Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
Mara
I’m up to my elbows in dog hair when a message from Lark comes through on my phone. I wouldn’t normally check my phone in the middle of a grooming job, but Lark has always been there for me. And this could be urgent.
I press the screen with wet hands, nearly dropping the phone in my attempt to open the message.
“You’ve got to see this!” It says, followed by a link.
After a brief hesitation, I click the link. Graham’s face fills the screen. His silver hair is messy, and his beard is shaggier than I’ve ever seen it. He’s wearing a rumpled olive-green suit that makes him look paler than usual. Dark circles rim the undersides of his eyes.
My blood heats at the sight of his face. There’s no denying that his handsome face, even haggard, packs a punch straight to my heart.
I command myself not to click the play button and drop my phone in the pocket of my apron.
“Sorry about that, Puffins,” I tell the Labradoodle on my grooming table. “Personal problems.”
Puffins understands. His soulful brown eyes connect with mine and offer sympathy. I squirt some more lavender-scented shampoo on him and massage his long hair into bubbly suds.
“Men suck, don’t they?”
Puffins, being male, probably doesn’t agree.
I blow my hair off my face in frustration.
I’m losing my mind, reduced to having a serious conversation about my relationship with a designer dog.
Giving in to temptation, I yank my phone from my pocket and swipe it to life, leaving a smear of soap bubbles across the screen.
The bookstore comes into focus, buzzing with energy and conversation. Graham stands behind a signing table in the center of the room. My chest tightens as he begins to speak.
It’s clear his words are meant for me.
“If I could say one thing to her right now…” His lips curve, a tiny smile. “I’d tell her that Like Sands Through the Hourglass…”
My heart hammers Graham is speaking in our coded language of soap operas.
My doubts drift away. Maybe I should give him another chance. It’s not entirely his fault, and we had so much fun together.
Suddenly, I know I must go to him.
I bolt for the door, too late remembering Puffins on top of the grooming table. It takes me a few minutes to hose him down and get all the soap from his curls. Then, I’ve got him on his leash, and we are out the door. The bookstore is right down the block, and with any luck, we’ll be back in time for me to finish his grooming before his owners pick him up.
“Come on, Puffins.” I sprint down the sidewalk. “Pick up the pace.”
Puffins does the opposite of picking up the pace. It’s as if he’s never been outside before. He stops to sniff every blade of grass and pee on every other tree.
Then, the inevitable happens. A number two.
“No, no, no—can you just hold it?” I beg, tugging on his leash. We’re almost there, and I don’t have any poop baggies.
Despite my pleading, Puffins makes his deposit on the grass, and I’m forced to leave it. A quick glance around leads me to believe luck might finally be on my side. There’s not a single witness on the unusually quiet sidewalk.
I vow to come back later and pick it up, and race down the block to the bookstore. By the time I finally make it to the store, my heart feels like it might explode out of my chest.
The place is packed. People line the aisles, chatting, clutching books, and standing on tiptoe for a better view.
I squeeze through the crowd, ignoring the admonishment of no dogs allowed.
Graham is nowhere in sight. Have I missed him? All this for nothing?
And then, I see him, standing behind a small table, still addressing the crowd.
“And if she was here,” Graham says in a voice cracking with emotion. “I’d tell her none of this means anything without her.”
My breath catches. He’s not being cute with the titles anymore. This is straight from his heart.
The crowd shifts, and suddenly, he sees me.
For a moment, neither one of us moves. Then, I take a slow step forward. Graham’s entire face lights up, and he moves from behind the table.
We smile goofily at each other. Then, Puffins jerks me forward, straight into Graham’s arms.
The bookstore erupts in cheers, but all I can hear is Graham’s voice in my ear, saying, “I only have One Life to Live, and I want to live it with you.”
His mouth finds mine, and the last of my doubts fade away with his kiss.