“But when Stanley ran away today, and I thought he was lost again, I was devastated. The idea of never seeing him again crushed me. And when we found him in the woods at last, that’s when I knew I wanted him to be mine.”
Now they both looked over at the scruffy dog, who was dreaming in his sleep, his paws twitching.
“When he came hurtling into my life a week ago, I just thought he was a temporary inconvenience, albeit one I quickly found a soft spot for,” Grace said. “Now, I can’t imagine life without him. He was lost and I found him and now I don’t want to let him go. So, I’m going to adopt him and give him a wonderful home.”
Ryan smiled. “He adores you as much as you adore him.”
Grace laughed. “With all the walking he seems to expect, I won’t have time for the endless hours of study I’ve been used to at home, and that’s not a bad thing. There will be practicalities to work out, of course. I’ll have to hire a dog walker for when I’m doing long shifts at work, but I can sort all that out in time.”
“He can come round to my house when I’m working here and you’re in need of a dog sitter,” Ryan said. “He’s already made himself at home.”
Grace smiled again. “He’d love that. So would I.”
Over in his bed, Stanley let out a yip as his dreams continued and his little legs ran faster in his sleep.
“We have Stanley’s seal of approval,” Grace said as they both laughed.
Ryan pulled Grace close for another kiss before they settled back on the sofa, content in each other’s arms as everything they’d said began to sink in.
He’d opened his heart to her when he’d sangLost And Found. The depths of his feelings for her drove him through the fear about how she might respond. And yet he’d known in his heart that he had nothing to fear, because the connection they’d shared since the moment they met had told him that something special was happening here.
The past week had changed him, and it had changed Grace too. As they drew closer together on the sofa, Ryan imagined them both standing on the cusp of a bright new dawn, waiting for the sun to rise.
Waiting for the future they’d decided to embrace—together.
