As soon as I sent the text, regret flooded my head in a hot sludge. Texting him right after? Who does that? Actually, hell if I knew. I didn’t.

I had no idea how to do this.

I shoved my phone into my pocket and focused on my morning routine. I showered, cleaned everything up and got ready for the day.

Every day included dog training, so I Tiger and I practiced sit and wait a million times. A million questions cycled through my mind.

Should I google what was next? What the fuck do I do about Oscar? Should I be making him coffee? Should I regret sending the text? Should I avoid him? No, that would be stupid.

I paced back and forth and Tiger watched me, his head tipping back and forth. “I bet you think I’m crazy, don’t you?” I said to my spotted puppy.

He thumped his tail and barked at me.

I checked my watch. Ten thirty. My stomach growled. Just then my phone chimed.

Did you sneak away or are you a morning person?

Ballsy question. I grinned as I painstakingly tapped out my reply.

Morning person. Also puppy person.

Ah. Puppy schedule is everything.

I couldn’t resist, and had to ask.

Are you hungry?

I grimaced as soon as I hit send. What the fuck was I doing? I shoved my questions down. I felt the headiness of reckless behavior, and drank in its intoxicants. I’d already crossed a line, so I might as well go all in.

I waited, breath held, for his reply.

Are you cooking?

Oh good. I didn’t scare him off. I think I knew the way to his heart. I mean…his stomach.

Ha. No, but what about more grits? Tiger can meet more people?

I waited a long time for a reply. I almost put my phone back in my pocket and then my phone buzzed.

You’re buying. And driving.

Demanding! Does this mean you’ll put out? :-D

Ha. It means I’m getting more grits. And possibly pancakes.

Bay Leaf’s pancakes have fresh berries and real cream.

Real cream sounds dangerous.

We can talk about more danger over brunch.

Sold. Let me get dressed and coffee myself. Do you want some?

I drank an entire pot two hours ago, so I’d better not.

Ha! Sounds like me.

All that reading and typing was exhausting. Oscar was worth it.

I hurried inside to get ready for brunch — which I wasn’t sure what that entailed. I brushed my teeth. I ran my fingers through my hair. I paced around. Then I sat on the couch and willed myself to calm the fuck down. Nothing scary was happening. I just had no fucking clue what I was doing.

Adrenaline was heady stuff. Did it cloud my judgment? I had no idea.

Before long Oscar appeared, this time wearing darker skinny jeans and a fitted robins egg blue t-shirt. Fuck, he looked adorable. “Do you have one of those in every color?” I waved at his shirt.

“Hang around long enough and you’ll find out,” he winked as he climbed into my truck. I put Tiger on his lap and away we went.

This time, we sat on the other side of the outdoor seating at The Bay Leaf, overlooking the large park by the lake and people watched. It seemed everyone in town was out jogging, walking, picnicking. Many had one or more dogs. How did I not notice all the dogs before?

Tiger restlessly wandered in and out of my chair legs. “We should have walked him first,” Oscar observed.

“I did a lot with him before you got up. I assumed that would wear him out.”

Oscar laughed out loud, and slapped his hand on his leg.

“What? Don’t laugh at me,” I scowled.

“Aww, don’t be like that.” He reached over and placed his hand on my arm. “It’s just — dalmatians are crazy busy. It’s one of their defining traits.”

“Look who we have here!” A familiar voice called out behind me.

Oscar’s face lit up and I turned around to greet our visitor. “Mom! Nice to see you.”

“Hi guys,” she said. She started to pull up a chair and then spotted Tiger. “Eek, Tiger! You brought your puppy? Oh my god, Rhett. This is so adorable.”

“Yes, that’s us. Adorable,” I repeated. “He has to meet one hundred people, remember?”

She sat in her chair and bent down to get face to face with Tiger. “Can I take him? I mean, I could walk him around and you could enjoy your brunch. He could meet people!”

“Uh, I don’t know.” I looked at Oscar. “Isn’t there a protocol for him meeting people?

“There is,” Oscar said. “But I can show you. Basically there are some ways to have people greet him and vice versa so he doesn’t become fearful or aggressive from these experiences.”

My mom was a sharp lady. She could do this. I still didn’t like the idea of turning my puppy over to someone else.

She noticed my apprehension. “What if I just walk him around and not have him meet people? Oscar can teach me the protocols just in case something happens but I won’t seek anyone out.”

“A dalmatian puppy gets a lot of attention,” I said. “Good luck avoiding people.”

She rolled her eyes at me and then turned her attention to Oscar. “Teach me what I need to know.”

A few minutes later, she was off with Tiger, walking him down the grassy hillside and letting him smell and explore to his hearts’ content.

“Maybe even a puppy needs a grandma,” I said.

“She’s doing well,” Oscar said. “Look.”  He pointed and sure enough, some people gathered around her and Tiger. She had him sit and meet the people, one person at a time. “Your mom’s a natural. She could dog sit for you when I couldn’t.”

Thoughts spun in my head, and I looked Oscar over from head to toe. Would he? Should I?

Oscar looked down at himself. “What?”

“How do you feel about motorcycles,” I grinned.

A few hours later, after a lot of cajoling and begging, Tiger was installed in the guest house with my mom dog sitting, and Oscar was on the back of my motorcycle. His arms and legs wrapped around me as we blazed down the Maple Loop Highway. It was much too late to see the spring flowers in the mountains, but the scenery was still gorgeous.

“I’m flying!” Oscar yelled into my ear over the roar of the road. “No wonder you love this!”

The wind whipped over us and the bike rumbled below. My heart filled with happiness. This was one of my happy places, and he loved it too. Dude needed to get some adrenaline in his life.

I didn’t think it could get any better until he said, “If I get a bike will you teach me to ride it?”