Puppy Love by A. Destiny and Catherine Hapka Page B

connecting. I could feel it. The feeling made me bold.
    â€œThat sounds amazing,” I said, tilting my head in what I hoped was a flirty way. “I’d love it. So when can we get started?”
    â€œAs soon as Muckle graduates from puppy K,” Adam replied. “But hey, there’s no reason you can’t start getting him used to the equipment, maybe testing his interest a little. Like I was just telling the class, the Springdale dog park has everything you need. My dogs and I practice there a lot, and I teach some private clients there who don’t have their own equipment. It’s great.”
    I held my breath, suddenly sure he was about to invite meto go to the dog park with him. For a dog-crazy guy, that would totally count as a date, right?
    â€œAdam?” The pug’s owner barged over, dragging her puppy behind her. “I have a question. Puggsly still jumps up on me, and I can’t figure out how to get him to stop. . . .”
    I could have killed her. But the damage was done. The magical moment was gone, shattered into a zillion pieces. All I could do was smile once more at Adam, give a tug on Muckle’s leash to pull him away from the pug, and head out to find Robert.

ChapterNine
TGIF
    W hen the final bell rang on Friday, I was out of my seat like a shot. I hurried to my locker, then to Robert’s. He was peering into the small mirror he’d taped inside the door, fiddling with his hair. He was still doing the eighties-angst-rocker thing with it, though the exact style seemed to evolve slightly each day.
    â€œReady to go?” I asked.
    He continued to stare at himself. “Go where?”
    â€œThe dog park. I told you about it at lunch, remember? I figured we could swing by and pick up Muckle, maybe stop off for a snack at that taco place on the way to Springdale. . . .”
    â€œSorry, no can do.” Robert finally tore his gaze away from his own reflection, glancing at me and then swinging the locker door shut. “I told my dad I’d play tennis with him this afternoon.”
    â€œWhat?” That stopped me in my tracks. The only thing that had helped me survive the boring day at school was imagining today’s trip to the dog park. Including the strong possibility of running into Adam. Thanks to my Internet stalking, I knew he didn’t teach any classes at PetzBiz on Friday afternoons. And the way he’d been talking the other day, it had sounded as if he spent every spare moment at the dog park with his dogs. It didn’t seem like foolish optimism to hope I might run into him there.
    I tried to explain some of that to Robert. But he just kept shaking his head.
    â€œLook, you know I’d rather hang with you than the fuddy-duddies at the country club,” he said. “But Dad is demanding some face time, and I don’t want to be cut out of the will.”
    â€œFine.” I wanted to argue, or maybe just throw a tantrum. But what good would that do? “Maybe we can go another time.”
    â€œSure, maybe. Come on, I’ll drop you off on my way home.”
    When I let myself into the house a little while later, I found my mother in the front hall rifling through the mail. Muckle was nowhere in sight when I entered, but he came running a few seconds later, flinging himself at me as eagerly as if we’d been parted for seven years instead of seven hours.
    â€œThat beast has been incorrigible all day,” Mom informed me, glaring at Muckle over the tops of her rhinestone-encrusted reading glasses. “He never sits still.”
    â€œYeah, about that.” I wasn’t ready to give up on my afternoon plans yet. “I was going to take him to the dog park inSpringdale to run off some energy, but Robert’s busy. Can you drop me off?”
    Mom checked her watch. “Actually, I’m leaving for a meeting over in Madison in ten minutes. I suppose I could swing through Springdale on