Page 6 of Seaside Cowboy's Marriage of Convenience

“I...” She sneezed again, this time nearly doubling in half. Was it his imagination, or did the glasses in the dining room tremble?

“I’ll see myself out. I’m sorry.” Cringing, he rushed to the door, Caramel on the leash sliding on her paws on the marble alongside him. Before the front door, he swept up the puppy and then tumbled down the porch.

What a disaster! He glanced back.

Kennedy stepped onto the porch. Her nose was red and swollen now, and her pale pink lipstick was smudged. Her eyes were puffy, as well, and the only reason no black rivers ran down her cheeks must be because her mascara was waterproof. Too bad his actions weren’tfoolproof. She still looked lovely, but he shouldn’t have done this to her.

“Austin, wait!” she yelled.

He placed Caramel, who was still silent from shock, on the asphalt and lifted his arms in an apology. “It’s okay. Sorry for this disaster. Caramel and I will be going. Unless you’d like me to bring you medicine from the pharmacy.”

“No, it’s...” Another sneeze did double her in half. “It’s okay.”

Itwas many things, but definitely not okay.

He didn’t dare to look at her again. “Let’shightailit out of here,” he muttered to Caramel, whose ribbon was askew now. On a closer look, his tie was askew, so they matched again.

Caramel lifted her tail as she trudged to his truck as if taking his request literally.

He slipped into his trusty vehicle, a lump in his throat. There was no chance of anything between him and Kennedy, anyway. She seemed to be allergic to dogs—at least, he sure hoped she wasn’t allergic tohim—but he couldn’t give up Caramel. And he worked with dogs every day. Even if he showered and changed before coming home, some fur particles could be left on his truck seats, for example.

Disappointment ripping through him, he peeled away from Kennedy’s so fast he nearly burned rubber. Caramel whined from the back seat.

A voice announced Kai calling on the hands-free phone. “How did it go?”

Austin groaned. “Remember you said fancy chocolates and flowers are nothing to sneeze at?”

“Yes?”

“And that I couldn’t do any worse than I already had at the wedding?”

“I said it would be difficult to do any worse, not that you couldn’t do it.” Kai’s voice turned cautious as if he started getting the idea.

“Well, let me tell you...”

Chapter Two

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