Page 96 of Puppy Christmas

“You willingly allowed Patrick Yarmouth to cross this threshold again.”

“You asked our mother—our mother—to babysit an adorable child, and now she won’t talk about anything else.”

Sophie softened. “You’re sitting here, devastated and determined not to show it, because you might not ever see that little girl again. If that’s not being good with kids, I don’t know what is.”

“I…” Lila swallowed, her eyes misting up once again. The portrait they were painting wasn’t one of warmth and fuzziness, but she liked it all the same. It showed a woman who got things done. A woman who told people what to do and how to do it. A woman whocared, even if she didn’t bake cookies and speak in soft, dulcet tones to prove it. “You mean it? You’re not just saying that to be nice?”

“When have you ever known me to be nice for no reason?” Dawn demanded. “You’re good with kids, Lila. Amazing with them. Men, however…”

“Wait—what?”

“Oh, yeah. She’s terrible with men.” Sophie nodded soberly, but there was a laugh lurking in her eyes. “Just think. She has the most gorgeous man in the world on a string, and what does she do?”

“Lets him walk away without a fight.” Dawn tsked. “It’s sad, really. I always thought Lila had more nerve than that.”

“Excuse me. I have nerve.”

“She’d rather sit here and preserve her dignity than tell him how much he means to her.”

“It’s not that simple. He has Emily to consider.”

“She gave up on that poor puppy, too,” Sophie heaved a sigh. “One tiny slipup, and she’s ready to throw him back in a cage rather than face Anya Askari’s disapproval. Our reputation may never recover. We’ll be bankrupt by the year’s end.”

Lila rose to her full height. She knew her sisters were goading her on purpose—helping her the best way they knew how—but their words still rankled. Of course they did. These two knew her better than anyone, knew exactly how to rile her up and bring her back down again.

Sisters were the absolute worst. And the absolute best.

“You know that’s not true,” she said, firing up in her own defense. “This deal with Anya is important, yes, but it’s not everything. We survived without it before. We’ll survive without it again.”

Dawn broke into a grin. “I’m glad you realize that.”

“Yeah,” Sophie agreed, answering Dawn’s grin with one of her own. “It took her long enough. Maybenowshe’ll be as slovenly and unprofessional as the rest of us. Put love first for once, Lil. Work can wait.”

“That’s a terrible way to run a business,” Lila pointed out.

Dawn placed a hand over her heart and gave a romantic swoon. “True. But even you have to admit that it’s a hell of way to run a life.”