A Little Secret About Love

by Karice Bolton

  “You’re falling for her harder than I thought.” Joel took a bite of pecan pie and made a satisfied grunt.

  “I think I need a dog,” Sam grumbled. “One like Oscar.”

  “Well, Oscar’s one of a kind so that might be kind of difficult.”

  “That he is,” Sam agreed. “But I do need a companion like that who is loyal and puts up with me. I don’t think I’m going to find it anywhere else.”

  “You always said you couldn’t get a dog because—”

  Sam’s glare stopped his brother in his tracks. “I know what I said, but people change. I’m ready for that kind of responsibility.”

  Joel let out a sigh and sat back in the chair. “Are you though? Are you really ready to get up several times in the middle of the night to teach your puppy to go potty outside?”

  “Do I have to use the word potty?” Sam laughed.

  “It’s better than tinkle.”

  “Not by much.” Sam shook his head.

  “What about when you want to take off on one of your weekend trips? Who’s going to watch your puppy then?”

  “If you’ve noticed, I haven’t been taking them.”

  “You’re in a phase right now.”

  “A phase?”

  “I think you got a taste of something you liked, and for the first time ever, you can’t have more.”

  Sam thought back to the kiss last week with Dina. It was sweet, delicious, and drove him to want so much more.

  Again.

  But she pulled away, and he knew he couldn’t rush things with her. He had to prove that he could be what she wanted and that would take time.

  Lots of it.

  He also didn’t want his brother to be right.

  “It’s true I want more, but it’s not because I can’t have her. It’s because I really like her, and the more I find out about her, the more I want to uncover. And I don’t see how getting a dog is going to change that one way or another.”

  “That’s a step in the right direction.” Joel finished off his pie.

  Sam understood why his brother was skeptical of his motives, but he didn’t think Joel would be quite this hard on him. All he wanted to do was get a puppy. He’d even found one online at a local shelter. And it really had nothing to do with Dina.

  He was just tired of going back to his empty house night after night.

  “What kind of dog are you thinking about?” Joel asked, trying to cut his brother some slack.

  “There’s a Pomeranian-poodle mix at one of the local shelters.”

  Joel’s brows shot up and he laughed. “How in God’s name is that anything like Oscar? You do realize you could step on that and it would be all over, right?”

  Sam sat up straighter in his chair. “It’s not about what the dog looks like, it’s what I see in the eyes, and this particular puppy has very caring eyes.”

  Joel took his hat off and ran his fingers through his hair, whistling. “I expected you to get a Lab or something.”

  Sam bristled at his brother’s reaction. “This way I can take it everywhere without a problem.”

  “Are you gonna put it in your purse?” Joel teased.

  “For your information, it takes a real man to spoil a Pomapoo.”

  Joel burst into laughter and his grandma glanced over in their direction and smiled. She always liked to see her grandsons happy.

  “At least you’re making it obvious who the real mature person is.” Sam pinched his nose and let out a sigh. “It’s not that big of a deal.”

  “I’m sorry.” Joel tried to catch his breath. “I’m trying to be supportive but—”

  He started laughing again, and Sam rolled his eyes.

  “You know you’ve just made me more determined to get my Pomapoo.”

  “Whatever you say. Just make sure you don’t sit on it.” His brother could barely get the words out before he started laughing all over again.

  “I’m actually offended on the Pomapoo’s behalf,” Sam grumbled and looked at his phone. “In fact, I think adoptions open in thirty minutes.”

  Sam stood up from the table and took one last sip from his coffee.

  “I really would have thought you would have been more supportive.”

  Joel wiped the smile off his face. “I’m sorry. You’re right. It’s not very nice of me. Autumn and I will do whatever we can to welcome the little Pomapoo into our family. I’ll have to explain to Oscar that it’s not a rat to be chased for mealtime.”

  Sam couldn’t help but smile. “I’d appreciate that.”

  “Good luck.” Joel called after his brother as Sam walked out of the bakery.

