The bell on the door rings as I push open the door and my stomach sinks. John is behind the counter, busy on his phone. “Welcome to Canine Couture,” he mumbles more to his phone than to me.

“Shouldn’t you be asking me what I need help with?” I say with fake enthusiasm.

His head bolts up and then he’s off the stool, running toward me with his arms outstretched. “Teeny,” he says, swaying us side to side. “What happened with boss man?”

“You know relationships.”

He shrugs. “I’ve really yet to have a real one.”

“You will. Then you’ll know.” I scan the area, trying to get my heart to beat at an even pace.

John’s hand lands on my back. “He’s in the back,” he says with what sounds like pity.

I nod a few times.

I can do this.

“Come on over. Take your usual spot.” He leads us to the counter and I see the stool I used to sit on every day admiring Leo from afar. And then from not so far.

“I’ll just wait here.” I stay on the other side of the counter, hoping that ten o’clock comes quickly.

The door to the salon area opens and a shiver spreads out from the back of my neck. My heart picks up even more speed and my hands get clammy.

John has a cat-that-ate-the-canary look on his face, as though he has a bet on how our greeting will go.

The first one to greet me isn’t Leo though—Cooper barrels past him, jumping up on my side, sniffing every inch.

“Cooper, down!” Leo’s stern voice rings out and John startles.

Cooper sits down at my feet, his eyes pleading for me to pet him. I missed him. Believe me, it takes a lot for me to admit that.

I crouch down and pet his head. It beats having to stare at Leo and mourn what we lost anyway.

“It’s okay.” Leo looms over us, his eyes dull and lacking the luster of life they usually contain. “I know you don’t like dogs.” He snaps his fingers and Cooper’s head shifts from me to Leo and back to me. Cooper finally trots off to his owner, head hanging down.

“Yeah, but I like Cooper.”

A hollow laugh leaves Leo’s mouth. “Like. What a word ‘like’ is.”

“I think I need to get in the back, right, boss?” John asks and walks by me, not waiting for Leo to answer. “It was great seeing you, Teeny. Stop by anytime.”

I smile a tight grin. I’m not sure his boss would like me returning for a visit.

John claps my shoulder a few times and then it’s just the two of us. Leo and I stand in the small space, Cooper’s panting the only sound to fill it.

“I’m sorry, Leo,” I say.

He’s looking down at the ground. Slowly, he raises his head and looks up at me and nods. “Me, too.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for. I lied and you’re right, I was never all in.”

He shuts his eyes for a moment then leans back on the counter and crosses his arms. His biceps look bigger and his chest more inviting than it used to. Probably because I have no right to be looking at them anymore.

“I accept your apology for lying, but please accept mine for pressuring you to go faster than you wanted. I was like an overworked puppy around new people.”

I smile at his comparison. “I liked the puppy.”

“I was hoping you’d love the puppy.” His lips dip and there’s such sadness in his eyes that it feels like someone took a sledgehammer to my chest.

“No.” I step forward. “Leo, don’t—”

The bell on the door chimes and Leo plasters on a smile, focused behind me now.

Sam Nichols and his team of three women come in and for the next few hours, Leo wins them over with his skills and his ideas. They agree in principle on a line for toy dogs and ask about what he sees for the bigger dogs, because a tutu on a dog like Cooper would look absurd.

“I can definitely draw something up,” Leo offers.

“Actually”—I raise my finger and they all focus on me—“Leo has a line of coats for dogs.”

“Tee.” Leo sighs, and I wish his nickname for me didn’t make me want to grab his face and kiss him.

“He’s modest, but they’re corduroy with a lambs’ wool lining. Perfect, especially for the colder months.”

Sam nods and looks to one of the women on his team. “Get us a prototype.”

“Done.” Leo nods, a smile widening his lips further.

Sam claps his hands. “I think we’re good then. We’ll take some of these patterns back to our manufacturing plant and you can come out there, see how you like the materials, make sure you think they’ll work with the designs. I’m thinking that if we really push we’ll be good to go for late fall, early winter if not.”

“That’s great. Thank you.” Leo’s fists clutch one another and his knuckles turn white.

“We have a flight back right away, so we should get going.” Sam stands, as do the women.

“It’s a great shop,” one of them says, scoping all of Leo out.

Where’s my pen so I can stab her in the eye when I need it?

“Thank you,” he says.

One of the other woman calls Sam over to look at something and the second joins him while the third stays at Leo’s side. Maybe she ought to lick him like a dog would, since she wants a taste so bad.

Leo smiles and rocks back on his heels while Cooper trots over to the woman.

“Aren’t you a cutie?” She crouches down in her short skirt and heels, letting Cooper lick her face.

Leo glances at me and then back to them. “He’s overly affectionate,” Leo remarks.

“Oh, I don’t mind, I love dogs,” she says in a syrupy-sweet voice.

“Watch out, his drool can be a little excessive,” I add, trying to get her to let the dog go. I mean she’s going to choke him, she’s holding him so tight.

“That’s okay. You should see my Dobermans at home.” She laughs and I give a fake one back.

“Doberman. That’s a big breed,” Leo says and the child in me wants to make the non-verbal gagging motion with my finger.

“Yeah, they’re great though. They each sleep on one side of me when I’m at home.” She makes kissing sounds to Cooper. He licks her face again.

Traitor.

“Where do you sleep, sweetie?”

“Usually on the floor,” I say and Leo’s head whips in my direction, his eyebrows raised and a smirk on his lips.

