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It had been a long day, made longer by the sound of Dane's voice just across the hall from her. He'd never been very verbal in his gaming before, but since taking Ares' advice and starting a streaming channel, the Dalmatian had needed to present a personality that his viewers could connect with. And that meant talking to the camera, and engaging vocally with his games. He wasn't loud enough to disrupt her work when she was concentrating...but the occasional reminder that he was just across the hall, and probably in a very good mood, tempted the female Dalmatian sorely. She was still getting used to it even after several weeks of their new arrangement.

So it was something of a relief when she could finally punch out of her official workday, wrap up the couple of personal projects she'd been compiling, and head downstairs. The other open doors in the hallway told her that Ares and Dane were taking a break from their respective streams, and it was still a little early for Gemini's shift at the skate rink, so they could all enjoy at least a few minutes of socializing. That was all Johanna ever really needed. Making her way carefully down the steps with one hand on the rail and the other holding her phone up in front of her nose like usual, Johanna nearly dropped her precious device when a loud pop rang out in the living-room, followed by all three of her housemates cheering: "Happy birthday!"

They'd strung up a banner above the television. Confetti was already falling into the carpet as Ares grinned with the popper in his hand. Dane and Gemini were carefully holding a small cake above the coffee table, tilted a little toward her so she could see the design, which looked like a pink flip-phone with the words "Happy B-Day" written in icing on the screen in the upper half.

Johanna blinked at them blankly for a second. "Thank you, but you're a little early, aren't you?" she asked at last as she finished descending the stairs, "It's not until tomorrow."

Gemini giggled as she and Dane carefully set the cake down on the table again, and Dane started lighting the candles. "Yeah, but there's a reason for that. I'll tell you all about it when it's time for presents," she beamed, "Now come make a wish and cut this thing! I've only got half an hour before I have to get going for my shift, and I could use the sugar!"

Johanna did not for one minute think Gemini needed any amount of sugar to contribute to her abundance of energy. But she wasn't about to decline, either. Sitting down on the couch, the female Dalmatian stared into the candle flames while her family playfully sang a short song for her, then leaned over to kiss Dane's cheek before blowing out the candles. A minute or two later they were all sitting around the little table with tiny paper plates in hand, topped with cubes of the light, fluffy cake.

Dane nearly lost his helping when Johanna turned sideways to lay across the couch and his lap. She kept her tail still enough for him to safely rest his plate on her butt, though...even when he indulged her by actually doing so. "This is sweet," the female Dalmatian noted after enjoying a couple of forkfuls of the dessert, although it wasn't the cake she was referring to, "But I hope you guys didn't go out of your way for presents. Gemi's new paycheck is helping a lot, but our budget's still kind of tight."

The Doberman giggled, her tail wagging double-time against her own rump at the subtle praise. "Thanks! We kept it reasonable, though. That's why we're having the party tonight," she winked. Johanna just looked at her patiently, enjoying another mouthful of dessert while she waited for the Doberman to explain. "Ares and I won't be seeing you tomorrow," Gemini continued, sounding just a little disappointed at the confession, though her smile never faltered, "Like, at all. We're going to take the camper and get lost until Sunday, so you can have Dane all to yourself for the weekend. He's going to take you for a dinner-date tomorrow. Happy birthday!"

Johanna froze with her fork not quite in her mouth, and her tail briefly became a genuine threat to Dane's cake. "Gods forgotten, I do love you," the Dalmatian sighed. Then she noticed Ares giving his sister a slightly peeved look. "Did she not tell you?" Johanna guessed, "I'll make it up to you on Sunday."

"Nah," the big Doberman sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, "I should know better than to try putting together a surprise without talking to her about it first. We're good at stepping on each other's tails like that." By way of explanation, he offered Johanna a long, narrow envelope containing his gift. Johanna opened it amid curious looks from both Dane and Gemini. Inside was a folded page declaring a reservation at one of the campsites on Witch-Mountain. "I got a nice, big donation on one of my streams about a month ago, and I've been looking for a chance to take you camping. So I reserved a site...for tomorrow night," he chuckled, then shrugged. "Too late to cancel it, so I guess you know where Gemi and I will be about this time tomorrow. Or you and Dane could have a private outing."

Gemini put her hands over her mouth in embarrassment. "Oh, Ares, I'm sorry! Dane and I have been talking about this since we moved in. We should have told you..."

