And he wasn’t far off. My body was in flight mode, my stomach churned, and I couldn’t get enough air into my lungs. Neptune lumbered to my side and sat next to me, leaning his massive body against my leg. I buried my fingers in his soft fur, comforted by his presence.
“Did you hide from us because you don’t like us?” Sawyer asked.
“No.”
“Then why?”
I turned my head, unable to look at them. So many questions were spinning inside my mind, but I knew I had no answers. Not at this moment, at least.
What I wanted was to know I wouldn’t get hurt, because I had a feeling they could be very important to me if I let them. But who can guarantee something like that before they’ve even been out on a single date?
So, I drew in a deep breath of forest air, scratched my dog behind his ears, and looked at them. “Yes. I’d love to go on a date with you.”6
Sawyer