As if she’d been the one to want a long engagement last time! Becca couldn’t remember how many times she’d begged Greg to pick a date. Told him that she’d have been perfectly happy running off to one of those elopement cabins that were all the rage in the mountains. That she’d have been happy with the quickest of ceremonies as long as there was a ring on her finger and a future with the man she loved.

Instead, all she’d gotten was ten years of stress and heartbreak, and now a reputation that she was the one that stalled and had cold feet—thanks to Greg’s slick lies. It made her sick. Her hands trembled as she clutched at the small sink in the back room.

She was happy, wasn’t she? Why did she let crap like that get to her?

The bell chimed on the door, indicating she had a client. Biting back a groan at their timing, Becca wet her fingertips and smoothed her hair, then pinched her arm to distract herself from the tears that threatened to fall. She was fine. She was.

With a brilliant smile on her face, she left the back room, prepared to meet a customer . . .

And saw Hank instead.

With a wiggling bundle in his arms, a red bow around its neck.

“Hank?” Becca stared at the puppy in his arms. It whined and tried to break free the moment it saw her, and she reached her arms out. “What the heck?”

He handed her the puppy. She knew this particular little girl. She was one of the puppies that Doc had been hand-feeding for the last month or so. She’d gone from a teeny sausage of a pup to the roly-poly black-and-brown squirming bundle that Hank presented her with, all floppy ears and big liquid brown eyes. The moment the puppy was in her arms, the rascal started licking Becca’s chin, and Becca couldn’t help but giggle.

It was her favorite puppy. She’d only ever told Doc and Libby that she had a favorite among all the cute little dogs, but this one was it.

“This is a two-part gift,” her boyfriend said, his voice grave. “Is it okay?”

“Of course it’s okay!” She laughed as the puppy barked and nipped at her chin, as if agitated by her giggles. She cradled her in her arms, fascinated at the sweet face that was now hers. “I just . . . why?”

“You said you were lonely at night.” Hank watched her intently. “I don’t like that, so I brought you a friend.”