Page 18 of Tethered Hearts

Brie led the way back to the car, securing Rocky in the back seat before opening the passenger door for Matt. She held out her hand for the crutches, but he shook his head and tucked them in beside him.

“We’re not going far. I’ll keep them here.”

Helen passed Winston over to Matt. “Have a wonderful afternoon. I’m sure the dogs will become great friends.”

The dogs might become friends, but right now, I can’t say the same for us.

“They’ll love it,” Brie said, rounding the car to her door. She started the ignition and waved to Helen as she pulled away from the kerb. Suddenly, the car seemed so much smaller with Matt in the passenger seat, his muscular frame mere centimetres away from her. And whew! It was so warm. She reached for the AC and dialled it up to high before tugging at the neckline of her shirt, silently willing the cool air to flow over her skin. They were only driving a short distance, but she didn’t want to be a messy puddle of sweat and nerves by the time they arrived.

“I apologise for that back there,” Matt said as they neared the end of the street. “Aunt Helen can be a bit … let’s say, over-enthusiastic.”

“I didn’t notice.” Brie chuckled with the recollection of the older woman’s fussing. A true mother hen indeed. “I think she’s cute.”Cute? Really?

“She reckons she got Winston for me, but I secretly think she wanted him for herself.”

“Well, either way, he’s pretty cute.” Again, what was with that word? Had her nerves somehow killed her vocabulary? She reached a hand across the centre console and ran it over Winston’s fur. It was so soft beneath her fingertips, unlike Rocky’s short, bristly coat. She was rewarded with an appreciative lick from Winston which was enough to draw her attention back to where she was and what she was doing. With a start, she snapped her hand back to the steering wheel, gripping it with all her might. She flicked a horrified glance in Matt’s direction, ignoring the twitch at the corner of his mouth, as though he realised her oversight. It wasn’t fair how mushy her insides felt at the sight of him holding Winston. Men and small animals. Men and babies. Both had the same heart-melting effect.Good grief, Brie! What were you thinking? You can’t just start patting a dog sitting on a guy’s lap!

Her cheeks burned as they continued the short trip in silence. A slew of questions saturated her thoughts, but Matt’s proximity had her tongue-tied and unable to articulate anything worthwhile. She could probably fill the quiet space with drivel, but she didn’t want to scare him anymore than she probably had with that awkward patting of Winston. What had she been thinking? Thankfully, the dog park appeared and she pulled into the beachside parking lot, eager to escape the confines of her hatchback.

“Well, here we are,” she announced brightly, gesturing through the windscreen toward the park where dogs of various shapes and sizes were making the most of their freedom. Owners stood chatting with each other while others tossed balls for their four-legged friends.

“Maybe I’ll just stay here. Some of those dogs look a bit fierce, and Winston might get scared.” Matt ran a hand over his thigh as he scanned the grassy area.

“You can keep him on a lead until you feel confident he’ll be okay. It didn’t take long for Rocky to get used to being here. He absolutely loves it.” Brie had been coming to the park for a long time and knew that most of the owners were responsible and kept a close eye on their dogs. She climbed out of the car, and with Rocky on his lead, made her way to the fence in front of the car.

Matt continued to stare out the window, one hand smoothing over Winston’s back. Was he going to join her, or did he plan to stay in the car the whole time? Should she go and turn the engine back on so he didn’t overheat? What were her obligations here? Did Helen expect her to drag him out of the car? He’d accompanied her this far. Was it enough to consider it a decent change of scenery and call it a day? “Why did I open my big mouth and offer to do this?” Brie said to herself as Rocky strained against the lead, chasing after a scent in the grass. Finally, she heard a click as the car door opened.

“Um, Brie, would you be able to take Winston for me?”

She swung around in surprise. “Sure, no problem.” Matt handed Winston to her, and soon both dogs were tugging on their leads, sniffing the ground and each other, with tails wagging excitedly ready to explore the new area.

Matt lowered his crutches and swung his legs out, placing his feet firmly on the ground. Knowing he’d probably brush off her offers to help, Brie hovered nearby, half-watching him just in case he needed her, while also feigning interest in the two dogs sniffing the grass at her feet. After a few deep breaths and a semi-concealed grunt, Matt pushed to his feet, his spine lengthening as he positioned the crutches under his arms.

It was a slow progression through the gate and toward a vacant bench seat situated near the entrance to the park. But once they were seated, Brie unclipped the dogs from their leads and watched as they bolted away, zig-zagging across the grass to eagerly explore their new surroundings.

“They’ll have fun,” she remarked, tugging on her cap. “Rocky loves it here.”

“I never thought I’d see the day when going to a dog park would be the highlight of my week,” Matt huffed in disbelief. “Crazy.”

“Well, you don’t know what you’ve been missing.” Brie flashed him a grin and leaned against the seat, folding her arms as they lapsed into silence. Minutes passed by with dogs barking, the gentle breeze whispering through the trees, and the continuous murmur of the ocean as a complementary soundtrack to the words jumbling around her head. She was never one to be short of things to say, yet sitting next to Matt had her tongue tied up in knots and her pulse quickening as she slid glances his way every so often. His gaze remained fixed on something in the distance. The breeze ruffled the overgrown strands of hair at his nape and carried his cologne, a scent of citrus and leather, with it.

A sharp yap filled the air, drawing Brie’s attention back to earth. “Oh, look.” She straightened, pointing across the park to where Winston had befriended another dog and its owner. Matt grabbed his crutches and made to stand, but Brie placed a hand on his arm.

“He’s fine. He’s just becoming familiar with his new territory. That’s Maggie and her Cavoodle, Sparky. She’s a lovely lady, and Sparky is friendly with everyone as well. Besides, I doubt Winston has the type of personality to cause any strife.”

“He can be energetic,” Matt said, his gaze not leaving Winston as he darted around Maggie and Sparky. A ball of endless energy.

“Probably not as crazy as Rocky. I’ll never forget taking him for a walk when he was a pup. He slipped out of my grasp as we passed a fitness group in the park.”

“Oh, no.” Matt glanced her way, curiosity arching his dark eyebrows.

“Oh, yes. Rocky decided that the planking exercises looked like fun, so he ran across the grass and attempted to climb onto someone’s back.”

Matt’s shoulders shook as a deep rumble of laughter exploded from his mouth. “That’s incredible.”

“I was mortified,” Brie said, shuddering with the memory. She could still recall the high-pitched squeal from the poor woman Rocky had accosted. Brie had profusely apologised as she’d woven her way through all the bodies and exercise mats, chasing her naughty Labrador. She’d avoided the park for months afterward. “Needless to say, puppy school taught him well, and he’s a model citizen now.”

“He’d cause some …” Gripping his thigh, Matt drew a sharp breath before continuing, “serious damage if he attempted that trick now.” White-knuckled, his other hand curled around the edge of the seat while his face pinched into a grimace.

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