“Dogs are boy,” Heidi says, shrugging. “Cats are girl.”
“My cat is most definitely a boy, Heidi. We’ve talked about this.”
“That’s not what I mean,” Heidi huffs. “Dogs are protector—hunter. Big, loud, and a bit obnoxious. In need ofmuchtraining if you want them to grow up to behave well. Cats, though? Cats protect who they want to protect, and they hunt if theyhaveto, but are perfectly content to let you do the hunting for them. They’re chill. They’re observant. They listen if they feel like it, and practice Strong Independent Woman behavior if they don’t. So Stryker sees dogs, and he treats them as boys who need training and discipline. He sees cat, and he says,Ah, yes, another girlie pop to spoil rotten.”
“That’s logic,” I agree.
Millie considers. “With notable exceptions.”
“Such as?” Heidi asks, a skeptical brow raised.
“Greyhounds.”
Heidi sighs. “Okay, well, yes. Greyhounds can be cats. And shih tzus.” She turns to me. “You pick one, too, so it’s fair.”
“Oh, um…” I parse through the catalogue in my head of dog breeds I’ve researched for book pets. “Papillon?”
Heidi’s brows furrow. “What’s a papillon?”
“They kind of look like chihuahuas,” I answer. “With big, fluffy ears and a fluffy butt.”
Millie pulls out her phone. “I’m looking it up. One moment.”
We wait as she tap taps, then swoop slides, then taps some more.
“Ooo,” she says. “These are adorable!”
“Let me see,” Heidi demands, squishing in next to her to look at the screen. “Ooo,” she echoes. “These areadorable.”
“And cat?” I ask. “They seem pretty cat to me. Their personalities are supposed to be chill.”
“Cat,” Heidi confirms.
“Totallycat,” Millie agrees.
On the other side of the door to the house, a loud bang sounds, followed by several men’s curses.
“Should we–”
“Don’t come in here!” a low,grouchyvoice orders through the door. “Stay on the patio!”
“It’s a catio!” Millie yells back.
Stryker curses again. “Just stay on it!”
“I wouldn’t worry about it,” Heidi says, shrugging over the distinct whines of a whimpering man.
Archie pokes his head out the door, grinning. “Hello, ladies. Heidi.” He focuses on me. “We’ll be done in just a few, my love, and then Stryker’s invited us all to his home of his own accord without any pestering for a movie night. Are you interested?”
“Um.” I glance at Pesky, biting my cheek.
Archie’s eyes soften as a door slams somewhere in the house beyond him, followed by a grunt. “We can have the movie night here, instead,” he offers. “I have a theater room.”
“You have a theater room?” Millie asks, nose wrinkling. “Then why are we always doing movie night at my house?”
Archie’s eyes slide to her, then narrow. “Because if we have it at your house, then I don’t have to clean up after you messy heathens.”
“I’m not messy!” she protests.
