“Let me have him,” he said, and gently took Sundance out of my arms.

He took a limp Sundance into an exam room and laid him on the table. He was gentle, and efficient, and Sundance lay quietly, with only a few whimpers.

“I think he’s swallowed something,” he said.

“Oh no. Will it kill him? Can you get it out?”

“Let’s X-ray him.” On the X-ray he saw something that shouldn’t be there and induced vomiting. It wasn’t pleasant, poor Sundance. Marco pulled something out of his mouth.

Oh dear.

And there was the evidence.

So embarrassing.

Sundance had eaten one of my pink lacy panties.

I groaned.

Marco laughed.

“I think you’ll need new underwear.”

“Oh dear.”

“Let me know if you’d like me to buy it for you.”

For heaven’s sakes. “Why did you have to say something so sexy?”

“Ah. Was that sexy?”

“Stop that sexy smile.”

He tried to frown. He looked intimidating, intimidating but so sizzling hot, darn him, then he laughed. That man turned me on so much I wanted to lie down on the grass outside and catch my breath while fanning my flushing face.

“I don’t know what to say to that one,” I said.

“Say yes.”

I rolled my eyes at him, then turned toward Sundance, who bounded right over to me with his three-legged wobble as if to say, “There! You can have them back now!”

“Have you had dinner?” Marco asked as I pet Sundance and told him never to do that again.

“I haven’t even had lunch,” I said. “The bookstore was busy today. I had a group in for their monthly meeting, and I joined them. The Scientific Nerds group. They were discussing new research in genetics, and it was interesting. It appealed to the nerd in me.”

“I heard about them. There’s a number of retired scientists and tech people living here, isn’t there?”

“Yes. Anton Husk lives here, too.” Anton was, apparently, famous in the nerd science world. “Have you met him? He walks around in red pants and a black hoodie most days. He wears sunglasses even on overcast days because he has social anxiety and he says it helps him to stay calm if people try to talk to him.”

“I’ve met him. We went fishing together on my boat. His father was a fisherman, and he worked with him for years in Alaska. He definitely relaxed when we were all out on the water.” He pet Sundance again. He was a gentle man, but tough, too. “I’m hungry. Want to come over to the house and have dinner with me? Sundance can come with us. He seems a lot better.”

“Oh no. I couldn’t.”

“Why? I mean.” He put his hands up. “I’m sorry. No pressure. I haven’t eaten for hours, and I actually have turtle soup.”

“What is turtle soup?”

“Mrs. Gradenni made it for me. I healed her Persian cat. There are no turtles in it. Vegetables. Chicken. I think. I’m not sure. But definitely no turtles, so don’t ask why it’s called turtle soup. It does have a green color to it. . . .”