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He glanced down at the nearly fist-sized hole in his Henley with relief. He’d take a hole in his shirt over someone trying to kill him any day.
“Oh, that’s nothing,” he said.
Harper tucked the camera under his arm—it was a minor miracle he hadn’t dropped it—and zipped up his coat.
That done, he held out his hands. “There. All better.”
She pressed her hand to her face. Was that a little groan? “Your shoe! He did that, didn’t he? Oh my God.”
“They’re just shoes. It’s okay. I’d rather him chew my shoe up than end up in the road.”
“I feel so bad. You were fast. I’m so grateful.” She bent and eyed the dogs. “That is not an acceptable way to say thank you.”
The dogs flopped down as if in answer.
They clearly didn’t care.
Robin straightened and looked at him. “You have to let me make this up to you.”
It was an opportunity leaping onto his lap.
Harper opened his mouth, but nothing came out.
What would Jamie say right now? His best friend had all the lines. He knew just what to say to a woman. Harper had listened to him a million times over. He could do this.
“You could let me take you to dinner?” he said. It even sounded smooth.
Robin’s eyes popped open, and she stared at him in surprise. Was it really that astonishing? She was a beautiful woman. Men had to hit on her often enough. Then again, with the rate at which she moved through life, she might very well not give many people the chance to ask her out.
“I should be asking you that,” she countered.
Harper held up his hands. “Hey, you don’t have to ask me twice. I don’t have any allergies or food aversions either.”
Robin opened and closed her mouth. Was it his imagination or were her cheeks pinker?
He held out his hand. “I’m Harper.”
Her lips curved into a girlish smile. Flustered looked good on her. “Robin.”
Harper squeezed her hand, holding on to it a moment longer than politely necessary. “Nice to meet you, Robin.”
She didn’t try to tug away from him, but she did take a flustered step away when he released her. The dogs at least seemed to have calmed down.
“Is your camera okay?” she asked.
He glanced down at the device, then turned it over. “Seems okay. It’s pretty sturdy.”
Surveillance cameras needed to be in his line of work.
“Taking pictures of the city?” she asked.
“Birds, mostly.” He winked. “I haven’t gotten a good shot of a robin yet.”
Now her eyes really did flutter open wide. That was a blush. He’d gotten to her.
Tuesday. NOLA City Bark, New Orleans, LA.
Robin’s thoughts were utterly jumbled. She was both frustrated with herself for feeling giddy about a man’s attention while greedy for more. It seemed like these days no one noticed her at all. Not that she’d ever been the most desirable girl. She liked tacos and curry way too much. No man was worth giving up happiness. The guys she’d been attracted to usually went for the petite white girls. Not to mention she’d always been too busy studying to spend time at a salon or shopping, which was probably why she’d graduated with no long-term boyfriend, much to her father’s chagrin.
