Henry jumps up and down yipping. He's protecting me. How cute.

"Gorgeous." Bo yells from the car.

My heart flutters. I did clean my ears with Q-Tips so I know I heard him. He just called me gorgeous. Which is not the same as beautiful.

Gorgeous is showily brilliant, where beautiful is generally pleasing. I prefer gorgeous.

"Where did you get that gorgeous poodle?" Bo grabs Henry out of my arms. "My mom bred poodles when I was a child." He's letting Henry shower him with doggie kisses.

I glare at Henry. Traitor.

"Yes, he is gorgeous." There is something endearing about a grown man-a hot grown man-letting a little poodle lick him like that.

Bo follows me up the stairs to the extra bedroom-Lucy's bedroom. She's in Mason Crossing, like I knew she would be.

For the first time ever, Bo and I are alone.

"It's good to see you, Hallie." His voice was thick and steady. "Are you still training for our marathon?"

Our marathon? He thinks of the marathon as our marathon.

"I run every day. I miss our morning runs. I mean, I miss running with people." I stammer. "You know, the company."

An awkward pause falls between us.

"So you didn't miss me?" His hazel eyes twinkle as his lip curls.

"Of course I missed your comments on how I'm not running to the best of my potential." I bat my eyes in his direction. "Ouch." I rub my eyes.

I had no clue batting eyes can be dangerous for your health.

"Let me see." He walks over, tilts my head and uses his finger to find the eyelash that's ruining my sexy look. "There it is."

We both examine the teensy tiny eyelash on the tip of his finger. "Make a wish."

I wish as hard as I can. I close my eyes, and strain my brain to come up with the best wish.

"What?" His brows drew together in an agonizing expression. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." I assure him. "Everything is great."

It is. I realize that my life and decisions no longer revolve around Bo and running or Gucci. It's revolving around my passions to make a future for myself. And if the utterly and ridiculously handsome Bo fits into the equation, so much the better.

My wish was about beading. This three months away isn't so bad after all.

"I can't wait to hear about, but I have to get going after I freshen up." He walks into the guest bedroom.

"What." He stops me before I go downstairs. "Did Georgia tell you I saw her at the club?"

Did she tell you?" Of course she did! She's one of my best friends! Duh! Girls before guy!

"She might've mention something in passing, but I can't recall. I've been so busy," I spoke in a broken whisper.

I don't want to lie to him, but I don't want him to know I've actually been avoiding him to keep my own heart safe.

He looks disappointed. "We can talk later."

"Come on, Henry!" I yell for him to leave Bo alone.

"Wait." Bo commands, again. "Did she happen to say anything about a note?"

Henry wiggled around, trying to get out of my arms.

"I told her about the note I wrote you." He watches me closely. "I told her to have you call me."

"A note?" I pick up Henry's ball and throw it down the stairs.

He can't resist a good ball throw, and darts down the stairs after it.

"I would like to talk to you over dinner." he said uncompromising, yet in a gentle way.

There's no getting around this, and I need to hit it head on, crash or not.

"Sure. When did you send me a note?"

Playing dumb is beginning to feel like second skin.

"Your last night in Chicago when I took you home. I left a note on your pillow."

"You did?" I avoid Bo by picking up Henry's ball he dropped at my feet, and throw it again.

"Yes." He replied with heavy irony.

"Huh. Maybe it's still there." I'm not about to confess how I take it out, on occasion, rub my hands over it, and analyze every curve, dot, cross and line. "Dinner. Dinner is good."

I play with Henry while Bo gets ready for his meeting with a new beer company. Well actually it's Cincinnati's own Hudepohl-Schoenling Brewing Company. They brought back Burger Beer after hiatus. He's going to meet with the execs, to strike a deal to sell it in his bar.

The smells of Gucci men's cologne floats down the stairs and into the family room. I know that scent anywhere. I have to wonder if Piper gave it to me.

Regroup, regroup I remind myself.

"Hey, where'd you get the fu-fu juice?" I want to see if he'll tell me the truth.

"That Piper chick you work with." He jogs down the steps."You should recognize it."

I want to run upstair, grab the eighty-dollar cologne, and slam it up against the wall. I've never wanted to hurt anything Gucci, but today I want to kill that bottle.

"Yes, I thought I recognize the smell." I turn around so he can't see the disappointment in my face, and pick Henry up.

"I'm outta here." He flashes his signature smile and flips his hair to the side. "Wish me luck"

Henry jumps out of my arms, and runs to Bo. His tail wagging. I'm sure if someone takes a picture of me running behind Bo, I'd look exactly like Henry.

As soon as his rental car turn the corner, I run as fast as I can up to Lucy's room and rummage through his bag. Surely there's something from Piper in there. She knows I'll be with him, and she knows I'll go through his bag.