"Can we join you?" Johanna interrupted, reaching back with one hand to pat Dane's knee, "I love this present, but I want time with all of you on my birthday. So let me have him tonight instead, and through dinner tomorrow. We'll come join you after we eat. Will that be alright?"

"You know it will," Dane declared, though the question hadn't been directed at him, "They'll just get the tents pitched and the campsite put together, and wait for us to join them." He bit his tongue on the two extra words that would turn the statement into a question, trying hard to keep the embarrassment off his face as all three of them blinked at him in surprise. A bright, excited smile slowly stretched across Gemini's face as she realized what he was doing, and she nodded eagerly, while her brother agreed in a quieter manner, trying to figure out what had suddenly come over the usually passive and polite Dalmatian. Dane lifted his plate just enough to firmly pat Johanna's rump as he straightened his posture on the couch. "Move this, so I can actually eat."

Giving him a blank stare over her shoulder, Johanna's tail started wagging slowly before she obeyed. "Yes, brother," she answered softly, sitting upright beside him with her shoulder leaned against his, "Anything else?"

"Not until after Gemi leaves," he answered, leaning against her in return and taking a big bite of his cake. With a chuckle, he added, "Yeah, this is part of your gift from me. I'm going to do my darndest not to be indecisive tomorrow. Or tonight, since we're starting a little early," he smiled, turning to kiss the top of her head. "Push back against anything I decide that you--!" Johanna cut him off with a firm kiss on the lips, still sweet with icing.

Gemini giggled, then leaned over to nuzzle Ares. "Do you want to come to work with me today? I didn't mean for it to turn out this way, but it looks like you're going to be on your own until I get back. That won't be until close to midnight."

Ares gave her a grateful kiss on the cheek, but shook his head. "I'll do a surprise bonus-stream for my channel. Or see if G.D.'d appreciate being in the house for a little while," he grinned with a wink, making his sister's eyes bulge.

"Oh wuff, don't you dare start that without me here to watch!" she laughed, giving his thigh a playful slap. Then the female Doberman checked the clock with a sigh. "I should get going. You two have fun," she grinned at the Dalmatians still lip-locked on the couch, "I'll crash in one of the offices when I get back, so I don't interrupt anything."

"Master bed," Dane corrected, pulling just a little away from Johanna, "You and Ares can have the master bed tonight. We're going to be in Johanna's office. I get the feeling we're going to want that attached bathroom." Johanna's tail wagged once, announcing her approval of this plan. Gemini giggled, but nodded her understanding, then went sauntering out the door.

Johanna waved to Ares to get his attention just as he was starting to clean up the mess from their little party. Once she had his attention, she patted the couch on her other side. The Doberman quirked a brow, but took a seat where she'd indicated, and was surprised when she scooted back to sit directly in his lap and put both arms around his neck. "We aren't starting yet," she answered his curious look, "It's still pretty early. I need an actual dinner, and you need to be told 'I love you' a few times, so you won't feel lonely when I go to enjoy my present."

Ares blinked at her for a second, then laughed. "Nah, girl, you've been clear from the get-go where I stand in the order of things. I'm not going to be upset over you taking one night exclusively with your favorite," he winked, giving her a kiss on the side of her muzzle.

She followed his kiss with one on the lips, soft and warm and full of affection. "Even so," she nuzzled his chin after the kiss, "It's unfair to you, and I don't want you feeling neglected. So, if brother will allow it, you can feed me dinner and your bone before he takes me away for the night."

"No," Dane said firmly. His smile looked a little forced as they both gave him matching stares and Johanna's tail slowly wagged despite her surprise. "The roast still needs a little more time in the crock-pot," her brother explained with a chuckle, "So you'll have to start with the other thing. Open your pants," he instructed Ares, then added for his sister, "Enjoy it."

Johanna's tail wagged a couple more times, increasing its tempo, as she took a slow, deep, not-entirely-steady inhale through her nose before rubbing her cheek against Ares'. "You heard him, right?" she whispered in sultry tones to her boyfriend's ear, "Do as you're told."

Johanna could feel the bulge rising in his pants before she could even start scooting out of his lap. This kind of assertiveness turned him on almost as much as it did her, made all the more potent by the fact that Dane rarely made demands like this. He was working hard for her sake. Johanna rolled onto all fours and turned around to lower her face between Ares' thighs. The Doberman spread them to give her room, and unfastened the button of his pants while Johanna unzipped them for him. Pressing the waist of his boxers down enough to get his balls out through the gap, the Dalmatian cooed, "Thank you for the treat, sugarstick," before bowing her head to the bit of pink flesh halfway out of his sheath already. Her tongue circled it as it passed through her lips, and even slid into the rim of his sheath, coaxing the rest of his bone out into her warm mouth.

