Searching for Disaster by Jennifer Probst Page A

woods lay toward the back.
    â€œMe, too. Gen wanted to meet us today, but she’s away for the weekend with Wolfe.”
    â€œI’ll take good care of you. Our outdoor runs are mostly full, since it’s such a beautiful day, but there are still some inside. I just want to sit down with you in the adoption center so we can discuss a few things and I can make sure you’re properly fit.”
    â€œGreat.”
    Arilyn led her to a small room cheerfully decorated with animal posters, signs, chalkboards with scribbles galore, and a cute corner with a green rug, a small TV, and a comfy couch with a slipcover stenciled with dogs. A small desk with a few wooden chairs was placed on the far right. “This is our cuddle area when one of our volunteers feels like chilling with one of the animals and watching a movie.”
    â€œHope it’s not Old Yeller .”
    Arilyn laughed. “Happy movies only. We have DVDs of Beethoven , K-9 , Lady and the Tramp , and Benji . That should cover all tastes. Take a seat here, and I’ll ask a few questions. Oh, do you mind if we have someone else join us? He’s ready to adopt and I’ve decided to take care of you both.”
    â€œOf course; the more the merrier.”
    â€œAm I late?”
    Izzy stiffened.
    No. No, no, no, no, no . . .
    She looked up. Slowly. And there he was, standing over her. All tall and dreamy-like, straight from a Hollywood set. Burnished hair, hip cocked, worn jeans cupping his ass and legs like they worshipped him. A navy-blue plaid button-down shirt was casually open at the neck, with the sleeves rolled up, showing off corded forearms and hands that could make a woman weep. Work boots clad his feet. Had he been doing work in his house? The image of him on a ladder with a hammer made her tummy tumble.
    Arilyn gave him a hug, clueless about Izzy’s sudden gripping tension. “Good to see you, Devine. About time you decided to adopt. I’ve been working on you awhile.”
    He grinned, those white teeth flashing. “Like you said, it’s a big decision and I didn’t want to make it lightly.”
    â€œI agree. Izzy’s on the same path, so I thought it would be fun to do this together.”
    Izzy closed her eyes momentarily.
    So. Much. Fun.
    Liam shot her a knowing grin. She wanted to kiss it off his handsome face. “Good to see you again, Isabella. How’ve you been?”
    Oh, he was bad. His wicked gaze probed all her delicate girly parts and sprung them to life. She looked like a mess, too. Crazy hair ’cause she hadn’t tried to tame it, with old jeans, sneakers, and a Mets jersey. “Just ducky,” she drawled.
    His grin was pure delight. “Mets, huh? I’m a Yanks fan myself.”
    Alexa would say it was fate they weren’t meant to be together. Her sister was more of a fanatic than she was, but Izzy had learned early on to appreciate baseball and to root for the Mets at all costs. It had been a huge issue with Alexa’s husband, Nick, but eventually, her family had come around. Could she bring another Yanks fan to her family table?
    Never.
    â€œFigures. Just another confirmation of our differences,” she muttered.
    â€œYou’re saying baseball is a deal breaker in your relationships?” he asked curiously.
    â€œAbsolutely.”
    Arilyn looked interested in the exchange. “Over baseball? That’s crazy.”
    â€œYou don’t know my family.”
    Liam rocked back on his heels. “I’m flexible. I can change teams.”
    She stared at him with pure indignation. “That’s an insult to your team,” she pointed out. “New York fans don’t just change teams easily. It’s completely disrespectful!”
    Instead of fighting back or getting offended, he considered her outrage with a reasonableness that made her want to lose her temper. “Let’s just say if I had to choose between the woman I