Then, apparently unsatisfied, it licked his ear.
He closed his eyes against the enthusiastic assault.He’d had a dog as a child.Something smaller.Well, hell, anything was smaller than this thing.But he’d never experienced anything this surreal.
Lara grabbed the dog’s collar and admonished, “Down, girl.”
The thing didn’t budge.
He had to put his hand on the collar to help guide the dog back to the earth.It was a long trip, he mused.
“I think she likes you,” Lara said, not even attempting to hide a smile.
The dog tried to jump again.“That’s quite enough,” he said evenly.“Sit, Suzy-Q.”
Immediately, she did, tail thumping.“Good girl,” he approved, scratching behind one of her floppy ears.
“Oh my goodness!Goodness’ sakes!Goodness.Oh my goodness’ sakes.”The woman running toward them completed her dash.
Her arrival seemed to have happened in slow motion, but that couldn’t have been possible.Although, with her baby blue slippers flopping around, maybe it was.
“Oh, Suzy-Q!Thank you!Thank you for protecting the neighborhood like that.”She crossed her hands in front of her chest, as if in prayer.“I’m so glad to know we’re safe from intruders.What a good doggie.”
He looked at her.She was thanking thedog?
Lara tried to hide her snicker.
“I’ll deal with you later,” he warned.
“Yes, Sir.”But her eyes danced, and she pressed her lips together, presumably to keep the laughter from spilling out.
The neighbor scolded the other dogs, telling them to settle down.A couple across the street came out to see what was going on, another man had halted his lawn mowing while he watched.
Finally, another dog joined the fracas, part limping, part running, all wagging.It wasn’t just his missing leg that slowed him down, it was his detour through the flower garden.
“Here comes Happy,” Lara said.
He, too, jumped up and smeared a muddy paw on Connor’s slacks.“Not a word,” he told Lara.But even he had to be impressed by the yellow pansy that Happy dropped on his shoe.
The short, wobbly thing set its tail in motion again.Its entire body followed.“How does it not fall over?”
“Mystery of nature,” Lara agreed.“Welcome to my home.I’d like you to meet Mrs.Fuhrman.”
The lady with the so-blue-it-was-almost-purple hair was still not apologetic.In fact, she narrowed her eyes at him.“Who are you?”
“He’s my friend.”
“Fiancé,” he corrected.
Lara flushed and the other woman’s mouth fell open.
She looked at them over her horn-rimmed, rhinestone-studded glasses.“Your what?”
“Connor Donovan,” he said, extending his hand.
She ignored it.
“From Donovan Worldwide,” Lara supplied.
“The moving company?”
