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Whenever I hung out for a while at home, Junior would come out of hiding and stay with me. Each time, I had to rebuild his trust.

With Goldie, Junior felt an immediate connection. She had him sitting next to her chair, even as Mochi and Hobbs goofed around nearby.

“Don’t be intimidated by those dogs,” Goldie told Junior when he only watched the smaller animals playing. “This is your house. You are the alpha of this pack.”

Goldie called over Mochi, who bounced in her direction. Junior considered bailing rather than dealing with the new dog. Goldie leaned over the arm of the chair and introduced the animals. I watched her work her magic on Junior and Mochi. She whispered how they were good dogs. She promised that no one would take them away. This was a safe place, and they were a family now.

Yarrow was also curious about my dog and sat on the floor next to Junior.

“He reminds me of Banana,” Yarrow said as she stroked Junior’s golden coat. “You’re a pretty boy.”

Despite the mellow mood in the house, I couldn’t settle down in one spot. First, I tried hanging out with Blackjack in the backyard, where he talked to Sutter about summer camp. With nothing to add to their conversation, I wandered back into the house.

Goldie reached for me when I walked past the couch where she now rested with a sleeping Trent on her chest. “Come sit with me,” she said softly. “Let us have a quiet moment before people arrive.”

I took a seat next to Goldie. Trent faced me with his lips puckered in his sleep. Taking a deep breath, I came to accept why I was so restless. Goldie already felt perfect in my home with my dog. Seeing her holding the boy made me crave everything with her. This week-long visit would never be enough.

Goldie leaned her head back on the couch and smiled at me. In her rich brown eyes, I saw a woman with her mind on the future.

Elle and Zodiac sat together in a nearby chair, fondling each other. I wasn’t sure why I couldn’t be as comfortable with showing affection. This was my fucking house!

Kissing Goldie, I was careful to avoid waking the baby. She offered me a smile as my lips left hers.

“It’s not a competition,” she said and glanced at Elle and Zodiac. “If it was, we’d win.”

Unable to help himself, Zodiac asked immediately, “How do you figure?”

Goldie didn’t miss a beat before replying, “York didn’t need to knock me up to nail things down. He was able to win me over with his personality, hot body, and good heart.”

Zodiac rolled his eyes while Elle nodded. “It’s true that Zodiac took a shortcut. I’m so ashamed of him.”

My president was a man with a sizable yet fragile ego. He always poked people. If they dared to poke him back, he was like a dog with a bone. He couldn’t let shit go.

I felt him ready to mess with Goldie. She watched him with the casual glee of a woman who enjoyed poking bullies. Stroking her knee, I waited to see how this battle of wills would play out.

“You’re currently too fragile to hear my feelings in this matter,” Zodiac said, winning a big smile from Elle.

Kissing all over his face, she cooed, “You’re learning to be less of a dickhead.”

Goldie smiled at me. “You were never a dickhead. Maybe you should be club president.”

Zodiac glared at Goldie, fighting the urge to poke back at her. She smiled wider, making Elle laugh.

My president exhaled deeply before saying, “I might have to reclaim my son before you fill his head with nonsense.”

“No,” Goldie replied and stroked the sleeping boy’s back. “He’s fine where he is.”

“Can you babysit?” Elle asked before shaking her head. “I mean, obviously not right now, but when you move here. I can’t trust anyone local with my boys.”

“My people are safe,” Zodiac muttered.

Elle kissed his temple and murmured, “No.”

Zodiac decided to end the conversation by feeling up Elle. Before their horniness inspired me to fondle Goldie, the sound of arriving cars got my ass moving.

GOLDIE

I didn’t have a preferred style of house. I grew up in a townhome. As an adult, I stayed in a midcentury style tri-level in Rawlins and a quirky mansion in Little Memphis. When Boone and Nova started designing their house, they asked what style I would pick as a starting point. I had no answer to such a question. A house was a house in my mind.