Luke wasn’t lying. Miles was dog crazy these days. He’d been pestering Nick about bringing a dog into their household. With Nick’s long days working in search and rescue, he wasn’t sure he could pull it off. Dogs needed constant care and attention. He couldn’t expect a nine-year-old to be the main caretaker.
“Well, thankfully Miles isn’t home yet from his friend’s birthday party, so we’re not going to find out. If he sees Zeus, he’ll want to adopt him.”
“So what’s the problem?” Luke asked with a frown. “Dogs are great companions, not just for kids but for the whole family.”
Maybe that was the real problem. Kara had always longed for a dog, a Labradoodle. Nick’s plan had been to buy her one for her birthday. He’d had it all planned out. Only that day had never come. She’d passed away exactly one month before the big day. And he’d never had the heart to bring the dog home.
“So why don’t you adopt him?” Nick asked. “Problem solved.”
Luke made a face. “We have our hands full with Coco Chanel. She’s harder to handle than Jade. I pity the dog who has to share a home with her. It definitely wouldn’t be pretty.” Coco Chanel was his wife Stella’s high-maintenance poodle. So far Coco Chanel seemed to adore his brother and the baby, but she wasn’t used to sharing Stella with another canine. Some instinct told Nick that Luke was right. Coco Chanel radiated a vibe that screamed “I don’t play well with others.”
“How about Dante and Lucy? Or Troy and Noelle?” he asked, throwing out any names he could think of to divert attention away from himself. Troy West was Dante’s brother, who’d recently gotten married to Noelle, a single mother. The sound of a door slamming and loud footsteps caused him to freeze. “What was that?” he asked Luke, his gaze swinging toward the hall. Within seconds, Miles appeared in the doorway, his eyes widening as soon as he spotted Zeus.
Miles practically slid across the hardwood floors to get to the dog, ending up on his knees in front of the pup, lavishing him with attention. “Is this your dog, Uncle Luke? Oh man, he’s perfect. I wish we could get a dog.” He swung his head around to face Nick. “Can we get one, Dad? Please.”
“Slow down, son,” Nick said with an uneasy laugh. “You’re talking a mile a minute. What are you doing home so early?” Nick asked, glancing at his watch. “I thought the birthday party wouldn’t be over for another hour at least.”
“The birthday girl got sick and hurled all over the place. Projectile vomiting,” Miles said, raising his fist in the air. “It was so cool.”
Nick thought he might get sick just hearing about it. “Poor Zadia. There must be a bug going around.” He made a mental note to check in with her parents later on. Jim and Priya Henderson had always been supportive of their family and he would never forget the many kindnesses they had offered over the years.
“What’s his name?” Miles asked as he vigorously patted the dog.
“This is Zeus,” Luke said. “Zeus, this is my nephew, Miles. Zeus was supposed to be a search and rescue canine but he wasn’t really suited to work with my team.” Luke made a slashing motion by his neck. “Unfortunately, he got the axe.”
Miles frowned. “So where will he go?” he asked. “Who does he live with?”
Luke darted a glance at Nick. His eyes were pleading with him. Nick had seen this particular look on countless occasions throughout their lives. Luke was looking for a Hail Mary pass from him, one he wasn’t getting. “Well…umm,” Luke said, drawing out his words. “At the moment he doesn’t really have a home.”
Why?Nick wanted to scream. Why did you have to give him a sob story? Nick shut his eyes and began the countdown. Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six.
His son let out a wail. “That’s so sad. We have to do something to help. Isn’t that right, Dad?”
“Sure,” Nick said after a brief pause. He knew exactly where Miles was going and his mind was working overtime trying to fend him off. “I’m happy to make a donation on his behalf. Let me get my checkbook.” He quickly moved toward his desk, avoiding eye contact with Miles. Nick didn’t need to be guilted into adding a four-legged hellhound to their family.
“We need to give him a home, not just throw money at the situation.” Miles’s voice was solemn and heartfelt. The sound of it made Nick stop in his tracks. All of a sudden his nine-year-old sounded full of wisdom and much older than his years. And of course it was popping up now, rather than when he needed to tidy his room or finish his homework.
“You always tell me not to be a bystander in my life. This is me trying to help and make a difference. We have to do our part to help dogs like Zeus,” Miles continued. “Come on, Dad. You know how much I’ve been wanting a dog of my own.”
Nick let out a groan. His son was using his very own words against him. He was raising Miles to be a good citizen and to care about everyone and everything in his orbit. Now it was coming back to bite him. All thanks to Luke, who seriously deserved bad karma to head his way.
“He’s a great dog,” Luke chimed in. “A protector. He’ll always have your back.”
Nick scowled at him. Why had he even let Luke inside? He should have double bolted the door.
That was it! He was going to kill his brother. Slowly. Methodically. Painstakingly.
“Okay, I’ll think about it. That’s the best I can do,” Nick said, knowing he was about to fold like an accordion. Miles flew to his side and launched himself at his chest. Getting hugs from Miles was one of the best feelings he’d ever known. It was almost worth adopting a dog he’d never intended to take in.
“So, should I go get the bag of dog food, his bed, and his bowls from my truck?” Luke asked with a smirk.
“Yes!” Miles shouted, jumping up and down with excitement. “I can help,” he said, tugging on his uncle’s hand. As Luke walked past Nick toward the front door with Miles by his side, Nick leaned in and said in a low voice, “Payback is coming when you least expect it.”
Luke let out a deep-throated chuckle. “What are you, five?” Luke scoffed, shaking his head as if he were the injured party.
Nick made a face at Luke’s retreating figure. He headed toward the front door so he could watch the duo as they headed with Zeus to Luke’s vehicle. His heart twisted as he noticed his son skipping down the stone path rather than walking. Seeing him so ecstatic about Zeus took some of the sting out of this unexpected turn of events. Adopting a dog hadn’t been on his to-do list today, but at least it had given Miles unimaginable joy. And for that, he was grateful.
Chapter Three
