“Well, not so bad until Emily asked if I planned on planting seeds in your belly.” The thought of doing so gave him an uncomfortable rush he ignored. “I thought my sisters would choke to death laughing.”
“That was embarrassing, yes.” She grinned. “And hilarious, to be honest. I’m sorry she embarrassed you.”
“Oh, please. You were red too.”
“Maybe a little.”
“You looked like one of my dad’s prized tomatoes.”
“Stop.”
“You did.” He couldn’t help grinning back at her. “Done in by a cute six-year-old. We’re pathetic.”
“We really are.” She glanced outside at her daughter with Frank. “So, what do we do about the puppy, Reggie? Emily has her heart set on him. And honestly, I like him too. But we have no yard. And when I go back to work, how can I take care of him during the day?”
“That is an issue, isn’t it?” He felt for her. Out in the yard, Emily was making Frank carry one of his plush toys on his back. It kept falling off, and she kept laughing. “I don’t know what to tell you. My sister wants him, and she has a job teaching, like you. She also has a cat at home.”
“But cats have litter boxes and don’t mind when you’re not around.” Maggie sighed. “Dogs need a lot more attention.”
“Are there pets in your apartment building?”
“Yes. I’ve seen plenty of people walking their dogs outside the complex. I would love a dog, to be honest. I just want to be fair to him.”
“Your problem is you need someone there for him when you’re at work and Emily’s at school.”
“Yeah.”
“They have doggie daycares. Dog walkers.”
“Which cost money. I’m not against paying someone, but if it’s between getting Emily new shoes or making sure Frank has five walks a day, I’m choosing my daughter.” She groaned. “Why couldn’t she have tried to rescue a cat from the street?”
“Because cats are smart enough not to hang out by cars,” he said. “Look, you aren’t in a rush, right? Why not enjoy the summer while we try to think of some way to house him in the fall?”
“We?” She took a step in his direction.
“Well, I’m partly responsible.”
“How’s that?”
“I let Emily FaceTime the dog. They bonded. That’s on me.”
She huffed, her eyes bright with amusement. “How dare you. Yes, it is your fault. Now my daughter is hooked on the dog and on FaceTime.”
He chuckled. “You know, there’s another option.”
“Oh?”
“We could ask my dad to dog-sit him during the day. He likes Frank. And it’ll get Nadia to visit more. He’s always complaining that his daughters ignore him.”
“Don’t you guys see him every Sunday for brunch?”
“Yes, we do.” He sighed.
“Ah.”
“Just something to think about.” He studied her, wondering if he’d been obvious about how much he liked her at brunch. “I hope my family didn’t scare you off.”
“Nah. If I can handle Emily Swanson telling me I have boogers in a full, quiet auditorium, I can handle your family.”
