“Yeah I thought I’d bring him in as a flower dog,” Emma said chuckling. Rex growled again, louder this time. “Rex, back,” Emma snapped. He obeyed but his body stayed angled toward Daniel, ears rigid, eyes locked, tracking him until Daniel took a cautious step back.
“Right,” Daniel said, already retreating. “Just surprised, that’s all.” He gave a quick thumbs-up, the smile not quite reaching his eyes, and pulled the door shut. The growl faded only after the latch clicked into place. Silence settled over the room.