Hope sprung eternal. Maybe Stevie had changed her mind.
Neither of them said anything until the headlights turned off, the outdoor flood light doing its job of outlining the vehicle.
“That’s Brady’s SUV,” Stone told Nico.
A minute later, Reilly bounded up the porch, holding a coat over her head. She rapped knuckles on one of the glass panes before opening the door and coming inside.
“Hi!” Her gaze flitted between Stone and Nico.
Stone wanted to ask why she was there, but the only sound that came out was, “Uh…”
“Hey, Reilly,” Nico greeted.
She gave a small wave, then looked at Stone, cocking one eyebrow. “Don’t worry. I’m not stayin’.”
“Did you need somethin’?”
Her smile was so wide it was a wonder her face didn’t split. “I saw Stevie at the store earlier. She said you had a date tonight.”
Why did he feel like he had that one time he’d been in his parents’ living room, watching a movie with … God, he couldn’t even remember her name … and his parents came home. He’d had his hands down what’s her name’s pants beneath the blanket when his dad decided to take a seat because he “loved this movie,” or so he said. Needless to say, what’s her name didn’t come over again after that.
This was very much like that—a perfectly good evening made awkward by family stopping in unexpectedly.
“That’s what this is, right?” Reilly glanced between them. “A date?”
“Yup,” he answered, doing his best not to clear his throat and give away his discomfort.
“I thought I’d come by and offer to babysit.”
Stone frowned.
“The puppy,” she said, clearly recognizing Stone’s confusion.
As though Jäger realized he was the topic of conversation, he hopped toward her, tail wagging.
“Oh, my God! You’re just so darn cute. And big. You’re a growin’ boy, huh?” Instantly, she was on her knees, pulling Jäger into her arms so she could cuddle him and shower him with kisses.
Reilly looked at Nico. “Would you mind?” She clasped her hands together as though praying. “I promise I’ll bring him back tomorrow.”
Stone looked at Nico. “I swear I had nothin’ to do with this.”
Nico flashed a grin. “It’s fine. Just warnin’ you, he’s a handful. You can’t take your eyes off him for a second, or he’ll chew up whatever you didn’t want chewed up.”
“My whole night’s gonna be dedicated to him.” Reilly addressed Nico. “I’ve been beggin’ Brady to let me have a puppy since you brought him to the store. This is gonna be a trial run. That way, y’all don’t have to worry about him while you’re … uh …eating.”
Nice save, Rye.
“Totally up to you,” Stone told Nico. “He’ll be fine here.”
“No, it’s cool. I … um … I brought a bag with some food. It’s in the truck.”
Stone couldn’t hide his grin, especially since the color was rising in Nico’s cheeks, and he wouldn’t look at him. Had he anticipated staying the night? Enough that he made the dog an overnight bag? Damn, that was cute.
“Yay!” Reilly scooped Jäger up into her arms. “You hear that? We’re gonna have a slumber party!”
“Truck’s unlocked,” Nico told her.
“I’ll text you in the mornin’. Or you can text me so I can bring him home.”
