“Most kids are,” he agreed. “Taught my sister that lesson when she ran out in front of a car and I had to yank her back by the hair. Never seen her eyes so wide as I did right then. She looked at me like I’d betrayed her until the truck hauled ass past us.”
“Sounds like she was lucky to have you.” I stood up, wiping my face clean on my t-shirt, which inevitably bared my not-so-flat belly. His eyes dropped to my belly, then flicked back up to my face. “I’m lucky to have you, too.”
He shrugged. “Kept me company these last few months.”
“That makes me feel better that he was well taken care of.” I swallowed hard. “Do you…would…can I buy you dinner as thanks?”
He shook his head, his gaze flicking up to the country club behind me. “Not my favorite place to eat.”
I waved away that horrible idea. “Definitely not here.”
He tilted his head, looked like he was about to agree, but then someone called my name from behind me.
I didn’t have to turn around to know that Birdee was there.
“Oh, look. You found him,” Birdee cooed. “Now you can breed him like you always wanted.”
She had her eyes narrowed, however, making it seem like she definitely wasn’t happy about this.
The asshole.
“I’m sorry to tell you this, again, but I’m not breeding him.”
“But he’s unfixed. Why would you have a dog that’s unfixed if you didn’t plan on breeding him?”
I sighed. “Studies show that it’s healthier for the dog in the long run to wait a few years until you neuter them. The sex hormones in the dog allow proper musculoskeletal and immune system development.”
“The shelter should’ve neutered him before they even gave him to you,” Birdee sneered. “But, just like always, rules don’t matter to you.”
I gritted my teeth, biting back the reply.
And, because I couldn’t fucking stand her, I dismissed her and turned to the man and said, “Hopps?”
His brows rose, as if he never expected me to recommend Hopps.
It was a hole in the wall place on the river that served the day’s catch. They also served a damn fine hamburger and had no issues with pets.
“Sure,” he said, his gaze flicking back behind me where Birdee was still standing. “By ourselves.”
Birdee hissed in a breath.
I snorted out a laugh. “Definitely by ourselves.”
He nodded once and said, “I’ll meet you there.”
“Don’t know what a man like that would see in you,” Birdee said as soon as the man—who hadn’t introduced himself, might I add—was out of earshot. “He could do way better.”
I didn’t acknowledge her or her words, even though we both knew that they were true.
But that wasn’t what this was.
This was one hundred percent a thank you for watching my baby over the last half a year and that was it…
I caught Brawny around the collar and guided him to my truck.
I was happy to see that his walking skills had definitely improved.
He hopped up in the car without too much struggle, either, which was definitely an improvement from having to lift his big butt into the car on my own.
