CHAPTER 1
Kibble wars and holiday plans
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“Max!” Ginny shoutedher husband’s name from the kitchen, where she was elbow-deep in dog food. “You got a minute?” she asked as she attempted to tidy up the pile of spilled kibble. Meanwhile, their rescue dog, Zippy, scarfed down every morsel he could get. Their son, Henry, found the whole scene hilarious, considering he was the cause of the chaos.
“Look at Zippy’s tail,” the young boy exclaimed, clapping from his perch on the counter. “It’s going a million miles an hour.” He slapped his forehead and cried, “I should be filming this.”
“Holy crap,” Max exclaimed when he joined the fray. His salt-and-pepper hair was still wet from the shower, curling at his temples. Ginny lamented that she wouldn’t get to enjoy a moment with her husband, as she adored the smell of his skin fresh out of the shower. Max crunched over to the hound and grabbed Zippy’s collar. “All right, buddy. Let’s go.”
As soon as Max opened the back door, Zippy sprinted outside and barfed in the grass, much to the delight of Henry. “Awesome!”
Ginny slumped against the stove and huffed out a laugh. “That was like, fifty bucks of kibble he just tossed.”
Max walked to the counter, scooped up their son, and plopped him down on the floor. “Good news, Hen,” he said, striving to keep his smile at bay. “You get to do two chores before school today.” Max waggled two fingers in front of his son.
Henry rolled his eyes and looked more like his older sister, who was dangerously close to her teens. “Dad, I’ll be late.”
Ginny joined them at the counter, thrusting a dustpan and broom at the men in her life. “Should have thought of that before you decided to play kibble wars with Zippy.” She winked at Max and went to work making coffee. Her morning routine had been sadly interrupted when she’d discovered Henry upending the dog food canister onto the floor and setting the kitchen timer.
“Otis said their dog ate a whole bag in five minutes,” he’d declared over his shoulder, clearly undeterred by his mother’s reaction. “I said Zippy could whoop his butt.”
By the time Ginny had cornered the poor dog, his snout was covered in kibble dust. While she loved Otis, her best friend’s son had become a bit of a role model for Henry. It was great he had friends in his corner, but she could have done without the literal double dog dare unfolding in her kitchen. “Remind me to thank Natalie for this little challenge.”
Max pushed Henry toward the mess and looped his arm around his wife’s waist, pulling her flush against him. Even after fifteen years, he savored every chance to touch Ginny. Their life was busier than ever, but they still made time for each other. Although lately, not nearly as much as he wanted.
Ginny leaned into Max’s embrace and kissed his cheek before groaning at the time. “Crap on a cracker.” She sighed and stepped back, glancing at her smartwatch. “Shouldn’t Josie be pestering us for breakfast already?”
Henry tossed his head back and bellowed his sister’s name so loudly, the walls shook. “Good Lord, Hen,” Max said, covering his ears. “What did we say about yelling in the house?” The young boy merely shrugged and went back to shoveling dog food back into the bin.
“Um, ewww.” Their daughter announced from the doorway. She was the spitting image of her mother. Josie’s reddish-brown hair hung down by her shoulders, and she wore one of Ginny’s old red sweaters. “Why is Zippy barfing all over the yard?”
Her brother spun on his heels and triumphantly held up the empty dustpan. “Great news!” he beamed, pushing past his parents to get in his sister’s face. “Zippy ate over half a bag of kibble before Mom ruined it.”
Josie wrinkled her nose and shuddered, already looking like a teenager much to her parent’s chagrin. “I’m not cleaning that up,” she said after gagging.
Max ruffled Henry’s hair and chuckled. “You’re right, Josie. Your brother is—right now, so I can make breakfast.”
Ginny patted her daughter’s shoulder before pouring a cup of coffee. Her feet crunched down on a pile of kibble, and she winced. “Hen, come on. You need to clean this up before we let Zippy back inside.” Judging from the unholy sounds coming from their yard, it wouldn’t be anytime soon. Glancing back at the time, she winced. “We’re so late already. I cannot wait for Christmas break.”
Max snorted a laugh. “Because we’re so ready to host our friends and already bought all our presents?”
Not only was Christmas a week away, but the Sanchez clan was hosting. Despite co-owning an events business, Ginny was woefully behind on the details. “Don’t remind me. I need to check with Natalie about what they’re doing. Fortunately, it sounds like Alice and James will have some free time to lend a hand.”
Max cracked a carton of eggs into a bowl and started whisking. “Are he and Alice back from New York?” He tossed a pat of butter into a frying pan before snapping his fingers at Henry. “Hen, you missed a pile over here.”
Ginny added cream to Max’s mug before sliding his caffeine across the counter. “I think they got back this morning, but don’t quote me on that.” She took a sip from her cup before adding, “Or they might have been in Canada? You know those two, I never know where they’re jet setting to next.”
Josie paused her texting long enough to glance up at her mother. “Do you think we’ll get to go to New York again in the new year?”
Ginny smiled at her daughter. “I hope so. We had so much fun with Alice last year.” Alice had joined her husband in the Big Apple for an art show in the spring. She decided to host a girl’s weekend for all her Buckeye Falls ladies who could get away. It had been amazing, palling around the city with her daughter, showing her places she’d loved while she was a temporary New Yorker. Natalie had brought her daughter Madeline, and Mallory and CeCe had made it as well, rounding out their friend group.
“No peppers in my eggs, Dad,” Josie said, already with her nose back in her phone.
Max bit his lip. “I know, honey. This isn’t my first time making you breakfast.”
Finally finished with his kibble clean-up, Henry joined his sister at the table and sighed. “Are we having bacon?”
