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With Sugarbelle still in his arms, Adam staggered through the curtain, unable to believe what had just happened. Twenty-five thousand dollars.

It felt unreal. He’d been so worried no one would bid on him that he’d never considered he might raise such an astonishing figure.

The other bachelors, who were gathered backstage, stared at him as he rejoined the group.

“Dude, you killed it out there.”

Another one shook his head. “I have got to get to the gym more often.”

A third asked, “Did you know that woman who bid on you? Was that your grandma or something?”

“No,” Adam said. “No idea who she is.”

A huge roar went up from the crowd. The curtain split, and Delaney slipped through. “Incredible work, gentlemen. That was amazing. Thank you all so much.”

She touched Adam’s arm. “Well done to you, especially. You and Birdie will have a lovely evening, I’m sure, although I have to admit I never saw that coming from her. Quick question—can you tell me which woman is adopting Sugarbelle?”

“Um, actually, it’s me. I’m going to adopt her. If that’s okay?” It was impulsive, but he couldn’t help himself. No one had ever looked at him the way the little dog did, and apparently, that was all it took to win his heart.

And if there was any female he felt he could trust, it was the one in his arms right now. She had just about fallen asleep, her head on his shoulder. In no universe could he hand her off to someone now, unsure of where she’d end up.

She’d put her trust in him, and he wasn’t about to let her down.

Delaney let out a soft gasp. “Of course that’s all right. That’s fantastic. I bet the shelter will give you a special rate, too, considering what you just did for them.”

“I didn’t do anything but walk out onto that stage.”

Delaney smiled, her eyes full of amusement even though her lips were firmly pressed together. “Oh, you did plenty. Birdie did the rest. Thank you all the same. Now, let me find someone from the shelter, and we’ll get Sugarbelle’s paperwork taken care of so that you can take her home.”

“What about the date? How will I know when to show up?”

“That information will be texted to you as soon as it’s confirmed with the winner.”

“Okay, thanks. And this woman, Birdie, she’s nice?”

“She’s very nice. Practically Nocturne Falls royalty. One of her nephews is the fire chief, the other is the sheriff, and her niece owns Howler’s, the bar and grill in town.”

“I’ve eaten there. Wow.” He’d have to do his best to make sure she had a good time.

Delaney shook her head. “She also has a boyfriend. They’ve been together for a couple of years. So I really don’t know what’s up with her bidding on you, but it’s Birdie, so…” She shrugged. “Let me go find someone from the shelter with some adoption forms.”

It took about half an hour and the filling out of several forms, but then he and Sugarbelle were official. He had no carrier for her, but the shelter representative gave him the leash and collar she had on.

“Tomorrow, I’ll go straight to the pet store as soon as I get up,” he promised her as they walked out to his car. She was still in his arms. She didn’t seem to have any intention of getting down, either.

He put her on the passenger seat and put the seat belt over her, which was probably pointless, but it felt better than doing nothing.

It was a short drive back to his place, but he drove carefully. Sugarbelle was curled up on the seat asleep. Worn out from all the excitement, he figured.

He was a little tired himself but also very glad the evening had gone so well. Probably better than it had if he’d just shown up in jeans and a T-shirt. He laughed softly. He owed Sydney one.

And now that it was all over, he felt slightly guilty that he hadn’t invited her to the event. Or at least mentioned it. But maybe it was better she hadn’t been there. He had such mixed feelings about it. Probably because Veronika had done such a number on his head.

He really needed to get himself straightened out.

As he turned onto his street, Sugarbelle let out a soft snore. When he parked in the garage and shut the engine off, he undid her seat belt and picked her up. “I can’t carry you everywhere, you know,” he whispered to her.

She nestled in against him. He went into the house and straight to the bedroom, where he put her on the bed. He’d never had a pet before, and while he wasn’t sure his impulsive decision was a good one, he knew he wasn’t going to impose any rules on Sugarbelle.

If she wanted to get on the furniture, she could. This was her house now, too.

Okay, he wasn’t going to let her run wild, so there would be a few rules. Just the kind that would keep her safe. Nothing that would restrict her personal freedom. He unclipped her leash and set it on the nightstand. He’d get a hook to hang it on by the door.

He took his suit, tie, and dress shirt off, then changed into lounge pants and a T-shirt. He went out to the kitchen and made himself a sandwich of roast beef on two thick slices of his homemade bread.

