Page 16 of Seaside Cowboy's Marriage of Convenience

Two hours later, alone in her bedroom, she opened her laptop to check on work emails, vacation or not. She couldn’t stop herself from answering a few urgent ones until an email from a sender she didn’t recognize attracted her attention.

She avoided opening emails from unknown senders. Still, the first line showed her the words that made her frown.

I don’t have that video anymore. I’m sorry. I deleted it by accident.

So many feelings fought inside her for the next moment she felt queasy. Relief because there wouldn’t be another futile chase only to be disappointed again. Anger and regret because her and her uncle’s renewed hope was in vain. Nostalgia because she remembered the wonderful girl who’d be an amazing woman now.

She rubbed her throbbing temples. Well, even if the woman by the name of Mme. Lavigne did have that video, it probably wouldn’t have helped them identify the person who resembled Zoey. It was such a large gathering in a tourist town, so most likely, she wasn’t a local.

Then a doubt wormed in and refused to leave. Was it gut instinct or wishful thinking that refused to believe Mme. Lavigne deleted it “by accident”? Besides, there were always so many backups and ways to retrieve, weren’t there?

It was dark outside by now, but Kennedy picked up the car keys and went for another senseless drive nowhere.

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In his backyard thenext day, Austin turned away from another splash in a little plastic bathtub. “Caramel, stop this!”

Caramel barked, clearly pleased with herself.

After bathing many puppies and full-grown pets, he should be able to do this without getting soaked. Or to be stricter. He breathed in the scent of freshly cut grass and foliage.

Kai laughed as he walked up with his parrot, Quiet, on his shoulder. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d wonder if it was youorthe puppy who was taking a bath.”

“Bath! Bath!” Quiet screeched.

Austin rubbed shampoo designed for puppies into Caramel’s golden fur. “Joke like that, and I’ll water you down from a hose. You know, to make it even.”

Quiet glided to a nearby bush. Once safe there, he announced, “Even! Even!” Then he tilted his brilliant green-topped head, thought for a moment, and added for good measure, “Even!”

Using the distraction, Caramel splashed around again in the tub the color of sunrise, this time sending soapy water into Austin’s eyes.

“Ouch!” Austin rubbed at his stinging eyes.

“What’s ouch is that I’m only now hearing about you and Kennedy dating.” Kai made a clicking sound and knelt below Quiet, and his pet hopped onto his shoulder again.

Austin sighed as he washed the shampoo from the puppy, who was wiggling in earnest. At least, Caramel hadn’t tried to jump out of the tub as she’d done before. “I’ve been fending off calls from the family the entire day.” Just as expected, a family friend had seen him and Kennedy in a restaurant “looking cozy,” and news spread fast. “And for the record, I can’t believe it, either.”

“Why didn’t you tell me you were dating?” Kai sat on a wooden bench painted caramel, to match the small ranch house. Now the wordcaramelbrought association not only with the puppy but also with Kennedy’s favorite treat, and Austin had a sudden desire for some caramel chocolate.

“Dating! Dating!” Quiet hopped onto the bench and started walking back and forth as if measuring it. “Dating?”

“Because we aren’t. I only dreamed of dating her.” Austin took a deep breath to ground himself, but seriously, how could he be sure what he was experiencing now wasn’t a dream? It felt too surreal to be true. Especially the part where she’d asked him to marry her.Thatcouldn’t have happened, could it?

Caramel sent more water in his direction, and the wet T-shirt clung to him. Okay, so maybe this wasn’t a dream. Just the part where Kennedy had proposed.

“I don’t understand it, then.” Kai got up and handed him a towel.

Austin spread his arms, then took the towel. “Me, either.”

Welcome to the club, bro.

“Need some help?” Kai looked as puzzled as Austin felt.

“I’m good. No need for both of us to be soaked.” As the puppy barked and shook water off her back, Austin shook a finger at her. “I didn’t mean you. You needed to be soaked to have a bath.”

“I meant help to figure it all out, but that, too. Tell me what happened.”

Could he, really? Austin had a strong feeling Kennedy had wanted to keep the proposal private. But he needed the advice. Big time.

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