“I thought we were cordial now?” Birdee questioned.
I blew out a breath. “I’m just surprised to see him here.”
“I’m actually not staying,” he admitted, shifting from foot to foot.
“And…” Birdee urged.
“And I’m sorry for giving you lime. That was out of line, and I shouldn’t have done it. No matter how much I thought you hurt my best friend,” Shade muttered.
“You’re forgiven,” I said. “On one condition.”
Shade’s brows went up. “What?”
I left the door open and walked toward the kitchen and my jar of pickles.
When I had them in my hand, I turned and thrust the jar at him. “Open this.”
He did, handing it back to me.
“That’s it?” he asked.
I nodded once.
“Guess that was pretty easy.” He wrinkled his nose. “I’m sorry again.”
With that, he took off, slamming the door closed behind him.
I stared at Birdee and said, “What’s going on?”
“Two things,” she said as she looked around. “But I’m waiting for Cody to get here.”
“You are?” I asked in surprise.
Brawny got up and walked toward Birdee, touching his snout to her hip.
She reached down and scratched him behind the ear. “Aren’t you just so handsome?”
Brawny nudged her pocket, and she snorted and pulled out a treat for him.
He sat, letting his tongue loll, then offered up both paws.
“Good boy,” she said as she held it out to him.
He took it and walked over to his dog bed in the corner of the room, set up in front of the huge plate-glass window that offered a view of the entirety of my backyard.
“He looks like he’s done that with you before,” I mused.
“I used to visit with him when you weren’t around,” she admitted.
I walked over to the kitchen and gestured toward the barstool at the counter. “Have a seat. I’m making sandwiches. Do you want one?”
She took the seat and studied the fixings for the sandwiches. “I still don’t like anything but meat and cheese.”
She sounded so embarrassed that it had me smiling, despite the slight awkwardness of the situation.
“I figured that,” I said. “I’m not actually putting anything veggie-wise on this. I’m using the pickle juice to flavor my mayo. Would you like to try it?”
She hesitated.
