“It’s fine. I just meant don’t tease him.”
“Okay. Point taken. But I’m not going to dinner with them tomorrow.”
“Are you supposed to go?”
Liam shook his head. “Pop asked if I would, but . . . no.”
They were a step too slow to make the next light as it changed red.
“No way. You need to go. It’ll help calm him.”
“What? Are you crazy? Me and two seventy-five-year-olds in a restaurant? Do you know what that’s like?”
“No, but I wish I did.”
Ouch.“Oh. Sorry.”
“Don’t be. It is how it is. If you want, I’ll go with you.”
“Seriously?”
“Sure. Assuming you want to go, that is. If you don’t, I understand.”
Coury really wouldn’t understand if Liam didn’t go. Pop had been good to Liam. He should step up for him. “You’re right. I should go. Are you sure you don’t mind coming?”
“Pop treats me like family. It’s what family does. Right?”
“Right.” The light changed and he started to go.
“Coury, hold on. Slider’s not moving.”
He didn’t look hurt. He just stared at Liam like he’d had enough.
“What’s wrong? He seems okay.” Slider watched Coury as he walked closer.
“I know. He was fine until we stopped.”
“You think he’s cold?”
“He’d be less cold if he kept running.”
Coury laughed. “You think he understands that?”
“It doesn’t matter what he thinks. What do we do?”
Coury squatted. “C’mere boy.” Slider practically jumped into his arms.
“Well, we know hecanmove. If he wants to.”
Coury put him down and Liam tried again with the same results. If he tugged hard enough, he could move the dog, but he didn’t want to hurt him.
“I think he’s just lazy,” Coury said. “He’s never been running. We may need to work him up to a full run.”
Liam liked how he saidwe, but it didn’t fix the current problem. “Right, but that’s not getting us home.”
“Nope.” He bent down, and Slider bounded into his arms again. “But this will.”
“You’re going to carry him home?”
