Balancing the leash in one hand and fumbling with your keys in the other, you struggled to lock the door as your excitable Golden Retriever, Max, practically bounced with anticipation at your feet.

“Hold on, Max,” you muttered through clenched teeth. He tugged at the leash, nearly yanking you off balance. You finally managed to twist the key when a sudden voice right behind you made your heart leap into your throat.

“Need a hand?”

You gasped, spinning around and nearly dropping your keys. Standing there, barely two feet away, was your next-door neighbor—Ryan. Of course, he had to look like he’d just walked out of a magazine, dressed in a plain gray hoodie and jeans, his blue eyes glinting with amusement.

“Oh, hi, Ryan,” you said, voice embarrassingly breathy. Your pulse raced for reasons that had nothing to do with the scare.

Ryan gave you a crooked grin, his Chow Chow, Bear, sitting obediently by his side. “Sorry, didn’t mean to spook you. Bear and I were headed out and—whoa!”

Before you could respond, Max gave an eager lunge toward the stairs. The leash burned against your palm as you tried to dig your feet into the ground, but Max had other plans. Your feet slipped, and you lurched backward.

Suddenly, you weren’t falling. An arm wrapped firmly around your waist, catching you just in time. Ryan.

“You okay?” he asked, his voice close to your ear. You could hear the smile in it.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just…Max being Max.”

Ryan chuckled, his arm lingering just a second longer than necessary before he helped steady you. “Seems like you’ve got your hands full. Let me guess—he’s leash training?”

“Not very well,”

“Well, good thing I’m a trainer,” Ryan said, giving Max an appraising look. “And hey, I’ve been looking for an excuse to spend more time with you.”

Your breath caught. Was he…flirting? Before you could respond, Max gave another impatient tug, and Bear let out a low woof of agreement, as if to say enough of this—let’s go.

Ryan laughed. “How about I show you a few tricks on this walk?”