Page 9 of Claimed by my Bestie's Dad

“Maybe by asking around? You know, a normal person would talk to their neighbors instead of just assuming he was some random stray.”

Ethan crosses his arms over his chest, his expression hardening. “Look, I didn’t know, okay? I was going to takecare of him until I found his owner. I was planning to take him to a vet to see if he was microchipped.”

“Take care of him? Putting him outside in this freezing weather isn’t taking care of him.”

He scoffs, shaking his head. “You’re being ridiculous. I was trying to help. If I hadn’t found him, he could’ve been hit by a car or worse.”

“I would have found him. I was out there looking for him the moment I watched him run out the front door. If your ears were working, you would have heard me calling his name. You didn’t ‘save’ him, Ethan. You just made things worse.”

We stand there, glaring at each other. Scout is squirming in my arms, sensing the hostility, and I try to calm myself down for his sake. But it’s hard when I’m this angry. Angry at Ethan for taking Scout, and maybe a little angry at myself for letting this happen in the first place.

Finally, Ethan sighs, running a hand through his hair. “Fine. You’ve got your dog back. What more do you want from me?”

I stare at him, my anger still simmering just below the surface. There’s so much I want to say, but I know it won’t make a difference. He’s not going to apologize, and I’m not going to change his mind about what he did. It’s pointless to keep arguing.

“Nothing. I just want you to stay away from my dogs, and that includes Samson and the dogs I take care of. I’ve got it under control.”

Ethan’s eyes flash with something that makes them difficult to read. “I can see that.” He looks pointedly at Scout, and I hate the fact that he’s taking another little dig at me.

I turn around and march back to my house. To myannoyance, Samson stays behind for a few seconds longer to sniff Ethan’s leg before bounding after me.

Once I’m safely inside, I place Scout on the floor. He happily starts playing with Samson as if nothing ever happened. I’m shaking, though. I’m shaking with relief that I have the puppy back, and I’m shaking because I only said half of what I wanted to say to Ethan.

The rest of it, I can’t even put into words because I don’t understand it myself.

5

ETHAN

As I watchMadison storm off down the driveway with the puppy cradled in her arms, a growing sense of guilt starts to take root in my chest. Scout’s little tail wags furiously as he glances back at me, completely oblivious to the tension between Madison and me. I can’t shake the feeling that I’ve just messed up.

I’ve heard the extra barking coming from Madison’s place over the last month. In fact, I remember complaining about it to one of the nurses at the hospital. I should have known that this puppy was just another one of the dogs she’s been boarding. It’s not like I’ve been completely oblivious to what’s going on next door.

I lean against the doorframe, running a hand through my hair as I watch Madison disappear from view. She’s got a temper, that’s for sure, and she doesn’t hold back when she’s angry.

But even as I think it, I can’t deny the spark that flared between us during that argument. The tension was electric, crackling in the air like a live wire. It’s been a long time sinceI’ve felt something like that, and all I can think about is that I missed my chance.

I should have stepped forward and kissed her, felt her, seen how she responded. But I didn’t. Because I kept thinking about how young she is.

My thoughts drift back to our earlier encounter, when I first mistook her for the escort I had ordered for the night. The way she looked at me, confused and innocent, had only added to the allure. She’s younger than me by probably close to twenty years. Even though I know it shouldn’t, it excites me. There’s something about her, something that makes me want to push her buttons, to see how far I can go before she pushes back.

I push off from the doorframe and head back inside, but I can’t get her out of my head. I glance at my bar cart and think about pouring myself a drink, but I know I shouldn’t, not after the misery I’ve been feeling from my whiskey last night.

I work on my coffee instead, thinking about what I’m supposed to do now. I have to go in to work tomorrow, but the day is sitting in front of me like a temptation, making me think of all the things I could do with it, do withher, if only she said yes.

I put my empty mug in the sink and grab my jacket. I’m not usually the type to second-guess myself, and I’m not going to start now. I’ve made up my mind. I’m going over to Madison’s place, and I’m going to apologize. But I’m also going to see if there’s a chance to turn that spark into something real.

I make my way down the sidewalk toward Madison’s house with my hands stuffed into my jacket pockets. It’s cold today. Even though the sun is shining, it feels colder nowthan when I first stepped outside this morning. It’s clear that Christmas is less than a month away.

When I reach Madison’s front door, I hesitate for just a moment before raising my hand to knock. Am I really going to do this?

My fingers move forward and knock on the door before I’ve decided. I guess I am.

Almost immediately, I hear the sound of barking. I assume it’s Samson, though I wonder if Madison has another dog in there besides Scout. I wait, listening as the barking gets louder, followed by the sound of footsteps approaching the door. I wonder what she’ll think when she sees me standing here, uninvited.

The door swings open, and there she is, her eyes widening in surprise when she sees me. It takes her only a second before she squeezes out the door and shuts it firmly behind her, joining me on the front porch.

I can’t help it. My eyes sweep over the tight sweater she’s wearing and her jeans, the same ones as last night. They do her just as much justice today as they did last night. She looks sexy without even trying, and if she even feels half the spark I do, then we could really have a good time.

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