With a horrified gasp, Charlotte pulled away from Dean and knelt down on the floor. The volunteer left the kennel door open so Charlotte could see the little dog better. He was no more than ten pounds with short milk-chocolate-colored fur, and little ears that flopped over into points.
“Where are his siblings?” she asked.
“They adopted immediately. He’s the only one left.”
“Aww.” She stuck out her hand slowly, but the little pup just continued to shiver as he stared up at her with beady eyes. “What kind is he?”
“We think he’s a pinscher-and-Chihuahua mix. The vet said he needs surgery to get full use of that back leg, but they won’t do it without an adoption commitment. Hence him being the only one left unadopted. It’s pricey surgery.”
Charlotte looked over at him. “Will he die without the surgery?”
“No. He’ll make adjustments in his habits, but it could cause issues down the road.”
He went to close the kennel but Charlotte instinctively stuck her hand out to stop him.
“Can’t I try once more?”
The young man shrugged. “Sure, but he’s a timid one.”
“Who can blame him?” Charlotte said. She realized Dean had knelt down beside her. “He’s so scared.”
“What are you thinking, babe?” he asked.
“I’m thinking his story breaks my heart,” she said quietly, sticking out a hand to the shaking puppy. “The human race has let him down. He just wants to be loved.”
The two little black eyes continued to stare at her for a long moment, and finally he got up off his haunches and limped toward her outstretched hand. He sniffed it once then wobbled away.
“Does he have a name?” Charlotte asked.
“The vet was calling him Fernando,” the guy laughed. “No idea why.”
Charlotte’s heart skipped and she turned to Dean. “Oh, babe. It’s fate. He’s ours.”
Dean raised an eyebrow. “Okay. But how do you know?”
She smiled. “‘Fernando’ is one of my favorite ABBA songs.”
Dean let out a laugh as his eyelids fell shut. Then he stood up and spoke to the volunteer. “We want him. How soon can he have the surgery?”
* * *
Five days later they drove home with Fernando, who was curled in Charlotte’s lap with his leg wrapped in bandages while Dean drove. He glanced at her and their new dog as she fumbled with her phone. Within moments a song he now knew well—“Fernando”—came blaring through the speakers of his SUV.
She’d been singing it all over the house since they’d left the pound the week before.
“Aren’t you excited to come home, Fernando?” she crooned to the dog. They were at a red light so he could enjoy watching the dog lick at her nose as she continued to talk to him in a baby voice. “We’re gonna love you so much. Yes we are.”
Dean just chuckled. She heard him and smiled up at him. “Don’t make fun of me.”
“Never. I love it.”
“We just adopted our first fur-baby. It will be good practice for when we adopt a human baby.”
Dean smiled at her. They’d been discussing it a lot lately. But he wasn’t committing to anything until they finalized one more thing. Speaking of which …
“It will be good practice,” Dean said as he pulled into their driveway and turned off the car. He reached into the pocket of his coat and pulled out a bag. “But first I bought you and our … fur baby a present.”
Her eyes lit up, her grin wide as she took the small bag. “You did? You’re such a good dad,” she teased.
Reaching into the bag, she pulled out a little blue dog collar. “Aww, look, Fernando. It’s so swe—” Her breath caught.
Dean watched Charlotte’s eyes as she moved the collar through her fingers and touched the engagement ring attached. She turned to look at him and whispered, “Dean.”
“We’re a family now, Charlotte. It’s time you married me.”
With tears in her eyes, she reached up and touched his face. He knew what he was asking of her. To take a risk. Face one of her biggest fears. They’d done a lot of talking over the past four months about their pasts, their hopes, and their love for each other.
There was no doubt that they’d both been through what they had just to eventually find each other. And he had no interest in waiting any longer. Dean knew she was the one for him.
“You’re my world, Charlotte. We’ll get married in whatever way makes you feel safe, but don’t you doubt for one minute that I won’t show up to make you mine forever.”
Her lip trembled, and Fernando climbed up on her chest to lick her chin. She laughed as the little tongue tickled her skin.
“Is that a yes?” Dean asked.
“It’s a yes from me and Fernando.”
Dean leaned over and kissed her. After a moment she pulled back and smiled. “I want to get married at that beach in North Carolina. It was so beautiful.”
“Done.”
“Just you and me. And our parents.”
Dean nodded. “Whatever you want.”
“And maybe Lauren, so she can take pictures.”
“That sounds like a good idea.”
“And then we can have a big reception back here at the Stag for all of our family and friends.”
Dean laughed. “Have you already been planning this?”
“Not really.” She gave him a playful shove. “But I can’t wait to plan it with you.”
Stay tuned for the next book by Nicole McLaughlin
MAYBE THIS TIME
Coming soon from St. Martin’s Paperbacks!
Also by Nicole McLaughlin
All I Ask
Along Came Us
Praise for
Nicole McLaughlin
“Nicole McLaughlin had a new fan by chapter two!”
—New York Times bestselling author Erin Nicholas on All I Ask
“Nicole’s fun, sassy stories and sexy heroes are not to be missed!”
—USA Today bestselling author Julie Brannagh
“A wonderfully fresh voice in contemporary romance—sweet, sexy, and immensely satisfying.”
—Lauren Layne, New York Times bestselling author
About the Author
Nicole McLaughlin wrote her first full-length book (6 pages) about the birth of her baby sister, when she was eight years old. She only finished it because her mother bribed her with a Rick Astley cassette tape. Sad, but true. Now her characters are what keep her writing and her subject matter has gotten a little bit deeper and a lot more romantic. She resides in a small town outside of Kansas City with her husband and three sons. When she isn’t writing, she’s a wedding and portrait photographer who loves to cook and watch historical dramas or documentaries. Nicole is the author of two series with St. Martin’s Press, the Man Enough series (All I Ask) and Whiskey and Weddings (Maybe I Do). Visit her website at nicolemclaughlinbooks.com, or sign up for email updates here.
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Contents
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Epilogue
Also by Nicole McLaughlin
Praise for Nicole McLaughlin
About the Author
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
MAYBE I DO
Copyright © 2017 by Nicole McLaughlin.
All rights reserved.
For information address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.
www.stmartins.com
eISBN: 9781250139993
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St. Martin’s Paperbacks edition / September 2017
St. Martin’s Paperbacks are published by St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.
Maybe I Do Page 30
