Page 85 of Love on the Line

She held the phone out so Wyatt could see the picture. His Adam’s apple bobbed, and the corners of his mouth turned up. “They look so happy.”

“Yeah.” Anne sent a heart emoji and tamped down the longing in her own heart.

Wyatt opened the door wider and stepped inside. She followed him, and Goober raced to his bed and returned to Anne with a tug toy in his mouth.

“Aww. He loves this game.” She yanked the other end and he pulled back, play growling and thrashing his head from side to side.

“I’m ready to go when you are.” Wyatt snatched his keys off the counter.

“Okay.” Anne let go of the toy, and Goober pranced around with it in his mouth, showing off his victory prize.

When Wyatt opened the door, Goober dropped the toy and beelined to Wyatt.

“We’ll go for a walk when I get back, buddy. Be good.”

Goober whined and nudged Anne’s hand with his nose.

“Look at that face.” She rubbed his snout. “He’s here alone all week. We need to bring him. I can’t leave with those pleading eyes staring at me.”

Wyatt blew out a breath. “All right. We’ll take the truck.”

He didn’t look too happy, which made no sense because it wasn’t super-hot, and they took Goober to the parks on weekends all the time. “What’s going on with you today?”

“What do you mean?” He whipped his head around as he grabbed a leash from the closet.

“You’re not acting like yourself. Is something wrong?”

“No. I’m just…hungry.”

More like grumpy. She wasn’t buying it, but okay. “Well then, we can eat as soon as we get there. I brought a blanket and lunch.”

He took Goober to the truck while Anne brought over the picnic basket from her car.

Wyatt hitched an eyebrow and pointed to it. “What’s that?”

She held it up. “My picnic basket. Remember I told you about it?”

“I guess. I didn’t realize it would look like that.” He shoved a hand on his hip. “Am I supposed to carry that thing around in the park?”

Oh, this was more fun than she’d dreamed. “I don’t see why not.”

He gazed at it, a sour expression on his face like he’d just sucked a lemon. “Stay here for a minute, and I’ll get a cooler. You can hide…I mean put that flowery blanket in the basket and I’ll carry the cooler with the food.”

She bit her tongue to keep from laughing and had to wait a second to respond. “But I have it all packed up right.”

“It’s not china. I’m sure we can just throw it in the cooler.” He turned and took a step away.

“I bet Tarzan would have carried this picnic basket through the jungle for Jane,” she called out to him.

He stopped and pivoted. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m just saying. I think Tarzan was secure enough in his manhood to carry this.”

Wyatt’s eyes narrowed and he came back over to her. “Yeah, and he was surrounded by nothing but monkeys. Are you trying to make me crazy?”

She let out the laugh she’d been stifling and set the basket down. “I’m just messing with you. I’ll carry it. It’s not heavy.” She pressed a hand to his cheek. “You’re wound tight today for some reason, and I wanted to lighten the mood.”

He snorted. “So torturing me is your answer to that?”

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