“He does?” The woman stands up and now it’s me she’s looking up and down—sizing up the competition, I suppose.

“Yeah,” Leo doesn’t refute my implication.

“I must have heard wrong,” she says. “I thought you were the ex-PR rep.” Each word comes out of her mouth in an annoyed and very pointed fashion.

Leo says nothing, an amused expression on his face.

“I was the ex… er… am the ex, yes.”

Leo’s gaze falls to the ground.

“Then maybe you should go join another conversation,” she says with fake sweetness.

“Whoa.” Leo holds out his hand. “I’m fairly sure you don’t want me to have to talk with your boss. Teegan might be my ex-PR rep and yes, she’s my ex-girlfriend…”

Leo picked up the sledgehammer and took a swing. Ouch. Ex-girlfriend.

I miss whatever else he says, but she grabs her bags and heads over to Sam and the others.

“Thank you,” I say.

He shakes his head. “Don’t. The meeting’s over, you’re free to go.”

I swallow past the lump in my throat. “Okay.” I pack up my belongings—better to leave while Sam is still here so it’s not even more awkward.

“Hey.” Leo comes up to the side of me. The smell of his cologne draws me to him. “Thank you for bringing up the jackets.”

I zip up my computer case. “You’re welcome. I’m glad you’re getting what you want.”

“What about you?”

“What about me?” I spin to face him, my forehead wrinkled.

“What do you want?”

My shoulders fall. “I’m afraid what I want—”

“Leo,” Sam calls out and Leo turns his head. “We’re going to head out.”

“I was just leaving, too.” I pull my bag over my shoulders and suck in one last big inhale of his scent. I walk over and shake hands with all of them, including the bitch who has the hots for Leo.

“Great to meet you, Teegan,” Sam says.

I smile, since my job is pretty much done now. “It was my pleasure.” I turn to Leo who is oddly close to me. “Leo. Good luck.”

He smiles and wraps his arms around me. We hold each other for what seems like hours, but is probably only seconds. I allow myself to sink into his strong grip, denying the urge to run my hands up and down his back or rub the short hairs on the back of his neck. “Thank you,” he whispers. “It’s never too late to go after what you want.” He pulls away and I blink back the tears threatening to fall.

I nod. “Bye.” I choke out the one word before I run out of the shop.

Once I hit the street, the tears fall and I hold my hand out for the first taxi I see and climb in, effectively putting Leo Vaughn and Canine Couture behind me.

* * *

I’m rolled on my side, tears staining my pillow. My door creeps open and I figure Sophie must’ve found her way in. The bed dips behind me and a frail arm wraps around my waist.

“I’m sorry, baby. Heartbreak isn’t easy.”

My mom smells like apples and for the first time in a while the scent of alcohol doesn’t linger around her.

I clutch her hand in mine. “Why am I so stupid? Why can’t I tell him I love him?” The sobs rack my body again and I shake my head.

“Aren’t we a pair? I believe in true love and you run away from it.” She’s so coherent.

I sit up and rest my back on the headboard. She’s dressed in my yoga pants and t-shirt, but at least she doesn’t have that stupid robe on still.

“Are you leaving?” I ask.

She nods, biting her lip just like I do. “Fred. He’s a fisherman in Maine. We’re flying out tonight.”

I grab a Kleenex and blow my nose. “How do you do it?” I ask. “Keep believing some soulmate is out there for you.”

She smiles and shrugs. “I can’t imagine a life without love. I haven’t been dealt the best hand or maybe I just don’t know how to pick ’em, but there’s nothing like having a man who loves you. Someone who wants to take care of you.”

“But—”

Her finger covers my lips. “No.” She shakes her head. “It’s true. Not everyone is the one. But I’ve never seen you act the way you have lately. Moping around, crying, going through a pint of ice cream every day.” She eyes me as if she watches my movements like I do hers. “My guess is Romeo is worth the risk of a heartbreak.”

I brush a tear off my cheek. “But what if it doesn’t work out? Then what will I do? I don’t want to go through that.”

She brushes a piece of hair behind my ear. “Oh, sweetie, seems to me you already know what it feels like to lose him,” she says in a soft, nurturing voice.

How on Earth is she the one who makes me realize that I have to try to win Leo back?

The doorbell rings and she jumps off the bed. “Take a chance, baby girl. Live your life. I should’ve never made you have to be the responsible one. I blame myself.”

I appreciate her words, but I know they won’t stop her from coming back when Fred turns out to be married or has three ex-wives looking for money.

“Good luck, Mom.”

She smiles her I-won-the-lottery grin and in her mind, I know she thinks she did. She’s an eternal optimist. I hope she’s right this time.

“You too, sweetie. Go get your Romeo, Juliet, and don’t think so hard about what’s coming down the line. Just take it as it comes.” She kisses my forehead and leaves the room.

I hear a deep male voice and then Sophie and then nothing. Seconds later Sophie runs into my room.

“What’s up? She’s gone. Let’s party!” She jumps on my bed, falling to her ass.

“Sophie,” I say and she turns to face me and then looks me up and down once and stops.

We share a look and she smiles.

“You’re ready?”

I nod. “I’m ready.” My heart lifts and I swipe the last of the tears off my face.

“It’s go time. Operation Get Teegan Out of the Doghouse with Doggie Man is on.” She flings herself off the bed. “Any ideas?”

I rack my brain, nibbling on my lip. “Yeah. One.”