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"Well, hey, Doc Jensen," a fe out

Nate turned to see Annie co so closely that if she stopped suddenly, he’d have crashed into her She carried a furry ball of black and white that fit perfectly into her pal at her, he realized he hadn’t reh Tall, curvaceous, high cheekbones, soft dark auburn hair swinging along her jaw, long delicate fingers…She was beautiful And her figure in a pair of snug jeans and turquoise hoodie with a deep V-neck just knocked hi?

And as he, a e and tiny bikinis, suddenly seeing the merits in jeans, boots and hoodies?

Then he re in a little hair salon in Fortuna, under a pink smock

He picked up his beer and wandered over to the hearth Christopher and Annie sat on opposite sides of the box, which left no place for him, so he stood there in the middle

Annie passed Chris the puppy "Hold hile hiood for hiive hiht now"

"A little maintenance?" Nate asked

Annie looked up at hiets to be a bother--without a e their diapers and keep the a little worse for wear So up My dad always used to say a little poop never hurt a puppy, but you let that go long enough and it will Gets thely and matted and sick"

"You bathed hi theet cold Preacher’s wife loaned her blow-dryer to the cause Okay, Chris, he’s been away froh now" She reached into the box and pushed soently put his puppy into the pile "They’ll be ready to eat again in about an hour Why don’t you get back to your homework, or dinner, or chores, or whatever your folks have in mind"

"Okay, Annie," he said

And Nate fought a smile as Chris vacated his place on the hearth But before he sat down he asked Annie, "Can I buy you a beer? Or so else?"

She tilted her head and smiled at him "I wouldn’t mind a beer, thanks" He was back with a cold one for her in justokay here," she said to hiuy, but he only pretended interest in the pups, picking one up and then another, looking at their little faces He’d rather be looking at her, but didn’t want to see a puppy, rather than her