Page 71 of Good Girls Don't Kiss and Tell

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Eric wasn’t an idiot. He knew that Gracie was avoiding him, but he’d be damned if he was going to let her know that it bothered him. He’d waited for her to call, to check in on him and see if he’d gotten a call from the shelter, but she hadn’t bothered. Just like he hadn’t checked in on her coffee date with Pip’s grandmother.

So, they were both stubborn idiots. At least his pride was intact.

As it turned out, he’d gotten the call that no one had claimed the dog and he was welcome to come pick him up. He was excited and nervous at the same time. The minute he’d met him, Eric had sensed a kinship with the shy, fuzzy dog, but hadn’t been sure until he’d touched him. If the owners had claimed him, Eric would have just chalked it up to sentimentality, but here he was, parked in front of the shelter. Things really did seem to happen for a reason.

Eric got out and went inside. The place was quiet compared to the bustle of last week, and the receptionist immediately smiled at him.

“You’re Eric, right?” she said.

He was a little surprised she’d remembered who he was, until he caught the look in her eye. The one that clearly said she was available and interested.

If only he was.

“Yeah, I’m here to pick up my dog.”

“I’ll have someone grab him for you.”

She called one of the volunteers over, who then went into the back. The woman leaned onto the counter, as close as she could get to him. “Do you know what you’re going to name him?”

“Not yet. I figured we’d get to know each other and something would come to mind.”

“I understand completely. I’ve been fostering a dog for three weeks, and I still haven’t come up with a name that really fits her. She’s all black and has mange, so I was kind of thinking Vada, for Darth Vader, but nothing sticks.”

Eric saw the guy holding his new dog’s leash, and a wide grin spread over his face. As if the dog recognized him, he started to trot faster, pulling on the leash. Eric found himself with his arms full of sixty pounds of soft fur and warm, wet kisses on his face.

“You’re sure he’s not yours?” the receptionist asked.

Eric hugged the dog to him. “He is now.”

He set the dog on his feet and held on to the leash as the volunteer handed him a packet full of his papers and his microchip and rabies tag. Since he had been neutered when they found him, they didn’t have to come back for surgery. The two of them headed outside without looking back, and when he opened the passenger door, the dog jumped in, turned twice on the seat, and sat down.

Eric closed the door with a laugh, and once he got in, he received several more enthusiastic kisses as he started the car.

“Hey, I like you too, buddy, but you are in serious need of a toothbrush.”

The dog snapped his mouth closed, as if his breath would scare Eric away. Eric headed out onto the road and back toward the main part of Twin. He figured they’d go to PetSmart, do a little shopping, and head to the McDonald’s drive-through for food.

By the time Eric and his new dog got home, it was well past three. He hadn’t even written his Small Town Scandals column yet, he’d been so busy.

He sat down at the kitchen table with his laptop, keeping an eye on the dog as he explored the place. Eric realized he didn’t even know if the dog was housebroken. Crap, he hoped he was.

As Eric waited for the machine to boot up, his mind kept straying to Gracie and he grew irritated. They were supposed to be partners in this, and for some reason, he’d spooked her. Had she somehow sensed his feelings were deeper than he’d let on?

Whatever was going on with them, she’d agreed to a bargain with him and he’d kept his end. She needed to keep hers.

He opened up a Word document and tapped away, his fingers flying faster the more his annoyance took hold. By the time he finished, he had a full page written up and he sent it to Jim without second-guessing himself. If Gracie got pissed about his underhanded tactics, she’d just have to get off her butt and tell him herself.

When it was time for him to head into work, he locked the dog into the kennel he’d bought him. He hated leaving him on their first day together, but hopefully, he’d be back early.

To his surprise, his parents were at the bar when he got there, and Grant was nowhere to be seen.

“Hey, what are you guys doing here?”

“Your brother’s got the flu, and Jose had car trouble. So, we thought we’d come in and give you a hand.”

Eric was relieved he had the help. There was nothing worse than dealing with a bunch of drunks alone. “That sucks for Grant, but it’s good to see you two behind the bar. I forgot what that looks like.”

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