Alice laughed obligingly, but there was no mistaking her worried expression. She’d come all this way to rescue her beloved daughter, and she rarely backed down from a mission until she’d seen it all the way through.

“You didn’t really kiss that man, did you, Sophie?” she asked. “That was just a joke?”

Sophie paused, unsure how to tackle this rocky territory. She wanted to spare her mother’s feelings, of course, but not at the cost of her freedom. It was too powerful, too alluring, too new.

In the end, she decided to trample forward. After all, it was exactly what she would have done to Harrison in this situation.

“Oh, I kissed him, all right,” she said. “And if I have my way, I fully intend to do it again.”

Chapter 12

“Sit. Stay. Blink. Breathe.”

Bubbles followed each of Harrison’s commands in succession, though he doubted he had much to do with those last two.

“Good girl,” he said and gave his finger a twirl. “Now you may show me your outfit.”

It was the moment Bubbles had been waiting for. The woman who’d been teaching him how to knit had gifted him a minuscule yellow sweater that the puppy had been dying to try on. Personally, he thought the sweater made her look like a piece of dryer lint, but Bubbles had never been so happy. He could almost swear she knew the difference between wearing a sock and sauntering about in doggy couture.

She spun three times in succession before stopping with a wag of her tail. Lifting her head, she waited for the inevitable praise—and treat.

He bestowed both with a lavish hand.

“Yes, yes. I know. You’re beautiful and charming, and you won over every woman in that knitting circle with one friendly smile.” He sighed and tried to discreetly tug the box of supplies closer to them. “You and Sophie have that in common.”

The trust Bubbles had in him was so absolute that she didn’t question the cardboard box sneaking closer to his side. He almost wanted to warn the poor creature—I’m not to be trusted; I’m going to betray everything—but he kept his lips sealed.

“Now, I know it’s cruel to give a gift with strings attached, but I’m going to do it anyway,” he warned the puppy.

Bubbles cocked her head.

“And you’re not going to like these strings, but there’s nothing I can do about that. Life is hard sometimes. It’s just a thing we have to get used to.”