“Welcome home, Bug,” he whispered.
She licked his ear and the side of his neck before he finally lowered her to the floor.
Johnny closed the door and crouched down. “I’m here too, you know.”
Beatle raced over to him, tail whipping from side to side. Johnny wrapped his arms around her.
“We missed you, Bug.”
She licked the end of his nose, then sat neatly in front of him. Her eyes moved from Johnny to the pocket where he had hidden the treat and then across to Isak.
Isak laughed and gave a small nod.
Johnny opened his hand. Beatle snatched the treat before he had even finished lowering it and settled happily in the middle of the floor to chew.
“Shall we go and say hello to your dad and Innes?” Johnny asked, getting to his feet.
“Come on.”
Beatle immediately carried what remained of her treat over to her newly improved basket and carefully hid it beneath the cushion. Both boys politely pretended not to notice before following her out of the room.
Beatle trotted ahead of them down the stairs.
“Hello, boys,” Michael called from the hallway.
“Evening, Uncle Mick,” Johnny called back.
“Hi, Dad.”
