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“Are you sureabout this? It’s hard work.”

Galen quirked an eyebrow. “I’m not afraid of hard work, Robert. You might think I’m the pampered son of a rich bastard, but nothing could be further from the truth. I worked my ass off to get where I was, including jobs to pay for my schooling. I begged any and everyone who had work to let me have it. I didn’t care if it was balancing books or walking dogs. I woulddo it.”

“Youwalked dogs?”

“I’ll have you know I was the best dog walker in Chicago.”

Robert chuckled. “Oh, really?”

“I was!” Galen feigned indignation. “Well, for half a shift. Then I gave a house a dog that wasn’t theirs, and that ended my budding career.”

“Galen….”

He gave a sigh and a dramatic roll of his eyes. “Fine. I screwed up. Yeah, Galen the Klutzy proved to them that even walkingdogs was beyond him. Happy now?”

Robert ran a hand over Galen’s cheek. “Ecstatic. But not because of anything you’ve done before. It’s more that you want to be all in at the shelter with me. I… I have to admit, I never thought I would find a guy who wanted the same things I do.”

“I’ll be honest… I didn’t know until the other night.” He put an arm over Robert’s shoulder. “Let me tell you a storyabout a little girl and a danish.”