Total pages in book: 144
Estimated words: 134830 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 674(@200wpm)___ 539(@250wpm)___ 449(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 134830 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 674(@200wpm)___ 539(@250wpm)___ 449(@300wpm)
They pretty quickly lose interest in me, though, because they’re bouncing around Kyle like they’re waiting for his command. He finds the spot in the fence that needs attention and does some quick wire-tying trick to secure it before handing me the roll of wire. “Watch this,” he says, and then louder, he shouts, “Let’s go, dogs!”
He takes off, running fast with dogs on his left and right and on his heels. In a blink, there are some in front of him too and he’s in the middle of the pack.
Bark! Bark! Bark!
It’s chaos in its most fun form as he runs for the side fence, then makes a sharp turn, heading along the back fence to make a loop. Meanwhile, I’m laughing wildly at Kyle’s interactions with the dogs as he reaches out and touches one on the head, then another. “Boop, you’re out. Boop, you too. I’m winning!”
He gives it his best, but two legs are never gonna be faster than four, and soon, he’s panting and slowing down. The dogs do too, choosing staying at his side over winning, which I think they could easily do. Kyle jogs back toward me in the middle of the yard, and I can feel the huge smile on my face. “You’re a wild man,” I tell him, and he beams before letting loose a howl more reminiscent of a wolf than a dog. But the dogs join in anyway, accepting him as a member of their pack.
I don’t know what happens, but suddenly, Kyle is stumbling over his feet or the dogs’ paws, I’m not sure which. He pitches forward, stumbling and fumbling to catch himself, but in the end, he goes tumbling to the grass. He tucks and rolls and is quickly swallowed up by a pile of dogs who seem to think this is a new addition to the running game.
“No! Get offa me, Miles! Move, Gonzo! Stop licking inside my mouth!” Kyle spits that last bit out along with some dog fur, but despite the friendly attack, he’s laughing at the dogs as he pushes them away and tries to get to his hands and knees to stand up.
“Do you need help?” I ask, not sure if it’s safe for me to join the melee after Maggie’s warning.
A sharp whistle sounds out and all of us—me, Kyle, and the dogs—straighten right up and turn toward the sound. It’s Maggie, of course, managing her pack, even the non-canine members.
Kyle’s arm reaches up through the pile of dogs still covering him, throwing her a thumbs-up of appreciation. “Thanks, Mags!” Once they settle down at her warning whistle, he can finally get up.
I’m laughing at the whole thing until I see his face, and then my smile instantly falls. “Ooh, you’ve got a pretty good scratch on your cheek.” I touch his face gently, testing it, but he doesn’t wince like he’s in pain even as blood starts to ooze slowly and thickly. “We should clean that up, make sure you didn’t get dog spit in it or something worse.”
He balks, even as he walks toward the house. “Takes more than a little dirt to get me down,” he says, acting tough, but he does go inside. I hope it’s to do a quick soap and water wash of his face.
When he comes back, I’m glad to see the tell-tale orange splash of iodine on his cheek, and he strikes a pose worthy of Zoolander, making Maggie and me both laugh. “Amps up my bad boy look a little, don’tcha think?”
I won’t tell him that it actually does because I don’t think his ego needs any more boosting, but the fact that the scratch makes him look a little extra rough partnered with his getting it by roughhousing with beloved dogs is a deadly combo for any doubts I might still have.
Maggie ignores his question too, instead continuing our goodbyes that started when Kyle went inside. “It was really nice to meet you, Dani. Remember what I said about that boy, though—he’s good, even if he doesn’t always like to show it.” I nod, and she turns her attention to Kyle. “Thanks for getting the pups for me. Whiskey already fed the little guy while you were playing WrestleMania in the yard, so I think I’ll try to sneak another in for the next round.”
“Good, glad that at least one of the pups was fed successfully, and hopefully, the other three will go well too.” He glances to the yard, calling out, “Peanut Butter!” The dog’s tan head pops up from a group of dogs still wrestling and playing. “Come on, we’ve got to get home. Dani and I have plans.”
“Oh, you do?” Maggie says politely. “What else are you up to today?”
He doesn’t say it outright, but Kyle gives Maggie a comically large wink and she grins, catching on quick. “Well, you two have fun, then. I remember those days.”