Melissa Senate

A New Leash On Love


Скачать книгу

easy being the yes or no woman.”

      He smiled. “I know.”

      “Dinner in ten minutes,” she said, which meant he’d better go tell Claire now, and then Ellie.

      His sister had always been no-nonsense, though when you had kids you probably had to be, or you’d end up with four untrained puppies peeing on the area rugs.

      He nodded and headed up to the guest room and closed the door. Phone in hand, he sat on the bed and fished out the card Claire had given him, the shelter’s information on one side, her cell phone on the back.

      He punched in her number. The sound of her voice saying hello? sent a little tremor through him. He’d probably never get used to just calling her up, hearing her voice, running into her.

      “Hi, Claire, it’s Matt. You can let the hold go, unfortunately.”

      “I’m sorry. Is Ellie okay?”

      “No. My sister’s mad at me for making her the bad guy, so my brother-in-law is probably getting an earful right now and will be pissed at me too.”

      “Oh no,” Claire said.

      “I even offered to train Sparkle myself, but my sister won’t go for it. I get it, but I wish this could have worked out.”

      “You’d be willing to train the puppy?” Claire asked.

      “Sure. I mean, I know I don’t have experience, but I’d do my research. It’s not like I’m focused on anything else right now.”

      She was silent for a second, then said, “Matt, I have a crazy idea.”

      “I’m all ears.”

      “I live in the Kingdom Creek development—a house with a big fenced yard. There’s a small one-bedroom apartment over the garage. Maybe you could move in temporarily to foster and train Sparkle, and when she’s ready, she can be adopted by Ellie. Your niece can even help you train her.”

      Huh. Win-win for everyone, especially him in the short-term. He’d have his own place, even if it was connected to Claire’s house. He’d have some space to figure out his future. And Claire had used the word temporarily, so she was making it clear he’d go when the puppy was trained.

      Best of all, he had an immediate mission: to train a cute puppy for his beloved niece.

      “I’ll move in tomorrow,” he said.

      There was silence for a moment, then she rattled off the address and some information about the place. The apartment came with basic furnishings, so he’d just have to move his big duffel bag.

      “Thanks, Claire,” he said. “I know I’m probably not your first choice of tenant.”

      “At least I know you. Or did,” she said. “The last couple I rented to was a disaster.”

      Or did. The words hit him like a left hook in the gut. “See you tomorrow,” he said, needing to get off the phone, to break the connection with her.

      But despite her saying goodbye and the click in his ear, an image of Claire Asher in a long, pale pink dress came storming into his mind. Prom night, so many years ago. They’d long planned to lose their virginity to each other that night as a tribute to their past and a promise for their future, but as the night went on, Matt knew he wouldn’t touch her. She’d known he was going to enlist, like his brother had before him, but she kept talking about when he came home, saying that she’d wait for him, reminding him she’d be semi-local in Chapel Hill for college but that she could transfer depending on where he got stationed. But on prom night, with Claire looking like a movie star in that beautiful pink gown, the whole world open to her, all Matt could think about was smart, interesting Claire putting her life on hold when she deserved so much more.

      Except she’d stayed in Spring Forest. Had gone to the local college. Married a hometown guy. Why? Why hadn’t she used the opportunity of being free to spread those glittering wings of hers? He didn’t understand it.

      He supposed he’d have a lot of chances to ask her now that he’d be living in her house.

      Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

      Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

      Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

      Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.

