WE MET~

Bubble finally harrumphed and started the process of standing. Sumptuous Devin, as I had decided to call him silently in my head, surprised me by saying, "Wait."

This gave me an excuse to pause and look directly at him. He was a sight, all tall and handsome, but that standard description didn't do him justice. He was all of those things, but he was also one of the most ruggedly good looking men I had ever seen. His jeans and tee shirt were snug enough to give a hint of the tight, tan body that they covered. I licked my lips and realized that his full attention was focused on me. It was almost as if he was waiting for me to say something. Oh no! Did he ask me a question?

"Huh?" I asked, looking clueless.

He didn't seem to be phased by my inner turmoil. "I said that Buddy and I were just getting ready to head to Treats, the bakery on Beach Street. Would you like to join us?"

I knew the place he was talking about. It was a local favorite. They had a few alfresco tables that overlooked the water. People took their dogs there all the time. The bakery even offered specialty dog treats, and they kept water bowls outside for their canine visitors.

I didn't have to think about it. "I'd love to," I answered instantly, and the four of us set off.

He was so handsome, and I was so nervous that my diarrhea of the mouth set in. I started chattering non-stop and couldn't seem to stop myself. It only took a few minutes to walk to the bakery, but by the time we arrived, I had already told him about my job, Kim and that I was divorced. The only things I knew about him were that his name was Devin Booker, he was super hot and he had a dog, named Buddy.

I finally took a breath once we had arrived, and Devin took that moment to say, "If you want to stay with the pets and grab us a table, I'll go in and order. What would you like?"

"English Breakfast tea with cream and sugar, please."

"Coming right up, Ma'am," he said before flashing his amazing smile at me and dashing inside. As I flopped down in an available chair, I shook my head in disbelief at my incredible fortune and the way my non-stop rambling was likely ruining it.

"I'm glad you're here, Buddy," I said to the dog. He thumped his tail upon hearing his name. "I have acted like such an ass that I'm quite certain Devin would sneak out the side door if he didn't need to get you back."

It took quite a while for Devin to come back. I almost had myself convinced that he had left out the back entrance and would come back later to collect his dog. I took a deep breath and vowed not to beat myself up like this. If he was gone, I wasn't any worse off than I was when I started to walk, I rationalized; and if he was still here, I needed to slow down and let him do some of the talking.

My breath hitched a little when I saw him opening the door to come out to our table. He was so damn good looking, and I couldn't believe he was here with me. I clearly wasn't the only one who noticed how handsome he was. Every woman and even a man or two gawked as he walked past. Devin didn't even seem aware of all the attention he drew.

He had his hands full with two cups, a pink box, and a white bag filled with bakery goodies, so I started to get up to take something from him. In that moment, Bubble lunged faster than I'd ever seen him move. He managed to tangle his leash with Buddy's, which caused Buddy to try to dart around me to get out of the way. My legs became tangled in the leashes just as I was taking a step toward Davin, and I started to fall forward. I fell face first into Davin's chest. He caught me by wrapping both of his strong arms around me, somehow balancing the drinks and goodies and it felt like heaven.

Humiliation quickly crept in as he helped me get untangled and back to my chair. "I'm such a klutz," I muttered, shaking my head. "And you caught me and managed to keep a hold of all the stuff in your hands," I said as I blew on my tea.

Devin brought a warm blueberry doughnut out of the classic pink bakery box and set it on a napkin in front of me. "It could have happened to anyone," he reassured me kindly. Then he chuckled, "I've never seen a basset hound move that fast."

"I know, right? I wonder what he was after."

"Well, I hate to reward him for almost knocking us both down, but I did enjoy catching you." His eyes twinkled as he grinned at me. He lifted two dog treats out of the white bakery bag. "Do you think he'd prefer peanut butter or chicken?"

"From the way he licks our jars clean when we are done with them, I know he's a fan of peanut butter."

Devin leaned down to give the pets their snack, and I took a deep breath to calm myself. Then I shifted the conversation and started asking him some questions. I learned that he was a boat builder, that he loved nature and that he wasn't just handsome. He was also funny, smart, and sweet.

Mr. Fin, the grandfatherly bakery owner, stopped by our table to see if we needed anything. When he leaned over Davin's shoulder to refill the hot water in our tea mugs, he caught my eye and waggled his bushy eyebrows, making me smile.

I kept looking for the fatal flaw that must be present in Davin, but I sure didn't see one. With this level of perfection, women must be throwing themselves at him all the time. It didn't make sense for him to be spending time with me, while seeming to enjoy himself. I almost had myself convinced that he was gay when he asked if he could see me again.

I made a valiant attempt to control the excitement in my voice as I responded that I could probably work him into my busy schedule, texted him my cell phone number and told him goodbye. Then I proceeded to float on cloud nine all the way home, thinking about what a fantastic day this had turned out to be.