Kincaid hung up without responding. Cody chuckled as he shoved his phone back into his pocket. His former SEAL commander still knew how to get his men to ask how high when he said jump. The thing was, Cody would jump to the moon if the boss gave the order. There was no other man he knew who would take on a screwed-up, PTSD-suffering warrior, while also turning over all his resources to keep a woman who Cody cared for safe.
After the dogs were fed, he told them to stay as he made to head back to Riley’s. They both looked so pathetic as they watched him walk to the door that he paused. “If I take you with me, will you promise to behave?” He went back to them and knelt. His team claimed he was a dog whisperer, but that was about to be put to the test. “There’re cats where I’m taking you, and they outnumber you by one. If you go after them, you’re going to end up with bleeding noses. You can go with me if you promise to ignore them.”
Sally and Pretty Girl heard the word “go” and, unable to sit still, their butts bounced on the floor. “That’s not the same meaning you’re thinking it is.” He stood. “I’m telling you right now, the minute you ignore my orders, you’re going to prance yourselves right back home. You understand?”
Both barked their understanding, but he didn’t quite trust them. He’d never trained them to be around cats because it had never occurred to him that he’d fall for a woman with the creatures. Fall? No, he hadn’t fallen for her. He just really liked her and wanted to have sex with her. Nothing more to it than that.
“Heel,” he said as the dogs followed him down the porch steps. At the end of the yard, they stopped and planted their butts on the ground. He clipped on their leashes. “Come.”
Riley was probably going to freak when he walked into her house with his dogs, but if he was going to spend time with her, that was going to include his dogs getting to know her cats. It was going to be an interesting evening.
At Riley’s front door, he said, “Sit. Stay.” Both obeyed, looking up at him expectantly, as if asking what next? He opened the door and stepped in. Riley was asleep, and he crooked a finger at Brooke. She rose from the chair where she sat and came next to him.
“She conked out about five minutes ago,” Brooke whispered. “After telling me what she thought of us both.”
Cody chuckled. If nothing else, Riley never hesitated to speak her mind. “Thanks for staying. If there are any further poisonings, call me. Give me your phone.” She handed it to him and he put his number in.
“Cool. Now I have Stud One’s and Stud Two’s phone numbers.” She tossed him a wave as she skipped out.
What did that mean? No doubt he was better off not knowing. The three cats were curled up asleep on various parts of Riley’s body. He knelt in front of his dogs. “Here’s the deal. I don’t know if you’ve ever seen a cat in your life, but I do know that your first instinct’s going to be to chase them. You will not do that, or you will be banned from here forever. Got it?”
He was clueless why he wanted Sally and Pretty Girl to make friends with Riley’s cats. It was in his head that he might—hopefully might—be spending some time at her house, and he didn’t like the thought of his dogs being left alone when he was only across the street.
Although they didn’t understand his words, both tilted their heads as if trying hard to get his drift. “Just do what I tell you and we’ll be good.” He stepped back into her living room. “Come.” Apparently, they sensed his concern, because they crept up next to him. He put his hands on both their heads. “Stay with me.”
He moved to a chair near Riley, his dogs slinking along with him. They sat at his feet. “Have either of you seen a cat before?” he whispered to keep from waking Riley. He didn’t know their backgrounds, but considering their country of birth, it probably wasn’t a good one. If they’d never run across a cat before, no telling what their reaction was going to be if one of the felines decided running was the best response to seeing two large, scary dogs.
Merlin was the first to blink open blue eyes, his gaze landing on the invaders in his home. Cody forced himself not to tense so that his dogs didn’t pick up on his apprehension at what might happen next. Merlin yawned, and then stuck his nose back under his tail, apparently going back to sleep.
Sally and Pretty Girl had lifted their ears, their sights on the black cat. When Merlin ignored them, they both deflated as if totally disappointed they’d been deemed not worthy of attention.
“Pelli,” Cody said. When the kitten didn’t stir, he called to it again. Pelli sat up, eyed him, and then his Siamese crossed eyes fell on the dogs. He rose to his toes, the hair on his back sticking straight up. Cody pressed his hands harder onto his dogs’ heads. “Easy. Friend.”