By the Numbers Read Online Free Page A

much he should be talking up the puppies, given that Trey had been clear about not having a life that allowed one. "Q doesn't seem to mind them, usually, but she's pretty happy when they're all asleep at the same time."
    Trey snorted. "I don't blame her. It's a lot of work." He gently detached the puppy and placed it back in the pile, then sat back on his heels and watched them for a minute. "It'd be nice if I could take one. Lacey would love it."
    Deuce tried not to grin too widely or to get his hopes up too high. "Well, you know. If Lacey spends most of her time at her mother's place, you wouldn't have to worry about the puppy or the house training."
    Trey gave a rueful smile and reached out again to touch a puppy's stubby tail. "Her mother is a bitch. If I take a puppy, it has to stay with me. Holly isn't the puppy type. She's more of a... goldfish in a bowl girl." He didn't sound pleased. "Tell you what. The lady who lives next door to me is a retired teacher and she's always outside in her garden, rain or shine. Maybe I can talk her into helping me with the puppy on the days I work."
    "Seriously?" Deuce heard his voice pitch higher and made an attempt to lower it down to an acceptable level. "Pick of the litter is all yours. You just let me know and you can have any puppy you want." It was one way for Deuce to say thank you to the man who'd saved Q's life. He had other ways he'd like to try, too, but since Trey had a kid and a wife -- even an ex-wife -- Deuce was sure he'd be keeping those thanks to himself.
    "Maybe." Trey nodded. "I still don't like the thought of leaving a dog alone for twenty-four hours, even when it's older. But maybe we can work something out. They sure are cute." He smiled at the ones who were starting to burrow down for their hundredth nap of the day. "Are you going to keep one?"
    "Me?" Deuce reached down and flipped Q's ear back and forth. "I don't know. Maybe, I guess. It depends on where I'm living and all that stuff. I'm assuming I'll be back in the same building and that they won't change the pet rules, but they might."
    Q seemed to like the personal attention and put her head down on the blanket with a sigh. Trey played with her other ear, which Q really liked, if the thump of her tail was any indication. Trey looked as if he were pondering something important and was quiet for a bit. The only sound in the room was the snuffling of the puppies and Q's tail.
    "So," Trey finally said, "what about if you kept two puppies and one was mine? And you could look after it for me until it was old enough to be left alone for a few hours at my place." He paused, thinking some more, then said, "I'd pay for food and whatever. I don't know. Toys and stuff? A collar. Never had a dog, no idea what they need. Except a person."
    "For real?" Deuce thought about it for a few minutes, his hand still on Q. It would probably be good for her to have a couple of her babies around. And really, two puppies would be work, but they'd be a lot less work than six. They could share a crate when they moved out of their box with the rest of the litter, and Deuce figured that they'd play together and burn off some energy that way. They could chase each other at the dog park instead of balls.
    Deuce would see a lot of Trey. Trey'd have to stop by and see his puppy, and they could walk the dogs together. That wouldn't be a bad thing; Trey seemed like a nice enough man, and he was a hero. He was polite, too, and on time, and he had a gentle touch with the pups.
    "Let's go for a drink and work out the details," Deuce finally said. "We're going to be practically family, after all."
     

Four
     
    Trey thought maybe the dogs shouldn't be left alone while they went out, but Nathaniel didn't seem too worried about it. Besides, Trey remembered, they'd had to have been alone when Nathaniel came to the station. And when he went to work. The man did work, right? Trey pondered that. Of course he worked. Nathaniel had said as much when he'd