Page 41 of Knot Her Beta

I shift Quinn higher and keep walking toward them. Sprinkles lunges forward, nose working the air, and I let him have enough leash to greet Jared, who crouches, both hands sinking into the dog’s thick ruff.

“Hey,” I say, stopping in front of Emily.

“Hey.”

Jared straightens, Sprinkles glued to his leg in the hope of more belly rubs.

“Mr. Leif is going to carry me all the way up the hill,” Quinn announces, her arms tightening around my neck.

“Hey, now,” I protest. “I said I’d carry you partway, and we’d take the rest at a slow pace.”

She throws her head back with a whine. “But I’m tired.”

Jared checks the time. “How about we walk up with you, so when Mr. Leif gets tired, one of us can take over?”

Quinn bounces with excitement. “Yes, yes, yes!”

“Oh, no, we can’t have you do that,” I counter. “The water taxi will leave without you.”

Emily lifts a shoulder. “Then we’ll keep ourselves entertained until the next one. It’s leftover night, so there’s no rush to return home.”

My pulse skips, and my mouth moves before I can think better of it. “If you don’t have plans for dinner, let me cook for you. You haven’t seen the new cabin yet.”

Emily’s lips quirk. “I built your cabin.”

Jared snorts out a laugh as heat creeps into my cheeks.

“Okay, well, you haven’t seen it with furniture.”

Emily turns to Jared, and a silent communication passes between the two Alphas.

She turns back to me. “Sure, that sounds nice.”

“Great.” I adjust Quinn. “Let’s go, then.”

We fall into step together up the dock path while Sprinkles, released from his leash, bounds ahead, doubling back every few yards to check that we’re following. The gravel crunches under our boots, and Quinn’s chatter fills the silence.

“There was a squirrel at the dog park,” Quinn announces to no one in particular. “A really fast one. Sprinkles almost got him, but then the squirrel ran up a tree, and Sprinkles barked and barked, and this lady with a poodle got mad, but I told her Sprinkles is being a dog, and dogs bark, and she said I was being fresh, but I don’t know what that means.”

Emily chuckles. “Some people don’t appreciate the truth when it comes from a kid.”

“That’s silly,” Quinn declares, and pats my shoulders. “Right, Mr. Leif?”

“Very silly,” I agree, “though if we aren’t at the dog park, Sprinkles needs to stay at your side.”

“Well, duh.” I don’t see it, but I’d bet money she rolls her eyes. “He’s my service dog. He can tell when it’s work time.”

By the time the path tilts upward past the second hiking trail offshoot, my lungs are struggling, and my thighs burn. “Hey, princess, it’s time for you to walk on your own.”

“No!” Quinn turns into dead weight in my arms. “You said you’d carry me.”

“I’m not as strong as your Uncle Blake,” I wheeze, my steps slowing.

“Trade you,” Jared says, materializing at my side.

“I can—” I struggle to drag in another breath. “I can do it.”

He gives me an amused smirk. “You’ve still got half the hill left.”