Page 50 of Men or Paws

Maybe I just needed to do what Beth said, so I didn’t piss her off.

I hesitated, then stepped inside, making the immediate decision of not staying long after catching a whiff of her as I walked by her.

Beth smelled delectable.

I noted lavender, possibly some vanilla, and the slightest hint of—oh, dear God, she smelled good enough to eat.

Wait, what was going on with me?

I sounded like a freaking perfume connoisseur.

Luckily, Beth stifled my urge to sniff the skin right off her neck when she gestured to my hand. “What do you have there?”

“A new harness for my four-legged friend,” I said, holding it up. “These things are supposed to be the best. Since Houdini likes to pull a lot when he sees cats, this is supposed to give you better control when you’re walking him. Houdini, come.”

He jumped off the couch and walked over to me, looking up, a smile on his face as his tongue hung out of his mouth.

“Good boy.” I bent over and slid the harness over his head, then reached down behind his front legs to clasp it across his chest. “Perfect fit. Okay, let’s test this baby out and see how well it works.”

“How are you going to do that?” she asked.

“Simple. I’ll show you.” I attached the leash to the harness and handed it to Beth. “Where are those special dog treats that Houdini loves?”

She gestured to the kitchen. “On the counter next to my phone.”

“Great. Make sure you’re holding onto the leash well.” I pulled a treat from the plastic bag, walked over toward the front of the couch, and turned around.

Houdini was watching me from the other side of the room.

“Okay, here’s the deal,” I said to Beth. “I’ll call Houdini to come to me. If that harness works as advertised, when he pulls he’ll get turned around instead of being able to continue forward. Let’s see if it works. Ready?”

Beth glanced around the guesthouse, then pointed to the door. “Wouldn’t it be better if we tried this outside?”

“Nahhh,” I said, waving her off. “You should be able to keep him right next to you with little or no effort. Okay, here we go.”

“I don’t know about this,” Beth said.

I sighed. “Quit being so paranoid. Get ready.” I held up the treat. “Houdini, come.”

The dog sprinted toward me, yanking Beth right along with him.

“Uh-oh,” I muttered to myself.

A hairy, canine freight train was coming my way.

So much for the magic harness.

This was not going to end well.

“Stop!” I held up my hands.

It was too late.

Houdini leaped up and snatched the treat from my hand.

Beth was right behind him, flying toward me, a look of sheer horror in her eyes.

I reached out with my arms to keep her from crashing hard into my body, but it was no use. Her momentum knocked us both onto the couch, then the couch slammed into the end table, which sent the ceramic lamp to the floor, shattering.