Page 42 of Dashing for Love

I obey, then turn and walk back nine steps at his direction, too. When he makes me stand on one leg with the other raised off the ground, I do it, only objecting when he tells me to count by thousands.

“Reid!” I huff out, exasperated and still holding my foot up. “Let me go already.”

“Fine. But text your sister when you get to the office.”

I promise, and then I bolt.

Chapter 16

Matty

KILLER’S BLADDER IS the size of a pea.Maybea chickpea, if I’m being generous.

At this point, that’s my professional opinion.

I let him into the backyard, and after a quick trip, he’s back, dancing at my feet and wanting nothing more than to be picked up.

Scooping him into my arms, I check my phone. Now that five a.m. seems to be my new wake-up time, I can see that Dawn didn’t respond overnight. Or at all yesterday.

I knew myGood morningtext was bad, but was itthatbad?

Apparently.

I read back through our texts, stunned at the amount of frankness we’ve given each other, despite not giving each other a lot of facts about ourselves.

I put Killer down to sniff around the kitchen, then decide to put my metaphorical big boy pants on and try again.

James

Are you feeling as weird about the other night as I am? Because I’ve gotta tell you, I’m freaked out. Doing something like that was unbelievably hot.

But also…we don’t know who each other is. Not really.

All this to say that I’m a little freaked, but also, I still like you. And I still want to talk to you, if that’s something you want.

I take a deep breath. Being vulnerable over text is no easier than doing it in person. But I owe it to her, and to me, to do it. Besides, if I’m trying to be less boring, then surely this is helpful.

I shake my arms out. I can do this.

One thing, though.

If we’re going to keep doing this, I think it’s time to start telling each other the truth.

Not that I’ve been untruthful exactly, but there are things about me that I’ve definitely withheld out of a desire to be safe. And I don’t want to be safe with you anymore.

The ball is in your court, Dawn.

I hope I hear back from you.

It’s all I can do. I turn the screen off and let Killer back outside, this time with Kitty. They can tend to their business while I put on some workout clothes. After that, it’s feeding time for them, the cats, and Hedgie, and then I head to the gym.

Later at the clinic,Killer settles happily into his little nest of blankets behind Liv’s desk, snuffling under the pile until all we eventually see is the tiniest strip of cream-colored head.

“He’s too cute for words,” Liv says. “How did you get the only nice chihuahua I’ve ever met?”

“Hey, there are no bad dogs—only bad owners,” I say in my best veterinarian voice. Then I smile. “No clue, though. I got lucky, I suppose.”

“Well, Mr. Lucky,” Liv turns to the computer screen and studies it, “you have a lot of patients today. Hope you brought lunch.”

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