“I have a surprise for you.” He takes my hand, but stops when a small SUV pulls into the parking lot.
“We’re gonna go, Eden,” Cori says. “I have to get back to the office, and I still have to drop Selene off at hers.”
Selene waves at Rip. “Nice to see you, friend. You look real nice today.”
As usual, he ignores her, and I wonder if he even heard.
“What did you—” I stop speaking when I hear a scream. I turn in time to see a big, black dog running toward Cori and Selene.
Cori is frozen while she screams. When the dog gets closer, she sprints and jumps into the arms of a man. She wraps her legs around him and tries to climb him while she continues to yell. The man whistles, and the dog runs toward him.
“No! He’s going to eat me,” Cori screams.
“Down, Finch,” the man says, but Finch isn’t listening. He’s on his hind legs and trying to nip Cori’s pants. Cori climbs higher on the man.
“Make him stop,” she yells.
“Calm down. She’s just a baby. She won’t hurt you.” The man talks in a soothing voice.
The dog jumps, Cori screams again, and Selene cackles.
Rip watches with a bored expression on his face.
Selene approaches the dog and takes the collar. “It’s okay,” she coos as if she’s talking to a child, and Finch drops its front paws onto the sidewalk. The dog is huge, and there’s no way it’s a puppy like the man says. Selene rubs behind the dog’s ears.
“It’s okay.” She points at Cori and sings, “She’s not a diva.”
The dog whimpers and puts its front paws on Selene’s stomach.
“You’re such a diva,” she coos.
“Selene, get away from that mongrel before it bites your face off,” Cori says.
The dog looks at her, growls, and my friend screams again.
“Calm down, Bella,” the man says. “Finch won’t hurt you, but if you want to sit on my face, I’d prefer it if we go somewhere private. I don’t want anyone to see.”
Rip scoffs, takes my hand, and starts to lead me away.
“Um, put me down, please,” Cori says, but the man has his big arms wrapped tightly around her.
When we get closer, and I look into his face, I realize I’ve seen him before. He’s the man who had dinner with Ripley at Paulene’s all those weeks ago.
“Do I have to? This is the best thing to happen to me in months.” He has a deep and rich voice. “Tell me why you’re scared of dogs, Bella.”
Cori gazes into the man’s eyes. I wait for her to hit him or say something mean, but she only stares while he holds her.
“What’s your name, beautiful?” the man asks.
“Cori Lamb.”
“Cori Lamb,” he repeats.
Cori nods as if she’s in a daze.
“Now, tell me why you’re scared of dogs?”
“On my first day of kindergarten, my mom was walking me to school and a dog barked at me,” Cori whispers as if she’s transfixed.
