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Finally, her dad softened "He ht not have all his shots"

He hadn’t said yes, but she knew Victory would be hers She wanted to laugh, to clap and dance "I’ll take hie of his nose "You called him Riley"

Uh-oh "Yes"

"So you named your pet after your boyfriend?"

"Uh, yes"

"Why would you do that?"

Was he reading all kinds of psychological reasons into the situation? "It just seemed…appropriate They’re both protective of me" There A truth

A bit"Does Riley know?"

"Yeah, and he approves He was flattered"

"That just proves he’s weird and you shouldn’t hang around him"

"Is that your professional opinion?" she asked pointedly

He was silent for a long while "I can’t believe this A y mutt in the house, all this ti, he’s out"

She pressed her lips together to keep fro over his shoulder, "And if he growls at you, even once, he’s out He looks wild"

I ah, she told herself

Her dad paused at her door "Where does it stay while you’re at school?"

It Nice "Outside"

"You could be inviting fleas into our ho "He’s clean, Dad I swear But if I spot a single little bug, I’ll bathe hi, Riley said

"And thank you," she added "For everything"

"You’re welco her alone with Riley

Finally allowing her amusement to bubble froy rowled As if

Mary Ann continued to laugh until tears streamed down her cheeks There’d been so , soould happen and as to co humor just then, but she just couldn’t help herself Actually, she didn’t want to help herself

Riley didn’t help Fleas Mangy Another growl We’ll see what he thinks of h his kneecap

"None of that, now," she said between giggles, "or you’ll be thrown out"

He gave another growl, but he did relax against the ainst her My fur is silky, darin ide and unhideable "Very" He sighed Just go back to sleep You need all the rest you can get

She meant to protest She really did But as she lay there, petting hi to hied her, lulling her back to the darkness as nothing else could have Her caresonly a sense of bliss She’dhe would be here when she woke back up…

When she next opened her eyes, yawning, Riley was still beside her See! Still beside her Mary Ann lifted her cell off her nightstand and glanced at the clock She frowned She had fifteen et up and shower for school She wanted an hour She and Riley hadn’t talked yet

Oh, well No help for it She’d savor these fifteen ht of theher ain

We are dating, he’d said At least I think we are