left of the pizza. He placed the mangled pieces of pizza on the bar and looked at his fingers, covered in pizza sauce. The dogs, divested of the rest of the pizza and probably sensing there would be no dire consequences, were wrestling each other again.
“Oh no.”
Max jerked toward the sound of Carly’s voice. She’d followed him into the kitchen and saw the remains of pizza on the floor. “That’s a mess.”
“Understatement,” he muttered, and grabbed a roll of paper towels.
“I have never seen Baxter like this. I really think he and Bubbles are friends.”
“Hazel,” he reminded her. He turned on the faucet to wash his hands. “I don’t see Hazel like this very often, either, to be honest. And I’ve never seen her in a tutu. I appreciate the gesture, but I’m going to take it off.”
“It’s adorable, but if you want to be a killjoy . . .” She smiled pertly.
“I want to be a killjoy,” he said. Bandannas were one thing. Tutus were quite another. He turned off the tap and dried his hands. Then he stepped in between the wrestling dogs, lifted Hazel up by the back end, and yanked the tutu free of her body. He opened one of the French doors and flipped on an outside light. “Take it outside, you two,” he commanded.
The two dogs frolicked their way out the door.
Carly moved to stand beside him at the door and peered out into the yard. Max had done a little landscaping last year. He’d made a small firepit and had installed a Buddha in the flower bed. “Nice,” Carly said. “I worried that Baxter was tied up in someone’s bare backyard.” She turned to face him. “Did you worry about Hazel?”
“Of course. But I think I worried more that Hazel would make herself too comfortable.”
Carly laughed at that, and Max was surprised by the sound of it—her laugh was lovely. She’d come in so hot that any laugh was unexpected, and especially one like that.
And then, just as suddenly, her smile faded a little, and she was looking at him again in that strange way that made Max feel self-conscious. He didn’t like it. He brushed his hand across his cheek just in case.
Carly abruptly pirouetted away from the door and into his living area. “I think we’ve learned a valuable lesson here, don’t you?”
A lesson? What lesson? “We have?”
“Sure! We’ve learned that crazy things happen when dogs are involved. Like, your name is Max? Because Brant had you down as Tobias Sheffington III, and he is definitely the type to pounce on a shortcut like Max.”
“One hundred percent,” Max agreed.
She smiled, and that strange vibe rushed through him again.
“I should get Baxter and go. Busy, busy day tomorrow. I have to swing by someone’s house and log them on to a computer. Need to rest up for that.”
“You have to do what?”
She shook her head as she looked at her watch. “I’m kidding. Well, I’m not kidding, but it’s a long, boring story, so I’ll save that for someone I don’t like.” She glanced up and smiled. “Lucky you.”
Did that mean she liked him? Was this the time to ask for his favor?
“Well, Mr. Sheffington, this has been a week! May you and Hazel find a new dog walker who is not selling pot on the side. I may skip the dog walker for the time being. I’ve got some super serious trust issues now.” She made a flourish with her hand and bowed, then walked to the French doors and peered out. “Oh.”
The dogs had a dog rope between them and were engaged in a fierce tug-of-war. “They really like each other, don’t they?” Max said.
“I’m not gonna lie—Baxter has been so depressed since I got him.”
“Yeah? He was really down in the beginning here, too, but he perked up for me after a day.”
“Why?” She peeked up at him. “Are you a dog whisperer or something?”
“I let him on the couch.” He smiled.
Carly snorted. “He’s probably ruined for life, so thanks for that. Hazel looks pretty happy, too. She’s a real people person.”
He resisted the urge to point out that she was mixing species. “How long have you had Baxter?”
“A few weeks. How long have you had Hazel?”
“Not quite a year,” he said. “You seem to like Hazel, at least.”
“I love Hazel. I love all dogs. Dogs are the best.”
“Even the ones that eat your pillows?”
She gave him a wry smile. “I’m sure she didn’t mean it.”
Max was relieved to