Chapter 1: The Dog Invasion

When I opened my door one morning, an unfamiliar dog barreled into my house—a streak of black-and-white fur with a muddy snout and sparkling, mischievous eyes. My heart stuttered in surprise, and I blinked twice, wondering if I was still dreaming.

The slap of paws on hardwood sounded like a tornado hit my entryway, chaos erupting before I could even blink. The dog’s fur was a blur, and for a split second, I thought maybe Daisy had learned to teleport—or maybe I’d finally lost it from lack of sleep. I rubbed my eyes, half-laughing, half-panicked.

It devoured all the food in my own dog’s bowl, then strutted out like it owned the place, head high and tail wagging.

Not a crumb left behind. The dog paused at the doorway, shot me a look like, "Problem?" and then sauntered out, tail flagging like she ran the whole block.

For a second, I just stood there, debating whether to laugh or chase after the canine bandit. Curiosity (and indignation) won out. I grabbed my phone, slipped on my sneakers—still in pajamas—and trailed behind, wondering if I was about to star in my own episode of Suburban True Crime.

I followed the dog and discovered it belonged to the handsome guy next door.

Curiosity got the better of me. I slipped on my sneakers and trailed behind, still in my pajamas, and watched the dog squeeze through the neighbor’s fence. That’s when I saw him—tall, broad-shouldered, hair catching the morning sun, looking like he belonged in a Ralph Lauren ad. My new neighbor, apparently.

He looked at me, dead serious, and declared he’d pay me back himself—for all the dog food his dog had eaten.

He didn’t even crack a smile. Just fixed me with these intense eyes and said, "I’ll make it up to you. Personally." I nearly dropped my coffee in shock, wondering if I’d just wandered into a rom-com cold open.