Fifty-One | Jo
Fifty-One
Jo
I laughed and pulled my arm out of the way as the Great Pyrenees licked my face.
“Easy, Opal,” I said, rubbing her head as she wiggled excitedly.
I gently pushed her down and stepped to the side to allow Bailey room to enter before Dom closed the door.
“Dom, this is Opal,” I said, kneeling in front of the dog I had fallen in love with the first time I met her. “She is going to stay with us for a few weeks while her mom goes out of town for a work trip.”
“Nice to meet you,” Dom replied, his eyebrows slightly furrowed as he looked at me like I was crazy.
“Opal is a sweet girl,” Bailey said, scratching the top of Opal’s head. “She’s also fiercely protective and loves Jo. I think sometimes Opal manifests these long work trips for me, just so she can come stay with Jo and get pampered while I’m gone.”
“I’ve tried arranging joint custody,” I teased.
“Her food is in here,” Bailey said as she set a large box on the counter. “If she runs out—”
“Then I’ll just feed her whatever Auntie Jo is eating.” I grinned as Opal licked my face, loving it when I used the baby voice with her.
“She’s impossible,” Bailey said, turning to Dom. “If you run out of food for her, you can grab some at the general store. Just have them add it to my tab, and I’ll pay it when I get back. My only request is that you go get it, not Jo.”
“Why not Jo?” Dom asked, his smile so bright that it lit up the room while amusement made his eyes twinkle.
“Because the last time she went to get more food, I came back to a hefty tab because she insisted that Opal cried for toys and dog bones. She cannot be trusted at the store when it comes to that dog.”
“Noted.” Dom nodded his head and folded his arms over his chest. “I will make sure that if Jo spoils Opal with anything, it comes out of her bank account, not yours.”
“Thanks, I appreciate it,” Bailey said warmly. “I'd better get going, but if you need anything, just call.”
“We’ll be just fine. Have a safe trip.”
I sat on the floor, petting Opal as she laid between my legs while Dom walked Bailey to her car.
I knew that Dom was uneasy with us being back at my house after someone had shot at it, but I didn’t feel worried about it happening again.
Opal knew the second I opened my eyes, so I did not doubt that she would alert us if anyone got close to the house.
********************
Opal laid on the floor as I worked on finishing dinner.
Dom took over cooking the steak and potatoes while I put together a salad.
I had bought a bottle of wine to go with dinner, but given how tense Dom was every time he heard the slightest sound, I decided against opening it.
The last thing I wanted was for either of us to feel like we weren’t at our best because of it.
I sat down right as Dom set the food on the table.
Everything looked amazing and smelled delicious.
I laughed as Opal’s head popped up when she smelled the steak.
While I tried to be a good dog sitter and limit her to the food Bailey brought, there had been a time or two when Opal had stolen food from me and had gotten a taste of freshly cooked meat.
“Nope, not tonight,” I said, shaking my head at her. “Dom already put your dinner out for you.”
She looked from me to the bowl of dog food, then dropped her head to the floor and pouted.
Dom chuckled and sat down across from me.
While a lot had happened over the past few weeks, sitting there at the table with him reminded me of when he first showed up.
Things between us hadn’t started off the best—mainly because I didn’t trust him—but they quickly changed, and I found comfort in having him around all the time.
We made small talk as we ate, then I cleaned up while Dom took Opal outside for a final potty break before we got ready for bed. While I felt comfortable at home, something about going to sleep tonight made me restless.
I had tried hard throughout the day not to let myself get into my head too much, but every time I looked at the pillow that had been shot at, my blood turned to ice as I thought about how that could have been me.
Someone wanted me dead, and I knew they wouldn’t stop until they succeeded.