KNOX WHINED FROM THE other room. I cracked open one eye to peek at my alarm clock and groaned. It was only 6:00 a.m. Knox seemed to know that someone was awake and whined again, louder than before. If he woke up Dad, he would feel obligated to take him for a walk. But Dad needed his sleep. An upcoming deadline at work had made him stressed and more tired than usual and he'd been grumpy. I hated seeing him so out of sorts. The least I could do was let him sleep in.
Yawning, I stumbled out of my room to Knox. "Quiet, boy. You'll wake Dad." Then I realized that his whining had stopped the second I put a foot on my bedroom floor.
I opened his crate. "You little rascal!" He hustled out, his nose seeking my hand. I gave him a good head rub, making sure to get under his ears to the spot he lo
