“I found Caeden lying on my bed with both the dogs. He was talking to them and petting Archie behind his ears. It was like our own little family.”

“I followed him down the hall and into his room. He closed the door and tossed my dirty clothes into his hamper. “Don’t do that! I’ll take them home and wash them,” I tried to grab for them but Caeden grabbed my hands instead. “It’s fine,” he kissed the side of my mouth while I squirmed in his grasp.“Caeden, your mom doesn’t need to clean my dirty clothes.”“It’s not a problem. Besides,” he said huskily in my ear, “my mom doesn’t do my laundry. I do my own, just like a big boy.”I laughed. “And you know what else?” his lips brushed my ear. “What?”“I even make my own bed.”

“Maybe you should date him?” I said.“Ugh no thanks,” said Caeden and then grinned. “He’s not as good of a kisser as you. I don’t think I could survive off of Murphy’s kisses. But yours… Your kisses are like heaven.”“Glad to know that you’ve made out with your dog, Caeden,” I said and punched his leg from where I sat on the floor with Archie who had curled up in a little ball on my lap. -Sophie and Caeden”

“I could practically hear the unspoken ‘good girl’ accompanied by a pat and scratch behind my ears like I was his obedient pet.”

“I'm like those placid dogs a family buys when the dog they choose first is too high strung. I'm the pet's pet.”

“Caeden grabbed my hand and grinned like a little boy in a candy shop. “Carnival time!” He drug me from the car and then behind him as he headed to a ring toss game. “I think I need to win my girl a prize,” he said.I laughed.“What?” he shrugged. “It’s like a rite of passage. Every boyfriend has to win his girlfriend a prize,” he winked, turning my stomach to jelly.”