I almost laugh at his apt assessment but bite my lip at the last second to contain it. “Maybe.”
“And you didn’t play your hand? I’m surprised,” he teases.
Rolling my eyes, I quip, “The morning’s still young. Anything can happen.”
“Touche,” he laughs. “But you never know, maybe I’ll be able to keep the luck on my side.”
“Don’t hold your breath.”
The door squeaks as Suzette opens it with two anxious greyhounds in tow.
Bonnie’s brindle-colored head whips around in search of a friend, and I fall on my knees to greet her as soon as she’s within arm’s reach.
“Hey, Bonnie girl!” Rubbing my hands along her face, my joy is overwhelming. “How are you, pooch? Ready for another run?”
“If you keep up this vigorous exercise, she’s going to start getting bored when other volunteers offer to take her for a walk,” Suzette comments.
Grimacing, I stand up and reach for the leash. “Good point. Would it be better if I took out a different dog?”
“Not after a greeting like that. Bonnie would be depressed for a week if she didn’t get to go! And besides, I’m totally teasing you. Don’t stress at all. We’re grateful for any and all volunteers who are willing to donate their time. These dogs need it more than you’ll ever know.”
I look down at Bonnie girl, her chocolate brown eyes staring back up at me.
“And here’s Benny,” Suzette introduces, offering the leash to Conner. Benny is a dark grey instead of the striped brindle like Bonnie, but he’s still super adorable.
“Hey, Benny!” I raise my hand and let him smell my palm. Satisfied I’m a good person, Benny licks it from wrist to fingertips, and I smile in return.
“He’s cute,” I gush at Suzette, choosing to ignore Conner as he introduces himself to his dog for the morning.
“He’s got the sweetest personality too! I’m sure he’ll find a home before we know it.”
“I hope so. It breaks my heart that so many come through here.”
“Girl, you have no idea. Thankfully, we’ve found a pretty foolproof procedure for finding them homes. And if we can’t, then we have connections with a few farms upstate who are willing to foster them long-term.”
“That’s good to hear. If I could do more, I totally would.”
“We all would. But trust me, Charlie. You’re doing plenty. You’ve even gotten me two more volunteers.” With a wink, her gaze darts over to Conner sitting on the ground with Benny, who’s attempting to lay in his lap. Except Benny is an eighty-pound ball of muscle instead of a five-pound lap dog. My hand itches to snap a quick picture with my phone, but I restrain myself. It’s not like I’d know what to do with it, anyway.
Bonnie gives a gentle tug on the leash, distracting me from the adorable duo a few feet away.
“I’m uh…I’m happy to help,” I tell Suzette. “See you in an hour or so.” Then I guide Bonnie to the exit only to hear Conner scrambling to follow.
“Hey! Wait up!”
Normally, I don’t run with headphones because I prefer getting lost in the world around me. Plus, my conversations with Levi are usually pretty entertaining when we aren’t racing each other. Today, however, I’m seriously regretting the fact that I didn’t bring something to drown out a guy who I’m pretty sure is stalking me.
The sound of quickening footsteps behind me is almost enough to make Bonnie and me full-on sprint down the street, but I restrain myself. Barely.
“Hey,” he repeats when he reaches my side.
“Hi.”
“So do you usually warm up or….”
“I warmed up on the way here.”
“Good. So did I.”
Cocky grin in place, Conner takes our leisurely walk to a decent-paced run, tapping into my competitiveness like a pro. My legs decide to take control of the situation, and I rush to keep up, impressed with his long stride and flexing calf muscles.
Not too bad, Conner. Not too bad at all.
We stay like this, running side by side for a solid three miles before Bonnie slows down, her tongue lolling out the side of her mouth.
“Good girl,” I praise, matching my pace to hers.
My voice is enough to get Conner’s attention, and he slows down too. After catching his breath, he says, “Levi told me you were a runner, but I didn’t know you were gonna give me a run for my money.”
Throwing my head back, I laugh. “And I didn’t know you ran at all.”
“That’s ‘cause you don’t know me,” he counters.
“No. I guess I don’t.”
“Then I think we should change that.”
Rolling my eyes, I shake my head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why not?”
“Because….” The reasons that are usually glaring seem to fade away as I glance over at him. His T-shirt is damp with sweat, clinging to a muscular frame that I’m sure would make most girls drool.
“Because why?” he prods.
“Because we have a history.”
“Yeah. And it’s shitty history.”
His bluntness is enough to spark another laugh from me. “You’re not wrong.”
“I’d like to change that. Maybe show you that I’m not the kid you knew growing up.”
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” I repeat, though I can feel myself wavering.
“I’m not asking for anything crazy, Charlie. I just want to get to know you too. I’ve already seen how little I know who you are now, and I want to unlock a few of your other mysteries.”
“I’m not that mysterious,” I deflect.
“And I beg to differ. You’re one of the most unique women I’ve ever met.”
“Because I like guy stuff?” My comment is laced with annoyance, and I don’t bother to hide it from him.
“No, because you don’t see yourself the way I do. Call it a hunch, but I think we could get along really well. I’d like to get to know the girl I’ve seen glimpses of. And I also think you might like the guy you’ve seen glimpses of lately too.”
Sucking my lips into my mouth, I weigh the pros and cons before muttering, “What do you have in mind?”
“Cowboy sushi?”
“I don’t like fish—”
“That’s why I said cowboy sushi,” he clarifies with a boyish grin. “There’s a little place called Texas Roundup that serves it.”
“I’ve never heard of cowboy sushi. How did you know I don’t like fish?”
“A little restaurant I know serves cooked beef and chicken before matching it with certain veggies and wrapping them into rice rolls. Then they pair the sushi rolls”—he lifts his fingers to do air quotes—“with sauces like sriracha mayo or avocado lime ranch. That kind of thing.”
My stomach grumbles at the thought before I admit, “That actually sounds pretty good.”
“I think you’d like it. And like I said, not a single fish in sight. They don’t even serve seafood there.”
“I don’t date, though.”