Read Spike for Free Online Page B

cheek.
    Ben’s smile was sickly. “Sure. You know me. Dancing. Love it.”
    A half hour of busting moves later, Chance was the furthest thing from my mind.

T he cool evening air was refreshing.
    I stepped from a covered porch, scanning the now-picked-over flower garden. A quarter of the rosebuds were gone, sacrificed to Operation Emergency Centerpieces. I felt terrible about the damage, but we’d had no other choice. Better a plundered garden than a suicidal bride.
    Upon seeing our handiwork, the house manager had nearly fainted on the spot. Only Kit’s promise of full reimbursement—plus a hefty donation to the building’s annual arboretum fund—had smoothed his ruffled feathers.
    I sat down on a stone bench. Heard a rustling in the bushes at the far end of the yard.
    No need to call out.
    Cooper already knew I was there.
    Sister-
friend
. Coop emerged from the shadows wearing a wide doggie grin. I reached out and rubbed his head. He nuzzled my other hand, sniffing out the treat I’d brought for him.
Food?
    I
wouldn’t forget abou
t you
. I unwrapped a half-portion of filetmignon. Held it up for him to see.
K
it says you’re being
spoiled.
    I tossed the meat in a short arc. Coop caught it easily, then settled at my feet and began gnawing his prize.
Food is shared. Keeps pack strong.
The wolfdog radiated contentment as he scarfed down the expensive steak.
    I smiled.
Try t
elling him that
.
    Coop paused. Cocked his head.
Can’t tell el
dest. Can’t hear. No
r his mate.
    I know,
buddy
. I stroked his scruffy back as he resumed eating.
Be t
hankful for that.
    Coop and I could communicate almost perfectly since . . .
what
ever
 . . . had happened when I swallowed Chance’s antidote. But some things—like sarcasm—simply didn’t translate. Our minds were too different for stuff like that.
    I noticed a shallow cut on his snout.
What’s this?
I asked, tracing the wound with a finger.
    Dev
il animal.
Coop gave me what I took to be a plaintive look.
Allowed to bite?
    Sighing, I shook my head.
Sorry, boy. Banjo
belongs to Hi now.
You two have to find
a way to get along.
    Foul beast.
Cooper bared his teeth.
Pretends friendship,
then attacks. Then
runs!
    I chuckled, scratching behind his ears.
Banjo’s a cat.
That’s what they do
.
    The music inside cut off. A slurred voice began droning into the microphone—no doubt an unplanned toast from an over-served guest. I was glad to be outside, away from all the hoopla. Chirping crickets sounded better to me than the raucous cheers in the ballroom.
    A door opened, and one of the singers stepped out for a smoke. I sighed, nodded politely as he wished me a good evening. My momentof solitude had lasted less than a minute. But one look at Cooper—a nearly full-grown wolfdog, topping one hundred and twenty pounds—and the man beat a hasty retreat, shooting me a wide-eyed glance as he stumbled back inside.
    I snorted, though I couldn’t blame the guy. He probably didn’t expect to find an apex predator roaming the swanky grounds. Coop’s inclusion on the guest list had nearly cost us the booking, but I’d made Kit hold firm until the owners agreed to allow our “dog” the run of the garden during the event. I was extremely glad they hadn’t asked for a picture first.
    Coop nudged my arm with his wet nose.
Pack comes
.
    A moment later Hi and Shelton ambled outside, with Ben a short step behind. Spotting Cooper and me by the bench, Hi boasted, “I told you so,” as they moved to join us.
    “The band ignored your request for a reason,” Shelton said to Hi, tossing me a half-wave as he unbuttoned the neck of his tuxedo shirt. “Nobody wants to
hear
‘YMCA,’ much less dance to it. It’s an objectively terrible song.”
    “The Village People are a wedding staple!” Hi removed his jacket, raked a hand through his sweat-dampened brown hair. “Plus, I know how to read a room. That crowd was primed for some funky disco action.”
    Shelton shook his head. Pointed