On a bright autumn day, Flynn Marlowe lost his best friend, a beagle named Barley, while out on a hike in Seattle’s Discovery Park. On a cold winter day, Mac Bowersox found his best friend, a lost, scared, and emaciated beagle, on the streets of Seattle. Two men. One dog. When Flynn and Mac meet by chance in a park the next summer, there’s a problem -- who does Barley really belong to? Flynn wants him back, but he can see that Mac rescued him and loves him just as much as he does. Mac wants to keep the dog, and he can imagine how heartbreaking losing him would be -- but that's just what Flynn experienced. A “shared custody” compromise might be just the way to work things out. But will the arrangement be successful? Mac and Flynn are willing to try it ... and along the way, they just might fall in love.

Lost and Found

And so Flynn released her from her worries, at least for the time being. He had no reason, other than his own optimism and hunger for love, to think that Mac would be or could be anything more than a friend. At best. At worst, he was simply interested in Flynn to get to his dog. So why make Clara feel she was being thrown over? The kindest thing would be to ask her to come along.


But he waskind enough to say, “Right. You’re right. We’ll just give Barley a social outing together. Let him burn off some energy. Who knows? Maybe I’ll get over there and Mac will want to just take Barley by himself. You know, for a little one-on-one quality time.”


“I will,” Flynn said softly, knowing he wouldn’t. “I better get going. I’m already going to be late.”


“Have fun,” Clara said, and Flynn wondered if there was something halfhearted in her wish. “Call me when you get home, okay? Don’t forget. I’ll be up late.”


Chapter 37