  This was the right thing to do. He could feel it in his bones. He needed to save the little fluff ball he saw online.

  By the time he pulled up to the animal shelter, he was like a kid on Christmas morning. He just hoped the little Pomapoo was still available. It was hard to tell in the pictures exactly how big it was, but the little boy pup was eight weeks old, which seemed like the perfect age to bring him home.

  “Good afternoon,” one of the volunteers called out as he walked into the front lobby.

  Dogs’ playful barks echoed through the shelter, and a wave of nerves suddenly flooded through Sam as the same volunteer came over to speak to him. She was cute, probably in her early twenties, and dressed in a pair of jeans and blue polo with the shelter logo printed on it.

  “Can I help you?” she asked.

  “I saw a photo of the Pomapoo online and was interested in adopting him.”

  Her gaze traveled along his body as if she were doing a military inspection, and Sam suddenly felt completely inadequate to be adopting a puppy.

  “Okay. I’ll need you to fill out some paperwork.” She handed him a clipboard. “We like to do a home visit to make sure everything checks out before finalizing the adoption.”

  Sam’s expression fell. “I was really hoping to bring him home tonight. Get him out of the cage.”

  She bit her lip and glanced back at the other volunteers. “Where do you live?”

  “Up at Silver Ridge.”

  Her brow arched. “I go through there to get home. I live just off of Rusty Lake Road. Let me go check on something.”

  Sam nodded and continued to fill out the paperwork.

  She returned several minutes later with a much warmer smile as she took the clipboard back.

  “I checked with my supervisor, and she said you could take him home today, providing that you don’t mind if I stop by after work for the home check.”

  “Not a problem at all. That would be great.” He smiled. “And your name?”

  “Beth Turner.”

  “Well, it’s a pleasure, Beth.”

  She smiled and reviewed his paperwork, making a few notes before she disappeared again.

  He found himself pacing in the lobby and his step quickened when a mother and daughter came in. They looked like the exact kind of people who would snatch a Pomapoo away from him in the adoption process. After all, the woman brought in her daughter to sweeten the deal.

  What did he have to offer? He was just some bachelor.

  “You ready to meet the Pomapoo?” Beth returned without the clipboard and motioned for Sam to follow her.

  “Mommy, we wanted the Pomapoo. We wanted the Pomapoo,” the little girl’s voice sent a chill through the air as Sam quickened his pace toward his furry son.

  “Does this happen often?” Sam whispered to Beth as she led him down the hall.

  “It always seems to.” Beth smiled. “There’s something in the universe.”

  They walked into the room full of dogs, and Sam’s gaze went right to the little brown Pomapoo.

  “But I’m sure they’ll find a different one they want.”

  Sam grimaced and glanced around the room. There were certainly a lot of dogs that needed homes.

  “I hope so. I don’t want to be the creep who rips away a puppy from a little girl.” He laughed. “I’m not saying I wouldn’
t. I just don’t want to be that guy.”

  They made their way over to the little chocolate Pomapoo, and the little guy was bouncing all around the cage as Beth unfastened the lock.

  The moment Sam held the little man in his arms he knew he’d found the one.

  His mind immediately flashed back to the same feeling when he held Dina and his chest tightened. At least he might get one out of two.

  “How much does he weigh?” he asked.

  It felt like ounces.

  She turned over the card. “At the checkup last weekend, he was three pounds.”

  “Wow.” Sam nuzzled the puppy’s nose and brought him into his chest just as the mother and daughter entered the room.

  The little girl shot him a dirty look, and the mother flashed an apologetic smile as her daughter quickly began pointing at a different puppy closer to her.

  “I want this one, mommy.”

  “The other one was a boy,” the mom whispered. “And this one is a girl. Are you sure you want a girl puppy?”

  “Boys are dumb. I want this one.” She was pointing at a white fluff ball of some sort, and Sam breathed a sigh of relief.

