No-Good Dog Poacher

"You're taking good care of her, are you?"

"I am. She says she doesn't want to go back to your place. She's gonna stay with me aren't you, girl? Who's a pretty girl, who is? Yeah, you are. You're a pretty girl-"

"Declan! Stop cooing at my dog."

It was just as Ethan had feared. Molly loved Declan. Declan loved Molly right back and fed her treats all the time, which they worked off on jogging trails that left Molly jerking her paws in her sleep from happiness. When Ethan picked her up from Declan's, she was always whining and licking at her dogsitter. Ethan suspected Declan was using underhanded methods, or rubbing ham on his hands or something, just to drive Ethan nuts. And then Declan was cooing at her, comforting her and Ethan always worried that one day she would just sit her ass down and refuse to come home.

Letting Declan take care of her during his and Julia's honeymoon had been a bad idea. He should've asked Luther who respected Ethan enough to not try and poach his dog. Declan respected Ethan well enough, but he had no shame. In the beginning, Ethan had suspected Declan just used Molly to get a date with that Doberman owner at the dog park, but when that had fallen flat and Declan still cooed at Molly, he had known there was something more between them.

"Listen, we're getting back on Thursday. I'm gonna pick her up on Friday morning. And she better want to come home with me then."

Behind him, Julia was giggling. She found the whole thing very amusing and didn't even stop laughing when he was glaring at her. He really didn't need that right now.

Declan hummed, not sounding concerned at all. In fact, it didn't even sound like he was listening to Ethan. He proved that by cutting off Ethan's warnings.

"Listen, I'd love to hear more, but we really gotta go now or we'll be late for agility."

"What?" Ethan yelled into the phone. "Agility?"

"Yeah. Molly really loves that jumping and balancing stuff. She's great, too. You should take her some time."

Ethan was just about to reply with something scathing when he heard a demanding bark in the background. He could hear Declan mumbling away from the phone, "Yeah, yeah, Mollybaby, I'm coming. Just gotta finish with your dad." Then Declan's voice came in clear over the speaker again. "Listen, Ethan, you two have fun. I really need to go. Give my love to Julia. See you, bye!"

"Bye!" Julia called out just before the line clicked.

Ethan was so stunned he didn't have time to reply. He shot Julia a suspicious glance, but she was still smiling happily at his antics as if she knew something he didn't. He should have never asked Declan. The agent and Molly fit together too well, both hyperactive and in their own ways loving and lovable. And apparently both were skilled at balancing and jumping, too. Still, no matter how nice a guy Declan was, in Ethan's book he was nothing more than a no-good dog poacher.