Jack's sitting at a table near the door, leaning over a real estate paper and a large cup of coffee. He jumps as something nudges his leg, and he looks down to see a black and white dog sniffing his shoe.
He's about to look for a collar when he hears Jordan's shout and she and Frank walk in and the dog runs off to sniff at something else.
"You have a very adventurous dog, I see," Jack says, as the dog sniffs around the fireplace.
"Hi, Jordan," Jack says with a friendly smile. "I think friendly acquaintances would work. We don't get to talk in here very often. What's your dog's name?"
"Hi, Benny," Jack says, reaching down to scratch the dog's ears. "So Benny is your guard dog?" His tone is light, but he looks up at Frank for a moment and his eyes are serious.
Jack notices the second glance and he's starting to wonder if there's someone behind him. He can be paranoid enough at the best of times, and Jordan's not helping that much.
He quickly glances behind him under the pretense of pushing his chair back a little. No one there, which doesn't help much.
"Sure I do. Do you have a ball or something, or should I get one from the bar?"
"Sure, just give me a minute," Jack says, standing with another casual look behind his chair. Still nothing, even something across the room or on the wall.
Shaking the feeling off, he walks over to the bar to ask for a red ball. Don't want to disappoint Benny with an inferior ball, of course.
He's about to look for a collar when he hears Jordan's shout and she and Frank walk in and the dog runs off to sniff at something else.
"You have a very adventurous dog, I see," Jack says, as the dog sniffs around the fireplace.
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"Hi, Jack."
A beat.
"This is my daughter. Jordan."
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"Hi."
She shifts her attention to Frank.
"Is he your friend, Daddy?"
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Benny has come back over to visit with Jack's shoes.
His tail is thumping against Jordan.
She does not seem to mind.
"I got to name him."
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His glance catches Jack's and holds, just for an instant.
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Her gaze flicks away from him, looking over his shoulder. It stays there for a couple seconds.
Her hand tightens on Daddy's.
"He keeps the bad man away. And he sleeps with me."
He doesn't keep the nightmares away, but he's good to have around when she wakes up.
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His free hand covers their linked ones even as he nods to Jack, very slightly.
"Between me and Benny and all your friends, there's nothing to worry about."
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Her gaze flicks behind Jack again.
"Do you want to play with him?"
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There's nothing (no one) there.
Not that he can see, at least.
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He quickly glances behind him under the pretense of pushing his chair back a little. No one there, which doesn't help much.
"Sure I do. Do you have a ball or something, or should I get one from the bar?"
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Because clearly Jack cares about this, and she does not want anyone to think she deprives Benny of anything.
"Red is his favorite color."
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Shaking the feeling off, he walks over to the bar to ask for a red ball. Don't want to disappoint Benny with an inferior ball, of course.
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"What's wrong, Jordan?"
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