  As Sam followed Beth out of the room, he bent over to the little girl. “You’re right. Boys are dumb.”

  The little girl giggled as a different volunteer brought out their puppy for the little girl to hold as he wandered away to finish his adoption.

  Sam went up to the counter and paid all the fees, signed some more paperwork, and looked over the vet records for upcoming shots all while holding the puppy in his one arm.

  “You’re all set,” Beth said, giving him a folder to put everything away in. “I’ll probably get there around six o’clock or so.”

  “Great. I’ll see you then.” Sam nodded and walked out of the animal rescue, feeling like a new man.

  “Okay,” Sam said, climbing into his SUV. “What are we going to call you?”

  He glanced at the paperwork again. “You don’t look like a Barry.”

  He placed his lightweight companion in the passenger seat and stared at him for a few seconds.

  “How about Romeo?”

  The puppy tilted his head and Sam gave him a scratch under the chin.

  “Definitely a Romeo.” Sam turned on the ignition and headed back to Silver Ridge. “We’ve got to stop off at the pet store and get supplies. You probably want to eat and you might want some toys.”

  He glanced at the fur ball and Romeo was already curled up on the seat, sleeping soundly as only puppies did.

  Within twenty minutes, Sam pulled into the parking lot of the pet store and found a place right out front. He gently nudged Romeo awake and cuddled him in his arms as he walked inside. Grabbing a basket, he started wandering the aisles and filling up his cart with all kinds of food, treats, toys, dog blankets and beds. By the time he reached the checkout line, he felt delirious and slapped a pumpkin costume for Romeo on top. He spotted a turkey costume and put that in the basket too.

  “Being a dog daddy isn’t so hard.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  “Did I just see what I think I saw?” Dina laughed, glancing at Anton sitting behind her, staring out the window.

  “You mean Sam carrying a furry turkey over to the Grub and Pub?” Anton scratched his head. “Yeah. I think you saw that.”

  Dina had been nauseous all morning and couldn’t wait to get to her doctor’s appointment later in the afternoon. This was the big one where they would reveal what she already knew.

  She was pregnant.

  And she was pretty sure Anton was suspicious of her suddenly turning green while sketching.

  But now she had bigger things to worry about like why Sam North was carrying around a brown furry creature that looked like a long-haired hamster in a turkey outfit.

  She came around the counter and watched Sam confidently walk into the restaurant.

  “Maybe it’s stuffed,” Anton offered. “I don’t think you can take an animal into restaurants.”

  “Not usually, but Sam is Sam. I’m not sure he pays attention to rules.”

  “What a rebel.” Anton laughed, returning his attention back to the portfolio he’d been working on. They’d been so busy for the last several weeks that he hadn’t had a chance to add the new photographs to the binder.

  “I think I’m going to run across the street and see what in the world he was hiding in his jacket.”

  “You go do that.” Anton nodded with a glimmer of satisfaction running through his gaze.

  “Why do you always look so suspicious?” she asked, placing her hand on her hip.

  “I didn’t do anything.” He shook his head.

  “But you always look like you’re about to.” She narrowed her eyes on him. “Should I be worried?”

  “Not at all.” He smiled again and went back to the portfolio as she pulled on her jacket, hat, and gloves. “But maybe you shouldn’t fight feelings that are obviously there.”

  “The only feeling I have is curiosity.” She eyed her assistant and he shrugged.

  “Whatever you say.” He coughed. “But I think Emilia would disagree.”

  Dina shot him a dirty, yet playful, look before glancing at her reflection in the mirror. She was pretty certain it was a bad sign that her assistant was already bringing up her online love guru at the mere mention of Sam. She also wondered how long it would be before she couldn’t hide her pregnancy. Hopefully a long while because she really wasn’t ready to field questions or, worse yet, actually have answers for them.

  “I barely look at the blog any more, by the way.”

  “Again. Whatever you say.” Anton laughed and Dina couldn’t help but smile. She’d been caught.

