“I didn’t want to surprise you in a bad way,” I say to her as we wait to pay.
“You mean by showing up outside my front door with a pet?” She breaks into a breathtaking smile. “And you brought along your two kids so I couldn’t tell you no in front of them?”
“That part was unplanned. My mom was supposed to watch them, but she got tied up with Dee.” I lock eyes with her. “So. Are we going to own a dog together?”
A long beat passes as we stare at each other.
“Yes,” she says in a tone barely above a whisper. “I’d already made up my mind. I made it up within a minute of you blindsiding me at my front door this morning.”
“This will be fun. I promise.”
“How am I supposed to take care of Bernie?” she says. “I don’t know what to do with a dog.”
“Bernie.” I smile. “After the coffeehouse?”
“Yeah. You like it?”
“It’s perfect. I love it. And I’ll help you. We’ll take care of him together.”
