A New Leash On Love. Melissa Senate

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.