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check if you clean my condo. You probably saw I’m a typical man and throw socks and things around the place.”
    She hadn’t because she’d been too busy looking at the s ketches. And if she was honest, he’d been the main focus of her attention.
    “Sure, that I’d be more than willing to do.”
    “In fact, I probably can find you some more customers.”
    He really was a nice guy and it made what she’d done and said the other day, seem even more irrational. Borderline bitchy and she never wanted to be that. She had to make it up to him somehow.
    “That would be great, but you really don’t have to.”
    “No problem because some of my shif…some of my buddies need their places cleaned, believe me. Oh, and if you need a reference about my character you can call Trent Burgress, he’s a cop I often hang out with. Also, my brother and sister-in-law, who I might add is a doctor,”
    “I think I know a good person when I see one.”
    Christopher looked down at the ground. “I’ve never been tongue-tied, so I’m going to need to do this right now before I lose my nerve. Would you go out on a date with me?”
    She was honored, she’d love to, but she wasn’t sure she was ready for dating, friendship, yes, but not a relationship. She had to rebuild her life first.
    “Please don’t think it’s you , because I think you’re a great guy, but I’m not really interested in dating right now. I’m sort of getting a few things sorted out in my life.”
    She hoped she hadn’t offended him again.
    He nodded. “Okay, so how about we just hang out together and then when you’re ready you let me know?”
    It sounded fair enough and she was in need of friends in this new to her town.
    “Sounds good to me.”
    “You want to clean my place tomorrow and then we can talk about what we’re going to do for our first non-date?”
    Lilly smiled. She was now non-dating someone. “Okay.”
    “How about 10 :00 a.m. tomorrow?”
    “Works for me. Oh, and here are Barney’s sausages because I have to get back to work soon.” She handed the foil wrapped food to him.
    “I’m sure he’s going to love these.”
    “Oh, and give him a hug for me.”
    ****
    The bit about her cleaning his condo had sprung into his mind at the last minute. It had worked and so had the bit about them non-dating. He’d break down the barrier she’d obviously built around herself and her heart. Something had happened to her. He wouldn’t pressure her into telling him. She’d do that in her own time.
    He gave Barney the sausages and then felt like running. Not in human form but as a bear. He wondered if Barney would get scared if he took him along. Guess they’d be only one way to find out.
    He put him into the car and headed out to his favorite spot on Flathead Lake. It was secluded and he and Aiden had found it many years ago when they wanted to get away from it all and let their bear halves emerge without anyone seeing them. Barney barked as he got him out of the car.
    “Now Barney, you can’t tell anyone about what you’re about to see happen. And don’t be scared little guy because this big bear wouldn’t hurt you okay.”
    Christopher relaxed, feeling his muscles gradually giving way to his inner bear. Barney barked as his transformation took place. Christopher went down on all fours. He began running, then stopped and looked behind him. Barney hadn’t moved. He looked at the tiny dog then flicked his head and the dog came bounding to him and Christopher took off running again, the Pomeranian barely keeping up, but at least he knew to run with him and he clearly wasn’t scared or intimidated by his appearance or size.
    Christopher loved this area. He’d loved running with his dad and Aiden. The three of them together as a family. Now his dad was dead. Aiden had Charlotte, so he and his brother didn’t get to spend asmuch time together. Christopher hadn’t thought of himself as lonely, but now that he’d meant Lilly he felt like