“I get that.” I think of how I felt about Spanky this year. “When you’ve been doing something so long, it’s natural to want to go for the big prize. It’s like Best in Show.”
“Is that the top of the dog world?” He glances over at me.
“Yeah, it’s the top prize. Spanky’s been competing for years, but he’s never won it.”
“What do you have to do to get it?”
“There are certain qualifying competitions, like the one this weekend. If you win one, you can apply to compete.”
His brow falls. “That’s why you were grooming him…” With a wince, he looks out at Ladybird, who’s bounding around the yard now. “Is there another one you can do?”
“We can do it next year.” I do my best to give him a reassuring smile. “We’ve got plenty of time.”
“I’m really sorry, Gina…”
“No, no.” I wave him away. “Let’s head back. These guys are done.”
I can tell he’s not ready to let the grooming disaster go, but he relents. I call Spanky, and Ladybird follows, running back to us. We clip the leashes on, and with that, we head back to our little bungalow. The two dogs lead us home the same way they led us here, like they’ve decided this is how it’s supposed to be.
Shaking that silly thought away, I recall his expression when he arrived this afternoon. “Tell me about house-hunting. From the look on your face, it didn’t seem like it went well.”
“I dunno.” He shrugs. “We looked at a lot of really beautiful houses. They’re all interesting to look at, but none of them feels like home. They’re all so much concrete.”
“They build them that way because of the wildfires.” I think about what he must be used to in coastal South Carolina. “When we moved here from Newhope, it took a minute to find something that reminded me of home. Luckily, Haddy grew up here, so she knew I’d like this area.”
He looks up at the trees. “I’m thinking about taking her advice and seeing if we can find something here. I like the trees, and it’s such a big change. I don’t want Maddie to feel like I’ve moved her to a different planet.”
“I hope we get to meet her.”
He looks over at me, and a light breeze slips through the dark hair around his temples, pushing it across his forehead. My fingers itch with wanting to reach up and slide it out of his eyes, but he does it instead, pushing his long hair away from his face.
We’re back at the house, when my phone buzzes, and I jump out of my daydream to check the text.
Haddy
Have you kissed him yet???
My cheeks flame at her words, and I’m about to shove the device into my pocket when another text appears.
Haddy
Stop wasting time… Oh, and ask him about the calendar. Mav said he has to be in it.
“You okay?” A teasing note is in his voice, and I look up, quickly turning the screen to my chest.
“It’s just Haddy… Did the guys tell you about the calendar fundraiser they’re doing?”
“Something about hockey and hounds?” He exhales a sharp whistle through his teeth, and Ladybird immediately heads in our direction as he starts for the door.
My jaw drops, and I point at him. “I’ve always wanted to do that.”
“I can teach you. It’s how I trained her back home.”
Spanky is right behind us, and we walk into the house, trying to remember what we were talking about when he turned into the sexy dog whistler.
“The calendar!” I say loudly, and he frowns. “Sorry, I was just… Haddy wants me to ask you if you’ll be in it with Ladybird. So far, she’s the only actual hound they have. Spanky and Peepee are the other two dogs.”
He holds the door, smiling down at me. “Looks like you have nine more to go.”
