Page 17 of The Billionaire's Pawfect Match

CHAPTER 10

EMILY

Letting out an exasperated sigh, I undo another stitch on the scarf I’ve been working on. I’m not much of a knitter — most of what I make ends up still vaguely resembling the skein — but I do find the process soothing.

And right now there’s a lot on my mind that needs soothing. Isaac. Baxter. The shelter dogs.

Isaac.

Seeing him really making an effort today had my heart tap-dancing, and the whole training session keeps replaying in my mind; his smile was like a break in the clouds on a dreary day. It’s silly, maybe, to think of him now, but something about the way he looked at me, eager yet vulnerable, lingers in the corners of my thoughts.

It’s quiet in the apartment, with Jenn on a date and nothing on my schedule tonight. I can’t even go into the shelter to volunteer some hours because it’s already shut down for the day. So here I am. Alone.

Thinking.

Perhaps way too much.

My phone interrupts the silence with a loud ring, and even though I jump, I’m happy for the distraction. Isaac’s name flashes across the screen, unexpected and jarring. I hesitate for only a fraction of a second before answering.

“Hey.” I sit forward on the edge of the couch, my breath lingering in my throat.Why is he calling me? Is something wrong with Baxter?

A second later, I realize it’s a stupid thought to have. I’m hardly the first person Isaac would call if he were having an emergency.

“Emily,” he breathes out, voice tinged with desperation, “Baxter… he’s just not listening. I don’t know what to do anymore. The second you left, he just went crazy, and he’s been this way for hours.”

“Do you want me to come over?” I offer, setting aside the scarf and already trying to remember where I last placed my keys.

There’s a pause, filled with the sound of wind rushing through the line. “No, it’s fine. We’re driving around right now. Baxter seems to enjoy having his head out the window. It gives him something to do, at least.”

“Driving around? Where are you?”

It’s a good short-term fix, but it probably won’t tire Baxter out. As soon as he gets out of the car, he’ll reload his energy and be right back at it.

“Actually… I’m probably not too far from your place,” he admits, and I have a flashback of him asking where I lived and me telling him the exact block.

And he remembered.

Am I reading too much into that?

“Come over, then,” I find myself saying, more quickly than I should. The invitation hangs between us, fragile and awkward.

I want to scoop the words back up, swallow them down before he can process them. Is it weird for me to invite them over? Does Isaac think I’m inviting him over on a, ah, personal level?

“We can do some training here,” I quickly add. “It will help get his energy out, too.”

“Are you sure?” He sounds relieved, like this is what he’d been hoping for and he’s glad that I’m the one who brought it up.

“Positive.” The word is a leap of faith. “I’ll text you the address. See you soon.”

I hang up and pace the small living room, my hands fluttering from one surface to another, picking things up and putting them away. The apartment isn’t really messy, but knowing someone is coming over makes me suddenly notice every little thing out of place.

Isaac’s never seen my home before. The realization sends a tingle of anxiety through me, making me wonder if he’ll find the scatter of knitting projects, books, and puzzles charming or chaotic. Glancing at the clock, seeing it’s been five minutes since we ended the call, I quickly wipe down the kitchen counter.

Suddenly, the doorbell chimes, the sound making me drop the dish towel. For a moment, I stand frozen, caught between eagerness and apprehension. Then I’m moving, steps light across the hardwood floor, breath catching as I open the door.

“Hey,” I greet, the word almost just a breath.

Isaac towers in the doorway, his silhouette nearly filling it up. Baxter is at his side, all energy and unruliness, pulling at the leash, eager to get into my apartment and explore it.

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