Ares took a shuddering breath at the sudden stimulation, and felt Dane pat his shoulder. "Hey...," the male Dalmatian gnashed his teeth on whatever he'd been about to say, which had probably been apologetic. Rethinking it quickly, he continued, "Give her a good one." Ares chuckled, lightly laying a hand on the back of Johanna's head as she began bobbing up and down on his bone.

Dane ran an appreciative hand over Johanna's up-turned rump in front of him, slowly caressing from just underneath her tail to the back of her leg before sneaking between her thighs to unfasten her pants. Johanna's tail began to wag slowly and consistently, though she pretended not to notice even when Dane rolled the seat of her pants down her legs and started to feel up her bottom directly. Her rhythm on Ares' bone never broke, and the little hums and coos she was making went uninterrupted throughout the fondling.

Seeing Ares' face becoming strained, and his breath coming quicker, Dane seemed to get an idea. Tugging the shoulder of the Doberman's shirt, the Dalmatian leaned over close, puckering his lips. Taking the hint, Ares likewise leaned in, closing his eyes as he reached for the other male's lips, though their noses met first. "Tell her," Dane instructed holding just their noses in contact until Ares complied.

"Ah wuff, sweetcakes," the Doberman shuddered, "My boyfriend's about to steal one of your kisses."

"Be sure to take it back, after you've had your treat," Dane added before pressing his lips to Ares' at last. Johanna simply nodded her understanding, the tempo of her tail increasing as it drummed against Dane's chest. The boys remained lip-locked until Ares' tensed up, his whole body growing still and tight and his knot pressing urgenly against Johanna's lips. "I'm gonna be mean," Dane warned as he broke the kiss to let Ares breathe properly, "Keep it quiet."

"Oh wuff," Ares groaned, flexing his thighs under Johanna's chin and taking a dangerously tight grip on the back of her shirt with both hands. A long, almost pained whine escaped his throat as he pressed down on Johanna's back (rather than her head), and she carefully swallowed each and every spurt of his pleasure with an audible gulp.

At last Ares opened his mouth for a good, deep breath as the climax subsided. Johanna rolled over in place and sat up, still carrying a bit of his milk on her tongue as she reclaimed the kiss Dane had stolen from his lips, exchanging a bit of Ares' taste for it. "Wuff, brother," Johanna sighed against his chest after a moment, "I might have changed my mind about dinner."

"Too bad," her brother chuckled, patting her bare rump while quoting an old family rule, "If you get to start with dessert, you don't get to skip the entre."

She kissed his chest with another sigh. "Yes, brother." Laying back across both of their laps, Johanna kicked her pants the rest of the way off her legs and the couch both, letting Dane rest his hands on her bare legs and stare all he liked at her glistening muffin while she and Ares cooled off. Her brother was wise enough not to torture himself needlessly before the time came.

Dinner was simple, warm, and delicious: a crock-pot stew of beef and vegetables that Gemini had started early that morning. It was an outright shame she wouldn't get to enjoy any, herself, until it became tomorrow's leftovers. To a one, though, her housemates were grateful for her thoughtfulness. Johanna kissed Ares' cheeks once more as they finished up, asked him to handle the dishes, and whispered something short and secretive in his ear. The big Doberman chuckled, and thanked her with a kiss in return.

Stepping around the table and taking Dane's hand, Johanna quietly declared, "I'd like to have my present now, please."

Dane nodded with a smile, but nudged her in the direction of the couch with a gentle pat on her still-bare bottom. She had remained pants-less throughout dinner, and close to Ares, as a last little treat to him. "I'm going to want to take those off you," he pointed out the jeans piled beside the couch, "So you're going to need to put them back on."

"Panties, too?" she asked apathetically, deliberately lifting her tail as she bent over to collect the garments and begin stepping into them.

"Yes," her brother nodded firmly, "But that's your own fault for wearing such a pretty set tonight." He'd always liked the way the powder-blue lace looked against her white fur, and she knew it. Johanna pulled up her panties first, carefully fitting them to the curve of her rump, before following them with her pants. All zipped and fastened, she waited patiently for Dane to take her hand and lead her up to the bedroom.

