Free Prodigal Son by Susan Mallery Page A

tasted their pizza, I never really understood the whole deep-dish thing. But now I get it. Heaven. Pure heaven.”
    “Wait until you order their pasta.”
    “Really? I might do that tonight. I’m hoping to get out this weekend and explore a little more of the neighborhood. So far all I’ve seen is work and my building.”
    He consciously had to keep from offering to be her guide. He generally spent Saturday mornings with Charlie in the park, but a walking tour would give his dog plenty of exercise. They could—
    No, he told himself. Samantha had made her position incredibly clear. He wasn’t going to push anymore.
    “The city’s website has lots of information about points of interest, planned walks, that sort of thing.”
    “Thanks,” she said, sounding a little puzzled. “I’ll check it out. But if you’re not busy we could—”
    Mrs. Wycliff knocked on the open door. “Mr. Hanson, you have a call from Mr. Baynes.”
    He rose. “I need to take that,” he told her, aware she’d been about to suggest something for the weekend. While he wanted to accept and spend more time with her, he knew it would be a mistake. He’d spent too much time wanting what he couldn’t have where Samantha was concerned. He needed to move on.
    * * *
    Saturday, Samantha dressed for the cool, clear weather, then collected what she would need for a morning spent exploring. As she stepped out of her condo, she thought about going up to Jack’s place and asking him to join her. Except she had a feeling he would say no.
    Not that she could blame him. She’d been so careful to shut him down time and time again, shouldn’t she be happy that he finally got the message? It was better for both of them if they were simply work colleagues.
    She walked to the elevator and hit the down button. It was better, she told herself. Sure Jack was a great guy, but he was also the type of man to push all of her buttons and not in a good way. As much as she liked him, she was also wary of him. He was too much like her father and Vance. Too much in charge. She’d been fooled already—she wasn’t willing to go there again.
    Not that she was even looking for a serious relationship, she reminded herself. The best thing would be to find rebound guy and make that work. If only Jack weren’t so sexy and smart and fun to be with.
    She stepped out into the crisp morning and drew in a deep breath. Enough, she thought. For the rest of the day, she refused to think about Jack. She would simply enjoy herself and—
    Something bumped into the back of her legs. She turned and saw Charlie. The border collie gave her a doggy grin, then barked. Jack smiled.
    “Morning,” he said, looking delicious in worn jeans and a sweatshirt.
    “Hi.”
    “Out to see the sights?”
    She tugged on the strap of her purse/backpack. “I have everything I need right here. I downloaded some maps and packed water and money for a cab in case I get lost.”
    “You picked a good day. It won’t get too hot.”
    Was it just her, or had things taken a turn for the awkward? “So you and Charlie are headed for the park?”
    He nodded. “Every Saturday, regardless of the weather.”
    She rubbed the dog’s ears. The smart choice was simply to walk away. But she was lonely, she liked Jack and she wanted them to be friends.
    “Can a non-dog owner come along?” she asked.
    He hesitated, but before she could retract the question, he smiled. “Sure. When I get tired of throwing Charlie the Frisbee, you can take over.”
    “I’d like that.” She fell into step beside him. “So how did you get Charlie? Did you grow up with dogs in the house?”
    “No. I wasn’t actually looking for a pet. Then a buddy from my law firm invited me over for dinner. I learned later it was with an ulterior motive. His dog had six-week-old puppies he was looking to sell to unsuspecting friends. Charlie and I bonded over a game of tag.”
    She laughed. “I wouldn’t have thought a hotshot-attorney type