Page 70 of Good Girls Don't Kiss and Tell (Rock Canyon, Idaho 7)

The first kennel was empty, but the second had a small dog with big ears. His ID papers had an adoption sticker on top, so they kept walking. There weren’t very many dogs left, which made Gracie very happy.

“I guess they’ve had a good turnout, huh?” she said.

They got to the end of the row, and Gracie stopped, making a little squeaking noise. “Oh, look!”

Several puppies climbed the gate of the kennel, and Gracie squatted down, releasing Eric’s hand. “Aren’t you adorable? Are you all adopted?”

She turned to ask Eric to check, but he was gone. She stood up and spotted him on the other side, bent down with his hands in a cage. She couldn’t see what kind of dog had grabbed his attention, so she followed him over.

She stopped behind him, a little surprised. She’d pictured Eric getting taken in by a bully breed or a big shepherd. This dog was pure black and looked young, probably less than a year. His fur was thick and soft looking, and his head looked like a Q-tip. He had eyes the color of a copper penny, and the only indication that he knew they were there was the way he leaned into Eric’s scratching fingers.

Gracie fingered his paperwork. Black lab mix, approximately eight months. Found running along Highway 93.

“Looks like he’s not ready for adoption yet. They’re waiting to see if his owner will claim him.”

Eric stood, pulling his hand out, and the dog leaned against the gate, looking up at him sadly.

“Hi, can I help you?” one of the kennel techs asked. She had long brown hair and a splash of freckles over her nose and cheeks.

“This guy. How long is he on hold for?” Eric asked.

“Let’s see.” She pulled his paperwork down and scanned it. “Looks like he’ll be available on Monday.”

“Are there any applications on him?”

Gracie watched the intensity on Eric’s face and glanced down at the dog, whose tail had started to wag, almost like he knew what Eric was doing.

“I can check for you. Would you like to fill out one?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“I’m afraid that the Whiskers in Wonderland pricing will no longer be available on Monday,” she said, as if that might change his mind.

“That’s fine, I’d like to pay his adoption fee today, and if his owners do claim him, you can put it toward another animal.”

The woman got a dreamy look on her face as she smiled at Eric. “That is so sweet. Just follow me.”

A flash of jealousy shot through Gracie as the woman continued to chat with Eric the whole way up to the front counter, and Gracie found herself moving a little closer to him. While Eric filled out his paperwork and paid for the dog’s adoption, Gracie watched the women in the room. Several of them were discreetly checking Eric out, and she really couldn’t blame them. He was tall, built, handsome, and obviously loved animals. They didn’t even know he was successful in business and nice…

Gracie’s stomach twisted up in knots. Was she having feelings for Eric? Like…deep, loving types of feelings?

Her palms grew damp with sweat, and she danced on the balls of her feet as she waited for him. She tried to calm the panic in her chest by being reasonable.

Of course she was having feelings for Eric. He’d been there for her during a difficult time. What she was experiencing was gratitude and friendship. It was natural to care about a wonderful man who supported you and who was helping you.

But as Eric took her hand in his, her skin tingled where their palms met, and her belly did a little flip-flop.

“Thanks for going with me today, Gracie Lou,” he said as he held the door for her.

She looked up into his eyes, at the warmth that had nothing to do with lust, and swallowed hard.

“Anytime, Eric. It’s what fake girlfriends are for, right?”

He didn’t smile at her joke. Not even a twitch.

Chapter Twenty-Three

“In my experience, good things happen just before stuff really hits the fan.” - Miss Know-It-All’s Gossip Column.