/9j/4QAYRXhpZgAASUkqAAgAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP/sABFEdWNreQABAAQAAABQAAD/4QQLaHR0cDov L25zLmFkb2JlLmNvbS94YXAvMS4wLwA8P3hwYWNrZXQgYmVnaW49Iu+7vyIgaWQ9Ilc1TTBNcENl aGlIenJlU3pOVGN6a2M5ZCI/PiA8eDp4bXBtZXRhIHhtbG5zOng9ImFkb2JlOm5zOm1ldGEvIiB4 OnhtcHRrPSJBZG9iZSBYTVAgQ29yZSA1LjAtYzA2MSA2NC4xNDA5NDksIDIwMTAvMTIvMDctMTA6 NTc6MDEgICAgICAgICI+IDxyZGY6UkRGIHhtbG5zOnJkZj0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMTk5 OS8wMi8yMi1yZGYtc3ludGF4LW5zIyI+IDxyZGY6RGVzY3JpcHRpb24gcmRmOmFib3V0PSIiIHht bG5zOnhtcE1NPSJodHRwOi8vbnMuYWRvYmUuY29tL3hhcC8xLjAvbW0vIiB4bWxuczpzdFJlZj0i aHR0cDovL25zLmFkb2JlLmNvbS94YXAvMS4wL3NUeXBlL1Jlc291cmNlUmVmIyIgeG1sbnM6eG1w PSJodHRwOi8vbnMuYWRvYmUuY29tL3hhcC8xLjAvIiB4bWxuczpkYz0iaHR0cDovL3B1cmwub3Jn L2RjL2VsZW1lbnRzLzEuMS8iIHhtcE1NOk9yaWdpbmFsRG9jdW1lbnRJRD0idXVpZDowMzE4Zjk0 MC1lYTAwLWJhNGMtYWU1MS03YzlhOTFhNTg0ZjciIHhtcE1NOkRvY3VtZW50SUQ9InhtcC5kaWQ6 MTFGODJBNDE5OEJGMTFFOEJBQUM5Nzk3OTg5NEFGMkMiIHhtcE1NOkluc3RhbmNlSUQ9InhtcC5p aWQ6MTFGODJBNDA5OEJGMTFFOEJBQUM5Nzk3OTg5NEFGMkMiIHhtcDpDcmVhdG9yVG9vbD0iQWRv YmUgUGhvdG9zaG9wIENTNS4xIE1hY2ludG9zaCI+IDx4bXBNTTpEZXJpdmVkRnJvbSBzdFJlZjpp bnN0YW5jZUlEPSJ4bXAuaWlkOjY2Nzg4NzlFRkMyMDY4MTE5N0E1QUNEMTQ5QTI5MjM0IiBzdFJl Zjpkb2N1bWVudElEPSJ1dWlkOjAzMThmOTQwLWVhMDAtYmE0Yy1hZTUxLTdjOWE5MWE1ODRmNyIv PiA8ZGM6dGl0bGU+IDxyZGY6QWx0PiA8cmRmOmxpIHhtbDpsYW5nPSJ4LWRlZmF1bHQiPlRydWVM b3ZlX0pBTl9TaW5nbGVzLmluZGQ8L3JkZjpsaT4gPC9yZGY6QWx0PiA8L2RjOnRpdGxlPiA8L3Jk ZjpEZXNjcmlwdGlvbj4gPC9yZGY6UkRGPiA8L3g6eG1wbWV0YT4gPD94cGFja2V0IGVuZD0iciI/ Pv/tAEhQaG90b3Nob3AgMy4wADhCSU0EBAAAAAAADxwBWgADGyVHHAIAAAIAAgA4QklNBCUAAAAA ABD84R+JyLfJeC80YjQHWHfr/+IMWElDQ19QUk9GSUxFAAEBAAAMSExpbm8CEAAAbW50clJHQiBY WVogB84AAgAJAAYAMQAAYWNzcE1TRlQAAAAASUVDIHNSR0IAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEAAPbWAAEAAAAA 0y1IUCAgAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARY3By dAAAAVAAAAAzZGVzYwAAAYQAAABsd3RwdAAAAfAAAAAUYmtwdAAAAgQAAAAUclhZWgAAAhgAAAAU Z1hZWgAAAiwAAAAUYlhZWgAAAkAAAAAUZG1uZAAAAlQAAABwZG1kZAAAAsQAAACIdnVlZAAAA0wA AACGdmlldwAAA9QAAAAkbHVtaQAAA/gAAAAUbWVhcwAABAwAAAAkdGVjaAAABDAAAAAMclRSQwAA BDwAAAgMZ1RSQwAABDwAAAgMYlRSQwAABDwAAAgMdGV4dAAAAABDb3B5cmlnaHQgKGMpIDE5OTgg SGV3bGV0dC1QYWNrYXJkIENvbXBhbnkAAGRlc2MAAAAAAAAAEnNSR0IgSUVDNjE5NjYtMi4xAAAA AAA