Page 10 of Sawyer

“Healing?” Casey asked, tilting his head slightly.

“Yeah, an old injury,” I replied, trying to keep it light. “But enough about me. What about you?”

“I own a pet grooming business called Furry Tails,” he said, a wide smile spreading across his face.

“That’s awesome! What made you start it?” I asked, genuinely intrigued.

“Honestly, I just thought Pecan Pines needed a good pet grooming spot,” Casey explained.

He reached into his wallet and pulled out a business card, handing it to me.

The moment our fingers touched, I felt a strange spark, like a gentle, electric jolt that made my heart race.

"You and Benny should come by sometime," Casey said with a shy smile.

“I’d like that. Maybe Benny and I can get the full VIP treatment,” I said, flashing a grin.

“For you two, absolutely,” Casey replied. “And if you ever need help with Benny or just want to hang out, you know where to find me.”

“I’ll definitely take you up on that,” I said, feeling an unfamiliar but welcome warmth spreading through me.

This guy was different, and I couldn’t wait to get to know him better.

"Sawyer, there you are. We were all starting to get worried," said a familiar voice. Griffin.

It looked like either Cooper or Miles had sent him to look for me.

I wasn’t even irritated that my brother and best friend thought I couldn’t manage finding Benny on my own.

Bumping into Casey and chatting with him put me in an indescribably good mood.

“We should probably head back,” I said, securing Benny under my arm and laughing as he licked at my arm.

We were getting along quite nicely, I thought.

"I sort of ran out of my own birthday party to chase Benny," I admitted to Casey.

"Your birthday... oh. Happy birthday," Casey said.

Somehow, hearing those words from his lips made me happy, which was strange since technically we were complete strangers.

"Oh hey, do you want to drop by? There’s free food and cake," I added.

Did I sound too hopeful? Desperate? Judging by his conflicted face, I wished I could take my invitation back.

"Um, I think I’ll pass. I have plans. Thank you for the invite, though," Casey said apologetically.

I felt a little foolish. A gorgeous guy like him? Of course he had plans on a weekday night.

Wait. Did he have a boyfriend?

But... I definitely didn't imagine the chemistry between us during our brief conversation. Either way, it would be too rude to ask him that.

"See you around, Casey," I said.

"Enjoy the rest of your party," Casey said, coming forward to give Benny an ear rub.

He was standing so close, it would be far too easy to steal a kiss from those tempting lips or give him a playful bite on the neck.