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you.”
    â€œYou have?”
    â€œOf course. Haven’t you been looking for me?”
    â€œUmm . . . No.”
    â€œThat surprises me.” His voice was low and smoky. His words sounded teasingly seductive.
    â€œWhy?” So help me, it was an effort to form the thought, much less the word. Behind Ben’s back, Bertie was biting her lip. Terry was laughing at me openly.
    â€œBecause I understand you and I are going to share an adventure together.”
    â€œWe are?” Belatedly I realized he was talking about the contest. Idiot. “So you’re here today checking out the other finalists?”
    â€œOf course. I’m surprised you’re not doing the same.”
    â€œI guess I’ve been a little busy since I got to the show,” I said vaguely.
    â€œI see. I guess that’s where we differ, then. I make time for the things that are important to me.”
    â€œMaybe the contest is more important to you than it is to me.”
    â€œExcellent.” Ben smiled again.
    This time I could see the tiny lines that creased his cheeks. They didn’t diminish his appeal at all.
    â€œIt is?”
    â€œOf course. That way you won’t be too upset when Brando is chosen to represent Chow Down and Faith isn’t. I hate to disappoint a lady.”
    Suddenly, unexpectedly, I felt my competitive juices rising. “Don’t worry. I don’t plan on being disappointed.”
    â€œThat’s the spirit!” Aunt Peg clapped a hand between my shoulder blades and almost sent me sprawling.
    â€œI understand Faith is a Standard Poodle,” Ben said. “I saw her picture on the contest web site, she’s a real beauty.”
    â€œThank you.”
    â€œI meant to watch the Poodle judging, but I was occupied with Brando earlier. He won the breed, and we’ll be competing in the group later. How did Faith do today?”
    If Ben had seen one of the pictures Davey had submitted, he had to have known that Faith was cut down. She hadn’t worn the labor-intensive continental trim since she’d retired from the show ring two years earlier. Now Faith wore a sporty-looking kennel trim. Her face, feet, and the base of her tail were clipped close, and a dense blanket of short black curls covered the rest of her body.
    Was Ben that ignorant about the mores of showing Poodles or was the question intended to psych me out? I wondered. He’d certainly wasted no time in letting me know that his dog was still showing—and winning.
    â€œFaith is retired,” Aunt Peg cut in smoothly. “Rather like one of the other competitors, MacDuff.”
    â€œI see. She’s an older dog, then.” His lip curled slightly.
    â€œNo,” I said, ignoring the implied insult. “Just one that finished very quickly.” It was a lie, but what the heck. I figured Aunt Peg would back me up, as well she should. The only reason Faith had taken a while to achieve her championship was because I’d been new and hadn’t known what I was doing. “You know how it is. When they’re that good, they seem to be in and out of the ring in a flash.”
    â€œWell then, I guess I’ll just have to meet her Monday morning.”
    â€œMonday morning?” I echoed.
    â€œAt the reception Champions Dog Food is hosting for the five finalists. Didn’t you get the e-mail?”
    My bad. “I don’t always check my email on weekends,” I admitted. “I’ll have a look when I get home.”
    â€œDo that,” Ben advised. “You and Faith wouldn’t want to miss that all-important first opportunity to wow the judges.” He nodded to the others and left.
    I waited until Ben was out of earshot, then said, “That didn’t go too badly.”
    Terry snorted. “The man wiped the floor with you.”
    â€œHe did not.”
    â€œHe came close.” Bertie was shaking her head. “You’re going to have to