doubt her mom was a genius with marketing and promotion, but Emma just couldn’t afford it right now. And the last thing she wanted was her mom’s fingers in her business. But that idea was a good one.
“I’ll consider it and get in touch with the local shelter. Thanks, Mom.”
“I can help you with the advertising. I already have some things in mind.”
She laughed and looped her arm through her mother’s. “I said I’d think about it. Don’t go hog wild with a marketing plan just yet.”
She loved her mother, but if she did go forward with this plan, she’d have to put a leash on her mom’s marketing genius. The whole idea of going into business for herself was just that—to do it herself. Independence was key.
So far she was doing all right on her own, minus that night of the break-in when she’d needed Luke’s help.
She’d been grateful for that, and despite being irritated with him for offering to take her out on a mercy date, she’d never been happier to see him than when he’d shown up at her clinic that night.
He’d been so sweet to follow her home, too, which she knew wasn’t at all a requirement of his job. It had been him being nice to her.
And she’d been a giant bitch after he’d offered to take her out.
Maybe she should do something about that. She just didn’t know how she would go about it. That, too, was going to require some thought.
After dinner, she went home and loaded Daisy and Annie into her truck, then drove to the park. Daisy would stay right next to her, but she’d been working on leash-training Annie, somewhat unsuccessfully. The pup parked her butt on the trail and refused to move.
“Come on, Annie. You’ll enjoy the walk. It’s nice outside.”
Annie looked up at her, offended by the leash and none too happy about the collar, either. But Emma was determined, and she’d leash-trained plenty of dogs. She gave the leash some lax, and walked a few feet away. Annie followed, and Emma continued to move at a snail’s pace, much to Daisy’s chagrin, who was used to the two of them taking the trails at a run.
Daisy whimpered.
“I know, sweetie,” Emma murmured. “But we have to do this for Annie.”
Annie, who no one had claimed yet or shown interest in adopting.
Emma sighed and patiently worked with Annie for a good half hour, until the pup realized it wasn’t going to win this battle. Annie finally started walking alongside Emma, who gave the pup tons of praise as she clumsily lumbered next to her.
It wasn’t the run Daisy wanted, but next time she’d leave Annie at home and they could jog.
When the sun disappeared behind the houses on the other side of the lake, the temperature dropped. Emma zipped up her jacket, not wanting to head back to her car just yet, even though the trails were mostly deserted.
A few years ago, she wouldn’t have allowed herself to be alone like this.
But this was the new Emma. The Emma who refused to let fear rule her life.
When she heard a car pull up slowly behind her, though, she whipped around, ready to grab Annie and make a mad dash back to her truck.
It was a police car. She leaned forward to see Luke behind the wheel. He stopped and got out, looking sexy in his uniform.
She gave up trying to be immune to the sexy. The man was hot.
“Oh. Hi, Luke,” she said, trying to relax her frantically beating heart.
“Hi yourself. You do know the park closes at eight, right?”
She grabbed her phone out of her pocket to check the time. It was eight thirty. “I’m sorry. I’ve been leash-training Annie and just lost track of time.”
She started back to her truck.
“Hang on,” he said.
He let Boomer out of his car. The three dogs smelled and greeted each other with a wild wag of tails.
He started walking with her.
“You do realize your car is up there,” she said after about five minutes.
He gave her a smile. “Just doing my official duty and making sure you hooligans leave the park.”
She couldn’t
“I’ll consider it and get in touch with the local shelter. Thanks, Mom.”
“I can help you with the advertising. I already have some things in mind.”
She laughed and looped her arm through her mother’s. “I said I’d think about it. Don’t go hog wild with a marketing plan just yet.”
She loved her mother, but if she did go forward with this plan, she’d have to put a leash on her mom’s marketing genius. The whole idea of going into business for herself was just that—to do it herself. Independence was key.
So far she was doing all right on her own, minus that night of the break-in when she’d needed Luke’s help.
She’d been grateful for that, and despite being irritated with him for offering to take her out on a mercy date, she’d never been happier to see him than when he’d shown up at her clinic that night.
He’d been so sweet to follow her home, too, which she knew wasn’t at all a requirement of his job. It had been him being nice to her.
And she’d been a giant bitch after he’d offered to take her out.
Maybe she should do something about that. She just didn’t know how she would go about it. That, too, was going to require some thought.
After dinner, she went home and loaded Daisy and Annie into her truck, then drove to the park. Daisy would stay right next to her, but she’d been working on leash-training Annie, somewhat unsuccessfully. The pup parked her butt on the trail and refused to move.
“Come on, Annie. You’ll enjoy the walk. It’s nice outside.”
Annie looked up at her, offended by the leash and none too happy about the collar, either. But Emma was determined, and she’d leash-trained plenty of dogs. She gave the leash some lax, and walked a few feet away. Annie followed, and Emma continued to move at a snail’s pace, much to Daisy’s chagrin, who was used to the two of them taking the trails at a run.
Daisy whimpered.
“I know, sweetie,” Emma murmured. “But we have to do this for Annie.”
Annie, who no one had claimed yet or shown interest in adopting.
Emma sighed and patiently worked with Annie for a good half hour, until the pup realized it wasn’t going to win this battle. Annie finally started walking alongside Emma, who gave the pup tons of praise as she clumsily lumbered next to her.
It wasn’t the run Daisy wanted, but next time she’d leave Annie at home and they could jog.
When the sun disappeared behind the houses on the other side of the lake, the temperature dropped. Emma zipped up her jacket, not wanting to head back to her car just yet, even though the trails were mostly deserted.
A few years ago, she wouldn’t have allowed herself to be alone like this.
But this was the new Emma. The Emma who refused to let fear rule her life.
When she heard a car pull up slowly behind her, though, she whipped around, ready to grab Annie and make a mad dash back to her truck.
It was a police car. She leaned forward to see Luke behind the wheel. He stopped and got out, looking sexy in his uniform.
She gave up trying to be immune to the sexy. The man was hot.
“Oh. Hi, Luke,” she said, trying to relax her frantically beating heart.
“Hi yourself. You do know the park closes at eight, right?”
She grabbed her phone out of her pocket to check the time. It was eight thirty. “I’m sorry. I’ve been leash-training Annie and just lost track of time.”
She started back to her truck.
“Hang on,” he said.
He let Boomer out of his car. The three dogs smelled and greeted each other with a wild wag of tails.
He started walking with her.
“You do realize your car is up there,” she said after about five minutes.
He gave her a smile. “Just doing my official duty and making sure you hooligans leave the park.”
She couldn’t
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