As soon as the door clicked shut, she started for the bed, but Dane caught her around the waist and pulled her back against him. He kissed the back of her neck softly, then her cheek, then rested his head beside hers for a moment. "I'm only going to ask this once," he promised softly, "Was I too rude to him? I feel like a bit of a heel already..."

Johanna reached up to pat the cheek opposite hers. "I'll make him forgive you if you were. Don't stress yourself trying to keep up the act...but do know that I am loving it. Thank you," she added quickly with a sideways kiss to the end of his nose.

Dane just chuckled. "Not half as much as I loved that date at the mall with you and Gemi. I owe you at least that much of an act. Now lose that top," he commanded, squelching his hesitance once more. Johanna leaned forward just enough to avoid catching his chin on the fabric as she raised the shirt over her head and dropped it behind the door. Her bra followed in a second, then she leaned back to rub her bare shoulders against his chest and her hands down his hips, inviting him to put arms around the rest of her and hands wherever he pleased. Dane indulged himself just a little, running his hands up her belly and cupping them between her breasts, separating them and claiming one with the palm of each hand.

Johanna sighed happily as he gently squeezed her, then blinked in surprise when he told her softly, "You can stop that now." Tilting her head to one side, she shot him a curious look over her shoulder. "I told you to enjoy it downstairs for Ares' sake," Dane smiled, "This is your present, though. It's your turn to relax, and mine to work. So no acting," he chided, kissing the side of her neck.

The female Dalmatian rocked her head thoughtfully. "...What if I'm not?"

"I'll take that as very high praise, then," her brother laughed, nudging her toward the bed, "But I don't think I've done nearly enough for those sounds to be genuine yet. I'll believe them after a climax or two, maybe."

Johanna's tail wagged at the promise. "Alright," she agreed calmly, sauntering over to the foot of the bed and turning to face him with her hands folded behind her back, offering him a perfectly unfettered view of her breasts. "Be pushy, then. I'm liking this game."

He refused to let the instinctive wince show on his face, instead running his tongue around his lips. "Wuff, you look hot half-naked. It's kind of a shame those pants can't stay on."

Rocking her head thoughtfully again, Johanna turned her back to him and bent over just far enough to lay her hands on the mattress, then reached back to trace her fingers along the seam that followed the cleft of her rump up to her tail. "I like this set, but I can forgive you if you rip them. Just spare the panties, if you can. They were a little expensive."

Stepping up behind her with a chuckled, Dane slid his hands up the back of her legs and the inviting curve of her rump, even tucking his fingers into the snug pockets over each cheek. They made surprisingly good hand-holds for a little squeeze. But then he continued on up to her hips and around her belly, drawing her up and back against him, standing once more. One hand tucked between her breasts again, palm against her sternum to keep her from bending forward, while the other sneaked quickly back down to her hip and into her front pocket...to pluck out her cell phone. "Remember when we first started this, and I told you my one rule was not to use this in the bedroom?" he asked, holding the little device out in front of her.

"Yes," she nodded clearly.

"You've been really good about that," her brother praised her with a kiss on the back of her neck, causing her tail to wag once, "If you'd like to have it in hand tonight, you may, since it's your night to enjoy."

Johanna shook her head slowly. "It has some games that Gemini enjoys, and of course the camera I used with Ares. But I don't have the creativity to do more with it than that." Rubbing her cheek briefly against his, she added, "It's how I distract myself from my anxiety, mostly. That's why I'm always stuck to it. But I don't need distracting from you...or from this. I never disliked your rule."

"If you insist," Dane agreed, kissing her neck again and laying the device by the foot-board, just on the edge of the mattress. Both of his hands then pressed down her belly, through the thick fluff of her pelvic fur, and began unfastening her jeans. Johanna reached back to lay her hands on his hips while he opened her clothes, and tipped her head back to rest on his shoulder when he got the fly open and his fingers next slipped under the lacy waistline of her panties.

He teased the lips above her pearl, noting how wet and slick they already were. She might not even notice him sliding into her until she got to the knot. But they weren't to that part yet. Gliding his hands around to either side, he gently eased the waist of both panties and pants further down her hips. "Not gonna lie: I'm still not very fond of tail-holes. I'm still going to wuff yours, obviously," he quickly assured her as the denim curled down the smooth curve of her butt, and finally collapsed into a pile around her ankles, "Yours is cute, and you and Gemi go to great lengths to make them as pleasant and inviting as possible. But I'm going to indulge the other side tonight. I don't get to play with it so often, and I think you like it more, too."

