“Don’t you dare do it,” Sy said to the dog. He grabbed Maggie by the shoulders and, before she could decide if she liked it or not, swung her around, putting himself between her and the rampaging mud monster. Crushed up against his chest, Maggie felt the impact.

“Uh. You okay there?” she asked, tilting her head back to look at him. Those gray eyes were rolled skyward, as if praying for patience. She wondered if she was about to get a front-row seat to an explosion of temper.

“Kevin,” Sy said on a long-suffering sigh, “you’re officially dead to me.”

She pursed her lips together and tried not to laugh.

“Maggie, I’d like to point out how heroic that was,” he said. “And I feel like that should carry more weight in your hiring decision than the fact that I was stupid enough to bring this pig-dog with me to a job site.”

“So noted,” she said.

He released her and turned just as Kevin the pig-dog bounded up the steps of the porch.

“Kevin, no! Stay!” Silas yelled as the dog eyed the wide-open front door.

Maggie choked down the laugh that bubbled up. The man’s back matched his dog. Slicked and splattered with a mud so dark that she was concerned there was a more sinister ingredient than just dirt.

“If you put one paw inside that house, I won’t take you to doggy daycare this week, and you won’t see your girlfriend, Tabitha,” Sy threatened.

At the mention of Tabitha, Kevin sat.

“Uh, I’d offer you a towel, but I don’t know if I have any yet,” Maggie said.

“Not to worry. Always Prepared is my other middle name,” the muddy landscaper told her. “I’ve got tarps, towels, and a change of clothes in the truck. I’ll just—”

All of Kevin’s fun seemed to catch up with him at once. He opened his cavernous mouth and barfed on the porch.

“Oh, buddy,” Maggie said. “Is he okay?”

In answer, Kevin trotted off the porch, tail wagging, and shoved his head into a shrub.

“He’s fine.” Sy put his hands on his hips and studied his boots for a long moment. “I’ve got a hose in the truck,” he said finally.

“I’ll leave you to it then.” She managed to get the words out. Barely. “I’ll just be in there trying not to laugh too loud.”

“Appreciate that,” he said.

“It was, uh…nice to meet you,” she said. “You make quite the impression.” She didn’t make it into the house before the laughter overtook her.

Kevin emerged from the bushes and trotted over to Sy.

“Don’t even try to make up with me,” he told the dog.

Kevin gave a happy bark.