excruciatingly familiar. Yes, the man dressed in jeans and a polo shirt certainly might be Cam Sinclair. The sunlight was blinding, and Molly lifted her hand to shade her eyes as Miracle scooted away, obeying her master’s sharp command. Halfway down the dune, the Lab met the man and dutifully sat, her tail thumping hard on the sand.
“Hi,” Molly greeted him uncertainly. It was Cam Sinclair, all right. As he looked at her, she felt herself go all shaky inside—a response that was new and startling.
“I didn’t expect to see anyone out here at this time of day,” Cam replied. Miracle whined, looking eagerly toward Molly. He stood, his hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans. “Sorry if she mauled you. Miracle’s still a puppy at heart.”
Smiling, Molly walked to the bottom of the dune. How handsome and relaxed Cam looked now. Almost human! “That’s okay. I love animals.”
“She was after all those gulls she saw flying around these two dunes.”
“I was feeding them my dinner.”
Cam watched as the breeze blew a number of strands of Molly’s hair across her shoulder. She looked pretty in her civilian clothes, her bare feet giving her a decidedly childlike appearance. “Oh.”
Without warning, Miracle turned and bounded back down the dune, leaping up on Molly, her black paws landing on Molly’s chest. Cam yelled at the Lab but she didn’t listen. He came down the dune and reached for the dog’s collar, to jerk her away from Molly.
“No…it’s okay.” Molly laughed breathlessly, affectionately roughing up Miracle. She played with her, and the dog leapt and bounded around her in high spirits.
Embarrassed by Miracle’s inexplicable antics, Cam stood helplessly by and watched her and Molly play with each other. They were like children. The light in Miracle’s eyes was alive as she dodged and leapt playfully, avoiding Molly’s hand. It was Molly’s laughter that sent a sharp shaft of longing through Cam’s heart, through his entire body.
Suddenly Molly wasn’t the Annapolis grad or the TPS student. She was simply a woman. A beautiful one, who melted into the texture of the sand dunes, the peaceful lap of the bay water and turquoise sky laced with sunset colors of pale pink, lavender and gold. Cam didn’t have the heart to scold Miracle for not minding him. How long had it been since he’d really, honestly played with the Lab? A year, he admitted.
Finally, Molly fell to the blanket, giggling. Miracle collapsed beside her, panting heavily. Placing her arm around the dog’s shoulders Molly looked up at Cam. There was a dark scowl on his face, as if he totally disapproved of what she’d done. Feeling too good from the unexpected romp and exercise with the dog, Molly gasped, “She’s great for aerobics, isn’t she?”
Cam edged a bit closer to the blanket, his hands still deep in the pockets of his jeans. “Yeah, she was—I mean, is.”
“How did Miracle get her name?” Molly shifted her gaze back to the dog, who responded by licking Molly’s hand.
“Four years ago I wanted to get a dog. I went to the dog pound over in Lexington Park. They were going to put her to sleep the next day, so I took her because I didn’t want to see her killed. That’s why I decided to call her Miracle.”
Molly sized him up. “I like someone with a kind heart,” she whispered.
Flushing, Cam negligently dug the toe of his tennis shoe into the sand. “I don’t know about a kind heart. I felt the dog was worth saving.”
Smiling, Molly ruffled Miracle’s head between her hands. “Soft heart or not, you did a good thing. She’s wonderful! I’ll bet you get your share of exercise when you walk her.”
“I do. I come down here a couple of times a week to run her. She gets cooped up in my apartment, and I can’t let a big dog sit for too long.”
Molly liked Cam’s thoughtful nature. “They say animals mirror their owners. Does she?”
Cam grimaced. “I don’t think so.”
He was so
“Hi,” Molly greeted him uncertainly. It was Cam Sinclair, all right. As he looked at her, she felt herself go all shaky inside—a response that was new and startling.
“I didn’t expect to see anyone out here at this time of day,” Cam replied. Miracle whined, looking eagerly toward Molly. He stood, his hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans. “Sorry if she mauled you. Miracle’s still a puppy at heart.”
Smiling, Molly walked to the bottom of the dune. How handsome and relaxed Cam looked now. Almost human! “That’s okay. I love animals.”
“She was after all those gulls she saw flying around these two dunes.”
“I was feeding them my dinner.”
Cam watched as the breeze blew a number of strands of Molly’s hair across her shoulder. She looked pretty in her civilian clothes, her bare feet giving her a decidedly childlike appearance. “Oh.”
Without warning, Miracle turned and bounded back down the dune, leaping up on Molly, her black paws landing on Molly’s chest. Cam yelled at the Lab but she didn’t listen. He came down the dune and reached for the dog’s collar, to jerk her away from Molly.
“No…it’s okay.” Molly laughed breathlessly, affectionately roughing up Miracle. She played with her, and the dog leapt and bounded around her in high spirits.
Embarrassed by Miracle’s inexplicable antics, Cam stood helplessly by and watched her and Molly play with each other. They were like children. The light in Miracle’s eyes was alive as she dodged and leapt playfully, avoiding Molly’s hand. It was Molly’s laughter that sent a sharp shaft of longing through Cam’s heart, through his entire body.
Suddenly Molly wasn’t the Annapolis grad or the TPS student. She was simply a woman. A beautiful one, who melted into the texture of the sand dunes, the peaceful lap of the bay water and turquoise sky laced with sunset colors of pale pink, lavender and gold. Cam didn’t have the heart to scold Miracle for not minding him. How long had it been since he’d really, honestly played with the Lab? A year, he admitted.
Finally, Molly fell to the blanket, giggling. Miracle collapsed beside her, panting heavily. Placing her arm around the dog’s shoulders Molly looked up at Cam. There was a dark scowl on his face, as if he totally disapproved of what she’d done. Feeling too good from the unexpected romp and exercise with the dog, Molly gasped, “She’s great for aerobics, isn’t she?”
Cam edged a bit closer to the blanket, his hands still deep in the pockets of his jeans. “Yeah, she was—I mean, is.”
“How did Miracle get her name?” Molly shifted her gaze back to the dog, who responded by licking Molly’s hand.
“Four years ago I wanted to get a dog. I went to the dog pound over in Lexington Park. They were going to put her to sleep the next day, so I took her because I didn’t want to see her killed. That’s why I decided to call her Miracle.”
Molly sized him up. “I like someone with a kind heart,” she whispered.
Flushing, Cam negligently dug the toe of his tennis shoe into the sand. “I don’t know about a kind heart. I felt the dog was worth saving.”
Smiling, Molly ruffled Miracle’s head between her hands. “Soft heart or not, you did a good thing. She’s wonderful! I’ll bet you get your share of exercise when you walk her.”
“I do. I come down here a couple of times a week to run her. She gets cooped up in my apartment, and I can’t let a big dog sit for too long.”
Molly liked Cam’s thoughtful nature. “They say animals mirror their owners. Does she?”
Cam grimaced. “I don’t think so.”
He was so
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