"I would adore letting you roll my muffin," she confirmed in a flat, even tone, "But it's dangerous. You're welcome to play with it whenever you like, though," his sister reminded him, "Even with Gemini and Ares watching."

"You'll just have to trust me to keep you safe, then," Dane chuckled, giving her bare bottom a gentle pat, "Now get up there, lay down on your back, and keep those knees wide open for me."

Her eyes flared wide for half a second, and her breath caught in her throat. "Yes, brother," she answered softly before carefully crawling onto the bed and rolling onto her back, looking up at him with her arms behind her head and her knees and ankles firmly planted wider than her hips. She stared into his eyes while offering the complete and total view of herself, and a look of genuine longing finally began to creep into her otherwise blank expression.

Still fully clothed, Dane crawled on with her, laying down on his belly between her spread ankles, and hooked his arms around her thighs as he bent his head to the shining-wet lips of her sex. Her toes flexed as his tongue traced around the excited folds, dipped deep into her love-tunnel, then arced up to bathe her pearl in one loving lick after another. Johanna reached down with one hand to playfully run her fingers through his short hair while Dane ate her out. "I love you, Dane," she muttered softly while he was busy polishing her pearl.

"I love you, too, Johanna," he answered just as softly, never taking his lips away from her muffin. She enjoyed his warm affections for several minutes, idly playing with his hair. With his lips thoroughly wet with her arousal, Dane crawled up to give her a firm kiss on the lips, then sat back on his heels and pulled his shirt over his head. "Are you nervous?" he asked with a sly grin as he unzipped his pants, "About what I'm going to do next?"

"More like curious," she answered as if it didn't really matter either way, "You know my concerns, and it's not safe, but I trust you, so I wonder how you're going to reconcile those." Johanna's tail wagged once as his bone flopped free of his underpants, and she rocked her knees invitingly while he shuffled to pull his pants out from under his legs and dropped them off the bed. Whether she thought he was just being coy or reckless, she was clearly enjoying his efforts tonight.

Dane loomed over her again, and Johanna laid back on the pillows, looking up at him curiously. Dane just smiled down at her, and kissed her chin. "Then close your eyes, and find out what it feels like to have my bone in your muffin." Tilting her head, Johanna did close her eyes, and relaxed her legs to open herself up to him. Dane reached down between them to carefully nestle his shaft in the cleft of her lips, keeping the head well above her pearl, then pressed his hips down to slide back and forth along the channel they formed. Johanna gasped, grit her teeth against the sudden pressure, then exhaled a soft, pleasured whimper. "Now that one," Dane whispered in her ear, "I believe was no act."

"Harder, brother," Johanna whispered back, "That's so good..."

He put a little more weight into his hips, grinding carefully against hers. His sister drew deep breaths with each thrust, as he rolled (nearly) the full length of his bone over her pearl in one long stroke. When she felt his knot rocking against her, firm and thick, she hooked her heels behind his thighs encouragingly. "How will you...fit that...brother?" she panted between thrusts, eyes still closed and savoring the pretense of having him actually inside her forbidden garden, "I want it."

"Mmph...how about...this?" he grunted, already nearing his own orgasm, much to his embarrassment. The silky skin of her vulva really did feel amazing to him, and he was already warning himself not to get it in his head to do this often, or he might become addicted. But in answer to her question, he rocked forward a little further than usual on the next thrust, nesting the bulge of his knot in her honey-slicked entrance, and twisted his hips gently to work it partially through the gate to her love-tunnel. Johanna moaned, clenching him with her legs and arms both, and Dane paused his grinding...but managed to resist the instinct to withdraw completely. "Bad? Want it out?"

She shook her head, but quickly, and with her hands clenched tight in the fur of his shoulders. "Thicker...than Ares. Not used...to it...here," she huffed, carefully bucking her hips to bounce him back to a more comfortable level. With a relieved sigh, Johanna kissed his lips. "Do that again, but you can't leave it there. The stretch hurts. In, then out...and don't stop until we both finish. Gods forgotten, I'm so close," she whispered.

