Page 4 of The Wedding Ranch
“I know you bought flowers and jewelry.” Her eyes darted around the room. “I don’t see them.”
“You’re watching the credit card?”
“Over-credit-limit alert,” she said.
“Again?” He raised his hand. “I’m so sorry.” He closed his eyes and took in a long breath. “This isn’t how tonight was supposed to go. I couldn’t decide what to get you. I canceled the flowers, and the jewelry has been returned.” He shrugged. “I wanted today to be perfect.”
“What about the meeting?”
“I took the call remotely. Declined the dinner.”
“You love those dinners.”
“I do, but I love you more.” He hugged her close, pressing his lips to her forehead. “Are we okay?”
She sucked in a stuttered breath. “I love you too.…”
He pulled back, looking her in the eye. “But?”
The dog squeezed between them, making them laugh. “Is he house trained?” she asked.
“At eight weeks?” Craig laughed. “Hardly. I’ve been cleaning up pee for an hour waiting for you to get home.”
“He’shugefor eight weeks old. What kind of dog is he?”
“I know you don’t like those froufrou purse-sized dogs. This guy seemed perfect. The breeder said they have a great disposition. Easygoing. Good with kids. He’ll be a gentle giant.”
She was almost afraid to ask. “How big of a giant?”
“I don’t know. Hundred pounds, I guess. Big.” He handed her an envelope.
She slid her finger under the edge of the seal. The puppy barked at the sound, then pounced toward the envelope.
“This isn’t for you,” she said. The Valentine’s Day card had a googly-eyed dog on the front, and inside a pedigree. “A mastiff?” She grabbed her phone and googled the breed. “Craig, they can get to be a hundred and eighty to two hundred pounds. That’s a miniature horse. I can’t handle a dog this big. And he’ll need to be trained. I don’t have time for that.”
“I can handle the puppy training.”
“You will?” Craig’s charm spilled over her like a spell, like it had so many times since the day they met in high school.
“Sure. It’s my slow time of year. It’ll be great. I’ll take him to classes and then we can all practice together.” He tapped his hand on the rug, and the puppy pounced for it. “Look. He’s smart. Sit.”
The puppy sat. He too was under Craig’s spell.
“What will we call him?” It was a rhetorical question. She was already rolling through names in her mind. The puppy was already the size of some adult dogs, but way less coordinated. “How about Mister? If he’s going to outweigh me, I better offer him some respect. What do you think?”
“I like it.” Craig stood and shoved his hands in his pockets.
The puppy cocked his head, then barked.
“Mister it is.” She patted him on the head as she got to her feet.
Craig leaned in and kissed her. Not a peck like they’d become used to, but a slow kiss.
She gave in to the kiss, enjoying it. It’s all she’d dreamed of for the past year.
He touched her cheek.
“Wow.” She said it like a breathless teenager, even though deep down she doubted this would fix their problems. All those words she’d rehearsed hung in her throat, but none of them made it to the surface. Instead, all she said was “Thank you.”
