How to Lose a Groom in 10 Days by Catherine Mann & Joanne Rock

Author:Catherine Mann & Joanne Rock
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance, Fiction
ISBN: 9781942240495
Publisher: The Tule Publishing Group, LLC
Published: 2015-03-17T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Five

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“Well, this is just adorable,” Melanie breathed in the center of the pet store. She held up a pink leopard print leash. Her lips pursed as she scrutinized the details along the length.

As Melanie inspected yet another leash, Grady glanced around the store, his foot twitching from boredom. How long did it take to choose a leash and collar, for Pete’s sake? And how much stuff did one puppy need?

He studied the other shoppers to gauge. A family with a harnessed husky mix stood at the opposite end of the aisle. A little boy, four at most, gave the husky a giant hug while the parents picked up a few toys, balls, bones, and tossed them in the cart. There was a look exchanged between the couple, one that broadcasted their love, their commitment to being on the same team. It was that look he was after with Melanie.

One that seemed impossible to obtain as the day wore on and she vetoed his choices while she held up each option against the pup’s fur to look for the perfect match.

“But this one doesn’t say ‘Polly’ either, does it?” she sighed setting the leash back down on the rack. He turned away from the family to study her.

This was the seventh leash Melanie had ogled. And the seventh one she had rejected. Grady took a steadying breath, doing his best to keep his frustration in check.

They had already been in the pet store for an hour. And the only item in the cart was a bag of kibble. Melanie’s attention flitted between cutesy items for the puppy so fast, he could barely keep up.

Grady balanced in a squat, petting Polly, who rolled over to accommodate a good belly-rub. Her tongue lolled lazily out of her mouth with unmistakable bliss.

“Oh Grady. What about this?” Melanie said, a smile on her face as she held up a purple doggie-hoodie that read “puppy love” in white cursive letters.

“It’s nice. But Polly is going to be growing like a weed. I don’t know if—” He stopped talking as he examined her face.

Tears welled in her eyes. And she seemed to retreat into herself farther. Damn it.

With a sigh, Grady forged ahead. “You know what? That’s perfect. Toss it in.”

He pushed the cart towards her. She plopped the sweater inside, a smile deepening the dimples in her cheeks.

Turning back to the leashes, she picked up a purple leather one.

“Now we have a theme. She’ll be a vision in purple,” she said as she tossed the leash and matching collar into the cart.

They made it five more steps before she stopped again.

“Look. At. These. Toys,” she squealed, running her hands across the arrangement of squeaky stuffed animals.

There was such an exaggeration in her voice. It didn’t add up. None of her behavior today aligned with the Melanie he knew and loved.

She seemed to be waiting for him to comment. A little too eagerly for this to be part of a normal conversation.

A thought tugged at him. Was she trying to push him away again? To become a pouty girl when he disagreed.

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