Reframing my self-image won’t be that simple, but I tentatively accept that what Hestia said is true. That she, at least, isn’t bothered by my size.
Hestia rubs my arm comfortingly. “You’re caring and respectful. Let yourself relax a little, and you’ll see you’re not hurting anyone. You don’t need to keep yourself on such a tight leash.”
Each word hits me in the chest, and I let out an unsteady exhale.
“You might be right. Besides, being leashed sounds more like Orion’s thing anyway,” I say.
That startles a laugh out of her.
“Well, being on a leashoccasionallysounds fun,” she says, blushing.
I think I might be getting better at flirting.
We move the pansies under grow lights without further incident.
“Thanks for helping. I hope you enjoyed it, even if it’s not the most exciting activity,” I say, racking my brain for a way to continue our not-date.
I should have brought snacks, or at least coffee. We could have had a picnic.
“It was fun! I’m glad you asked me to help. Thanks for letting me in on your pack tradition, it was very sweet of you,” she says.
I catch movement out of the corner of my eye and turn just in time to see a bag of potting soil tip over. It knocks over the rakes piled in the corner, and they crash to the ground.
Hestia squeals, startled by the sudden commotion behind her, and jumps into my arms. I quickly spin her away from the mess.
“Are you alright?” I ask, stroking her hair.
Her face is buried in my neck, scent tinged with that tart fruit smell.
“I think so,” she murmurs against my skin.
“Everything’s okay. Something on the shelf fell and knocked things over. Nothing to worry about,” I say, my chest rumbling a purr.
I’m in no hurry to let her go, and Hestia’s legs are tight around my waist, so I keep hold of her as I step over the rakes.
I intended to adjust the shelf before anything else falls, but when I get there, I find Pete with his hand on the bag of soil that started the chain reaction.
“Pete Moss! Be careful when you move things around. You could have really hurt yourself or us,” I say.
He blinks, but doesn’t seem apologetic.
“If you keep creating messes like this, I’ll have to spend all my time cleaning and won’t have time to make treats for you. You need to think about your actions and how they affect others. If you wanted me to move this, you could have gotten my attention in a less destructive way,” I gently scold him.
Pete finally removes his hand, and I push the bag back so he can walk past to get to the basket he likes to sit in. I should have paid more attention earlier when I set the bag down.
Now that the way is clear, he climbs into the basket and kicks the loose twine around until he’s nestled in it.
I give him a Pete Treat and apologize for putting the bag in his way, which he readily accepts.
I slowly and carefully stack the tools back in the corner. When I’m done, I have no more excuses to keep holding Hestia. Regretfully, I lower her back to the ground, but she leans against me, so I get to keep an arm around her.
“What moss were you talking about?” Hestia asks, blinking and looking around.
I’m confused for a moment until I remember what I said.
“That’s Pete’s full name. I borrowed it from that series the others like to read, you know, the Big Texone.Pete Moss is his sidekick in some of the books. I just shorten his name to Pete most of the time,” I say.
“That’s the perfect name for a frog,” she says, grinning.