It dawned on him that he had work tomorrow. Would Sugarbelle be okay in the house by herself all that time?

He really hadn’t thought this through. He sat at the table and made up a list of things he thought he’d need. Food, obviously. Food and water bowls. Although he could at least put down a regular bowl with water in it now. He’d do that as soon as he was done eating.

What else would he need? A bed for her. Some toys, but he had no idea what she’d like to play with. He’d ask the pet store people what was popular. A brush, maybe?

He took another bite of his sandwich. He knew he was forgetting something. Probably a lot of things. They’d help him at the store.

He could always ask Sydney. Mackie didn’t seem to want for anything.

At the sound of soft little tip-taps, he looked up and saw Sugarbelle sitting a few feet away.

“You woke up, huh? Let me get you some water. I don’t have any dog food.” He glanced at his sandwich. “Although I do have some roast beef. You like roast beef?”

Her little tail wagged uncommittedly, like she was happy he was talking to her but didn’t really know the answer to the question.

He pulled a piece of meat out of the sandwich. “Here you go. Try this.”

She came over, sniffed it, and gobbled it down.

“So roast beef is a yes.” He grinned. “I have a feeling you’re going to be very spoiled, but don’t tell anyone, okay?”

She wagged her tail with more enthusiasm this time. He picked her up and put her on his lap, then fished out another piece of roast beef. “You are very cute. But I suppose you know that.”

He petted her while she ate it, but when she was done, he put her down and got out a bowl. He filled it and carried it to a spot at the end of the counter. “This will be your space, okay?”

He put the bowl down. She gave it a sniff, took a quick little drink, then looked at him and whimpered.

It took a second for the sound’s meaning to register. “Do you have to go out?”

Her tail wagged, and she whimpered again.

“Okay, backyard. No leash needed. Come on.” He led her through the house and out onto the deck. There was some light from the moon and nearby houses, but his gargoyle eyesight was exceptional, so he didn’t turn any other lights on.

Sugarbelle seemed like she was doing all right, too. She trotted down the steps, snuffled around a bit, then found a good spot and did her business.

“Good girl.”

She kicked her back legs through the grass, then meandered farther into the yard. He let her go. The auction had worn him out, but coming home had given him a second wind. He was a creature of the night anyway.

He sat on the steps and watched her, leaning back on the steps behind him, enjoying the night air. Be a great night to take to the skies. He hadn’t done that since coming to Nocturne Falls.

Odd as it was, he’d been busy. Work, mostly. Getting the house together a bit. He’d gone out a few times with Nick, mostly just to Howler’s or Salvatore’s.

Which brought his mind back around to his upcoming date.

He hadn’t been able to see much of the woman who’d been the high bidder.

Between the lights in his eyes and the number of women in the audience, all he’d caught was a glimpse of blue hair.

Not the blue of age, either, like his grandmother’s hair had been.

This was a vibrant candy blue. A deliberate color. So she might be beyond his preferred age range, but she was probably a fun person who didn’t take herself too seriously. That was good.

Of course, thinking about that date made him think about Sydney. Not that they’d been on a date. Her helping him pick out a suit was not a date. Even if it did include lunch.

Sugarbelle had found something interesting near the fence that separated his property from Sydney’s. Maybe she smelled Mackie? Might be nice to get the two dogs together.

He heard an engine, the sound of a car approaching. Headlights cut through the night as the car pulled into Sydney’s driveway. She’d been out, obviously. Her business. But Adam couldn’t help but be curious.

He also wondered what she’d think of him adopting Sugarbelle. She’d probably like it. She was a dog lover.

He waited until he heard the sound of a car door opening and closing, then the sound of the house door. Once he knew she was inside, he scooped Sugarbelle up and took her in.

Sydney would let Mackie out, and if the two dogs sensed each other on either side of the fence, they might start barking, which in turn could disrupt the whole neighborhood. He didn’t want that.

But he also wasn’t ready for Sydney to know about Sugarbelle. He had to work out what he was going to tell her. He couldn’t very easily say he’d been part of a bachelor auction to raise money for the shelter and she was one of the dogs available for adoption.

That would lead to questions about the auction and why he hadn’t told Sydney about it. Even if she didn’t ask questions, she’d be thinking them.

And he didn’t really have answers. Not ones that made sense.

So he needed to work that out for himself.

Tomorrow would be soon enough.