She greeted him with a hug and smile and led him into the house, where Teddy immediately jumped on him and lickedhis face. “I’m sorry. We’re still working on obedience training. Apparently, the older they are, the more stubborn they get.”
Ian patted Teddy’s head and set him back down on the floor. “It’s okay. I don’t mind the greeting. So, what did you say was wrong with your sink?”
“It keeps getting backed up.” Sophia led him into the guest bathroom and stood in the doorway. “Darren’s been so busy with work, and I don’t want to bother him with this. Are you sure you don’t mind spending your day off doing this? I can call a plumber.”
Ian took off his shirt and draped it over the side of the bathtub. “I don’t mind. I have nothing else to do. Can you get me the toolbox?”
“Didn’t you have your first therapy session today?”
Ian got down on his hands and knees and tinkered with the drain tailpiece. “Yeah, we did, but it didn’t go well. Lucy was on her phone the entire time.”
Sophia reappeared with the toolbox and her hair in a ponytail. “That’s tough. I’m sorry. I thought you said she was comfortable going.”
“She didn’t object when I brought it up.” Ian took the toolbox from her and reached for the pliers. Using them, he slowly removed the slip nut and peered inside. “So, I don’t understand why she wouldn’t even try.”
Sophia made a low noise in the back of her throat. “Not objecting isn’t the same as agreeing. Did she actually tell you she was okay with going to therapy?”
Ian paused and looked up at his sister. “Well, no, but I thought not objecting was her way of letting me know she was okay with it.”
Sophia shook her head. “Sometimes, it’s not as straightforward as that.”
Ian frowned and placed the tailpiece inside the bathtub. “It should be. Why do women make things so complicated?”
He couldn’t understand it.
Sophia opened her mouth to protest, but the doorbell rang, interrupting her sentence. With a quick look in her brother’s direction, she made her way outside, pausing to mutter to Teddy. Then Ian heard the sound of the door clicking open and a cacophony of voices, accompanied by Teddy’s excited barking.
Curious, Ian rose to his feet and made his way into the hallway in time to see his kids all forming a semi-circle around the dog, who looked like he was about to burst with excitement. Teddy spun around in circles, his tail wagging enthusiastically the whole time. Kelli hoisted him up into her arms and gave him a slew of kisses. He squirmed in her arms and looked at Dana.
Dana held her arms out, and he jumped into them. “Who’s a good jumper? Yes, you are. You’re a big, strong jumper.”
“I don’t want his slobbery kisses all over me,” Dean told them before leaving a few feet of space between them. “I’ve got a date later, and I can’t show up with dog hair all over my clothes.”
Kelli and Dana exchanged a quick look and burst into laughter.
Kelli patted Dean’s shoulder. “How did you get the poor woman to agree to go out with you? Did you convince her you were related to Batman again?”
Dean scowled and shoved his sister’s hand away. “First of all, it was one time, and I was ten.”
Dana set Teddy down on the floor and clapped her hands together. “Doesn’t matter. We’re going to keep bringing it up till the end of time.”
Kelli looked over at Ian and smiled. “Hey, Dad. We were in the neighborhood, so we asked Aunt Soph if it was okay to stop by and have a playdate with Teddy.”
“And here I thought you were here to see me.” Ian crossed over to Kelli and gave her a hug. Then he tucked Dana into his side and ruffled her hair. “How are two of my favorite girls doing?”
Dana squirmed and inched away from him. “You smell like sweat and plumbing, Dad. No offense.”
“That’s because I’m fixing your Aunt Soph’s bathroom.”
Kelli looked over at her aunt, a furrow appearing between her brows. “Again? You really should have that looked into.”
“When your Uncle Darren has enough time, I’ll pester him about it. Come into the kitchen for some iced tea. Do you guys want something to eat?”
“I’ve got a friend of mine who’s good with his hands. I can ask him to take a look.”
Together, they all stepped out of the hallway and into the kitchen, where Sophia was opening and closing several cupboards. Finally, she poked her head into the fridge and emerged with a pitcher of iced tea. Then, she took out a pack of cookies and arranged them on a plate.
“Is this friend that guy you’ve been seeing?” Dana hopped onto one of the high chairs and snatched a cookie off the plate. “Kelli’s got a boyfriend.”
