Nodding my head, I ripped my gaze off her and clamped down my mouth before I said something stupid, like how neither of us had called this fourth date experimental.
A few minutes later, we were climbing the stairs to the apartment, Rosie’s hand still in mine, when she called. “Lucas?”
“Yeah?”
“I hope… I hope this makes you happy.”
Puzzled by her words, I frowned. My mouth opened just as we entered the hallway and I spotted the door of the apartment, which was thrown wide open.
Shouting came from the inside and then, a blur of black fur was shooting in my direction.
“Pero qué cojones—”
I was toppled over, my ass landing on the cold floor, and a soft, energetic ball of warmth settled in my lap.
“？Te dije que lo sujetaras!” came from the apartment.
I looked down, the familiarity of this, of the furry ball currently curling around me hitting me like a freight train. “Taco,” I said, hearing the surge of emotion in my voice. “Taco, chico. ?Qué haces aquí?”
My Belgian shepherd jumped out of my arms and circled around me before returning to my lap and placing a wet kiss on my cheek.
I tried to mumble something, but words had really been knocked out of me. All I could feel was happiness at seeing my pup, at having him here with me.
Placing a hard kiss on top of his fur, I released him and let out a strange laugh myself.
“I can’t believe you’re here.” I patted his side. He whined. “I’ve missed you, too, chico.”
God, and I had. So much.
Slowly, I started making sense of my surroundings, and I wasn’t surprised when the first thing my eyes found was Rosie. She was standing a couple of feet to my right, her eyes watery despite the bright smile adorning her beautiful face.
“Taco’s here,” I told her, as if she couldn’t see that.
She nodded, that big smile widening.
Her eyes darted to my bad leg, as it stretched on the ground in front of me.
“I’m okay,” I whispered before she asked. “I’m more than okay.”
And she nodded again.
“Hermanito,” a voice I hadn’t been expecting called. “Este perro es incontrolable.”
Little brother, this dog is unmanageable.
“Charo?” I croaked. She was here, too, leaning against the frame of the door. Two new heads popped up behind her.
“Surprise!” Lina shouted, Aaron behind her. “Fine, we’re not a surprise. Charo and Taco are the surprise. We’re here just for fun and giggles. Also, to ask you for joint custody of Taco? Please? Maybe not tonight, but tomorrow?”
“But—” I started, then stopped myself. “How?”
Charo’s flaming red hair swayed when she shrugged. “I was feeling in the mood for a little adventure, and you know Tía Tere? Well, her best friend’s cousin is a flight attendant and—”
“Charo,” Lina chimed. “No te enrolles.”
My sister sighed. “Ay, anyway. We flew in to see you. Especially Taco, who will stay with you. I’m only spending a couple nights with Lina and Aaron and then I will fly to Boston, where my friend Alicia moved last year after—”
Lina elbowed my sister, making her stop again.
Taco, who had calmed down by now, was curled between my legs, nudging my leg, and my palm fell on his head without much thought. I petted him between his ears. “How did you fly him in? How—”
“Well…” Charo cut me off with a wicked smile. “It’s funny that you ask that.”
I frowned and Lina said, “We made sure he was safe and comfortable.”
Shaking my head, I was about to say thank you and tell them that this meant the world to me, when Charo said, “Rosie took care of everything.” And my head swiveled in her direction. Her eyes were wide. “She was the one who did all the research we needed to fly Taco in the cabin. She even took care of most of the paperwork, paid for Taco’s ticket. Actually, us coming to the States was her idea.”
Rosie blushed when she murmured, “That was supposed to be a secret, remember, Charo?”
“Ay mujer.” Charo laughed. “You’re family, there’s no such thing as secrets when we’re family.”
You’re family, she’d told Rosie.
And my chest swelled with that possibility.
“You did this, Ro?” I rasped. “For me?”
Rosie shrugged. “Lina mentioned Taco had emotional support training, and with Charo’s—”