Conner popped to his feet and Boomer let out a deep bowing stretch, hopeful their evening run was about to commence. The pup yearned to stretch his legs, and now so did Conner. He could only take so much in one day. “I’m fitting in just fine. Weren’t you listening—”
“The sign-up form’s online and super easy—”
“No.” He rarely used such a stern tone, but when he did, Katy knew it meant he was serious. “Focus on planning your wedding. Onyourbig day. Mine will come. Eventually.” Or maybe not at all. Conner wasn’t really trusting of women these days. Not with the way Veronica had so easily fooled him. Though the image of Sadie Evans covered in dog hair and coffee splatters did tug a gentle smile across his lips. But it was hardly enough to warrant thoughts about dating or marriage.
“Will you at leastthinkabout it?” Katy’s quiet, slightly stung tone always got him.
“Fine.”
“Yay!”
“I’llthinkabout it. But if anyone’s signing me up, it’s me. Got it?”
“Yep, of course.”
At long last, she let him off the hook where his mess of a love life was concerned and rambled on about wedding preparations. How she was going dress shopping with her bridesmaids and Mom next week, the elegant Christmas theme she was after, and a number of other details he had trouble focusing on. Conner listened as well as his tired brain could. What mattered most to him was her happiness. It radiated in her tone, and that brought him peace.
When she finally let him go, he forced himself to change into a pair of shorts and jogging shoes. On evenings the duo didn’t walk with Edith, they ran. It wasn’t Conner’s favorite pastime, but Boomer loved it. And it did help distract him when he needed it. Tonight, he needed it. Big time.
They followed the same route as always, adding in an extra mile when they reached the bay walk. They stopped at the end of the pier, mostly so Conner could snap an Instagram-worthy photo of Boomer. The pup’s followers would worry if they went more than twenty-four hours without an update. They begged for reels. Video clips instead of only still photos. But he wasn’t techy enough for all that. Photos would just have to do.
He watched the sun disappear below the horizon as Boomer took in all the fresh smells drifting off the darkening water, bringing to light how long his sister had talked his ear off. “Better head back, huh?”
Boomer wagged his tail in earnest. The pup could outrun Conner tenfold if given the chance.
A gaggle of laughing tourists on the bay walk ahead caused Conner to pause. They seemed young and rowdy. No doubt they had a few drinks in them. At his threshold for the day, he wasn’t in the mood to deal with them should they want to pet Boomer. Which was almost always the case in these situations, especially if they recognized him from social media.
Conner decided on a detour. Boomer didn’t seem to mind the switch to the routine. He spent an inordinate amount of time sniffing the new air, happy to walk rather than run.
It wasn’t until Conner spotted a mop of red hair that he realized they were walking by Evans’ Outfitters, the Evans family’s sporting goods store. But why Sadie was sitting on a bench at the back of it so late confused him. He remembered how tense she’d gotten when her phone buzzed earlier. He’d bet his next paycheck she’d been on the verge of an anxiety attack. Though grateful he’d been able to help, the whole scenario bugged him all day.
“Sadie?” he called out.
She sat up straight, seemingly startled. Quickly, she swiped under her eyes. He heard the unmistakable sound of sniffling. “Conner, hey.”
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah.” Boomer trotted to her, dropping his head in her lap and staring up at her, hopeful for attention. Sadie obliged right away, and he swore his heart softened. Veronica didn’t mind dogs, as long as she could pet them on her terms. But Sadie allowed Boomer to call the shots and took every ounce of love he offered.What a difference.He shook away the unsolicited comparison. Sadie was a friend. Practically family.
“What are you doing out here?”
“I was working.”
Conner glanced up toward the two-story warehouse-style building. “I didn’t think the store was open this late.”
“It’s not.” She dropped a kiss to Boomer’s head, and he instantly hopped onto the bench and climbed into her lap. Or attempted to. When he realized his massive body wouldn’t fit, he settled for half. Sadie wrapped her arms around him. Boomer was the best snuggler. “I do some of the stocking and stuff after hours.”
“Aren’t you tired?”
“Aren’t you?”
“Touché.”
Conner shifted his weight from one leg to another. Even if he wanted to sit down, Boomer had monopolized the bench. “Sadie, is everything really okay? I know you’re pretty tough and resilient, but everyone has hard days.”
She looked up at him, surprise in her eyes. “You think I’m resilient?”
“Of course, I do. You proved that today.”
