Thom Baron has been struggling with social anxiety his entire life. He's taken the medications, gone to the therapists, followed the programs, and concluded his best life is a solitary one. When he comes across a dog in obvious need at his local market, it rekindles the desire to have some company around. It may come with a dishevelled coat, a notched ear, and a refusal to respond to anything but its given name "Ugly," but it could still be a friend.<br><br>However, Thom's new fur buddy has no such need to keep to itself and immediately befriends the man Thom has secretly coveted since he moved in -- Justin, Thom's gorgeous, bright-eyed neighbour. No matter how Thom tries to evade the man, the dog keeps drawing them back into each other's lives, and it doesn't take Thom long to recognize it's simply pursuing the demands of Thom's own heart. With the dog giving him the courage to try, Thom reaches out to return the love being offered.<br><br>Until a stranger shows up insisting the dog is his and demanding its immediate return ... a loss Thom knows will take all of his efforts and newfound confidence with it.

But by the Grace of Dog

He sighed and brushed his sleeve over his greasy forehead. It was going to be a long, painful summer. 2: The Market


It took a lukewarm shower with the bathroom lights off to get Thom’s breathing back to normal, then another half an hour staring into the bathroom mirror, trying to visualize the part of him that made him so different, before he could convince himself he’d be able to continue with the day.


His original intention had been to make it home early, change, and get to the open-air market before the post-school, kids-in-tow, cranky-parent, crankier-kid crowd descended. In Thom’s experience, early to mid-afternoon was just about the best time to avoid people, short of not going at all. But the market was one of those places that Thom couldn’t stay away from, regardless of his fears.


Chapter 3