If I were her, I would've slipped a pair of naughty undies or a sleazy note in his bag. Then again, if I were her, I wouldn't have let him go in the first place. Unless he didn't tell her was going. Or staying with me.

Nothing. I dig a little deeper to make sure there's no hidden compartment. I find his Sunday running shirt and lift it up to the light.

"Oh, how I've missed you." I bury my face in the shirt and take a deep breath.

Ah. His smell. That's something you can't bottle, and I love it.

I look around to make sure no one is looking, not even Henry. I slip it over my head and trot to my bedroom with shirt flying in the wind. If he doesn't miss his Wednesday shirt, he isn't going to miss his Sunday shirt.

Chapter Twenty-Six.

With the shirt tucked neatly in my drawer, I walk back down to One Bead at a Time. I had a few of the bracelets I made throughout the week to drop off, plus a few business cards.

The afternoon class is full of teenage girls. Their laughter fills the space. Dee's twinkle in her eye says it all.

"Look what your bracelets dragged in," She says.

The teenager who gave me a few new ideas earlier that morning, is in the huddle of girls. She whispers a couple things in the ear of the twiggy teen next to her and waves.

I wave back. I find her endearing, even though she drives Dee crazy.

"Hallie, I brought my friends in to make a bracelet." All the girls look up and wave with smiles on all their faces. She plays with the Beadnicks bracelet on her wrist. "They love what we put together. Do you want to help us?"

"Sure." I go over and see what they've started on, and gather a few other beads I think will accent what they already have.

Dee takes my latest bracelets and Beadnicks cards. She inspects them and hangs them on the display. "Nice designs."

A few of the girls start looking through them, and by the end of the hour, all my bracelets are gone again.

"Maybe I do like teenagers." Dee smiles over her coffee cup.

Each girl puts all sorts of wacky designs together.

"You better like them. They've made us some money today." I glance at the gaggle of gals oohing and ahhing over each other's bracelets. "I need more supplies."

"You're going to wipe me out." She says, and drop beading catalogs on the counter.

My eyes are going to pop out of their sockets with their own excitement as they graze over what graces each page.

"I know. I know. Those catalogs are precious to me, but it's time you start to order your own things. We'll keep a spreadsheet of all the bracelets you sell, all the items you order, and we'll settle up every two weeks. Sound good?"

I concur without speaking a word. I'm not about to ruin this moment.

"Now tell me about Bo." Dee is settles up with the teenagers.

Briefly, I tell her about the situation with Bo, all the way to the shirt.

"You're full of it." She can't believe I took the shirt.

"Listen, I've been running behind him for a good part of two years solid and I miss his smell. Besides, it's a smelly t-shirt he won't miss." I grab up the catalogs.

Speaking of Bo, I've got to go get ready for dinner."

"Dinner? Where?" She leans over the counter with peaking curiosity.

Obviously Bo will enjoy a blues bar. Immediately, the Southgate House, just over the river in Kentucky, pops into my mind. It's not too far, and a fun experience.

It's a cool mansion built in the 1800s with loads of history. The remodeled historical landmark is a great music venue for national and local bands-perfect for Bo's interests and for a first visit to Cincy.

The Ballroom is a cool two-story, horseshoe balcony with a full bar that's used for larger bands. I think it'd be great for him to hear our local blues band, The Mean Street Band.

They happen to be playing in the Parlour Room of the Southgate House. The Parlour Room has the best seat in the house. It's an intimate venue for local bands to get up close and personal with their fans. And intimate enough for Bo and I to accidently rub up against one another.

"Hallie, look." Dee dangles spectacular grey hematite beads in the air.

"Can I have them?" I beg, snatching them like a thief. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking? I can make something really cool for tonight. Elegant, even."

It doesn't take long to make a hematite necklace with a few bali accents and a matching bracelet. I have the perfect black silk halter top from Bebe to go with it. It's a crinkled chiffon, v-neck with a smock hem gathering at the waist. The gray and silver will look stunning against my black skinny jeans, four-inch black Manolo Blahniks with my long Italian silk black hair hanging down making a dramatic effect.

"Gorgeous." Bo seemed to be peering at me intently.

"He is pretty special." I eye Henry bouncing off Bo's thighs.

I hand him a Maker's and Coke, and make myself a strong Cosmo.

"No, I mean you this time." His eyes catch mine. "You look amazing. Really, I don't think we've ever had time together where we can just talk and get to know each other."

Taking his drink, a shock travel through my fingertips and straight to my heart. Our eyes hold for a second, though it seems like an eternity.

"I ...." I step back.

"Did I catch you off guard?" He takes my hand with his free hand.

"Sushi?" I blurt out. "Do you like sushi? I hope you don't mind, I made us a reservation at a great sushi bar on the river."

I'm about to screw up the situation I've been dreaming about for the past two years. Only the idea of him in a relationship is changing everything.