Out Now!
This cover was designed by the fabulous Robin at Robin Ludwig Design
When I was writing Collared, Book #4 in the Going to the Dogs series, it was my intent to include Poe's wedding and the birth of her child. But as I progressed through the novel, the wedding scene was cutting too much into Harper and Caleb's romance. I wanted to start off with them. So, I removed the wedding and baby stuff. That's when it hit me, why not do Poe's continuing journey to her own self-discovery through the novella. I had conflict! I had a wonderful honeymoon destination. And, I had two characters I loved to write about - Poe and Jared. Writing this novella from their POV was also much better than getting it second-hand from Harper. So there you have it. As a result of conceptualizing this novella, I decided it would be a stellar idea to write all the weddings and honeymoons of all my dog park babes in the order they get married. So, you can go here to see what will be happening with the other three girls. Now, onto Poe and Jared.
WHAT IT'S ABOUT:
A companion novella to Hounded, Going to the Dogs, #3. Your reading enjoyment would be enhanced if you've already read Hounded.
Poe is getting married and she’s having Jared’s baby. She’s gotten her happily ever after, but everything happened so fast, she’s barely had time to take it all in. She’s worried about her ability to be a good mother. Will her doubts overshadow these joyous occasions—her marriage and honeymoon with her sexy cowboy?
But, she’ll have to catch her breath on the run. Before she can say Zombie Apocalypse, she’s off to Vegas where all her friends and family are assembling. They have to put a wedding together in a week. Can the dog park babes come to her rescue to get this hitching to come off without a hitch?
Ah, wait, The Terrible Two are involved.
Poe is getting married and she’s having Jared’s baby. She’s gotten her happily ever after, but everything happened so fast, she’s barely had time to take it all in. She’s worried about her ability to be a good mother. Will her doubts overshadow these joyous occasions—her marriage and honeymoon with her sexy cowboy?
But, she’ll have to catch her breath on the run. Before she can say Zombie Apocalypse, she’s off to Vegas where all her friends and family are assembling. They have to put a wedding together in a week. Can the dog park babes come to her rescue to get this hitching to come off without a hitch?
Ah, wait, The Terrible Two are involved.
Sneak Peek
Poe sat on the front porch of Jared’s pappy’s ranch, rocking back and forth as the sun peeked over the horizon. She sipped a cup of the coffee that Jared’s pap, Roy, had made before he went out to do his chores. The Terrible Two and Daisy had only raised their heads as she’d left the room. Lazy little rascals
She’d left the wonderful warmth of Jared’s body because she couldn’t sleep. Part excitement, part disbelief, and part anticipation had pushed her out of slumber.
She was pregnant.
Having a baby.
With child.
Knocked up.
Oh, God.
And!
She was getting married.
Hitched.
Tying the knot.
She rocked back and forth some more and told herself to shut the hell up.
She wanted to marry Jared. She was ecstatic to be cradling their child inside her body, so why did she have this terrible feeling of disquiet, why did the feeling persist, constantly knotted between her shoulder blades?
She’d left the wonderful warmth of Jared’s body because she couldn’t sleep. Part excitement, part disbelief, and part anticipation had pushed her out of slumber.
She was pregnant.
Having a baby.
With child.
Knocked up.
Oh, God.
And!
She was getting married.
Hitched.
Tying the knot.
She rocked back and forth some more and told herself to shut the hell up.
She wanted to marry Jared. She was ecstatic to be cradling their child inside her body, so why did she have this terrible feeling of disquiet, why did the feeling persist, constantly knotted between her shoulder blades?
They would be leaving for Vegas early tomorrow morning. Jared’s pappy was going to drive with them, then fly back to Texas after the wedding. She grinned at the thought of getting married in Vegas, her insides bubbling with glee. She’d always wanted an unconventional Vegas wedding.
Harper, Brooke, and Callie would meet them in Vegas, and Poe’s mother was flying in with her brother Wilder and her sister Austen. Jared’s brother Nate was scheduled to arrive about the same time. Then there would be a number of other friends attending, most of her St. Mark’s colleagues and staff, were coming as well, including Mr. Leonard. He and the cute cockapoo that he’d adopted, Binky, were doing really well together. They were also expecting several people from the shelter where she volunteered—all coming in spite of the short notice. She hadn’t even started her director’s job at the new clinic yet, and wouldn’t until she got back to the city.
