“This is going to be so fun! But, um, Koko,howdo I take a picture with a phone?”
As our little techy bear happily showed her, Cas muttered under his breath, “I have a bad feeling about this.”
“It’s only blackmail material if she figures out cloud storage.” I grinned, slinging an arm around his shoulders. “Considering she doesn’t even know how to work the camera.”
“Our father and/or Sebastian will have those photos by nightfall. Mark my words.”
As Seri angled the phone, the sunlight caught a faint white scar on her wrist, and my chest tightened. Three days ago, she’dflinched when Cas raised his coffee mug too fast. Now here she was, giggling as Ko flexed for the lens, all sharp angles and liquid grace.
“Smile, Zoodle!” Her voice trilled with mischief.
I blew her a kiss with one hand while wrestling Brumous into a sit-stay with the other, and the wolf pup looked both confused and mildly offended that a treat hadn’t accompanied my unspoken request.
“Let’s get to work, gentlemen.” Ko rubbed his hands together. “Wet him down, Z.”
“Aye, aye, skipper.”
As I poured the first bucket of warm water over his back, Brummy froze, ears flattening as if he’d just been stabbed in the back by the universe itself. Water sluiced down his fur, pooling around his paws.
“Don’t look at me like that,” I said, holding up the sponge like a shield. “You’ll thank me when it’s over.”
“So will all of our noses,” Cas muttered.
Seri giggled from her spot on the edge of the patio. Between snapping pictures, she watched Addison, her gray eyes soft with quiet determination. The kid was hauling another bucket of water from the kitchen, his skinny frame straining under the weight, and Seri was halfway out of her seat like she wanted to help him.
I felt it then, a stupid little pang of jealousy. It wasn’t like I didn’t get why she was doing it. Addison was a walking caution sign, all skittishness and wide, haunted eyes. Still, seeing her focus so much attention on him lowered my IQ into dangerous range.
“Stop, Z,” Ko hissed. “She’s trying to befriend him. Probably senses he’s been through some shit, too.”
“Yeah, yeah,” I grumbled, flicking water off my fingers. “Just because he has a penis doesn’t mean he’s competition. Got it.”
“You’re being ridiculous.” Cas worked shampoo through one of Brumous’ front paws. His blond hair was tied back in a messy bun, and he looked annoyingly composed for someone who was about to get soaked. “No one’s replacing you as the Zoodle in Seri’s heart.”
The nickname hit like a sugar rush, sweet and embarrassing.
“Coming from Mr. ‘Why does the wolf get bathroom privileges with you?’ Hypocrite much?” I lobbed a sponge, and it caught Cas square on the forehead with a satisfyingsplut. Brummy barked approval.
“Children.” Ko paused to close his mouth as the dire wolf shook himself like a malfunctioning car wash. What might’ve been a chunk of carpet sailed past my ear. “We’re supposed to be bathing the pup, not each other.”
I caught Seri’s eye across the patio, and she smiled, that small, private smile that made my chest ache in the best way. I loved that smile. Lovedher. And okay, maybe I loved ‘Zoodle,’ too, even if I’d rather walk barefoot over broken glass than admit it out loud.
But Casimir didn’t need to know that.
#
Buckets of warm water lined up like soldiers ready for battle, and Brumster stood in the center of the field of combat. His tail was tucked so far between his legs it might as well have been a fifth limb, and his ears were flattened against his skull like he was trying to disappear into his own body.
“You did great, buddy. One more time, and you’ll be the fluffiest, cleanest wolf in the kingdom. Your mommy will be so proud of you.”
He shot me a look that could only be described asbetrayal incarnate. Ko snorted as he twisted water out of a sponge.
“He’s not buying it.”
“Oh, he’ll buy it,” I said, reaching for the bucket. “He’s just gotta be dramatic first.”
“No wonder you two get along so well.” Cas motioned for me to pour. “You’re two of a kind.”
Like before, Brumsy didn’t shake. Didn’t whine. Just stood there dripping under the pergola, patches of gray fur plastered against protruding ribs, looking like a half-drowned rat someone had stapled steak knives to. Cas circled with the shampoo bottle, all business. Ko scrubbed away with a sponge. And me? I was too busy committing the exact shade of Seri’s laugh to memory. Sunlight through honeycomb, if sunlight could blush.
