[Ah, she’s as close to a daughter as he’ll ever have, and he loves her. Arms around her, he gives her a squeeze, lifting her feet off the ground. Muffled.]

Hey darlin’.

Oh, please. Coffee sounds great.

[He takes his boots off, and hangs up his jacket. Then, he ambles toward her, arms open.]

You gonna bring it in?

[DD boofs softly, tail a wagging, then moves closer to give Panda a sniff. He loves Panda. While those two are occupied, he moves inside with her, and they await their companions.]

Could be. Oh. Yeah.

[Yeah, he always plays things close to the chest. When they reach the door, he whistles, and DD comes trotting out of the gloom silently, his single wolfy eye gleaming.]

Cmon, DD. Roaming time’s over.

Smart man.

[They’re coming up on home now, and Adam gestures.]

I’ve got a room in town, wouldn’t want to impose…

[But he’ll come in, if invited.]

[That gets a chuckle out of him, and he gives her a single finger gun.]

Yep. You’re pretty good.

I figure Panda would have told him to get lost if I wasn’t here.

[He likes Panda. They cross the road together, and he stays close, but doesn’t touch her.]

Still, can of mace might be handy.

[Turning his head to peer over in that general direction, he returns his attention to her after a moment or two.]

No idea. Didn’t like his vibe, though.

[The man mumbles something, then turns to walk across the road away from the girl and dog. Good. Adam flashes a smile at her, then gestures as the crosswalk light changes.]

Long time no see, kiddo. You gonna cross?