Free That Dating Thing by Mackenzie Crowne Page B

you think, I love him, too.”
    When Pippin pressed even closer, Rylee looked down to find him watching her.
    She doesn’t love me enough.
    “Are you sure about this, Emily? The birth of the baby is a long way off and he’s smart. With a little bit of effort on your part—”
    “I’m sure,” she interrupted. “Bob and I agree this is for the best.”
    “Well, then. We may as well go get those papers.” Emily fell into step at Rylee’s side. Angry despite the resignation, yet admittedly a bit relieved, she cast a disgruntled glance Emily’s way. “I’m not refunding his tuition.”
    “I wasn’t going to ask.” Emily met her gaze and smiled. “Thank you, Rylee. I know you’re angry and you have every right to be.” She rubbed Pippin’s sleek back. “He really is a sweetheart. I’m kind of hoping you’ll decide to keep him yourself, but if not, I know you’ll find him a good home.”
    Twenty minutes later, Rylee tossed her cell phone on her desk and flopped back in the chair. “Don’t look at me like that.”
    Across the room, Pippin stared at her, accusation shining in his eyes.
    “It’s not like I’m tossing you out. I’m just making inquiries. You need a family. One with a little boy, maybe, who’ll need you to take care of him and love him as much as he’ll love you. If I kept every dog I came across who needed a home, I’d end up on the news like one of those crazy animal hoarders.”
    But, I’m special .
    She sighed. Yes, Pippin was special. Her connection with certain dogs was more intense than with others, a distinction she contributed to the animal’s intelligence. The whispering, as people referred to her unusual ability with dogs, normally manifested as a vague impression of the animal’s emotions. The link she and Pippin shared held no such ambiguity. His thoughts were as clear as if he spoke them aloud. Brian’s Doctor Doolittle comment wasn’t far off the mark in Pippin’s case.
    As a nod to her responsibility as a professional dog trainer, she’d made the calls, inquiring after suitable placement, but she’d simply been going through the motions. Just as she’d anticipated the Wilsons’ ultimate decision to let Pippin go, she’d known she couldn’t do the same. Sil would roll her eyes, but she wouldn’t be surprised to learn Pippin would be joining the family.
    Rylee pointed at him. “I’m pack-leader, buster. What I say goes.” Joyful hope gleamed in his eyes. Rylee glanced toward the doorway and a vision of Pippin pinning Coop to the floor flashed through her head. “If you’re going to be sticking around, there are rules. And number one is no more jumping!”
    He immediately came to his feet, padding around her desk to rest his muzzle against the crook of her arm. He brushed his large head against her in his version of a hug.
    I love you .
    A fatalistic smile curved her mouth and she leaned down to rest her forehead against his.
    “I love you, too.”

Chapter Eight
    “Wow!”
    Coop’s low compliment, echoed in his appreciative eyes, brushed over Rylee’s nerve endings like a caress.
    “The exact reaction I was shooting for,” she said, smiling up at him where he stood framed in the open doorway.
    “Mission accomplished.”
    After the stress she suffered over her choice of dress for tonight’s date, his reaction thrilled her down to her toes. Classy casual, he’d said of the dress code for the retirement party they were to attend, and she’d settled on a little black dress that left her shoulders bare and skimmed her legs to mid-thigh. She’d gone for simplicity rather than sexy, but from his response, she’d achieved both.
    She let her gaze roam over his stark black attire. “You’re not so bad yourself.”
    Talk about understatements. Leashed power came to mind. The collarless, black silk shirt, tucked into fitted black slacks, framed the tapered broadness of his chest, trim hips and long legs with mouth-watering results. She recalled describing