“So you’re staying for the summer, you said? Where do you usually live?”

“New York City, actually.”

Her hazel eyes widened. “Wow. That’s quite a change of pace.”

“It is, but I was ready to get away for a while.”

“What do you do in the city?”

“I work for my dad,” he said, which wasn’t technically a lie, but wasn’t entirely accurate, either.

A yelp from across the yard caught her attention and she turned to see Elinor swipe at the white puffball. Sophie frowned and picked the dog up, turning her body so the cat couldn’t see him anymore.

“Your cat appears to be bullying my dog.”

“She’s not my cat. And you’re embarrassing your dog by even making that claim right now.”

She arched an eyebrow at him. “If you don’t think cats can bully dogs, you don’t spend a lot of time on the internet.”

“She just wants the dog to know who’s boss, I guess.”

“It’s his yard,” she pointed out.

“She’s a cat.”

“Point taken.” A genuine smile lit up her face and made her eyes crinkle.

* * *

Introducing BLACKBERRY BAY, Shannon Stacey’s brand-new series!