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“A soda sounds good,” I said as I put my bag down.

He ran a hand through his hair. “I’m afraid I only have hot beverages or water. I’m sorry, I should’ve told you before offering. It’s just that these past couple of days have been so busy.”

I waved his apology away. “Don’t worry about it. A cup of tea is just as good.”

Lewis disappeared into the kitchen, and I was left with Archie. The dog lay near the couch, watching my every move.

“I think you and I will become great friends, Archie,” I said.

I could have sworn he smiled at me. I felt the urge to rub his teddy-bear head again but decided not to. He didn’t know me at all, and I didn’t want to take any risks. No matter how sweet he looked, he probably weighed a hundred pounds or more.

Lewis returned with two mugs, a selection of tea bags, spoons, milk, and a kettle filled to the brim with hot water. He put everything down on a chair.

“As you can tell, my coffee table hasn’t arrived yet,” he said with a laugh. “This chair is acting as its stand-in for the time being. Moving is exhausting, let me tell you that.”

I nodded. “I hear ya. I moved to a new apartment not so long ago. There are still some boxes in my living room that need unpacking.”

“A new place, huh. That sounds nice.”

“Yeah, it’s got a great… open floor plan,” I said.

Technically, I didn’t even have a real living room as my apartment only had one enclosed space – the bathroom – but he didn’t need to know that. I deemed it best to come across as an accomplished adult, not someone living in a tiny studio and driving an old clunker for a car.

Lewis handed me one of the mugs, then sat himself down next to me. “I’d normally offer you a biscuit as well, but it won’t come as a surprise that I have none in my cupboards, right?”

The way he referred to a cookie as a biscuit was almost too adorable. I blew on the hot steam coming from my cup and grinned. “It’s okay, really. All this is more than enough.”

No one but Mrs. Hudson had ever welcomed me into their home like this. Normally, I met my clients at the door, took their dog for a walk, then returned said dog without ever stepping foot inside their house.

“Do you happen to know what supermarket in town has the biggest selection of items?” Lewis asked. “I did some shopping when I arrived, but not nearly enough to survive the week.”

I thought for a beat. “You could go to the Pine Mart. It’s not huge, but they have most basics. There’s also Minnie’s Mini Mart, which sells local produce. If you want to shop at a large supermarket, you’ll have to drive a bit. I could write down directions for you if you want.”

Lewis looked at me without saying a word, making me wonder if I had said something wrong. Maybe he thought he was too smart to need directions? He was a vet after all. Then again, who knew what went on in that beautiful head of his.

“You know, you’re the first person I’ve met in Old Pine Cove who hasn’t offered to give me a tour of the town.”

Oh. He felt offended I didn’t offer to be his tour guide. Weird, but okay, I wasn’t opposed to showing him around town. “I guess I could if you wanted to,” I said.

He chuckled. “I didn’t mean it to sound accusatory. I’m actually relieved you didn’t throw yourself at me, pushing me to go on a tour of the town. Is it just me, or can people around here be a bit… full-on?”

“That’s small-town life for you,” I said with a shrug of the shoulder.

“I suppose it’s going to take me a while to get used to. There was one woman in particular who shoved her phone number into my hand when I crossed the street the other day.”

“I think it’s your accent.”

“But we hadn’t even exchanged a friendly hello. How could she know what I sound like?”

Aw, poor thing. He had no clue how fast small-town gossip traveled. He’d find out soon enough, though, so there was no point bursting his bubble for the time being.

“I wouldn’t worry about it. Why don’t we get down to business?”

I rummaged through my bag to find a notebook and pen. Unfortunately, I had stuffed it so full it was impossible to find anything in there. I hated how unprofessional I looked trying to retrieve something as simple as a writing device from a normal-sized bag.

“What do you keep in there? Your crystal ball?” Lewis joked.

“Of course. I can’t leave my house without it,” I said with a wink. After twenty or so more excruciating seconds, I finally got a hold of a pen. “Why don’t we start with you telling me how many times Archie needs to be walked?”