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 threw open the door. “Justin? Is everything okay?”


Justin stood, haloed by the streetlight in early autumn dusk, with an unreadable expression on his perfect face. Both hands were behind his back. “Well, I just got off the phone with my mom, who is just about to get on a plane, and—” He paused and exaggerated thought by tapping his cheek with his finger. “No, she is definitely onthe plane already. This was like, at least, ten minutes ago because I had to grab something before I came over, and then I had to do a couple of things—”


“Oh, right! So, she’s just saying goodbye, right? Telling me where she was staying and all that stuff that people do, and—”


“No, I’m getting there, I swear!” He cocked his head. “I’m just giving you a little background so you don’t get mad at her for not calling you herself, or for talking about your confidential information or something.”


Chapter 27