
Owen gave her a light shove. “Go away.” He poured a second glass, handed it to Sonya. “Go away with her.”
Because she didn’t want Cleo to go alone, Sonya didn’t argue.
“I know it wasn’t my fault, but I’m still sorry.”
“Me, too. But you have to be proud of her. Yoda, too, they went at it. We’ll make her pay, Son. We made that asshole pay, and we’ll make Dobbs pay.”
“That’s just what I said to myself before I went outside. She laughed, Cleo. After, when Pye was hurt, she made sure I heard her laugh.”
“Is that right?” Amber eyes hot with fury, Cleo watched Pye leap onto the doghouse, then stretch out in the evening sun. “I might just try that bucket of water one of these days.”
“We were all having a really good day.”
“It hit a bump. A big, scary bump. We’re over it.”
“We’ll eat out here in the sun,” Sonya decided. “Keep an eye on Pye and the rest of them a little longer.”
“I’m good with that. I’m just going to drink a little of this wine, make sure I’ve settled down. I want to get back in there. I don’t trust Owen with those potatoes.”
She could have.
When they walked back in, Owen had the oven preheating, the fish steak marinating, and the potatoes scrubbed, halved. He stopped mincing garlic to glance over.
“Figure you want some herbs here.”
“Yes, I do. I’ll go get them. I was going to do some asparagus.”
“Yeah, I saw it.”
As she went out, Trey put Sonya’s flowers on the table.
Not the vase she’d had in mind, or the particular arrangement. But she found it very sweet he’d taken care of them.