  “I might head to my appointment after I pop over there and then I’ll be back.”

  “You’re the boss.”

  “That’s right.” Dina chuckled as she bounded out the door.

  The cold air froze her exposed lips and she zipped her coat. They’d already had a few dustings of snow, but today the sky was clear blue with not even a wispy cloud in sight. She loved having the seasons Silver Ridge offered, but she was extremely grateful for the hat and scarf set from Sam. She adjusted the scarf over her mouth and made her way across the street.

  A nervous energy flittered through her as she yanked on the large door of the restaurant. It had been too long since she’d seen him. After he kissed her at her house a few weeks ago, he went radio silent. She’d texted him a couple times and he responded, but he seemed distant or distracted.

  Or she was reading too much and too little into their friendly interactions.

  Although, the kiss seemed to hold a lot more than something straight out of the friend zone. Her hand slid across her belly as she spotted Sam, and her pulse sped up. He never disappointed.

  She took a few quick steps into the restaurant and gave a wave in his direction. His eyes connected with hers before his gaze flashed to the woman sitting across from him in the booth.

  Dina stopped in place and her entire body heated up in a wave of panic. She never should have just popped in on Sam, furry turkey or not.

  Sam stood up quickly from the booth just as she was tempted to spin around and dash out of the restaurant.

  She wanted to walk over to make things less awkward, but it was like she was frozen in place. Dina scanned the booth for the little creature he’d been holding and didn’t see it. He motioned for her to come over to the booth, but neither foot would move as the woman turned around to look at Dina.

  She was young and cute and looked completely oblivious to the man she was getting tied up with.

  “Dina, come on over and grab some lunch,” Sam called out and several heads turned to look at her.

  She smiled and shook her head. “You’re busy. I’ll say hi later.”

  Her heart was hammering in her chest as she made her way over to an empty booth. At least she could act as if she’d planned on coming here for lunch.

  Dina slid i
nto the booth and Sam appeared almost instantly.

  “Are you meeting someone?” he asked, bending down.

  “No.”

  “Then why don’t you join us?” His rumbly voice ran through her with a charge.

  All right.

  She’d freely admit she hated how he used the word us when not referring to them.

  “I’m good. I was just going to grab a quick salad before I head off to an appointment.”

  He glanced back at the booth and slowly brought his gaze back to hers, a slow smile spreading across his lips. “No, I really think you ought to join us.”

  “You’re not going to leave me alone unless I give in, are you?”

  “It’s not likely.”

  Dina let out a deep sigh and climbed out of the booth and followed him over to where he’d been enjoying himself.

  “Dina, this is Beth.”

  Beth smiled and reached out her hand to Dina, and that’s when she saw the fuzzy turkey peeking out from under the woman’s jacket.

  Dina let out a little gasp and Sam started laughing.

  “Meet Romeo,” Sam said proudly.

  “Romeo?” Dina repeated. “So it’s alive?”

  “Of course it’s alive.” Sam scowled and took a seat, patting the seat bench next to him.

  “Beth has been helping me train Romeo since I brought him home.” Sam beamed at his little fur ball as Beth handed him over.

  “What do you mean brought him home?” Dina’s brow arched.

  “He’s my boy.” Sam placed him on the bench and adjusted his turkey costume.

  “You got a dog? I mean, that’s a dog, right?” Even though Dina was seeing it, she didn’t believe it.

  And she really couldn’t believe that Autumn hadn’t mentioned it to her.

  “A rescue.” Sam smiled. “Beth volunteers at the shelter and actually helped me adopt little Romeo. His first night at the house, he chewed through the playpen I’d set up for him. When I woke up I was panicked. I couldn’t find him anywhere. I finally found him under the couch in the family room where he’d chewed through several magazines.”

  “But he looks so innocent.” Dina laughed and so did Beth.

  “Don’t be fooled. He’s a little stinker.” Beth smiled at Dina. “But when Sam panicked and called the shelter, I offered to help him with the basics.”