Page 118 of Chasing Lyric
I bite into an apple slice, let the crunch settle in my jaw, then hand off the rest to Petey. He chomps, tail wagging like it’s the best damn he’s ever had.
“Didn’t even know dogs liked apples,” I mutter, watching the slobber trail down his chin, “Guess we’re all learning things lately.”
I hand another slice to Polly. He takes it, but barely reacts, his eyes glassy, like he’s onto me.
My chest tightens as I stare at the two of them, loyal and quiet, and the ache in my gut spikes. “I miss her, Polly.” The words come out low, rough, like gravel in my throat. I rub the back of my neck, trying to get a grip. “Fuck, I love her. I just—” I stop, exhale hard. The air feels heavier than it should. “I fucking love her.”
“Rawrr… love her, love her.”
I chuckle, sitting back, soaking up the sun, just being in comforting surroundings. It might be weird—the arrangement we have, well, no, let’s get this right, I have with them without Lyric’s knowledge—but I love these two little guys, and I know they like my occasional visits.
I glance at my watch. Right, I’d better get back to work, or else Dax is going to kick my ass again for leaving. Let alone my father, who’s constantly on my back for dropping the ball these days. But I have bigger and much more important things to deal with right now.
‘The Hallmark Maneuver’is ready to launch.
And I need to really put on my game face.
It’s taken longer than expected because everything had to line up. I am still sending love notes to Lyric. I found a couple of local kids, and with their parents’ permission, they run notes from meto Lyric, then report back to me on how she took them. I pay them in cash, right in front of their parents. I was in a park one day, sitting on a bench in a disheveled state, when one of the mothers approached me. I ended up telling her everything, and she was more than happy to have her kid involved. Actually, all the moms are rooting for me, and apparently, Lyric’s reactions are getting better and better each time the kids deliver a note.
But now I need to get back to work before I find myself fired.
Plus, I have some calls to make to ensure everything is in place.
“I’ll see you later, Polly,” I call out, poking my finger through the small gap in the window. He ducks his head so I can pet his feathers.
“Rawrr…bonjour, bonjour.”
I give Petey another cuddle and raise my brow. “You really gotta learn your hellos from your goodbyes, Polly.”
“Rawrr…get lost, get lost.”
Warmth floods me.
“Yeah, I guess that’s good enough.”
***
As Dax walks into my office, I end a call.
I can’t help but turn up my lips into a smirk while I sit back in my chair. I feel like things are falling into place.
“Is it happening?” Dax asks.
“It is. Tonight. I just have to figure out a way to get her there.”
Dax steadies his shoulders. “Leave that part to me. You tell me what time, and I will make it happen.”
I exhale. “Lyri’s surprise will be arriving around eight. I’m hoping we can have dinner before then.”
Dax grimaces. “If she stays.”
“If she tries to leave, I might have to tell her what her surprise is to make her stick around.”
Dax flares his nostrils. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that, and you guys can talk properly before it gets there.”
I roll my shoulders to try to free myself from the nerves coiled tight in my gut. “I just hope this works. It’s taken a lot of planning.”
“She’s gonna love it, Chase. She’ll be putty in your big manly hands.”
