“I could use some motivation,” said Emilia.

Lillian released her grip on Stevie and Angie. “Sorry, Morgan. I’m stealing your new friend.”

“Not if I weigh her down with red meat first.”

“But then I’d have to jog it off,” Emilia said.

“But would you?” said Angie.

“I keep hearing about all these dogs, but I don’t see any,” Emilia said to shift the subject away from her body.

“They’re out back, supervising the grill. Want to meet them?” asked Morgan.

Emilia nodded, and Morgan walked to the back door. The others remained inside.

“Brace yourself.”

Kraken skidded to a halt on the patio flagstones first, his tail wagging. A brindle pitbull bulldozed into him seconds later and presented his butt for her to scratch, only to be upstaged by the hopping arrival of a three-legged monster of a mutt with a black muzzle, brown body, and absurdly fluffy white tail. She did her best to greet the three of them at once with two hands.

An insistent scratching at her pant leg caused her to glance down. Another tripod dog stared up at her out of an Italian greyhound’s slightly neurotic eyes. She presented her hand to the tiny black button nose.

“You can pick her up if you want,” said Morgan.

Emilia scooped the slender dog onto her lap. “Introduce me?”

“That little demon is Hermione, and before you ask, she does have a Hogwarts sweater. She and the other tripod are Lil’s.”

“Two tripods?”

“We’re trying to find her a third so she has a complete set, but yes. Muffin was a rescue, and Hermione had a bad fracture. Owners couldn’t pay for it.”

“Did someone step on you?” Emilia asked the dog.

“Marvin—that’s the pittie—is Stevie’s. I believe she named him after a robot from some book. In case you didn’t notice, we’re all exceptionally cool.”

“Well, they’re cool,” said Emilia. “But you don’t seem to have any visible nerddoms, so I’m going to have to reserve judgment.”

“Let me know what you decide.”

Morgan left Emilia in her sea of dogs and walked over to the grill, giving Emilia a chance to glimpse Morgan’s ass in jeans. The cool evening air warmed several degrees. She ripped her eyes away and examined the rest of her surroundings.

The back patio had an eclectic collection of lawn furniture gathered around a brick fire pit. She moved to stand beside it, which the little dog seemed to appreciate, as she stopped shivering.

“I have a big one of you,” she told the dog as she watched Morgan. The blue of her shirt emphasized the dark blue-gray of her irises, which seemed even darker in the gathering dusk.

I’d fall into that ocean.

“All right.” Morgan gave the grill a tap with her tongs and nodded her approval of the temperature.

“Need a hand?” Emilia asked.

“I got it, but you can tell me how you like your steak.”

Served by you. She really had to turn off her internal commentary.