Wedding Survivor by Julia London

glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "You assume too much, you know that? You assume you know where I'm coming from, and you really don't."
    Whatever. He was a wet blanket and she sort of figured it really didn't matter where he was coming from. Nothing was going to change. "All right, all right—I don't know you, I don't get you, but that's okay. I don't really
need
to get you to plan their wedding, right?"
    "Well… right," he said, sounding unconvinced. "Just please do what we need."
    "Fine," she snapped. Miffed by the change in his demeanor after such a great dinner, she turned away in a huff and looked out her window. And saw a shape lying against the curb. As Eli drove past, she shrieked.
    Eli jerked the wheel with a start. "What the hell?"
    "Stop the car, stop the
car
!" she cried, pounding the dash.
    Eli slammed on the brakes. "Jesus, what is it?"
    She didn't want to say, didn't want to believe it. And besides, she was already out of the truck, running back to the shape.
    Bingo was lying almost motionless, but at the sound of Marnie's heels on the pavement, he lifted his head and looked back over his shoulder at her, his big brown eyes full of fear and pain.
----
Chapter Nine

 
    THEY wrapped Bingo in Eli's jacket and took him to the twenty-four-hour pet emergency room. Marnie went running inside, demanding help, as Eli lifted the dog in his arms and carried him in.
    The vet told Marnie it was a good thing she'd spotted the poor dog, or else he might have died of hypothermia and shock. Eli wasn't sure how badly he'd been hit, but he suggested to the vet that the fact the dog was alert and whimpering was a good sign. The vet agreed and asked them to wait while he took Bingo back for X rays and an assessment.
    They watched the vet carry him back, then Marnie slipped into a seat and buried her face in her hands.
    She looked so forlorn, so distressed, that Eli sat next to her and put a comforting arm around her shoulders. For such a spunky woman, she sure felt fragile beneath his arm.
    Marnie slowly slid into him, so that she was pressed against him, with her face still in her hands. "
Mam-mu
," she muttered tearfully.
    He tried to decipher that for a moment before bending his head down to hers. "What?"
    "
Mam-mu
," she muttered again, only an octave higher.
    He squeezed her fragile shoulders. "I'm sorry, Marnie. I can't understand you."
    She drew a big gulp of air and lifted her head; her eyes glistened with tears. "Thank you," she said, dragging a hand under her nose. She grabbed his knee with both hands. "Thank you for saving Bingo, Eli. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't been with me. I know you probably think I'm silly, but I love that old dog."
    Eli's gaze fell to her hands on his knees. "I don't think you're silly at all," he said. "I love dogs, too."
    Marnie blinked, and more tears spilled down her cheeks. "It's just the way that you took control, and you knew exactly what to do, and you didn't freak out, and you didn't hurt him, and you were so
calm
and assured…" She paused, gulped more air.
    Eli sat staring at her slender hands clenching his knee, feeling a little self-conscious. "I did what anyone would do."
    "No you didn't," she said sternly. "You saved my dog." She sighed, let go of his knee, and collapsed against the chair, folding her arms across her. "I may not know where you're coming from, but I know one thing—you're a lot softer than you let on."
    'Wo," he said with a snort, "I am not soft."
    "Yes you are."
    "No. I'm really not."
    She glanced at him from the corner of her eye and sniffed. "You're sure?" she asked with a tiny lopsided smile. "Not even a little?"
    "Not even a little," he said, and stretched his legs long, shoved his hands into his pockets.
    "Yes you are," she murmured.
    "Marnie—"
    "You
are
," she insisted, laughing now.
    Eli sighed. But he was smiling big on the inside.
    They waited for what seemed hours. Marnie dozed off while he read a magazine, and before