Another thing she had to think about. How much did she want to work after the baby was born? Drawing a deep, shaky breath, Poe closed her eyes and leaned back, her insides trembling. And there was that ugly dread again.
She set her cup down with a snap and headed toward the barn. When she got there, she found Roy un-baling hay, getting it ready to spread around three freshly mucked stalls.
“Ahhh, looks to me like you got the same kinda timin’ as my son.” He gave her a wink.
Poe giggled. “I can help with spreading the hay.”
“Well, that’s sumpin’, then.”
She grabbed handfuls and started scattering it around the first stall.
“You fretting?”
“About what?”
“You’re usually snuggled up to my son ‘bout this time of mornin’ You tell me, little gal.”
“Kumquats are a group of small fruit-bearing trees in the flowering plant family Rutaceae, either forming the genus Fortunella, or placed within Citrus sensu lato.”
Roy didn’t bat an eye. He was as used to her spouting off random nonsense as Jared was.
“Sumpin’ tells me it ain’t kumquats that’s got your rope in a twist.”
She managed a wry smile that didn’t have a whole lot of energy behind it. “No flies on you, Pappy.”
“Life changes ain’t easy. ‘Specially when they’re unexpected and as serious as having a baby and pledgin’ yer life to someone, young lady. But I remember what it was like when my wife was pregnant with Jared,” he said, a soft, reminiscent smile tugging at his mouth. “It can be nerve-wracking, but you ain’t seen nuttin’ yet. The hard work is after they’re born. Then, before you know it, you got yerself two strappin’ boys and they’re making you prouder than a peacock.”
“Well, this is something I don’t see every day. Poe out here doing chores when she could be sleeping. I’d rather she had been. I like waking up to my snugglebug.”
Jared stood in the barn doorway resting one broad shoulder against the frame, his thumbs hooked in his pockets as he studied her, a glint of amusement in his wonderful moss-green eyes. Smelling freshly showered and shaved, his t-shirt stretched over his wide chest, his smooth throat and arms tanned from the sun, he drew the eye and the senses.
From deep inside an upwelling of love hit her so hard she almost staggered. He regarded her with those compelling eyes. Then he stepped toward her as if his Pappy wasn’t standing there watching, and Poe waited for him, feeling as if the magic between them was as wonderful and new as the day he first laid eyes on her. When he reached her, his eyes crinkled up at the corners, and he bent his head and kissed her mouth.
She pressed herself against him, suddenly feeling like weeping. Needing his strength, and at the same time overwhelmed by it.
He lingered over her mouth, and when he pulled away, he said, “Good morning, beautiful.”
She cupped his jaw and smiled. “Good morning. Where are The Two and Daisy?”
“Chasing butterflies again and being a general nuisance to the livestock,” he said rolling his eyes.
“I think they’re going to miss being here when we leave tomorrow.”
He nodded, and suddenly his gaze sharpened. “You okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine,” she said, trying to dismiss that stupid, overbearing feeling. She was never morose. For her, Goth was a way of dressing, not a way of being. She smiled to alleviate his sudden tension.
He gave his pap a sidelong glance, but Roy had turned away and was heading for the third and final stall.
Jared bent down to grab a bale, his biceps bulging. He followed his pappy, flashing another grin over his shoulder. “I wanted to give you a proper wakeup call this morning,” he whispered.
She smiled and giggled. “You’re so bad.”
“No, darlin’. I’m good, and if you’d hung around this morning, you would have experienced all the goodness I had to offer.”
Poe glanced over at Jared’s father. “Well…” she said softly. “I’m feeling a bit tired…you know, with the pregnancy and all.”
He grinned from ear to ear.
“Git along then, cute lit’l doggie and I’ll…um…finish helping my pap and be there before you can say Old McDonald.”
She glanced down at his groin with an appreciative look on her face. “With the whole farm? I’m feeling the urge to moo right now.” Heat sizzled through her and she fanned herself. “I’m gittin’! And then I’ll be gettin’. Oooh, hurry up with the hay.”
Where to buy:
As of this post, Fetched is at the following retailers:
