Good Guys Love Dogs by Inglath Cooper Read Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Inglath Cooper
Phoebe's coral-
colored blouse and chunky gold
jewelry. Layered around
the bottom, her dark hair always
seemed to be moving, and
her dark brown eyes rarely hid her
thoughts.
63
INGLATH COOPER
“Thanks, she
said. “Come on into the kitchen and
help me check on things.
“Where's Frank?
“He's getting
ready. He'l be down in a few minutes.
“And where's Mr.
Right?
Phoebe shot her a look of innocent
surprise. “What
makes you think there is one?
“I'm fairly
certain there isn't. But when was the last
time you invited me to dinner
without trying to convince me
otherwise?
“You're entirely
too cynical for your age, Colby
Wil iams.
“Hey, I earned my
stripes in the trenches.
“So you've been
out with a few duds. Big deal.
“A few? Colby
folded her arms across her chest and
rol ed her eyes. “Let's
run through some of your more
memorable setups. Harvey Matthison,
who brought his
mother on our first date. And then
Tip LaPrade, who
slipped a prenuptial agreement under
my dessert plate while
I went to the ladies' room. Oh yes,
there was Dr. Payne, who
washed his hands nineteen times
between the time he
picked me up and dropped me off—
“Al right, al
right, Phoebe grumbled. “Several. But
that doesn't mean they're all like
that.
“I wish you would
just accept the fact that I'm not
going to kiss a thousand toads on
the minute chance that I
might eventually find a prince.
“If you cal this
one a toad, I wil official y resign from all
matchmaking duties.
64
GOOD GUYS LOVE DOGS
“Is that a
promise? Colby asked hopeful y.
“Only if you give
him a real chance. The problem is,
you're looking for faults from the
first moment you meet a
man.
“I hate to
disillusion you, but when they're as obvious
as the San Andreas, they're not that
hard to spot.
The doorbel sounded from the
hallway. Colby heard
Frank's voice and then another male
voice that sounded
somehow familiar.
“Oh good, he's
here, Phoebe said, wiping her hands
on a kitchen towel.
Biting back a resigned sigh, Colby
leaned against the
counter and yearned for the evening
to be over.
Frank appeared in the doorway.
“Hello, ladies, he
said, stepping aside while the man
behind him moved into
the kitchen. Surprise and a tidal
wave of embarrassment
washed over Colby. Ian McKinley.
What was he doing here?
She glanced at Phoebe who looked
extraordinarily pleased
with herself.
“Colby?
She realized that Frank was speaking
to her. “I—yes.
I'm sorry, she said.
“This is our new
neighbor, Ian McKinley. Ian, this is
Colby Wil iams, our local
veterinarian and Phoebe's best
friend.
“Former best
friend, Colby said in a voice only Phoebe
could hear.
The new neighbor moved across the
floor and shook
Colby's hand. He smiled down at her,
something in his
65
INGLATH COOPER
expression indicating that he had
been caught off guard by
this as much as she had. “Hel
o again, Dr. Williams. We've
already met, he said to Phoebe and
Frank. “She fixed up
my son's dog for me.
“Please, cal me
Colby.
“Only if you call
me Ian, he said.
“Ian it is. How
is Smidge? she asked, forcing her gaze
to remain level with his and trying
not to look as thrown by
this as she felt.
“Playing it up
for al it's worth.
She smiled in spite of her
discomfort. “Good. She
deserves a little extra pampering.
“How about a
drink? Frank suggested. “We can go
into the den.
A few minutes later, Colby sat in a
chair with a glass of
red wine in her hand, plotting an
appropriate payback for
Phoebe. Nothing horrible enough came
to mind. Of all
people for her friend to have fixed
her up with. To think
she'd met him earlier today and
hadn't known—
Of course, he probably thought she had known. This
was getting more amusing by the
moment.
“Isn't that
right, Colby? Phoebe
colored blouse and chunky gold
jewelry. Layered around
the bottom, her dark hair always
seemed to be moving, and
her dark brown eyes rarely hid her
thoughts.
63
INGLATH COOPER
“Thanks, she
said. “Come on into the kitchen and
help me check on things.
“Where's Frank?
“He's getting
ready. He'l be down in a few minutes.
“And where's Mr.
Right?
Phoebe shot her a look of innocent
surprise. “What
makes you think there is one?
“I'm fairly
certain there isn't. But when was the last
time you invited me to dinner
without trying to convince me
otherwise?
“You're entirely
too cynical for your age, Colby
Wil iams.
“Hey, I earned my
stripes in the trenches.
“So you've been
out with a few duds. Big deal.
“A few? Colby
folded her arms across her chest and
rol ed her eyes. “Let's
run through some of your more
memorable setups. Harvey Matthison,
who brought his
mother on our first date. And then
Tip LaPrade, who
slipped a prenuptial agreement under
my dessert plate while
I went to the ladies' room. Oh yes,
there was Dr. Payne, who
washed his hands nineteen times
between the time he
picked me up and dropped me off—
“Al right, al
right, Phoebe grumbled. “Several. But
that doesn't mean they're all like
that.
“I wish you would
just accept the fact that I'm not
going to kiss a thousand toads on
the minute chance that I
might eventually find a prince.
“If you cal this
one a toad, I wil official y resign from all
matchmaking duties.
64
GOOD GUYS LOVE DOGS
“Is that a
promise? Colby asked hopeful y.
“Only if you give
him a real chance. The problem is,
you're looking for faults from the
first moment you meet a
man.
“I hate to
disillusion you, but when they're as obvious
as the San Andreas, they're not that
hard to spot.
The doorbel sounded from the
hallway. Colby heard
Frank's voice and then another male
voice that sounded
somehow familiar.
“Oh good, he's
here, Phoebe said, wiping her hands
on a kitchen towel.
Biting back a resigned sigh, Colby
leaned against the
counter and yearned for the evening
to be over.
Frank appeared in the doorway.
“Hello, ladies, he
said, stepping aside while the man
behind him moved into
the kitchen. Surprise and a tidal
wave of embarrassment
washed over Colby. Ian McKinley.
What was he doing here?
She glanced at Phoebe who looked
extraordinarily pleased
with herself.
“Colby?
She realized that Frank was speaking
to her. “I—yes.
I'm sorry, she said.
“This is our new
neighbor, Ian McKinley. Ian, this is
Colby Wil iams, our local
veterinarian and Phoebe's best
friend.
“Former best
friend, Colby said in a voice only Phoebe
could hear.
The new neighbor moved across the
floor and shook
Colby's hand. He smiled down at her,
something in his
65
INGLATH COOPER
expression indicating that he had
been caught off guard by
this as much as she had. “Hel
o again, Dr. Williams. We've
already met, he said to Phoebe and
Frank. “She fixed up
my son's dog for me.
“Please, cal me
Colby.
“Only if you call
me Ian, he said.
“Ian it is. How
is Smidge? she asked, forcing her gaze
to remain level with his and trying
not to look as thrown by
this as she felt.
“Playing it up
for al it's worth.
She smiled in spite of her
discomfort. “Good. She
deserves a little extra pampering.
“How about a
drink? Frank suggested. “We can go
into the den.
A few minutes later, Colby sat in a
chair with a glass of
red wine in her hand, plotting an
appropriate payback for
Phoebe. Nothing horrible enough came
to mind. Of all
people for her friend to have fixed
her up with. To think
she'd met him earlier today and
hadn't known—
Of course, he probably thought she had known. This
was getting more amusing by the
moment.
“Isn't that
right, Colby? Phoebe
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