Blaze giggled as two of the puppies took a tumble down the last step, legs and ears every which way. “Can we keep them all, Daddy?!”
Sadie’s eyes widened as she looked from my son to me, eyes pleading. “That’s a houseful, I don’t know if—”
“But I’ll feed and water them all! Just like real chores!” Blaze clapped his hands, excitement growing by the second.
I sighed, patting Ginger on the head when she reached me, tail wagging at the open car door. “We’ve got a few more weeks before they’re old enough to leave their mom anyway, Blaze. You’ve got plenty of time to play with them.”
I looked up at Sadie, pleading for some help.
“You know I’m not going to be able to let them go.” She hugged Hawk a little closer, smiling back at me.
“Dammit, woman,” I growled. “If these kids weren’t here, I’d bend you over—”
“Be nice to Mama!” Blaze defended his mother adorably.
“Oh, I’m very nice to Mama.” I shot my wife a cocky grin. “She likes to beg—”
“Jackson!” Sadie cut me off with a palm over my lips. “Behave yourself.”
“So can we keep them, Daddy?!” Blaze bounced behind the steering wheel.
I groaned, feeling like I’d lost this battle. I could take on the kids, but there wasn’t a chance in hell I could ever say no to Sadie. “Fine. We can keep them.”
“Yay!” Blaze bounded out of my lap and dropped to his knees, surrounding himself with tiny black lab puppies, tiny barks and tails going wild.
“We’re going to have a talk later.” I arched an eyebrow at Sadie.
“Oh yeah?” she cooed. “Did I earn a punishment?”
I cupped her face in my palm and planted a fevered kiss on her lips. “You better believe you did.”
THE END.