Dog Park by Deena Marie Kaylee - $0.99 Goodie!

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Matchmakers come in all sizes and shapes and in the case of this Christian romantic-comedy the little (and big) arbitrators come with tails. Brutus, a Great Dane could have gotten hurt most anywhere in the Dog Park, but his owner, Matt puts the blame on a peppy little Welsh Pembroke corgi named Bamboo, and her feisty master Lynne, who happens to be very attractive. These two pet-owners do not get off to a good start, yet they can’t deny that there is a spark between them. Can a Great Dane and a wild little corgi join forces to convince their owners to be friends and to forgive and forget?

Warning: this story contains a large amount of fur-flying fun! Beware, extra doses of love, laughter and inspiration were added for your enjoyment. Thank God for four-footed blessings!

Chapter One

Lynne put the gear in reverse and backed her car out of the driveway, then headed down the palm-lined street. Bamboo barked. The rusty-red and white colored Welsh corgi knew where they were headed. The dog park was to Bamboo, what Disneyland was to a child.

After Lynne parked the car she briefly checked the mirror. She frowned; her short, blond hair was a disheveled mess. With no hairbrush available, she instinctively reached for her baseball cap and sunglasses. Why did she even care what she looked like? It was only the dog park. Clipping the leash on Bamboo's collar, Lynne headed for the entrance as Bamboo trotted next to her with a cheerful gait.

Since they visited the park weekly, Lynne and Bamboo were familiar with most of the dogs. Bamboo knew them by scent; Lynne knew them by sight. Most dogs were friendly; if they weren't, they had to leave the park. Those were the rules.

Stepping inside and closing the gate behind her, she unleashed Bamboo. The stocky, little corgi darted away to freedom kicking a dust plume of dirt and grass into the air. A peppy little mutt named Max, a park regular, whizzed past Lynne in high pursuit of the corgi. Bamboo got into the spirit of play with Max and the other boisterous dogs, finding delight in the chaos of barking and charging about. Lynne found the dog park to be a necessary outlet for Bamboo’s boundless energy.

Lynne smiled as she headed for a park bench. Sitting down, she pulled out a book from her tote bag and started to read. Not only was the dog park a joy to Bamboo, but to her as well. It was a special place where she could relax reading pages from a favorite mystery novel and put all stressful thoughts from her life aside.

Looking up, she checked on Bamboo's whereabouts. Lynne chuckled. Bamboo was chasing a fawn colored pug. It was Phoebe, a daintily little dog, but quick and clever. Lynne watched as the pug out ran Bamboo then turned abruptly, and stopped, making Bamboo trip and roll, dirt flying high. Phoebe took off again, enjoying the chase. Bamboo shook herself off and charged after Phoebe, running so fast it seemed as if her short legs would take flight.

Lynne leaned back against the bench and viewed her surroundings with appreciation. The scent of pine and eucalyptus filled the air and the morning dew clung to the grass. It was another beautiful day in Southern California. She picked up her book again and continued to read.

"Excuse me," a deep sounding voice said.

Lynne glanced up. A tall, attractive man with wavy, black hair stood before her. "Yes?"

"Is that your dog over there?" he asked, pointing to a dog in the distance.

It was Bamboo. "Yes. Why?"

He whistled. "Brutus, come." A large white and black Great Dane came slowly limping over. "Look at what your dog did to Brutus." The man pointed to the right back leg. It had a gash and was bleeding.

Aghast, Lynne shook her head. She swallowed hard. Her dog would never bite another dog. After an interminable silence, she spoke, "No, Bamboo couldn’t have done that. She wouldn't hurt a flea let alone a Great Dane," she responded, like a woman protective of her pet. Raising Bamboo from a puppy, Lynne had trained her to be mannerly and a loving dog.

"Ma'am, I beg to differ." His dark, brown eyes bore into hers. "Your dog chased Brutus, then bit his leg. Isn't your dog a welsh corgi?"

"Yes, and what of it," she asked as she stood up. Lynne squelched back the words she really wanted to use. She felt like a midget standing next to him. He had to be well over six feet, easily dwarfing her 5'3" frame.

"My neighbor had one of those dogs and it was belligerently aggressive. That breed of dog herds’ animals by nipping them at their heels," he stated.

"That’s absurd! Just because other corgi’s herd doesn’t mean mine does." She looked over at Bamboo who was sitting demurely under a tree; she was a picture of canine decorum. Lynne grimaced. Bamboo did have a tendency to herd her and Margo when they were playing Frisbee in their backyard, but that was information she wouldn’t share with this man.

"Vicious corgi," he mumbled as he snapped the Great Dane’s leash back on.

Lynne glared at him. "Dare you insinuate that my dog is vicious?” Anger pulsated through her as her heart beat furiously against her chest.

"All right I won’t, but I suggest that you pay the vet bill and we'll call a truce."

"I think not," she fumed. "Can I ask you something?"

He raised a brow. "What?"

"Did you actually see my corgi bite your dog in the leg?"

The man stared down at her with his penetrating brown eyes. "Well, ah, no, not exactly," he admitted. "I heard Brutus yelp. I turned and saw your dog chasing him. I felt it quite safe to assume that the corgi was the guilty party since there weren’t any other dogs chasing him or remotely close to him."

"I don't know if it's safe to assume anything," she replied. "It's either a yes or no. Did you see Bamboo bite Brutus?"

"No, but I…"

"Ah, hah, sorry," she interrupted, "I'm not paying the vet bill." Without another word, Lynn picked up her book from the bench, stuffed it into her tote bag and stomped off. Shaking inside, she condemned herself for being so rattled by the man’s accusation. She walked towards Bamboo and whistled. Bamboo turned, and trotted over to meet her at the gate. Lynne picked her up and hugged her tightly.

"You're not vicious, Boo," she murmured into her ear. As she closed the gate, she glanced back through the mesh fence. The owner of the Great Dane stared her down. She turned away quickly. His look made her feel like a criminal fleeing the scene of the crime. Should she have offered to pay for the dog’s vet bill, she now wondered.

Pulling the key from her pocket, she unlocked the car door with trembling hands. After getting Bamboo situated on the passenger seat, she shut the door and walked around to her side of the car. Why could she still feel the man’s oppressive glare? Lynne pulled out onto the highway. "So much for a peaceful day at the dog park," she grumbled.