God, he was pathetic.
Tock suddenly pointed at the carrier.
“What’s that?” she asked.
The dogs! Of course!
“Puppies. My dog had puppies. Thought Charlie could give me some advice.”
She frowned a little. “Advice about what?”
“The puppies. I don’t know how to take care of them.”
“Then why did you let her have them?” she questioned, pointing at Princess.
“Let her?” Shay asked.
“If you didn’t want her to have puppies, why didn’t you have her spayed?”
“Seemed wrong to spay her, but not the males.”
Tock’s head twitched to the side. “Wait . . . why wouldn’t you neuter the males?”
“Take their balls? That seems cruel.”
Now she leaned forward, pointing her finger at him. “Are you telling me you didn’t get your dogs fixed because you didn’t want to cut off the males’ balls?”
“I love my balls. Why would I do to them what I wouldn’t do to myself?”
“Are you fucking kidding—”
Tock’s words abruptly ended when Charlie walked out of the house and onto the porch.
Shay started to ask Charlie to weigh in on the question of dog balls—because that seemed like something people would do to keep a conversation going—but Tock was suddenly in his lap. He just didn’t know why. If he’d been a few inches shorter, she’d have completely blocked him from Charlie’s view.
The thing was, Charlie didn’t even stop. With keys in hand, she rushed away from the house and down the street to an SUV.
“What are you doing?” he asked the top of Tock’s head.
“Shhhh.”
A few seconds later, Charlie was back. Now she had a big box of kitchen trash bags in her hand. Before she made it into the house, though, she stopped and pointed at him and Tock.
“What’s going on here?” Charlie asked, almost smiling.
“Nothing,” Tock replied.
“I have no idea,” Shay admitted.
Charlie laughed. “Well, whatever is going on, you two make a cute couple.”
“Oh, please.”
“Thank you!”
Once Charlie was back in the house, Tock glanced over her shoulder at him.
“‘Thank you’？ Really?”
“What? I was just—”
Charlie came back out on the porch.
“Did I just hear a puppy?” she asked.
Tock threw her arm up so that it covered his face before she replied, “Shay wanted you to meet the newest members of his family.”
He pushed her arm down and asked, “Family . . . ? Ow!”
This time, he pushed her elbow out of his chest, but Tock kept talking.
“Because who doesn’t love puppies?” Tock asked.
“I do love puppies,” Charlie whispered, but whispering didn’t matter at this house.
“You are not getting any more dogs, Charlie MacKilligan!” one of the bears yelled from inside the house.
“I’ll be right back,” Charlie said with a forced smile before walking back into the house.
“What’s going on?” Shay asked Tock while Charlie and one of the bears yelled at each other about dogs, the “sanctity” of their bed, and how “we’re not having this argument again!”
“If you tell Charlie you didn’t get your pets spayed because bros back up bros when it comes to balls, she’s going to take your balls and rip them off your body.”
“That seems a little extreme.”
“Not for Charlie when it comes to dogs.”
“What about cats?”
“She could give a shit about cats.” Still on his lap, Tock reached over and released the locks on the top part of the crate and pulled it off. “Just don’t talk about balls or spaying or what your plans are for these puppies.”
“Plans? What kind of plans do you need for puppies?”
Tock’s head dropped. “Oh, my God. She’s going to kill you.”
“Daddy!” Dani called out, running around from the other side of the house. “They said I can go swim—”
Shay cringed when his daughter managed to get her feet tangled with the air, apparently, and face-planted into the yard.
“You okay, baby?” he asked his daughter.
“I’m fine,” she replied directly into the dirt. Placing her palms flat, she pushed herself up until she again stood. “Can I go swimming?” she asked.
He reached over the banister behind him and waved her over. She ran, this time keeping her footing until she reached him and Tock.
Shay used his left hand to wipe off the dirt still clinging to his daughter’s face. “Yes. You can go swimming. Your bathing suit and towel are in the gray duffel in the back of the SUV. But make sure Nat or one of your uncles is with you.”
“I’m not a baby, Daddy. I know how to swim.”
“I know that. I taught you. But you’re not going swimming alone. No arguments.”
“Fine.”
“Fine.”
Her eyes glanced at Tock, then back at Shay. After that, she came around the porch, up the stairs, and stood in front of them. Then she just waited. Slowly blinking.
And, knowing his daughter, Dani would wait forever until she got what she wanted.
“This is Tock,” he finally told her. “Tock, this is my daughter, Dani.”
Tock held her hand out and Dani shook it. Like two proper business strangers meeting for the first time.
“I like your watch,” Dani told Tock, pointing at the giant monstrosity on the woman’s wrist.
“Thanks. I like your headband.”
Dani smiled, touching the crystal-encrusted headband with the tips of her fingers. “Me, too. It sparkles!”
*
When the kid touched that headband, which was decorated with a crystal-covered butterfly, Tock didn’t know what to think. She really wasn’t a “kid” person. Even when she was a kid, she didn’t really like kids. They talked too much, had no idea how to manage their time, and . . . well . . . talked too much. Her mother used to tell her, “No man is an island.” A statement Tock didn’t really get until her father explained, “Everybody needs somebody, baby. Even you.” Tock hadn’t really believed them because she’d been doing fine without friends, but then she’d met Mads, Max, Nelle, and Streep. Having those badgers hanging around her house now and then seemed to make her parents feel better, so it made sense to keep them. Besides, they weren’t as annoying as most kids her age . . . except Streep. Streep was always annoying. Tock didn’t think it had anything to do with age. But she was a beautiful distractor when they needed one.
The main thing, though, was that the kid was Shay’s daughter, which meant any protection Tock might provide for the big cat because he’d protected her, also applied to the cub. Besides, how could she not protect the kid? She was actually quite cute. A mini-version of her father with shoulder-length black hair, a strong jaw, and full cheeks.
The pride she saw in Shay’s eyes when he looked at his daughter reminded Tock of her own father. It was a goofy expression that her father sometimes wore, but it meant a lot. Especially knowing he still felt that way despite everything she’d put him through over the years.