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Tyler checked on the dogs; Shasta and Bella were straining at the end of their leashes once more, while Duke still lay there. After his temperament test, Tyler had been working on his training and found he was already accomplished in obedience. The dude was completely chill, and Tyler had done everything he could to find his owners, but no one had responded to his Craigslist ad. Tyler had decided to keep it up until the cast came off, but at this point, Tyler already felt as if Duke had always been his.
His focus once again on Dani, he could tell she was experiencing an emotional roller coaster when she pulled away from Noah and scolded, “When Mama tells you to stop, you stop! Do you know how badly you could have been hurt?”
Followed by another crushing hug that was probably cutting off the kid’s air supply, but Tyler wasn’t going to interfere. He’d experienced enough of them from his own mom to know that when a mother was scared or her baby was hurt, you did not mess with her.
Dani’s wet green eyes met his, her lip trembling. “You must think I’m the worst mother in the world.”
“Are you kidding? My mom once turned her back, and I hid in the Macy’s men’s department for ten minutes. She was in such a panic, and I came out laughing, ‘Here I am, Mommy!’ ”
“Oh, God, I would have died. How old were you?”
“Four, I think? She still says that took years off her life.”
“I know the feeling.” She kissed Noah’s head. “I think that’s enough park for Mama.”
Noah surprisingly didn’t protest, but Tyler realized that he didn’t want them to leave.
“What if I took Mommy and Noah out for a hot chocolate and a muffin?”
Noah poked his head up at the mention of hot chocolate, but Dani looked like she was about to decline.
“You really don’t have to do that—”
“You don’t like muffins?” Tyler asked innocently.
“Of course we do; everybody likes muffins.”
“Then it’s no problem. We can head up to LaBou and sit outside with the dogs.”
He could tell she was still hesitant, but Noah seemed to be watching her with pleading eyes.
“Okay, sure. We would love to have muffins with you.”
“Chocolate,” Noah whispered.
Tyler’s heart skipped at the sweet smile she gave her son, their cheeks still wet from their tears.
Clearing his throat, he said, “You handle him, and I’ll help you get packed up.”
She didn’t argue with him, and he went about folding up their quilt, surprised at himself. If he was so hell-bent on steering clear of Dani and Noah, why hadn’t he just said hi and moved on? What was going on with him?
Maybe Henry’s advice got to you more than you realized.
Picking up her diaper bag and the dogs leashes, he stood up with a laugh. Just because he hadn’t hooked up with a woman for a while, even in Tahoe, didn’t mean he was looking to settle down.
“I think we’re all packed up,” he said.
She looked a little embarrassed, with her cheeks stained red and her eyes slightly downcast. “I’m sorry; we were planning to make a morning of it, so I always pack more than I need.”
“You don’t have to apologize, really.” As they started walking back to the cars, the dogs all fell in line beside them, although the dog she’d called Shasta kept turning her head to check on her humans. It was exactly how Rex had been with him.
When she opened up the back for him, he loaded her dogs and shut the door. Standing alongside her car, he waited as she buckled Noah in. When she finally pulled her head back out and reached for her bag, he handed it to her slowly, their hands brushing. Tyler resisted the urge to wrap his fingers around hers, so delicious was the shock between them.
Instead, he released the strap quickly, holding tight to Duke’s leash.
“So, should I just follow you?” she asked.
Standing so close to her, with her looking up at him expectantly, he was tempted to kiss her. To see if she tasted as sweet as she looked.
