Greetings and happy final day of February! I’m not a huge fan of this month for many reasons, and this year has especially been a doozy, but reading and writing romance is keeping me going. Speaking of, here’s the latest snippet from Love Unleashed!
Continuing from where we left off…
From a distance, he spotted balloons outside The Barkery and, as they neared the entrance, sidewalk chalk puppies welcomed them. She’d set out a basket with extra chalk for the kids to play with as well. By the time he made it to the door and yanked on the tennis ball-covered doorknob, everyone was inside, and Hannah was handing out “pupsicles,” which were “totally human food, I promise.”
The interior was a dog’s dream come true, or a dog’s breakfast, depending on your taste. Paw print accents on the tile floors, artwork featuring candid shots of canines and crayon-produced images that seemed to be the creations of Diana’s age bracket, a display counter containing a startling variety of dog treats. Oh, and, irony of ironies, a wall of leashes and other toys for sale.
Ensuring all the kids were taken care of, Hannah reached over their heads to pass the adults a “pupsicle” of their very own. Their eyes met as she transferred the treat to his outstretched hand. Five full seconds and a double take later, her jaw fell open.
***End of WWW post, but carry on to finish this sequence.***
He bit his lip hard to suppress the smile that threatened at her reaction. Hell, he was surprised her nose hadn’t been trained to sniff him out. But to be fair, this was probably the last place she’d ever expect him to be.
“Uh, okay, so, welcome, everyone! To The Barkery! I’m Hannah . . . Barker. That’s where The Barkery name came from, obviously.”
Twice now he’d caused this self-assured woman to become flustered. Maybe no one else had noticed the pinkness in her cheeks or the slight waver in her voice, but he had. She pulled it together fast, lest she reveal any sign of weakness, but he savored that moment of vulnerability and stored it away in the back of his mind.
Here’s the blurb:
Hannah Barker has it all. A booming business, a fabulous group of girlfriends, and a loving and devoted housemate…with floppy ears and a wet nose. She doesn’t have time for romance. Or so she says.
Kent Clarkson is a single father on a mission to keep his daughter safe. But when the blonde bombshell he’s been butting heads with all summer proposes opening a dog park, Kent—who’s been once bitten and more than twice shy—goes on the offensive. Soon, it’s all-out war.
The whole town knows the chemistry between Hannah and Kent is off the leash, but can these two set aside their differences long enough to fall in love?
Thanks so much for stopping by and be sure to visit the other Weekend Writing Warriors!
Now, let’s all kick February to the curb and bring on March. Bring on spring! Bring on the extra sunshine, Pi Day, March Madness, and mud puddles! Enjoy, my friends, and I’ll see you next week! 🙂
Award-winning romance author & PE teacher who plays sports, sings, juggles, dances, has a sneaker obsession, & lives on PB! 
I love that they’re now both flustered. Can’t wait to see where this goes!
Oh, and we have a “The Barkery” here where I live. It’s a cute little shop!
Oh, that’s cool, Jessica! I’ll have to stop by the real Barkery someday for a visit! 😀
He enjoyed her reaction waaaay too much. lol
You keep finding the cutest puppy pics!
He did, didn’t he? 😀
Searching for puppy pics is my favourite way of distracting myself from actually writing the story lol.
I want to visit this store! Really a fun excerpt today, enjoying the story.
You and me both! 😀 Thanks so much, Veronica! I’m really glad to hear that!
They may be flustered, but he shouldn’t dwell on her vulnerability.
No, he’s just glad to see another side to her. The many layers of Hannah Barker. 🙂
As a punster, I like that Hannah’s story uses so many of them.
Back when I lived in the ‘suburbs’ of a tiny Canadian village, I hated March. Worst month of the year! I was so ready for spring and all the things you mentioned, but the snow and mud lingered. Usually they were gone by April . . . but not always.
I’m a huge fan of the puns myself! 🙂
I hear you. We don’t really start getting spring-like conditions ’round these parts till April–sometimes May. But now we’re one month closer to the finish line!
I kind of thought your spring must hold off till April or May. Ottawa has that kind of reputation.
Sounds like a cute store. Enjoyed the snippet. Love the adorable doggy picture.
Well, he’s got her number! Loved her reaction–I’m surprised she didn’t drop the pupsicle! Getting ready for some more sparks to fly! Enjoyed the snippet!
I love her shop. I would go there even though I don’t have a dog. lol I love that he notices how he discombobulates her.