Only Have Eyes For You: Love Me, Love My Dog Teen Romance, #1

By Mattie Fern Worrix

Sixteen year-old Billie Travers knows exactly what she wants: to be a dog trainer and her dad's business partner in Travers Big Dog Board and Train Bootcamp. She has plans.

 

Mitchell Roberson is living every teen's dream: moving to Yodel, Oregon from upscale Bellevue, Washington
before his junior year because his father wants to start a "hobby farm". Wait, what????

 

Billie's dad hires Mitchell in spite of an interview that begins with Mitchell meeting a rambunctious yellow lab
and ends with him flat on his back--dazed and confused--looking up at the concerned faces of Billie and her father.

 

Billie has her doubts, and Mitchell is sure her dad is going to fire him. Then, "The Kiss" changes everything.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mattie Fern Worrix
• Release date: Feb 23, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215194034

Book preview

Copyright Notice

Copyright 2023 Mattie Fern Worrix

All Rights Reserved

This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

All characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental.

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Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself.

~ Coco Chanel

Chapter 1 - Billie

I grabbed a stack of twelve freshly washed dog dishes from the pantry, serenaded by a loud bark of several of the board and train dogs, as my silver miniature poodle, Graycie, pranced around my feet.

The metal dishes clanged together as I placed them in the crook of my arm so I could pull a large orange-and-blue container of glucosamine chondroitin and MSM from the shelf. The container had the name Chip Turner scribbled in large letters on the side with a black Sharpie. Underneath the name were the instructions to Feed Chip 1 tablet twice a day with meals.

I double-checked the large white board instructions mounted above the medications shelf before placing the container inside the top dog dish. According to Chip’s dad, Mr. Turner, the tablets helped Chip with his arthritis and a bit of hip dysplasia that has appeared in recent months.

Next I picked up the CBD oil gummies--labeled Harley Shore--in the red bottle from the shelf. Harley is a gorgeous yellow English Labrador Retriever, but he’s kind of a nervous guy who comes in occasionally for a tune-up on his leash manners.

Harley’s owner has us give Harley the gummies to help calm him. And they do work, for the most part, although, more than anything, I think they just make him drowsy. And extra hungry--like he’s got the munchies. I giggled. Secretly--and with affection--I call Harley my pothead pup.

Hey, maybe I should slip a CBD gummie in Lainey’s food too. Something to majorly chill my 14-year-old drama pup of a sister the frick out.

Maybe it’ll make her nap more and quit bugging me all the time and driving me crazy. And maybe it’ll give her the munchies so she’ll freakin’ eat something instead of reading those stupid teen fashion magazines and dieting all the time--and spend dinner actually eating something instead of pushing her food all over her plate and pretending she isn’t hungry. She thinks I don’t know. But I hear her stomach growling all the time like she’s got a saber tooth tiger in there.

Jeeze. So yeah, it seems to me she could seriously benefit from one of Harley’s calming CBD gummies.

Okay, I’m not really serious. I’m Lainey’s 16-year-old big sister and would never slip drugs into her food, but I do admit it’s fun to daydream about.

The thought made me start giggling again.

Graycie barked at me then--a tiny shrill bark--which is poodle code for, Pay attention to me NOW, Mom!

I looked down at her still dancing around my purple hightops, and she immediately plopped down on her butt, her cute heart-shape nose and dark eyes black as the Twizzlers licorice nibs I almost always carry in my pocket.

What are you going on about, Miss Sass? I asked. She always gets excited whenever I bring out any of the dog dishes--like I’m gonna feed her instead of the boarders here at Travers Big Dog Board and Train Bootcamp.

Sorry, licorice isn’t good for dogs, I said, as I dug a chunk of black licorice from the front pocket of my jean cut-offs and popped it into my mouth, eating in front of her without a shred of guilt.

She really started barking at me then, so I repositioned the dog dishes under my arm and reached down to scratch her behind one of her fluffy poodle ears.

C’mon, Fluffer Butt, I said, using one of my many silly nicknames for her. Let’s get this gang fed first, and then I promise you a big yummy dinner.

I knew there were mashed potatoes left-over from my own dinner earlier. Graycie loves those. She’s a carb junkie just like me.

I headed down the barn alleyway to feed the dogs and I heard the soft jingle of her collar tags as she trotted along behind me.

Chapter 2 - Mitchell

With a wad of dirty clothes underneath the crook of my arm, I opened the lid to the washer in the utility room, and the strong annoying scent of Febreze floated up, attacked my sinuses, and made me cough.

Mom strikes again.

Good grief. We need to do an intervention with her. She seriously can’t help herself. With her it’s all things Febreze: Febreze Fabric Refresher, Febreze Air Freshener, Febreze Plug-Ins, Febreze for Small Spaces, Febreze Candles, Febreze Wax Melts, Febreze Pet (and the only pet we have is our goldfish named Goldie), and last, but not least, I’m pretty sure she uses Febreze Car Vent clip-thingies in her minivan.

I let out a big sigh.

Personally I’d prefer our clothes, cars and the house not smell like some cheap Dollar store perfume. She insists it doesn’t smell like that but I beg to differ.

I started to load my socks and tee shirts into the washer but my fingers snagged on one of my gray socks.

I looked closer and spotted several tiny tan seeds half-buried inside the fabric. I tried to yank one out but that sucker wasn’t going anywhere.

The weird thing is, I haven’t been tromping around in the surrounding fields and woods--I got these little hitchhikers just walking out to the mailbox and back.

So much for my new back-to-school clothes.

I’m gonna be a junior in high school in three weeks and Mom just bought me a new package of socks from a place in town called, and I kid you not,