When Presley gets to his side, she motions for us to join her. Once Ember is close, Presley pats his head and he bolts, running toward us. He stops short of our trio and heels again.
Ember crouches, and he goes straight to her outstretched hands. She starts rubbing his head and neck eagerly, and he nuzzles his head into her chest, enjoying the attention.
“Jesus, this may be the fucking worst idea ever,” Robbie mutters. “Am I going to have to compete with a fucking mutt for my wife?”
I chuckle at the same time Presley giggles. We lock eyes, and she winks at me then falls to her knees next to them.
Blade loses some of his formality and rolls over for them to pat his stomach and wiggles on the grass. I look at Robbie, who is watching with a scowl, but he doesn’t fool anyone. The second Ember coos again, he bends over and runs his hand over the dog’s face gently. At his touch, Blade immediately stops moving and rolls into Robbie.
Ember inhales loudly, and we all go silent watching the dog lean in and paw at Robbie’s hand. He’s a pretty good size, but his motion is gentle, seeking approval.
“Well, fuck me walking,” Robbie says and goes down all the way to face level. Blade immediately starts to pant and wag again.
“Looks like he likes you.” Presley’s sweet voice fills the small space as she stands.
We both watch Robbie and Ember silently as they bond with Blade. There’s a light breeze, and the scent of cherries and vanilla fills the air. I glance at Presley, who slides her eyes to me at the same time. Her lips tip slightly. My heart skips a beat, and I realize I haven’t said a word since we walked up.
“Presley.” I edge closer.
“Hey, Finn,” she says softly.
“How are you?”
She searches my face then looks at the ground for a second before responding. “I’m okay. Each day is a new day. We’re all coping well. It’s important to keep up a positive environment for Winnie. But I can honestly say I’ve been looking forward to today.”
“So have I.”
“I’m sure you were excited to see Blade and Robbie meet. This is a big decision for them.” She bites her lip and looks at me shyly.
“Their dog, their life. Blade’s not the reason I’m here.”
Her eyes grow wide. “He’s not?”
“Not one bit. I came to see you.”
Her cheeks start to flush, and my chest tightens at the sight. She’s so fucking adorable, and the look on her face does something to me. The instant she nibbles on her bottom lip, my cock starts to strain against my pants. Our eyes stay trapped, blocking out all the activity around us. There’s a brief flash before her pupils turn a deeper green. I literally have to force my arms to stay crossed, so I don’t reach out and run my thumb over the lip she keeps working between her teeth. She finally releases it and gives me her trademark blinding smile.
My mouth goes dry, and I swallow hard to try to find my voice.
“Presley?” Ember calls, and the moment’s lost when Presley looks away.
“Yes?”
“What do we do next?”
Presley walks back to where they are sitting, and I catch Robbie examining me. He looks between Presley and me then shakes his head with a smug grin. I give him a glare that would scare most men, but he laughs, enjoying my irritation.
The girls are oblivious to our exchange and continue discussing the next steps to adoption.
“So we can possibly adopt him on Friday?”
“I think so. Usually, it’s a longer vetting process, but the volunteer coordinator told me today your application had been fast-tracked.” Presley looks directly at Robbie with a smirk. “You know anything about that?”
Robbie fakes ignorance and raises his hands in denial.
“Oh my God! You didn’t!” Ember throws her arms around Robbie’s neck, causing him to fall back and take her with him. Blade recognizes her squeals are happiness and lays down beside them, rolling on his back, feet in the air, and turns his snout into them.
“Babe, you wanted him. No way I’d ever tell you no. I made a few calls.”