Page 19 of Sawyer
“Question—do I look... okay?” I gestured to my outfit, suddenly unsure again.
Griffin smirked. “Why would you care about appearances if you’re just going for a walk?”
“Shut up,” I grumbled, but I couldn’t help but smile. “It’s not like that. I’m just meeting someone at the park.”
“Ah, someone,” Griffin said, his smirk widening. “Let me guess. It’s that Casey guy you mentioned before?”
I rolled my eyes, but my heart skipped a beat.
“Yeah, maybe. We’re just taking Benny for a walk. No big deal,” I said.
“Sure, no big deal,” Griffin said, clearly enjoying himself. “But just so you know, you look fine.”
“Thanks, I guess,” I said, feeling a mix of relief and embarrassment. “I’d better get going before I’m really late.”
“Alright, alright,” Griffin said, raising his hands in mock surrender. “I won’t keep you any longer. Have fun on your ‘not-a-date’.”
I laughed and shook my head, picking up Benny and heading out the door.
The drive to Pecan Park was smooth, and I spent most of it trying to calm my nerves.
This was just a walk in the park, I reminded myself. Nothing to stress about.
But when I spotted Casey waiting near the park entrance, all those reassurances flew out the window.
He looked even better than I remembered—his dark curls framed his face perfectly, and his warm, chocolate brown eyes seemed to light up when he saw me.
“Hey, Sawyer,” he greeted with a smile that made my heart skip a beat.
Benny barked in my arms, squirming to get down, and I set him on the ground.
He immediately ran over to Casey, wagging his tail like he was reunited with his best friend.
“Hey, Casey,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “Benny seems excited to see you.”
Casey crouched down, his eyes lighting up as he reached out to Benny. “I’m excited to see you too, little guy!”
We both watched Benny, who was now rolling around in the grass, clearly having the time of his life.
“You’re doing a great job with him,” Casey said, straightening up and looking at me.
“Thanks,” I replied, warmth spreading through me at the compliment.
We walked for a little while, and after a moment of comfortable silence, I decided to ask, “So, you’ve been volunteering at the shelter for a while?”
“Yeah, for about a year now,” Casey said. “I really enjoy it—helping the animals find good homes is fulfilling.”
“That’s really cool,” I said, genuinely impressed. “It must feel rewarding.”
“It is,” he agreed, pausing before he asked, “So, you mentioned your brother moved out. Do you live alone now?”
“Yeah,” I nodded. “It’s just me and Benny. But honestly, it’s not so bad.”
Casey gave me a curious look. “You seem like the kind of guy who’d have a lot of people around you.”
“I do,” I admitted. “But sometimes, it’s nice to have some quiet, you know?”
Casey nodded. “I get that. I’m more of a quiet type myself.”