Unlikely Read Online Free PDF Page B

though,” he added, another chuckle escaping.
    “Gee thanks,” Ryan said facetiously. “I’ll find her. Don’t worry.” There was more conviction in that statement than he felt.
    After he dropped his mother off at home, he drove around town laying in supplies and preparing his house for its newest occupant. At a Studio City pet superstore he picked up a crate, a leash, and a collar. He went to a natural food store in Beverly Hills and bought organic kibble and several varieties of canned dog food that claimed to be just like homemade. Who made the homemade dog food that it was trying to emulate, he wondered.
    He stopped by Goodwill and purchased a blanket to protect the leather seats of his Acura. Next, he talked to his neighbors and perused the Internet, searching for available dog walkers in his area. He had interviewed three and hired one. He was, by two o’clock on Sunday afternoon, exhausted, but ready for Sasha.
    It was damned hot on Monday morning, and Ryan was sure he was seeing things as waves of heat shimmered from the pavement. The yellow Beetle convertible with the personalized license plate appeared like an apparition before him. Was Sunflower here to adopt Sasha too? He raced into the shelter, and the bright purple hair in the small crowd called to him like a beacon. It wasn’t yellow, but the nearly neon color had to be her. He pushed his way to the front of the line and froze, unusually indecisive. What was he going to say to her? She solved his dilemma when she turned around unexpectedly to look for something in the small messenger bag looped around her body and resting on her very scrumptious -looking derriere.
    “Oh, Ryan, hey there ,” she said, looking taken aback, her raspy voice sounding a little breathless. “What are you doing here? Are you getting a dog too?”
    “I came to get Sasha. I couldn’t leave her here after all your talk of doggie jail. And over the weekend I worked out how I could fit a dog into my life.”
    “Ma’am,” the woman behind the counter called out. “Your dog is ready to pick up.” Sunflower turned back to the counter and took the nylon leash he offered, and followed the woman back to the outdoor caged area. A few minutes later, she emerged with Sasha in her arms.
    The woman took the paperwork off the counter, dropped it into a disorganized mesh basket, and looked Ryan in the eye. “How can I help you, sir?”
    Flustered and holding an empty collar and leash in hand, he said, “I was here, actually, to adopt that same dog.”
    The woman nodded. “I think I remember you two from the other day. Found the dog on the freeway, right?” When he nodded, she continued. “Well, she got first rights on that dog, so she’s eligible to adopt her first. If you’re interested, though, we have a whole passel of other dogs that are currently available for adoption and in need of a home.” Maybe , Ryan thought, but quickly shook his head. He needed to stay with Sunflower and figure out how he could arrange to see her, and that dog, again.
     
    Ryan sprinted across the lobby and caught up with Sophie. “Do I at least get visitation rights?”
    He looked so eager, she couldn’t suppress a laugh. “I don’t think Sasha would appreciate the back and forth between two different households. We’d have to work out a schedule, who got weekends, who got holidays …it would be hard on her. She’d need psychological counseling within the year.”
    “Do you want to have breakfast or something?” Ryan asked. “Maybe we can talk about this.”
    Sophie looked down at Sasha, who calmly lay on the floor, panting and looking between them as if she didn’t have a care in the world. “Ryan, please don’t take this the wrong way, but I don’t think this…is a good idea. It was nice meeting you, but it was just one of those things. We should t leave it at that. Plus, I’m not hungry.”
    Sophie was proud of herself for fighting her attraction to him and tying it all up