“Oscar has a lot of energy. Does he ever get tired?”
“So far not yet. I’ve been throwing this thing for almost an hour. Look at him. He hasn’t slowed down one bit, but my arm? Ready to fall off.” He chuckled. The dog began his return run with the Frisbee clamped neatly between his sharp teeth. “Oscar, do you want to go for a ride?”
At the word, doggy ears pricked. Brown eyes sparkled. The Lab grinned widely around the plastic disk in his mouth, pivoted neatly and bounded toward the distant truck.
“Hey, wait up!” Liam called out, but the dog already loped far ahead. “I didn’t think that out real well.”
“No? You’ll get used to it.” Brooke breezed along at his side with the sunshine glinting in her dark locks and caressing the side of her face, polishing her, holding her in the soft golden glow.
There was something ethereal about the moment. The heavenly light, the peaceful evening and the brightness of the park made the evening surreal. The green lawn, blue sky and nodding trees were as vibrant as a scene in a movie. This felt like a monumental moment, defining, one he would not forget.
Brooke whistled. The shrill note sailed on the wind and stopped Oscar in his tracks. The yellow dog swung around on his haunches, ears up, tongue lolling. Brooke laughed. “Wait up, silly boy.”
Wasn’t she something? The sight of her riveted him. Bronzed in the evening sunlight, carefree and laughing, she was so lovely she made calm settle within him. A deep well of peace he’d never felt before. It was as if his entire soul stilled.
Surely that couldn’t be a good sign.
“Come here, boy. Come on!” She patted her knee, calling him in her mellow, warm way. Unable to resist, Oscar bolted across the stretch of the city park. Ears flopping, muscles flexing, paws eating up ground.
“Now it’s your turn.” She fastened those hyacinth-blue eyes on him, the prettiest color he’d ever seen. She arched one delicate brow, quirked her soft mouth and tilted her head slightly to the left. The effect on him?
Disastrous.
“What’s your story?” She squinted. The sun shining into her face kept the intensity of her gaze from hitting him full-force and still he was affected. Panic popped through him because he felt so comfortable with her. He was likely to tell her anything. What had happened to his defenses?
“Which story do you want to know?” A tougher man, one who didn’t talk about his feelings, wouldn’t be swayed by any woman, even one as gently beautiful as Brooke.
“The one about why adding a dog to your life has been your biggest commitment to date.”
She didn’t pull any punches, did she? She went straight to what she wanted to know. He fisted his hands, focused on his dog loping all out toward them and noticed a group of people walking along the river trail. Might as well tell her the truth, as tough as that would be. “I was engaged not too long ago.”
“Engaged? I didn’t know. Colbie and Lil didn’t say a thing.”
“Probably out of pity. I really got my heart broken.” He winced, doing his best not to feel the old hurt, the old bitterness, but they remained steadfast in his heart. “Guess that happens to everyone along the way. Even you?”
“You phrased that as a question and don’t think for a moment I’m going to answer it. At least not until you do.”
“I was stupid.” He may as well confess it.
“It happens, especially when it comes to love. I’ve done the same thing.”
“Yeah?” Curious. “Tell me about it so I don’t feel like a chump.”
“Oh, no, sorry. I don’t go there.” She smiled as Oscar leaped at her. “You are trouble, mister.”
The dog, not him. Brooke’s laughter doubled when Oscar gave her a kiss on the chin. With both paws on her shoulder, the dog gazed lovingly up at her. Captivated.
He understood just how Oscar felt.
“Sidney was a business consultant I met on a flight to London a few years ago.” He rescued the Frisbee
“So far not yet. I’ve been throwing this thing for almost an hour. Look at him. He hasn’t slowed down one bit, but my arm? Ready to fall off.” He chuckled. The dog began his return run with the Frisbee clamped neatly between his sharp teeth. “Oscar, do you want to go for a ride?”
At the word, doggy ears pricked. Brown eyes sparkled. The Lab grinned widely around the plastic disk in his mouth, pivoted neatly and bounded toward the distant truck.
“Hey, wait up!” Liam called out, but the dog already loped far ahead. “I didn’t think that out real well.”
“No? You’ll get used to it.” Brooke breezed along at his side with the sunshine glinting in her dark locks and caressing the side of her face, polishing her, holding her in the soft golden glow.
There was something ethereal about the moment. The heavenly light, the peaceful evening and the brightness of the park made the evening surreal. The green lawn, blue sky and nodding trees were as vibrant as a scene in a movie. This felt like a monumental moment, defining, one he would not forget.
Brooke whistled. The shrill note sailed on the wind and stopped Oscar in his tracks. The yellow dog swung around on his haunches, ears up, tongue lolling. Brooke laughed. “Wait up, silly boy.”
Wasn’t she something? The sight of her riveted him. Bronzed in the evening sunlight, carefree and laughing, she was so lovely she made calm settle within him. A deep well of peace he’d never felt before. It was as if his entire soul stilled.
Surely that couldn’t be a good sign.
“Come here, boy. Come on!” She patted her knee, calling him in her mellow, warm way. Unable to resist, Oscar bolted across the stretch of the city park. Ears flopping, muscles flexing, paws eating up ground.
“Now it’s your turn.” She fastened those hyacinth-blue eyes on him, the prettiest color he’d ever seen. She arched one delicate brow, quirked her soft mouth and tilted her head slightly to the left. The effect on him?
Disastrous.
“What’s your story?” She squinted. The sun shining into her face kept the intensity of her gaze from hitting him full-force and still he was affected. Panic popped through him because he felt so comfortable with her. He was likely to tell her anything. What had happened to his defenses?
“Which story do you want to know?” A tougher man, one who didn’t talk about his feelings, wouldn’t be swayed by any woman, even one as gently beautiful as Brooke.
“The one about why adding a dog to your life has been your biggest commitment to date.”
She didn’t pull any punches, did she? She went straight to what she wanted to know. He fisted his hands, focused on his dog loping all out toward them and noticed a group of people walking along the river trail. Might as well tell her the truth, as tough as that would be. “I was engaged not too long ago.”
“Engaged? I didn’t know. Colbie and Lil didn’t say a thing.”
“Probably out of pity. I really got my heart broken.” He winced, doing his best not to feel the old hurt, the old bitterness, but they remained steadfast in his heart. “Guess that happens to everyone along the way. Even you?”
“You phrased that as a question and don’t think for a moment I’m going to answer it. At least not until you do.”
“I was stupid.” He may as well confess it.
“It happens, especially when it comes to love. I’ve done the same thing.”
“Yeah?” Curious. “Tell me about it so I don’t feel like a chump.”
“Oh, no, sorry. I don’t go there.” She smiled as Oscar leaped at her. “You are trouble, mister.”
The dog, not him. Brooke’s laughter doubled when Oscar gave her a kiss on the chin. With both paws on her shoulder, the dog gazed lovingly up at her. Captivated.
He understood just how Oscar felt.
“Sidney was a business consultant I met on a flight to London a few years ago.” He rescued the Frisbee
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