“Yes, sir. They’ve been a bit sad since your departure. Poor dears.”
I ran a hand through my hair and sighed. “I never know if it’s better to stick them in a kennel or keep them at home. Last time I boarded them, they tried to rip all their hair out.”
“I think it’s better for them to stay in a familiar place, sir.”
I nodded. “You’re probably right.” I let go of my suitcase and headed toward the stairs. “I’m going to go lie down for a bit. I’ll play with the boys after that, and that should make them happy again.”
I had the money, of course, to hire a full-time dog sitter, but that always rubbed me the wrong way. The whole point of having pets was for them to bond with me, not strangers. Maybe I was selfish that way.
“When did you want a meal, sir?”
“Five is fine.”
“Very well, sir.” She headed toward the kitchen.
I bounded up the stairs and into my bedroom. After pulling my phone out of my pocket, I collapsed on my bed. Even the beds in the hotel I’d stayed at in Copenhagen didn’t measure up to the expert combination of support and fluffiness of my mattress. Then again, I’d paid ten thousand dollars for the thing. Worth every cent. I never had trouble getting to sleep on it.
Another yawn erupted from my mouth. Exhaustion had seeped into every cell in my body, but that didn’t stop me from thinking about the curvy, hazel-eyed woman who had been consuming my thoughts since Tuesday.
I stared at my phone. No messages from Emily. No calls. No texts.
It didn’t matter. I didn’t expect any. A worthwhile man pursued the woman he wanted. That was just how things were. Maybe I’d screwed things up on the date, maybe I hadn’t, but now that I wasn’t in Europe, I could make things right.
I dialed. She picked up on the third ring.
“Hello?” Emily said, more than a little surprise in her voice.
I swallowed. I’d missed her sweet Tennessee twang. “Hello, Emily. I just got back into town.”
“Oh, that’s right. Your business trip.” I’m no expert on listening to people over the phone, but she sounded disappointed for some reason.
“I’d like to see you again.”
She didn’t respond for so long that I wondered if we’d lost a connection.
“You would?” She definitely sounded surprised.
“Yes. I had a great time, and I’m thinking we could have another good time.”
“I did, too, but I…” She sighed.
I resisted the urge to make a joke. The last thing I wanted was for Emily to think I wasn’t taking this whole thing with us seriously.
“You can pick the restaurant.” Maybe that would help her feel more comfortable. “Oh, also I’d like to take you and Juniper out. I’d like to get to know her better, and I have a special gift for her I picked up in Denmark.”
“Huh. You do?”
That sounded promising.
“So, what do you say? Maybe we could get together tomorrow?”
“I’d, hmm, if you want to see Juniper, then we’ll need to wait until Monday. She’s still with Lionel until then.”
“That’s fine with me.”
I wished I could see the expression on her face, as all I had to go off was her tone through the phone. The next few seconds felt like an eternity.
“How about the café where we had our first date?” Emily said.