and lifted his arm in victory.
A cacophony of cheers erupted. He pulled off his glove, and seconds later, his teammates surrounded him, shouting out congratulations.
In his peripheral vision, he glimpsed a long, pink tongue coming toward him. Before he could dodge it, the tongue landed on his face, sweeping across his cheek. As he pushed the dog’s snout away, he realized the slobbery lick had come from Roby.
His presence could mean only one thing: Margo was here. She had come to the game after all. Suddenly, the gloominess that had shadowed him disappeared.
“Nice catch,” Cal said, extending his hand to Zeke.
Once Zeke was on his feet, he immediately scoured the small group of people for Margo. It didn’t take long to find her.
She had changed into a gauzy shirt that was dark blue on top and lighter blue on the bottom, dark-washed skinny jeans that ended above her ankles, and a pair of beige flats. A floppy straw hat sat on her head, and a huge smile curved her mouth.
He headed straight for her, Roby loping alongside him. When he reached her, she stood on her tiptoes and threw her arms around his neck in a big hug.
Her floppy hat slapped his nose, and he pulled it off her head. A mass of strawberry-blond hair cascaded past her shoulders, releasing a sweet fragrance.
She gave him a loud smacking kiss on his cheek. “That was a crazy awesome catch!” she exclaimed.
He grinned at her exuberance. “Crazy awesome?”
She nodded emphatically. “We Byte should change their name to We Suck.”
Laughing, he plopped the hat back on her head. Her gaze darted to something behind him. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Cal and Jake lurking a few feet away.
“Hey, Zeke, are you going to introduce us?” Cal asked with a smile.
Zeke shifted so he could stand beside Margo. As he made the introductions, he saw his buddies through her eyes. Jake and Cal were young, good-looking, and successful. Plus, Cal was loaded with a capital L.
Zeke wondered if she found them attractive. The thought created an unpleasant burn in his chest.
“Zeke mentioned that you started a new job a few months ago,” Jake said. “How’s it going?”
Margo smiled wryly. “Well, if you had asked me that question yesterday, I would have burst into tears.”
“So it’s not going well?”
“No, it is,” she replied. “I just had a bad day yesterday. I lost a patient—a golden retriever. He was riding in the car with his owner, and they got into a bad accident. People don’t realize they’re putting their pets in danger if they don’t restrain them properly.”
“So dogs need to wear seat belts?” Cal asked, his tone completely serious.
Margo laughed. “Kind of. They need to wear a safety harness, which hooks into a seat belt buckle.”
“I didn’t know that,” Jake said.
“Neither did I,” Cal admitted. “But I don’t have any pets.”
Zeke couldn’t help but smile. Poor Cal. He had no idea what he was in for now.
“You really should think about adopting a pet,” she told Cal. “Did you know that nearly three million cats and dogs are killed each year because shelters don’t have enough room?”
Jake winced. “That’s horrible.”
She glanced at Roby, who had been walking in circles around them. “I’m sorry, but my dog is getting restless. He sat for the whole game, and I need to take him for a walk.” She smiled at Cal and Jake. “It was a pleasure to meet you both.”
Leaning down, she clipped Roby’s leash on his collar. As she rose, she said, “Zeke, I’ll see you later.”
“Don’t you want to ride home together?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Go out and celebrate your win.”
He watched her as she walked off the field, Roby trotting beside her. A gust of wind almost blew off her hat, and she slapped her hand on top of her head to keep it in place. She laughed, and the sound of it made him smile.
“ So ,” Cal said, drawing out the word, “that was Margo. Your roommate. The one
A cacophony of cheers erupted. He pulled off his glove, and seconds later, his teammates surrounded him, shouting out congratulations.
In his peripheral vision, he glimpsed a long, pink tongue coming toward him. Before he could dodge it, the tongue landed on his face, sweeping across his cheek. As he pushed the dog’s snout away, he realized the slobbery lick had come from Roby.
His presence could mean only one thing: Margo was here. She had come to the game after all. Suddenly, the gloominess that had shadowed him disappeared.
“Nice catch,” Cal said, extending his hand to Zeke.
Once Zeke was on his feet, he immediately scoured the small group of people for Margo. It didn’t take long to find her.
She had changed into a gauzy shirt that was dark blue on top and lighter blue on the bottom, dark-washed skinny jeans that ended above her ankles, and a pair of beige flats. A floppy straw hat sat on her head, and a huge smile curved her mouth.
He headed straight for her, Roby loping alongside him. When he reached her, she stood on her tiptoes and threw her arms around his neck in a big hug.
Her floppy hat slapped his nose, and he pulled it off her head. A mass of strawberry-blond hair cascaded past her shoulders, releasing a sweet fragrance.
She gave him a loud smacking kiss on his cheek. “That was a crazy awesome catch!” she exclaimed.
He grinned at her exuberance. “Crazy awesome?”
She nodded emphatically. “We Byte should change their name to We Suck.”
Laughing, he plopped the hat back on her head. Her gaze darted to something behind him. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Cal and Jake lurking a few feet away.
“Hey, Zeke, are you going to introduce us?” Cal asked with a smile.
Zeke shifted so he could stand beside Margo. As he made the introductions, he saw his buddies through her eyes. Jake and Cal were young, good-looking, and successful. Plus, Cal was loaded with a capital L.
Zeke wondered if she found them attractive. The thought created an unpleasant burn in his chest.
“Zeke mentioned that you started a new job a few months ago,” Jake said. “How’s it going?”
Margo smiled wryly. “Well, if you had asked me that question yesterday, I would have burst into tears.”
“So it’s not going well?”
“No, it is,” she replied. “I just had a bad day yesterday. I lost a patient—a golden retriever. He was riding in the car with his owner, and they got into a bad accident. People don’t realize they’re putting their pets in danger if they don’t restrain them properly.”
“So dogs need to wear seat belts?” Cal asked, his tone completely serious.
Margo laughed. “Kind of. They need to wear a safety harness, which hooks into a seat belt buckle.”
“I didn’t know that,” Jake said.
“Neither did I,” Cal admitted. “But I don’t have any pets.”
Zeke couldn’t help but smile. Poor Cal. He had no idea what he was in for now.
“You really should think about adopting a pet,” she told Cal. “Did you know that nearly three million cats and dogs are killed each year because shelters don’t have enough room?”
Jake winced. “That’s horrible.”
She glanced at Roby, who had been walking in circles around them. “I’m sorry, but my dog is getting restless. He sat for the whole game, and I need to take him for a walk.” She smiled at Cal and Jake. “It was a pleasure to meet you both.”
Leaning down, she clipped Roby’s leash on his collar. As she rose, she said, “Zeke, I’ll see you later.”
“Don’t you want to ride home together?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Go out and celebrate your win.”
He watched her as she walked off the field, Roby trotting beside her. A gust of wind almost blew off her hat, and she slapped her hand on top of her head to keep it in place. She laughed, and the sound of it made him smile.
“ So ,” Cal said, drawing out the word, “that was Margo. Your roommate. The one
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