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

Without breaking eye contact, Justin cleared his throat. When he spoke, his voice was a husky whisper. “If you keep looking at me like that, I’m going to have to kiss you.”


“That would be a mistake,” Thom whispered.


“You think a lot of things are mistakes. I personally think you can never really tell what’s going to be a mistake until you try doing the thing.”


Justin’s smile was more disarming than his eyes. Somewhere in Thom’s consciousness, he knew that the people continued to walk past, and the market continued to exist around them. The sounds had faded into the background, though, and if there were in fact people still watching them, Thom no longer noticed.


“Okay, then,” Justin said. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”


Chapter 22