Sophie thought quite a few things, not the least of which was that a dog made a terrible gift unless you knew with absolute certainty it would be welcomed. Dropping an animal with a bow around its neck on a person was akin to leaving a baby in a basket on their front doorstep.

“I don’t know, Wallace, a pet is an awfully big commitment.”

Instead of taking offense at her words, Wallace perked. “Yes, that’s it. A commitment.”

“I mean, are you sure she even wants a pet?”

That one got to him. “Well, of course I do,” he said. “I’m not a born idiot.”

“Yes but wanting a pet and being able to take care of one are two different things.”

“Now see here, young lady!” Wallace puffed up his chest and lowered his brow, looking so much like Harrison, Sophie was hard put not to laugh. “I asked for your advice, not your opinion. If you must know, Minerva and I are going to move in together. I’ll be the one doing most of the cleaning and feeding, so all I wanted to know is what kind of creature she might like that won’t keep me up all goddamn night with its howls and clackety claws.”

Sophie choked. “Something more along the lines of a Great Dane, perhaps?”

Wallace relaxed. “Now you’re talking.”

As much fun as it would have been to provide Wallace with a list of puppy options, there was a part of his speech that left her unsettled.

“Um, when you say you’re going to move in together, do you mean…” She cast a careful look around Harrison’s room.

“This old dump?” Wallace laughed, though there was a caginess to his gaze that made her feel he had more fondness for this house than he let on. Which, to be fair, seemed about on par for a Parks man. God forbid one of them admit to such a normal thing as emotional attachment to an old family home. “No. Too many bad memories. We want a fresh start.”

Her next question wasn’t any easier. “Does Harrison know?”

“No!” Wallace’s head jerked up with a start. “And you’re not to go telling him, understand? Nothing is finalized yet. Not but what he’ll be glad to see the back of me… We don’t get on. We never have.”

On the contrary, Sophie had a suspicion that they were as tied to each other as two people possibly could be. Oh, they were grumpy and antagonistic, and both obviously liked to have things their own way, but they were all each other had. With the exception of Aunt Caroline and the occasional helping hand from Oscar, neither one had mentioned another friend or relative who’d stepped up to help a struggling single father raise his diabetic son.