Dane grinned, feeling no small amount of pride that his little trick had gotten the results he'd hoped for, and pressed into her again firmly. From there, grinding his knot into her entrance and his bone down on her pearl with each firm thrust, it didn't seem to take long for Johanna to be panting for breath with her tongue lolling out the side of her mouth in an almost comical impression of Gemini. Dane kissed her chin as she drew one more shivering breath and tensed up, tilting her head as far back as the pillows would allow and half-howling, half-whimpering her orgasm into the headboard.

"Hehe...so that's what it sounds like when you're not deliberately acting excited, huh?" Dane chuckled, to which Johanna immediately pulled him into a tight hug, and bumped her heels against his legs like she was spurring a horse.

"Don't...stop," she begged, "Fill...me..."

He'd paused when she climaxed, to avoid over-stimulating her, but went back to grinding hard against her at her insistence. Johanna kissed his neck and chin, hugging him with arms and legs both, and whimpered in happiness again when his groan grew into a howl and he finally climaxed, spilling the milk of his pleasure between their pressed bellies.

When he tried to roll off of her, Johanna rolled right along with him, reversing their positions to huddle on top of his strong chest. "Hmm, I'm going to take that to mean you liked it," Dane chuckled once he'd caught his breath, idly combing his fingers through her long hair while they cooled down.

Johanna nodded with her cheek against his chest. "Best birthday present ever," she declared, and trusted him to ignore the lack of enthusiasm in her voice, "That really was a great idea, Dane."

"I'm glad," he kissed her head, then patted her back gently. "Now we need that bath, I think," he chuckled as she nodded agreement, "And to test how long you can hold your breath." Johanna smiled in that subtle fashion she had, and her tail wagged twice...

Over the course of the night, he wuffed her in every hole she had, and twice in her favorite. He didn't ask permission once, and she didn't resist any of his instructions. It wasn't the longest or most intense love-making session she had endured, but it was easily the most satisfying. Johanna collapsed onto the mattress at the end of it with a genuine, heart-felt smile shattering her usually dead-pan expression.

The bed was warm. Warmer than usual, when she woke up. Almost uncomfortably so. Johanna kicked the blanket off, but her back still felt hot. She tried to sit up, so she could get up, and make her way groggily down the stairs to where the rest of her family was waiting, like she did every morning. It took her a moment to realize the sitting-up part had failed...and another minute after that to realize something was holding her down.

"Morning sis," Dane chuckled, still keeping a firm grip around her belly, "You awake enough to count to ten yet?"

She felt instinctively insulted, knowing she was darn well able to do a great deal more than count to ten. Then she decided she was still too tired to prove it. Then she realized she'd made his point. Then it occurred to her that she wasn't alone in the bed. She was so used to being the last one to wake that the feel of another body in the bed hadn't made sense to her groggy brain. Rolling over to face her brother, she pulled her hair out of her face enough to peek one eye open, make sure of her aim, and then kissed his lips. "G'morn'n'," she mumbled before burying her face in his chest again.

"That's about what I thought," her brother grinned, and kissed the top of her head. "Good morning to you, too. There's coffee on the nightstand when you're ready. No hurry," he promised, maintaining his grip on her. Johanna's tail wagged once. She could have a nice, slow morning. No trying to shove herself half-conscious out of bed to go looking for him. No vague anxiety about the house being too quiet, and worrying what that meant until she heard his voice. He was waiting right here for her.

"I. Love. You," she carefully enunciated with her eyes still closed, then fell out of consciousness for at least another half an hour. Slowly but surely, she joined the waking world, and they started their day together as a couple. He got her downstairs, and comfy in his lap, and shamelessly petted whichever part of her she turned to him as they watched a movie together. He let her fondle him teasingly while he played one of his console games, making the familiar maps significantly more challenging than usual. Late in the afternoon, though still a tad early for evening, Dane even took her out into town, to a nice restaurant, before the crowds started showing up. They ate across from each other, and were careful not to be overtly lovey-dovey out where someone who might know them could see, but Johanna got to cling to his arm for the entire walk there and back, remarking on the window displays together.

Finally, just as the sun touched the horizon far off behind the mountains, they made their way to the Masked-Fox Lodge and began the walk up the windy, narrow road leading to the campsites. Once well out of sight of the lodge and the bulk of people they might encounter, Dane gently extracted his hand from Johanna's and put it around her hips instead. Johanna leaned against him, tucking her phone into her pocket, and enjoyed the entire walk with tail wagging.