“We’re different people now, Buck,” she went on. “We’re older. We’ve established lives for ourselves.Andwe have the shit with my brothers to unravel. I think it’ll be better if we take things slowly.”
“Why do I hate this, but know it makes sense?” Buck finally responded, heaving an enormous sigh.
“Because I’m so much smarter than you,” she managed to quip, bringing back a favorite old gag they’d always used for teasing-fodder.
“Oh, yeah?” he responded, his mouth quirking up at one corner.
Bobbie could see that Buck was disappointed, but like the boy of old she’d once known, he let her steer their conversation onto safer ground.
“You know I am,” she responded cheekily. “AndI have the best ideas.”
“Like?” he questioned, his grin growing as he raised a brow.
“Like more kissing before I have to go back to work,” she asserted.
“You know what?” he questioned in response. “Youaresmart. But do you want to know why I’m smarter?” he questioned with sass.
“Uh, why?” Her grin just wouldn’t quit.
“Because I’m going to take you up on it.”
Comingup for air after who knows how long, wasn’t something that Bobbie wanted to do, but one of the dogs in the back eventually gave a loud, whiny yawn, then both pups began to stir.
Buck grunted and pulled away first.
“Okay. I get it. Fun time is over.”
“Yeah,” Bobbie agreed, pushing the hair back from her face. “Time to be a grownups again, right Reyghan?”
The little dog yipped, as if she already knew her name.
“And speaking of which,” Buck put in with a chuckle. “What are you going to do with Reyghan while you work? I don’t think the health department is going to like it if you have a mascot-puppy wandering around your food-service area.”
“I thought of that,” Bobbie responded. “I was actually going to take her back to my apartment after you drop me off, then get her settled there before I head back to work.”
“How about I take her with me and Cooper, instead?” Buck proposed. “I can make a stop at the big-box pet store and get things like training crates, collars, leashes, food…”
“Doggie beds? Toys?” Bobbie’s mind was going a hundred miles per hour with things she’d stupidly not thought of before.
“Yeah. All that. And I can keep her as long as you need since this is a busy weekend for you.”
Bobbie bit her bottom lip, which reminded her giddily of how tender it was since she and Buck had practically attacked each other. “Ihadimagined going back and forth between the job and my apartment to make sure she got walks and love. I have employees who are well trained, but…”
“But you like to be on scene, because you’re a control freak,” Buck supplied with a snicker.
She gave him a playful swat on his chest. “You remember that, huh?”
“How could I forget. It’s part of your charm. So what do you say? Shall I keep Reyghan and Cooper together until…?”
“Uh, Sunday night?”
That would be a double-win. It would mean Reyghan wouldn’t have to spend time alone,andit would give Bobbie another chance to see Buck before she sailed north.
“Great. Sunday night. But what about Monday?” Buck asked astutely. “Are you going to take her with you?”
“That’s my plan,” Bobbie answered succinctly.
Shehadthought that one out. She wanted Reyghan to get used to sailing right away, and would get her a safety harness, then cobble together a nice spot in the cuddy cabin of her boat that would feel like a safe spot for her.
