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

“But they can be held against their will,” non-Foster said. He turned toward the kitchen and eyed the laundry room door. “Say, for example, by a market vendor that was willing to make a buck off of anything and everything. The owner had pictures—”


“So, you’ve convinced yourself that jerk is the owner?” Thom snapped.


“The other man,” Foster clarified, on behalf of his partner. “The other man showed us a couple of pictures. Would you mind if we had a look to compare?”


Thom nodded. “I would. Yes. I would mind a lot.”


Foster lifted a hand, silencing non-Foster before the other officer could speak. “Okay, well, I’m sure you know that we can’t force you to do anything. This is property ownership, which is a civil matter in our province. He’s already admitted the dog wasn’t stolen from his house but ran off on its own. So, it will be up to him to prove to a court that the animal belongs to him.”


Chapter 35