"Only in America," I assured him. "Go get all hot and sweaty. I hear Cy likes it."
"So do you," Luke teased, flashing me a smile as he pushed his cup across the counter toward me and then turned for the door. "Come help when you're done, big boy."
"Do not want to know how big he is!" Darnell called after him.
I just dropped my eyes to Darnell's boxers. "I think you're safe."
"Fuck," Darnell groaned, heading toward the guest room door. "Pants. Not letting the queers check out my junk."
"Not queer," Violet yelled after him.
"Also don't want to have Cess rip it off," Darnell added.
But when the door closed behind him, that heavy feeling was a little lighter. We had this. We could do this. I also noticed that Violet wasn't the only one holding the reins this time.
Chapter Nine
We spent the rest of Friday working hard. Ash helped me with the dog yard. Mostly, he carried boards, passed me screws, and looked good as he stood around waiting for his next task. Luke and Darnell got the gate up. They only took one break, and that was to pick up Faith and Zeke from school. The kids came back to Southwind for the evening, and then they helped too.
When Violet came out of her office that evening to help with the dog yard, I knew we were going to make this happen. Sure enough, just as the sun set, it all came together. The guys came in to announce that the front gate was once again secure, and then all of us put the finishing touches to the new fenced area, making sure that nothing would get out - or in.
Dinner that night was a discussion of what type of dog Faith wanted. Zeke was rooting for something big, like a mastiff. Luke voted for something between sixty and eighty pounds. Violet was rooting for a puppy, simply because she'd never had one. None of us really cared what she picked, though, so long as it was safe and would make her happy.
But Faith was excited. Enough so that at eight a.m. sharp, she was banging on all the doors down the hall to let us know we had to go to the pound before they closed. Never mind that the pound didn't open until nine, it was only a half-hour drive, and they didn't close until four! She wanted to go now so that she wouldn't miss out on the best dog there.
When we made it down to the kitchen, both Darnell and Cessily were awake, and there was a line of travel mugs on the bar waiting for us. Each one was color-coded, and there was a new lilac-colored one. Darnell touched the top of it and looked at Faith.
"Hot cocoa with a dash of coffee to get your brain working," he said. "Violet has a coffee with a dash of your cocoa to keep her sweet. The rest of you just got regular coffees."
"I'm good with that," Luke said as he reached for the dark green cup.
Ash grabbed the dark pink one. That left the turquoise for me. I thanked Darnell as I picked it up, thinking about how many other colors we were going to need to keep on the shelves. If Scarlet ever came to visit, the red shades would get a little complicated. Never mind the storage for all the right colors, and yet I loved the idea. It felt right for Southwind, like a way to prove that this really was home for all of us.
"And," Darnell said, sliding his keys across the bar towards Luke, "you'll need something with puppy space. I know the five of you can fit in the truck, but depending upon how big this dog ends up being, you might not want to hold it the whole way back."
Luke just pulled out his own keys and traded. "Thanks, Crimson. I take it the two of you are staying here?"
"Uh, yes," Cessily said from her spot in the living room. "I'm going to water some horses, and Darnell said he can kick them out into the pasture for you. I also want to do one last check of the yard - "
"And work," Darnell added. "She's dying to get her hands into another case she's got going on."
"You can work all day, Cess," I told her. "I think you've more than earned it."
Even if that sounded more like punishment than a reward to me, I knew Cess wouldn't agree. That woman loved her job, and she always said she was married to it. Darnell was simply trying to make it clear that he had no problem with her dedication. I just hoped the woman would even notice.
Then it was time for us to go. Since Luke had the keys, he was clearly driving. Made sense, since he was the one who knew where this pound was. Without hesitation, Faith and Violet headed for the back seats. Ash and I traded looks, trying to decide which of us got the passenger seat and who would sit next to Violet.
"You can sit beside her," Ash said, keeping his voice down. "I'm not quite ready to brave Faith's wrath yet." But something about his expression made me wonder if that was really his problem.
"I don't think she's mad at you," I assured him anyway. "She just didn't understand the situation."
Unfortunately, Ash saw right through my logical and well-thought-out argument. "Oh, so you're nervous to sit next to her too, huh?"
Which meant I'd already lost, and he was definitely setting me up. Tossing him a dirty look, I gave in and crawled in the back seat, thankful that Violet was the one who'd taken the spot in the middle. On the other side of her, Faith was almost bouncing in her excitement, making it hard to get her seatbelt latched. I got in, closed the door, then looked up at Luke.
His eyes were waiting in the rearview mirror, and from the crinkles around the edges, the man was grinning at me. I was starting to think that I might've been set up by everyone, but I was okay with it. I just wasn't sure if I should hold Violet's hand or try to pretend that she was nothing but a friend. Was Faith honestly ready for this?
Probably not, so I decided to go with just a friend. That worked for a little bit, but when we were halfway between Cats Peak and Bonham, Violet casually rested her hand on my knee. Sure enough, Faith giggled. My heart stalled, not sure what I should do about this, as my own insecurities rose to the surface.
