Page 67 of Interference

“I know, but she’s… I mean, look at her.”

Young started to reach for Lily but hesitated. “Is it… Can I?”

“Yeah, sure.” Wyatt nodded. “She loves people.”

As Monica and Young petted Lily, Wyatt met my gaze with the softest, most relaxed expression I’d seen since I’d met him. As if right here, right now, with Lily helping someone past her fears and two people fawning over his dog, everything was right in his world.

You should feel like this all the time.

A sudden surge of emotion caught me by surprise, but I tamped it down. This wasn’t the time or place. I didn’t even know why I was reacting so strongly. Maybe because I was wound so tight thanks to all this tension with Simon. Playing happy boyfriends today had me on that hair trigger where a particularly cute TV commercial or a damn romcom could have me in tears, and I was not someone who cried easily.

God, I’m a mess.

And… God, Wyatt really should be this happy and chill all the time.

I quietly cleared my throat as I shifted my gaze to Monica. She seemed so excited, she was almost giggling as she petted Lily. I suspected this wouldn’t be a magic cure-all for her. That fear had kept her wary of dogs all her life, and even a breakthrough like this didn’t necessarily mean she’d be comfortable with all dogs all the time. She might even be hesitant about Lily if they crossed paths again down the line.

I knew someone who’d been terrified to ice skate after taking a bad fall. It had taken him years to try again, and when he finally did, it had been all anyone could do to get him off the ice. He’d been so happy to be on skates again, so relieved and giddy just like Monica was right now. When he’d tried to do it again a week or so later—after all his muscles had forgiven him—he’d been surprised it wasn’t as easy this time. He’d had to mentally work up to it again. It was easier than the years of fear and trying to prepare himself for it, and it certainly didn’t take as long, but it was still a process. If I remembered right, it took a good six months before he could easily pull on some skates and hit the ice without all his fears coming back.

Maybe Monica would have to do the same with dogs. Or maybe this really was the one-time breakthrough she needed. Either way, this had to be a huge, positive step for her, and I hoped it wasn’t the last.

After a while, she pushed out a breath. “Thank you, Lily.” She patted the dog’s neck, then smiled at Wyatt. “And thank you.”

He returned the smile. “Don’t mention it. I’m glad it helped.”

“You bet it did.” Young put a hand on his wife’s back as he extended the other to Wyatt. “I really appreciate this, man.”

Wyatt just smiled and shook his hand.

“We’ve, um… We’ve taken up enough of your time, and she needs to get back to work.” Monica cleared her throat and told her husband, “We should probably check on the girls.”

He nodded, and after they both profusely thanked Wyatt again, Monica and Young disappeared into the house, and I turned to Wyatt. “I thought people weren’t supposed to pet service dogs.”

“They’re not.” He picked up Lily’s vest and started putting it back on her. “But she asked if she could sit near her and try to just be around a dog without freaking out. I offered to let Lily come over to her, and…” He half-shrugged, offering up a sweet smile. “They clicked.”

“And that won’t hurt her training?”

“Well, don’t tell her trainer.”

I put my finger to my lips, and I was rewarded with a laugh that shouldn’t have made my spine tingle like that.

How have I not noticed how fucking gorgeous you are?

Ooh, hell, that is not a train of thought I need to be riding today. Not here.

I quickly abandoned it, and I gestured toward the house. “You coming back in?”

“Yeah.” He got up, and with Lily at his side, we headed into the house.

As soon as we got inside, there was a loud crack of a puck hitting the garage wall, followed immediately by a jingle of dog tags.

I looked over my shoulder to see Wyatt petting Lily’s head, his easygoing expression replaced by wariness not unlike what I’d have expected to see from Monica around Lily. Alarm shot through me. “Hey. You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m—”

Another puck hit the wall, and the guys in the other room laughed uproariously.

Wyatt swallowed. Then he shook himself and breathed the ghost of a laugh as some color rose in his face. “I know what it is. I’m not, like, scared of it. But sudden noises…”

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