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She quickens her pace but yells over her shoulder, “Yes?”

“Aren’t you forgetting something?”

“Can’t imagine a thing.”

“Are you seriously stealing my dog right now?”

Steve barks in her arms. She moves even faster, her suitcase bouncing off the uneven pavement behind her.

She sends me a worried glance. “Nope!”

“You trying to get me to come inside?”

“Not a chance.”

“Denver?”

“Maybe!”

I take off at a sprint, and catching her is easy. I curl my arm around her waist and pull her to me. She gasps out a laugh.

“Fine, fine. You caught me.”

“You’re the world’s slowest runner.”

“I’m holding a damn puppyandpulling my suitcase becausesomeonedidn’t carry it up to my apartment for me.”

“All you had to do was ask,” I whisper into her ear.

She drops her suitcase at our feet. “Fine. Shep, will you please carry my suitcase for me?”

“And?” I prompt.

She huffs in faux annoyance. “And please come inside?”

I grin at her. “I thought you’d never ask.”

We spend the rest of the day locked inside her apartment.

Twenty-Eight

Present day

Denver:HELP! She’s kidnapped me and won’t let me go.

Shepard:If I have to suffer through tux shopping with AJ then you have to suffer through dress shopping with Allie. Besides, aren’t girls supposed to love this kind of shit?

Denver:Stereotype much?

Denver:Actually, I love dress shopping. Just not with Allie. This is pure torture.

Denver:She is SO picky.

Shepard:I think she’s allowed to be picky about her wedding dress.

Denver:But she looks amazing in everything. She could wear a damn trash bag and still look amazing.

Denver:I know, I know. I’m just being bitchy.