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"Lock the door!" he yelled up the stairs before the door slammed shut once more.
Star rolled her eyes but smiled as she followed his order. She jogged down the stairs and through the house to the back door, twisting the deadbolt into place as she peeked out the window. She was just in time to see Thor standing his ground. He planted his massive paws and flat-out refused to go inside with Ethan.
The dog was upset. That much was clear.
Sighing, she trotted back upstairs and grabbed her phone. If she wanted to get back into Thor’s good graces, she had an idea. She texted Ethan:
>>>Before you sequester yourself, can I take Thor to the coffee shop for a pup cup? He might forgive me then.
She hopedto catch him before he got wrapped up in whatever classified cyber-wizardry he did in his office. She knew for a fact that once he was in work mode, his phone might as well not exist.
A typing bubble popped up, three dots forming and disappearing, before his reply appeared:
>>>Hisleash is in the kitchen. He’ll love you forever. Be safe!
Grinning,she slipped into her tennis shoes, tied her hair up into a quick ponytail, and grabbed her phone and debit card. She bounced out of her house and dutifully locked the back door, knowing Ethan would give her one of his exasperated looks if she forgot.
Crossing into his backyard, she stepped inside and found the leash hanging in the kitchen.
“Hey, why don’t you have to lock your door?” A low woof from behind her turned her. “Oh, yeah, I guess you’re probably better than any lock, huh.”
“That and I have an alarm system.” Ethan’s voice came from a small speaker near the camera.
“Freaky, dude. Freaky.” She laughed and then spun around to go redeem herself. Thor tracked her with his golden eyes, his massive frame completely still and his expression filled with pure betrayal.
Star sighed. "Okay, boy. I’m sorry. I took your bed last night—I didn’t know!" She kneeled in front of him, scratching under his chin. "How about we go get a pup cup and make friends?"
Thor’s thick tail thumped—twice, hard—against the ground.
She gasped dramatically. "Oh, you like that idea, don’t you?"
His tail thumped again.
Laughing, she clipped on his leash and stood. "Come on, let’s get that pup cup."
Ethan had been right. Thor was more than willing to forgive her—so long as it involved whipped cream. In fact, he led the way to the coffee shop, his gait steady and determined, as if he were a soldier on a mission. He didn’t yank or drag her, but there was no question about where they were going.
As they stepped inside, Thor immediately sat at attention, his gray coat gleaming under the café lights. He stayed still, waiting patiently—until Miss Bianca saw him.
"Oh, Thor!" the older woman cooed, hurrying around the counter to grab the whipped cream and a cup. The moment she called his name, his tail wagged so hard his entire body wiggled, but he remained seated, his discipline unshaken.
Bianca chuckled. "Such a good boy," she said, setting the can down on the counter and handing Thor his whipped-cream-filled cup. Thor wasted no time, diving in with pure, unbridled joy.
Bianca straightened, brushing her hands on her apron. "Where’s Ethan today?"
"He got caught up at work," Star replied.
She turned just in time to see a man walk out of the bathroom at the back of the café—and her stomach plummeted.
She almost swallowed her tongue.
It was one of them.
One of the men she’d overheard—or rather, over-recorded—at the hardware store.
Her body tensed instinctively.
And so did Thor.