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I can’t control the laugh that bursts out of me. “You worked with kids?”
Grant looks disgruntled at my humor but nods. “Yeah, I always had about three weeks in-between when school ended and hockey camp began, so I worked at a friend’s farm. I ran the tracker rides.”
“Oh my God! I can’t even imagine you around hay.”
“Back then I was a pimple-faced idiot and thought farm-life was glamorous. I was very, very wrong.”
“I bet. Not the cowboy life you imagined.”
“Not at all. It had its moments of fun though. And all the apple cider I wanted.”
“Whoa! Now that I can get behind.” We turn down the last block, a light drizzle starting to wet our skin. “I thought you grew up in the city.”
His eyebrow rises in curiosity. “Looked me up, eh?”
“Maybe,” I draw the word out.
There’s a light touch to my hand. Looking away from his sparkling eyes, I look down to see Grant’s captured mine. We’re holding hands. Walking down a street. This is a bold move. I’m too stunned to come up with words or even withdraw my hand, and Grant takes advantage of that, distracting me with more stories of him growing up in a suburb outside of Toronto.
When we get to the pet boutique, I lead Grant down the tiny cobblestone pathway and into the brightly lit reception area. The single-lane results in our hands falling apart. I feel instantly colder. As we make our way down the tiny hall, I spot Amber, the office manager, at the main desk. She looks up at our noisy entrance and her face instantly brightens.
“Lexi! You’re here!”
“I am. And I brought reinforcements,” I gesture over my shoulder to Grant.
“That’s great. We really appreciate you coming in so…” her words trail off. I’m confused for a moment before it clues in what she’s seeing. I keep forgetting the dork with me is a celebrity. A pinprick of unease hits me in the gut. Amber has recognized Grant. What if she sells this information? What if she outs us? Him?
I’m just about to come up with some lie about how he’s a lookalike and not who she’s thinking of when Grant speaks up.
“I’d appreciate it if you could keep our visit secret. I’m trying to have a day out with my girl and we’re trying to keep it lowkey.”
So. Many. Emotions. They whirl up and around me in a flurry of activity. I can’t decide which one to examine first.
I’m happy and dejected all at once.
I’m his girl but also his secret.
We’re out together but unknowingly undercover.
My cheek twitches as Amber looks to me, eyes wide in shook. “Umm, sure. Sure. Of course.” She blinks a couple more times before getting her thoughts straight after the shock that is Grant Helms’s presence in her office. “Lexi, you know the drill. Charts in the back with all the info you need. Let me know if you,” she swallows, voice cracking, “or yourfriendhave any questions.”
“Yup. Sure. Okay.” I grab Grant’s wrist and pull him towards the back. He doesn’t try to stop me but pulling him is harder than I anticipated. My legs are burning by the time we make it to the back.
“You okay there champ?” He asks with a smile in his voice. I’m too busy trying to catch my breath to respond. Ignoring him, I walk to the clipboard that is hanging on the wall and scan over the dogs that need to be walked. There’s only four today.
“This is probably a redundant question since we’re already here, but do you have experience with animals. Oh sorry, non-farm animals?”
“Hilarious. And yeah. I’ve had a couple family dogs.”
“Awesome. Let’s get a walking!”
Twenty minutes later, after a loud introduction to the dogs and one excitement induced accident, Grant and I are being dragged down the street by four furry beasts.
“My wrist feels like it’s going to fall off,” Grant calls to me from behind. Twisting to get a look at him, I see he’s being pulled in two different directions by the Golden Retrievers he’s leading. Or should I say who are leading him? My shoulders shake at his lack of control and I’m just about to offer him some advice when his eyes widen comically large at something behind me. “Umm, Lexi. I think Samuel is off his leash.”
Confused, I turn back to the two dogs I’m holding. Samuel the Pug is panting up at me and if I didn’t know better, I would swear he was smiling. Scanning the body harness he’s wearing, I trail my eyes down his small body. The steel link that is supposed to attach the leash to the body harness has been ripped lose. I’m holding on to nothing but cloth.
As if realizing this is his last chance at freedom, Samuel makes a run for it. He bounds around the park, splashing through every puddle as he runs in circles.
