I Bet on Losing Dogs - Patrick Jane

706 - Green Light

Kenzie walked down the upstairs hallway. It wasn't too late, but she'd already gotten into her PJs. Just because.

She passed the bathroom door and paused at the sound of a bark, raising an eyebrow. Her head turned toward the door. We don't have a dog, she thought.

She walked back toward the door and knocked. "You okay in there?" she called out.

She bit back a giggle as the muffled sounds of things being knocked over filled her ears. She took a couple of steps back as the door opened. Patrick's head peeked out slightly. "Hi, honey."

"Hi. You okay in there?"

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"

The water sloshed around. Lily faintly cursed and shushed at something. Kenzie gave him an amused look. "What's Lily doin' in there?"

"Well, she said that she needed help cleaning the bathroom. I just thought... why not?" Something barked. Lily tried to cover it up with a fake sneeze. "Bless you."

Kenzie tilted her head amusingly. "Baby, open the door."

He stood up. "W-why?"

"'Cause I want to see if Lilly actually cleaned the bathroom."

"And she did. It's spotless."

Kenzie slightly pushed the door. Patrick stumbled back a bit. She glanced down at his wet t-shirt. "You can't hide it from me forever. I was a detective, remember?"

"And as you've said before, I'm a professional scammer, remember?"

Kenzie leaned closer to him with a smile. Patrick leaned down. Their lips barely touched. "Can you open the door?" She dragged her hand down his chest. "Please."

He groaned, giving her a quick kiss. "I tried. The jig's up."

"Oh man," exclaimed Lily.

Patrick pulled the door wide open. Kenzie's mouth was agape. Standing in the bathtub was a large golden retriever. His cute tail was eagerly wagging as his entire body was covered in soapy water. Lilly kneeled in front of the tub, pouring water over the dog. Her hands were covered with soap, and her shirt was very damp.

Kenzie turned to her boyfriend. "What is this?"

"Well, we went to a shelter. I swear, I had no intention of getting a dog for us today. But, um, Lilly really liked him. I swear, it was like a match made in heaven. Next thing I know, I'm signing papers, and he was hopping into the car."

Kenzie sighed, biting her bottom lip. She placed her hands on her hips. "Do the girls know?"

"They were the first to know."

"And they agreed?" Patrick nodded. Kenzie turned to Lily. "I know it's a little earlier than we expected, but are you ready to take care of him?"

Lilly eagerly nodded. "Yes. I promise. I'll clean up his poop and take him out for early morning walks."

The dog started panting, its eyes fixed on Kenzie. "What's his name?"

"Biscuit."

Kenzie looked up at Patrick with a pout. "Aww. You picked the cutest one."

Lilly narrowed her eyes at Biscuit. "Listen, little man. We gotta get you out of the tub."

Biscuit barked back. Lily stood up and grabbed a towel. As she got closer, Biscuit started to shake the water off of him. Lilly groaned as water splashed on her.

He chuckled, wrapping an arm around Kenzie's shoulder.

♥️

Kenzie stood in front of the closet, buttoning up her white shirt. She turned around and softly chuckled. Patrick was staring at her lovingly from the bed. She walked over, letting out a small yelp as he grabbed her waist and pulled her toward him.