The Missing Heir(28)
The dog came up on its haunches and lifted its chin.
“Otis wins,” said Destiny.
“Otis it is,” said Cole, reaching down to pat the dog’s head.
It sniffed at Zachary’s bare foot.
Zachary looked down with curiosity, and the two stared at each other for a long moment.
“Sizing up the competition?” said Destiny.
“Which one?” asked Amber.
Zachary looked suspicious of Otis, and Otis looked suspicious of Zachary. The adults all chuckled at the picture.
Amber quickly polished off her dinner, knowing it wasn’t fair to take continued advantage of Cole.
She moved her plate to the sink. “I should give this little guy his bath.”
“I’m guessing you mean Zachary and not Otis,” said Luca.
“Definitely Zachary.” She couldn’t help but picture Coco’s reaction to Otis in her expensive bathtub.
Cole shifted Zachary on his lap. “Otis had a bath in the hotel car wash the first night I found him.”
“Did he mind?” asked Amber.
“Didn’t seem to. He smelled pretty bad, so I bribed the valet.”
She couldn’t help admire his ingenuity.
“Smells a little like Showoff Gold now, but it’s a big improvement.”
Zachary reached for Otis, grabbing a handful of his ear.
“Careful there,” said Cole, gently pulling Zachary back. But Otis just gazed at Zachary, not seeming the slightest bit concerned.
Much as Amber hated to disturb Zachary when he seemed so happy, it was getting late. She moved toward him.
“Time for a bath?” she asked, a lilt to her voice as she smiled brightly, trying to send him the message that something fun was about to happen.
She held out her arms. “Bath?”
Zachary shrank against Cole, his face scrunching up in discontent.
“I can come with you,” Cole offered.
“That seems like a cop-out,” said Amber. She was already feeling a bit inadequate as a guardian.
Cole rose. “It’s a bath. No big deal. Sometimes it’s good to just go with the flow.”
She couldn’t deny she was tempted. “Okay, maybe just this once. But I’m supposed to be convincing a judge that I’m the best guardian for Zachary. I’d hate to have to tell him it was you instead.”
“Definitely just this once,” Cole answered. “I can hardly give the kid a bath from Alaska.”
“In that case, let’s make my evening easier.”
She led the way down the hall to the main bathroom.
It was easy to tell which of the rooms had been redecorated by Coco. The living room and kitchen were luxurious, with the finest appliances and handcrafted furnishings. But they were subdued and sophisticated, with the obvious touch of a professional decorator.