LITMIR.BIZ

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He fought his instinct to ask her why she’d run off. “You left something in the bag when you were here that I think belongs to you.”

      “The clicker. I bought that for you. It’s a method to train Nessie. I—”

      Silence ran through the line, and he opened his mouth but held back, knowing she had something else on her mind.

      “I’m sorry about running off. I’d meant to show you how to use it.”

      “Emily, listen. Let’s back up. You don’t need to apologize. I know something happened, and I feel badly. Would you drop by so we can talk? Or if you prefer, I’ll meet you somewhere.” More silence.

      He couldn’t bear it and drew in a lengthy breath to calm himself. “The toys worked like a charm. Nessie hasn’t eaten a leather belt or the handle off of anything.”

      Her faint chuckle whispered through the line. “That’s good.”

      His foot tapped against the patio tiles as he waited for her to respond to his suggestion about meeting. Waited for her to say anything. He forced himself to remain silent.

      “There’s a park not far from you,” she said finally. “It’s on—”

      “I know where it is. I used to…Nick used to walk Suzette there.”

      “I can be there in a few minutes. I’m not too far away.”

      “Great.” He loosened his grip on the phone. “I’ll see you there.”

      “Bring Nessie.”

      He agreed and clicked off, his mind racing. She’d apologized. He still didn’t know why, but it was a beginning. He dashed inside, slipped out of his dress pants and tugged on his jeans and a polo shirt. Nessie was at the patio door when he returned to the family room, and he let her inside. As he headed for the laundry room for her leash, Martin grasped the clicker from the kitchen counter and slipped it into his pocket.

      Nessie grew excited when she saw the leash. She needed to be walked, and he’d tried, but he hadn’t learned how to master the dog and the tether.

      “Come on, little girl. We’re going for a walk.” He maneuvered Nessie to the front door and strode outside with the dog barreling ahead.

      The park was close, but Nessie added time to the walk by tangling his legs in the leash. He had no idea what to say to the dog to keep her heading forward at a stride, not a sprint. A car passed him as he neared the grassy area. It slowed and pulled up to the curb. Emily slipped out and waited for them, a sympathetic grin on her face. His heart began to skip.

      “Nessie did a great job getting you here.”

      He shrugged and added a grin. “I told you I need practice.”

      Emily strode toward the grass, glancing over her shoulder as they followed. “Did you think to bring the clicker?” She wore a pair of slacks beneath a long shirt, the sleeves rolled up. The clothes looked as if she’d borrowed them from a brother.

      Yet no matter what she wore, he found her attractive. In the sunlight, he noticed her creamy skin. She wore only a trace of makeup. He liked the natural look. It fit her. Honest and simple.

      He’d wanted to talk with her first, but apparently she wanted to work with the dog. He drew in a breath, dug into his pocket and pulled out the gadget.

      She opened her palm, and he dropped it in. “We use this to enforce good behavior. When Nessie does something right, you click this and give her a treat. Eventually, you can either click or offer the treat, and she’ll understand.” Emily glanced at him as if she’d expected him to bring along the dog food nuggets.

      He watched while Emily demonstrated, and then he tried using the gadget, but Martin noticed most of the time she was evading his eyes. He was captured by the innocence in her face, almost as if life was a bus she’d missed and she was waiting for another to pass by. That interested him. He winced, not wanting to admit it was more than interest. He was attracted to Emily.

      When he didn’t respond, she turned his way, her eyes questioning. “Is something wrong?”

      “Are you avoiding me?”

      She almost did a double take. “I’m here. Does that look like I’m avoiding you?”

      Her response frustrated him. She’d redirected the question. “Avoidance can mean more than absence.”

      A faint scowl flickered across her face.

      “Did I do something the other day when you darted off? If I did, I apologize. I thought we were—”

      Her hand jutted upward, accidentally sounding the clicker, but she didn’t grin. “It wasn’t you. I had something on my mind, and I needed to leave.”

      “But so suddenly?”

      This time she searched his face with an intense look as if wanting to continue, but the tightness of her lips warned him not to pursue it further.

      She eyed her watch, turning a little as if she didn’t want him to know what time it was. When she turned back, she knelt down and petted Nessie. “You have the idea, right?” She edged her gaze upward.

      He sensed she’d become antsy. “Let me try again. This time walking with her. That’s when I have most of my problems.”

      “I noticed.”

      The lilt of her voice had a playful ring, a total change from moments earlier. A drop of rain hit his cheek, and Martin glanced up, spotting a dark cloud overhead. Emily hadn’t seemed to notice, and he didn’t mention the rain. He strode away, holding the leash shorter and tighter, saying “good girl” with a click as Nessie stayed close. He sensed he was pressing his luck when she spotted a bird and tugged at the leash. He drew her back, and when she pattered beside him, he clicked again and reached down to pet her. Her tail whipped like a flag in the wind.

      A raindrop hit his hand as another struck his nose. He turned back, maneuvering Nessie toward Emily. Before he took a step, the sky opened, and rain poured. He bent down and scooped Nessie into his arms, hightailing toward the street while Emily waved him forward as she slipped into her car.

      He opened the passenger door and jumped inside, putting Nessie on his lap. “That came on fast.” His shirt stuck to his back and Nessie’s fur dripped rain onto his lap. When he focused on Emily, her hair lay plastered against her cheeks, making her look even more guileless and sweet than he could remember. “Thanks.”

      “You’re soaked.” She covered her grin with her fingertips.

      “So are you.” He grinned back.

      She turned the key in the ignition, switched on the wipers, and pulled away. He tried to make small talk, but she seemed distracted. He suspected she didn’t like to drive in a rainstorm. A zap of lightning split the sky followed by a distant roll of thunder that sounded above the slap of the windshield wipers.

      Emily rolled into the driveway, and he eyed the water dripping from her hair. “You should come in for a minute and dry off.”

      “I’ll be home shortly, but thanks.”

      Her playful tone had vanished again, and he decided not to push it. “When will we get together again?”

      A frown shot to her face as she turned toward him.

      “I mean for some more help with Nessie, and I’d still like you to walk—”

      “I’m not the one to do this.” She blinked at him, her frown deepening. “You should call Molly about the lessons. She has the experience. And Nessie’s doing fine.”

      But I’m not. The words longed to be spoken, but they held too much meaning to him. “I thought—”

      “Really, you have the idea. You’re doing fine.”

      Her anxious look prodded him to nestle the dog in

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