Page 3 of Dashing for Love

Nowtherewas a man worth dating. He was always cute, and nowadays? Hubba hubba. Not to mention having a great personality, good job, and no African Grey in sight. Too bad Agatha doesn’t want to set me up with him. But he’s my sister’s best friend, so that’ll never happen.

Chapter 2

Matty

WILLA

Lock up the clinic and get over here, birthday boy! We’ve got a pitcher of margaritas with your name on it!

I don’t even like margaritas

Shots then. We have lots of shots. Get your ass over here old man

I don’t like your tone

Ido what Willa asks, checking to make sure everything is put away and the front is mopped clean of all the random slobber, fur, and occasional pee that makes its way in during the average vet clinic day. I’m pleasantly surprised to find that Liv, my receptionist, has taken care of it for me. She’s supposed to do it every day, but sometimes it doesn’t happen.

I walk into Los Amigos ten minutes later and find my best friends in the world: Willa Dash, her boyfriend ReidMacKinnon, and Goldie Dash, Willa’s little sister. They all cheer as I make my way to them, making such a ruckus that the rest of the restaurant has no chance of missing what’s going on.

“Happy birthday, old man!” Willa says gleefully, standing up to give me a hug.

“You’re never going to get over me being a year older than you, are you?” I grin, squeezing her back.

She pulls away and laughs. “No way. Especially not now, when it matters.”

Reid stands and claps me on the back. “Happy birthday, man. Welcome to my decade.”

Goldie gives me a soft smile, staying seated and raising a margarita in my direction. “Happy birthday!”

I lean down to give her a kiss on the cheek, catching her perpetual scent of summer and sunshine in the process. “Thanks, Goldie.” I take a seat next to her, then pour myself a margarita and tuck into the chips and dip.

Before long, the food is on the table and the evening is well underway, and I relax into the camaraderie. It seems I might just make it through the night without Willa doing something to embarrass me, which has been her usual approach over the last decade. But then, our server Carmen comes out with a cake and the restaurant’s massive sombrero—brought out only for birthdays—and I know I’m sunk. The Mariachi band that comes every Thursday arrives at our table with a flourish, leading the entire restaurant in a rousing rendition ofHappy Birthday.It’s impossible to be mad, even if I don’t love all the attention.

Beside me, Goldie angles out of her chair to light the candles while Willa aims her phone at me, capturing the entire thing. I wink at the camera, and then, holding the brim of the sombrero up, I blow them out and try like hell to ignore the twinge in my chest that wants somethingmore.

A chorus of cheers andHappy birthdaysring across the restaurant as the candles go out. I should be happy. Grateful. I’m with my favorite people in the world, in the town I love, and I’m healthy. I shouldn’t feel so…greedyfor more. Maybe it’s the milestone birthday that’s got me so introspective. Maybe it’s the fact that I still haven’t gotten so much as a text from my parents acknowledging the day. I didn’t expect one, not really, but there’s no denying the sting of it.

Maybe some of it is that my best friend has Reid now. I’m incredibly happy for her, and she deserves everything in the world, but all that coziness is a little nauseating at times. Then there’s Goldie. Willa and Goldie. Goldie and Willa. They’ve been my constants for years, and while Willa has truly only ever been a friend, there were a few quick times I’ve looked at Goldie and wondered. But I figure that’s no good. Willa would have a conniption, for one thing. And Goldie? She’s always been the life of the party, the exciting, interesting woman who can command an entire room the second she walks into it without even trying. She lives in technicolor, while I’m over here with a boringly steady life. It’s only a matter of time before she’s chasing news stories across the state, or even the country. There’s no way a boring, steady guy like me even crosses her mind.

Not to mention all the romance novels that I can’t stop inhaling. Liv left one at the office a few years ago, and I read the whole thing overnight. I was a zombie the next day, and when Liv figured out what happened, she started feeding me books. Damn things are addictive, and they’re making me all googly-eyed.

I see Willa, and I read all these books, and all I can wonder is when my turn will come. If ever.

“Everyone, get together for a picture!” Carmen grabs Willa’s phone and gestures for us to squeeze in. I’m between Goldie and Willa, like always, and Reid is on Willa’s other side.

“This hat is ridiculous,” Willa laughs, snuggling in and tugging Reid with her. “Get in, Goldie—we’re sharing!”

Goldie scoots even closer, her cheek resting against mine as we all ham it up for the camera. As we all break apart, Goldie’s soft smile captures my attention again.

“What’s up?”

She meets my eyes. “Me? Nothing.”

I look closely. Nothing’s changed. “Are you sure? You’re quiet.”

She laughs as she scoots her chair back to her side of the table. “I’mneverquiet, Matty. You’re the quiet one, remember? Now slice up this cake!” She hands over the knife.

The flavor is carrot, my favorite, and it’s a huge sheet cake, with plenty to dole out to everyone in the restaurant. We all know each other; it’s impossible not to. I’m their vet.

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