Page 16 of To the Chase

“Sorry, bud, this isn’t for you. I’m pretty sure you won’t like it either.”

Could I eat soup sent to me by my imaginary friend? It smelled good, and I was hungry enough. But I had so many questions. Could an algorithm make a food order?WasAnthony becoming sentient? Were the puppet masters behind him getting involved?

I wasn’t sure if I should have been creeped out or flattered. Maybe both. I hated to admit it, but it was nice having someone take care of me without me having to ask. Even if that someone was brilliant coding.

Benjamin cocked his head then turned to the door and raised a paw.

I sighed.

“You want to go out, don’t you?”

He shot me a side-eye. I could almost hear him saying,“Duh, woman.”

Technically, I hadn’t given birth to him, and we didn’t share any DNA, but there was no doubt he’d inherited my attitude.

“Fine. But it isn’t going to be a long walk today. I’m not feeling great.” While I stuffed my feet into my sneakers, I checked theCome on Roverapp for available yards nearby without holding out much hope.

To my surprise, the app dinged, showing a yard…directly across the street? I squinted at the address to be sure. Yep, it was the house that had been under construction for months.

“Really? Am I that lucky?”

Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I reserved it and grabbed Benjamin’s leash, heading out the door.

The yard was immaculate, lush and green, surrounded by an iron fence. Someone had been taking care of the grounds during construction. There were enough bushes and trees to keep Benjamin busy exploring for days.

Once I was certain the yard was secure, I let him off his leash, and he bolted, making wide laps around the perimeter, his tongue lolling happily.

Laughing, I took a seat on the steps leading up to the deck so I could watch my dog enjoy himself.

After a minute or two, the sound of a door opening and closing alerted me we were no longer alone. Then a tiny voice squealed, “Oh my goodness, it’s Benjamin!”

I hopped up, whirling around. Talon was at the deck railing, his hands pressed to his little cheeks. Lacey raced down the stairs toward me, and Scarlet hovered in the doorway of the house.

“Bea!” Lacey cried. Her little body had so much momentum, she plowed straight into me, giving me no option but to catch her in my arms. She took this as a hug, which she returned with gusto. “I’m so happy to see you!”

“Hey, Lacey.” I gently pushed her away. “I have a cold, and I don’t want to get you sick. Maybe let’s keep some distance, all right?”

Talon appeared at the top of the steps, his attention was firmly on my dog as he trotted down. “Does Benjamin love our yard? Is he smiling? I think he’s smiling.”

“He does love it,” I confirmed. “If he had his way, he’d live on a farm and roam free all day and night. Unfortunately, he was adopted by a city girl.”

Lacey’s tiny, sticky fingers wrapped around two of mine. “I’m a city girl like you.”

A throat cleared behind us. I looked up at Scarlet, her arms crossed over her chest, a scowl pulling down her mouth. “Excuse me, but why are you in our yard?”

“Your yard is listed on theCome on Roverapp. I reserved it for Benjamin to play. I’m thinking it was a glitch, though. If you want us to go, I’ll grab him.”

“No!” Talon stomped his foot. “You don’t have to go. Tell her, Scar. They can stay.”

Scarlet rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I mean, I guess it’s fine. We’re probably going to be leaving as soon as Grandpa Tony finishes talking to the plumber guy anyway.”

“Thanks.” I dabbed my nose with a tissue. “I don’t have the energy to take a long walk, and when my boy doesn’t have the chance to run the devil out of him, it’s not pretty. One time, he ate an entire couch cushion.”

Talon’s eyes flared. “What? Did he get a really bad stomachache? Did you have to take him to the vet? Did he get sick? Is he okay now?”

Scarlet scoffed at her brother. “Oh my god, Tally, one question at a time.”

To spite his sister, I patiently answered all his questions. And the kid had alot. Even when Benjamin trotted over to accept pets, Talon kept going.