Epilogue #2
“I know, we need to eat and then go. Hawk’s waiting. But this is to be continued once we get back.” His breath heats my skin, and then he licks the cream from my lip with a slow swipe.
“You’re killing me.” Clearing the lust from fogging my brain takes a moment. I blow out a breath, watching Jaggar set up our breakfast on the table. “And don’t think I won’t hold you to it.”
His eyebrows bounce. “I expect nothing less.”
We eat with our legs tangled together and the dogs at our sides.
He forks up a piece of waffle topped with a strawberry and drags it through the cream. “I can’t believe you made me waffles.”
The chocolate and strawberries remind me of what we ate at Island Vibes the night we met. “I had some help. Conall lent me the tray and the waffle iron. He got the tray from work and the iron from Rory. Apparently, Zach makes a mean waffle for his husbands.”
Jaggar lays his hand on mine. “I’d put these against his any day.”
“So what I’m hearing is, the next group get together will be a waffle challenge.”
“The guys would be all over it.” He gives me a squeeze. “I’ll throw down the gauntlet the next time we’re all at the pub.”
I drain the last of my coffee. “Most of the guys should be at the photo shoot.”
He glances at the microwave clock. “Speaking of that, we need to go.”
The field near Griffin’s photography studio, the site of today’s excursion, isn’t far from here. After we get dressed, we load the dogs into the car and head out.
Conall greets us at the parking lot, carrying a Corgi wearing little green high tops and a tiny sweatband on its head. “Hey, you made it. How were the waffles?”
Wrapping Titan’s leash around his wrist, Jaggar leans up and kisses my jaw. “Perfect. Probably the best ever. You might want to mention that to Zach.”
His cackle just a shade evil, Conall nods. “Oh, I will. Come in, join the chaos.”
I pick up Merlin and follow Jaggar and Conall toward the sounds of barks and conversation and the large tent with the banner advertising the Dog Days calendar.
Dozens of dogs run around the field. Inside the tent are three racks of costumes, plenty of dog treats and people treats, and most of our friends.
Jake and Alaric toss balls to several dogs.
Rory, Zach, and Adrian help people sign up for calendars, take payments for the photos, and share pamphlets about the shelter.
With his camera in hand, Griffin coaxes a German Sheperd in a bee costume to pose by a group of rainbow pinwheel flowers.
Surrounded by six Golden Retriever puppies, Hawk and Colt wave bubble wands. The puppies jump and chase the bubbles, falling onto each other.
Hawk came up with the idea for the fundraiser when he, Colt, Jaggar, and I were hanging out one night in late February, taking advantage of the outdoor fire pits at Island Vibes.
People can bring their dogs in for a photo op, and the small fee goes to the animal shelter.
The photos are then posted on the shelter’s social media accounts for people to vote for their favorites, with the top twelve photos gracing the months in the Dog Days calendar.
All the proceeds from the sale of the calendar go to the shelter.
Merlin and I head for the costume rack. “I want to find a wizard’s hat.”
Conall sets the Corgi down, and the dog races off, joining the other dogs. “I saw one earlier. It’s blue with gold stars. There might be a cape too. What about Titan?”
Jaggar walks his dog to each rack, letting him sniff and explore. “Maybe the tutu? Or the shark costume? Or maybe Titan and Merlin could match, and get a photo together?”
At his questioning gaze, I slip my arm around him. “Merlin and I would love that.”
“You two should join them in it.” Conall sets a cowboy hat, sized for a small dog like a toy Terrier, on his head. Then adds a feather boa. “Hawk said he’s cool with people getting in the photos.”
“It would make a nice picture for our desks.” A line forming between his brows, he studies the bigger props. A bright blue surfboard, a yellow wheelbarrow, a red fire engine, and a purple convertible.
While I have a ton of photos of the two of us and the dogs in my phone, I haven't put any in frames yet. “Good thinking. So when I get stressed, I can look down and see you smiling at me.”
He kisses me again. Then picks up a pair of pink heart-shaped glasses. “We could wear these. So we always have heart eyes for each other.”
It’s corny, but I take a pair of the glasses because I would do corny with this man any day, any time. My heart swells with how happy he’s made me. Nodding, and careful of Merlin in my arms, I pull him into me and kiss the hell out of him.
Beside us, Conall whistles and roots through the racks. “Whoa, I need this.” He exchanges the cowboy hat for a purple velvet top hat with green trim.
Sharing an amused look with Jaggar, I turn to Conall. “Are you getting a photo? You don’t have a dog.”
He checks the hat’s angle in the long mirror propped against the side of the rack. “Griffin said he wanted a shot of all the volunteers, so I need to be ready.”
“I don’t know if he meant for us to be in costumes. They might just be for the dogs.”
“Please,” he waves me away, using the movement to snatch the sunglasses out of Jaggar’s hand, then slips them on. “I look too good in this to pass it up.”
“You look ridiculous.” Hawk clamps his hand on Conall’s shoulder. “And I love it.”
Getting into the spirit of Conall's antics, I pass him a pair of rainboots decorated with ladybugs, and study Hawk's face for signs of stress. “How’s it going so far?”
“Surprisingly less chaotic than I expected, but that’s because of Colt. He’s kept everything running smoothly.” He shifts his attention to where Colt and Griffin work with an Irish Wolfhound the size of a small horse wearing fairy wings. “Thanks for helping out. I appreciate it.”
“Happy to do it.” I hold out a wiggling Merlin so he can get some love from Hawk. "He's also happy to be here.”
Hawk scratches Merlin under the chin. “You and Titan are the best boys.”
Jaggar finds another wizard’s hat and cape, in purple with silver stars. He places the hat on Titan’s head, and the dog thumps his tail. “He likes it.”
We get the dogs dressed, and Hawk finds a couple of prop wands to add in. Then, wearing our heart-shaped glasses, we choose a spot in front of some flowering bushes and pose with the dogs beside us.
Jaggar and I slip our arms around each other, and I tip my temple against his.
“Smile.” Griffin clicks away. “Very cute, guys. Feel free to move around a bit. I can take some action shots.”
Titan pushes against Jaggar’s legs, and the wizard’s hat flops forward, covering his eyes. Chuckling, Jaggar grabs the hat and places it on his own head. “Maybe we’ll sit. I think these two are feeling left out.”
“Fine with me.” I sit cross-legged on the warm grass, and Merlin jumps into my lap. The sunlight feels good on my skin, and the brilliant day makes it seem like the entire world echoes how good I feel, knowing that my man loves me.
Jaggar drops down beside me, and Titan crawls halfway into his lap. He tilts the hat up so I can see his eyes. “Well?”
“You look cute in that hat.” I wrap my arm around his shoulders. “You make a sexy wizard.”
His arm is a warm band around my waist. “The glasses suit you.”
“Think I’ll always have heart eyes when it comes to you.”
He grins. “Same. Now kiss me. I want to remember this moment forever.”
Our lips brush and then hold, and the sound of the camera clicks amid the birds chirping and people chatting.
We met at a different field, with the weather the opposite of what it is now. What a difference six months makes.
And what a difference a man makes. I can’t imagine my life without Jaggar in it. And I can’t wait to experience what comes next.
Thanks for reading Ruff Day!