“I can carry your dog,” I tell him.
He studies me, smile still lingering. “I believe you.”
“But I’ll talk him into walking on his own before I’d have to.”
“You deal with difficult dogs a lot?”
There’s something about being home that puts me on edge whenever someone wants to talk about my job. It’s notnormal. It’s not a job that’s needed in Tinsel because people walk their own dogs here, and dogs have yards to play in that are just one door opening away. But Dane seems genuinely curious, not judgmental or mocking, so I shake my head. “Not often. But occasionally. Usually when we cross paths with another dog that one of mine doesn’t like.”
His gaze dips to my lips—hello, belly on a roller coaster—and then shifts like he’s studying my shoulders.
Like he’s curious how strong I’ve gotten from walking dogs.
I suppress a shiver again, but not well enough.
“Cold?” he asks, lifting his gaze to meet my eyes again.
“I like it,” I reply. “It’ll be a good balance before the day gets really hot. Do you have a dog walker for Chili?”
He nods and starts to answer, but a voice interrupts us from shore.
A familiar, guilt-inducing voice.
“Yoo-hoo! Amanda! We need you at the bakery, sweetheart!”
Grandma Vicki.
She’s here.
At the edge of the lake in her bakery pants and a reindeer T-shirt.
“Is that—” Dane starts.
“My grandma,” I whisper.
He and I stare at each other for a moment.
“Time to get out?” he says at the same time I blurt, “We should kiss.”
We stare at each other again, but this time, his face is telegraphing about a million conflicting thoughts going through his head while I’m sure mine is telegraphing horror that I just said that out loud.
“I mean, she’d expect it,” I whisper. I’m not wrong. But I’m suddenly feeling awkward as hell.
“No, yeah, you’re right. Kissing is normal for an engaged couple.”
“So, yes to the kiss? We don’t have to if you don’t want to.”
“We’ll kiss. Once. You go to shore and tell her I’m doing my morning swim and I’ll be in later.”
Oh my god.
He’s in his underwear.
He can’t get out now.
He’d flash my grandmother.
And I forgot that, and once again, he’s used that quick brain of his to save the day.
