“I wonder why that is?”

“My fierce competitive streak, probably.” She caught his gaze and held it. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but when I do a thing, I do it all the way.”

There was no need for her to tell him that. He’d only known Ruby for a little while, but she’d more than proven her commitment to this dog show. He’d have admired it if he wasn’t so irritated by it. Not once did she question her right to be in this gym even though her dog was the worst-behaved by a vast margin. It also didn’t occur to her that insulting a judge and coordinator of the dog show might not be the best way to go about winning a trophy. She’d determined on a course of action—in this case, taking over the West Coast Canine Classic—and that was the end of it.

Determination and drive were qualities he liked just fine when it wasn’t his dog show on the line.

Or, he was forced to admit, his pride.

Before he made the mistake of voicing any of this out loud, Eva came bounding up with Lawson in tow. “You must be the infamous Ruby Taylor,” she said with a wink for Spencer.

Spencer watched as Eva wrapped the other woman in a warm—and surprise—hug. Ruby’s eyes flew to Spencer’s as she accepted the embrace, but all he did was shrug. Letting people witness Eva in action was much easier than trying to explain her.

“I’m so glad to finally meet you,” Eva said. “When I didn’t see your name on the sign-in sheet, I was afraid Spencer had scared you away for good.”

“Is there a sign-in sheet?” Ruby pulled herself away and cast a quick glance around the gym. “Oops. I didn’t realize.”

“No worries. I jotted your name down for you.” Eva tugged on Lawson’s sleeve to draw him closer. “But since we didn’t get to meet you at registration, I thought we should go through the formalities now.”

“About that.” A look almost like guilt crept over Ruby’s features. The fact that she felt guilty around Eva and not around him wasn’t lost on Spencer. “Sorry about my late entry. I’m not sure if Spencer explained it, but—”

Eva held up a hand. “No explanations needed. We’re happy to have you.”

Spencer wasn’t sure about that, but there was no denying he felt…something at having Ruby near.

Eva tugged on Lawson’s sleeve. “This is Lawson Dawes. He’s our third judge, but it’s no use trying to get on his good side because he only does the toy and terrier categories. Well, that and Best in Show, but if you manage to get that dog of yours anywhere near the finals, I’ll eat my shoes.”