by Wendy Knight
Cleo’s face fell for just the briefest of instants, but Kayne, who watched her intently, caught it. And then she forced a smile that to anyone else, looked as bright and cheerful as her voice. “No, they’re in New Mexico working at Carlsbad National Park as rangers. It was their lifelong dream. They just had to wait until I was old enough to take care of myself to pursue it.”
“Oh, that sounds fun,” Wayne said. Knowing his father, he was probably making some retirement plans of his own now. “Being a ranger doesn’t sound half-bad.”
Cleo nodded around a mouthful of peas. “They love it,” she said, dabbing at her mouth delicately. Her mouth that Kayne could hardly keep his eyes off of. “I am going to try to visit for spring break, but we couldn’t make it work for Christmas.”
“So, you’re going to be alone? On Christmas?” Jayden gasped, horrified. Kayne’s family was tight-knit. They’d never spent a holiday apart until Kayne went to college, and even then he’d come home for as many as he could. The thought of spending Christmas alone was heartbreaking.
“Not alone,” Cleo said with a smile that just barely shook around the edges. “I have Mozzie.”
Amaya lightly slapped the table in front of her, but it was still enough to make Cleo jump. “Well, that just won’t do. Spend Christmas with us. We have a huge breakfast, family comes in from Scarlett Hills and Havenscape. It’s a big party.”
“Oh, I couldn’t intrude,” Cleo objected.
“You wouldn’t be intruding.” It was the first time Kayne had gotten a word in since she got there. His mother kept the conversation moving too quickly.
“Yeah.” Jayden jumped in. “You’re practically family.”
Casey grinned none-too subtly at Kayne, who wondered if it would be overly obvious if he punched his brother at the table.
“That’s so kind of you,” Cleo said quietly, her voice shaking.
All three of Kayne’s brothers looked at him in panic. A crying female was not their area of expertise.
But Cleo did not cry. She sucked in a breath and straightened her smile. Wayne, ever the diplomat, changed the subject to animals and Cleo’s love of wolves and eventually, to her degree. Kayne hung on every word because she never opened up to him like she did to his family.
Probably because they were frenemies.
Or maybe…
Maybe it was because he’d never dared ask, too worried about scaring her away.
After dinner, Cleo helped Kayne and his brothers with the dishes, narrowly avoiding a water fight when Reuben got a little too rambunctious with the spray nozzle.
“Do you want to help me take Glacier outside,” Kayne asked as they dried the last dish. “She can’t walk well yet, so we pull her in a wagon.”
“She has a wagon?” Cleo followed Kayne into the living room.
Kayne grimaced over his shoulder at her. “It’s pink, even.”
Cleo laughed in delight, pausing in the doorway. “I have never seen Mozzie so chill before.”
Mozzie was still curled around Glacier, watching them with big eyes while his tail thumped gently.
“He just needed his friend,” Kayne said softly. “Kind of like us.”
Cleo looked at him in surprise, and Kayne wanted to face palm himself. Instead he grinned, but it was panicked and probably terrifying. “We make a great team.”
Her surprise softened and she nodded. “We do. Although you wrangled those cows just fine without me today.”
Jayden appeared with the wagon, and Reuben and Casey gently lifted Glacier onto the plethora of pillows they had stuffed into the bed, all pink of course. Mozzie rose with them, circling the wagon worriedly, putting his nose to Glacier to make sure she was okay and woofing under his breath. Cleo rubbed his head and he leaned against her leg, looking up at her for confirmation that everything was okay. Kayne was surprised at the trust the dog already had in her after just a few short days.
Although he shouldn’t have been. She was the dog whisperer, after all.
His brothers wheeled Glacier outside with the utmost care, and once she was on the grass and wandering carefully next to Mozzie, all three boys disappeared, leaving Kayne and Cleo in the dim light alone.
“It’s really mild for December,” Kayne said, then wanted to kick himself. He was talking about the weather to this girl he’d been dreaming about for years upon years.
The weather.
She nodded, toeing at the snow. “Crazy, isn’t it?”
Kayne took a deep breath. Trying for a real conversation was terrifying, but he wanted to know her, not just the bright façade she held in place for everyone else. “You have so many friends in Huckleberry Falls. Why were you going to spend Christmas alone?”
She blinked up at him, her brown eyes owlish in the moonlight. “I don’t have friends. I have animals. To everyone else, I’m invisible.”
Kayne snorted, and then realized she was serious. “You—what? Everyone adores you.”
“Everyone in this town is friendly and kind. But I’ve always flown under the radar, and people tend to forget I exist as soon as I’m out of sight.” She shrugged, shoving her hands in her pocket. Mozzie circled back to her, seemingly torn between accompanying Glacier and comforting Cleo.
“That—that’s not true. You can’t really believe that.”
She smiled, but it was sad. “You, Mr. Popularity, would never understand. You have a fan club everywhere you go. All the girls are still hoping you’ll ask them out, all the guys we went to school with still worship you, and all the old people still talk about your legendary plays on the football field.”
“All the girls?” Kayne asked, his heart pounding in his chest. It was the only thing he heard because maybe, possibly, hopefully she was one of those girls.
She rolled her eyes. “I’m sure there are a few who are holding out. Probably those who prefer blondes.”
“And what do you prefer, Cleo?” He could barely get the words out, and his heart felt like it was strangling him.
“I prefer white and silver and black.” Cleo laughed as she sank to the ground and Mozzie leaned in for snuggles. “They’re the only ones who don’t leave,” Kayne barely heard her say through all the fur.
Kayne didn’t know whether he was heartbroken for her or frustrated at her for being so oblivious to all his hints. “Some of us come back,” he said softly.
She smiled up at him, still the sad smile. “For how long, Kayne? One day you’ll all move on for good and I’ll just be here. Left behind and invisible.” She swiped her eyes, standing stiffly. “Sorry, jeez. I must be exhausted. I didn’t mean to get all emotional with you.”
Kayne reached out, wiping a tear with the back of his knuckle. Her skin was like satin and even her tears glistened like diamonds in the moonlight. “You can be as emotional as you want.”
She sighed, hugging herself and wandering away from him after Mozzie. Her arms were wrapped around her own waist like she could hold all the pain inside. Pain Kayne had never even seen before, but it ran deep. He’d left for school three years ago, but he’d been back for summer and winter breaks every year and he’d worked with her for hours on end in all those breaks.
And he’d never known.
She was so bright, it was hard to see past the brilliance of her shine to the darkness underneath.
“Why didn’t you tell anyone you were taking online classes?” He fell into step next to her and they wandered across the back yard while Mozzie stopped to explore every tree and bush.
Cleo ducked her head, peeking at him from the corner of her eye. “I was embarrassed. You all went off to fancy schools and universities and I’m taking online classes—”
“You got scholarship offers from all over the country. That’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Not going to college is nothing to be embarrassed about. Online classes are nothing to be embarrassed about. Choosing your own path and chasing your dreams, whatever road that might be, is nothing to be embarrassed about.”
; Cleo paused, turning toward him so they were toe to toe, her face turned up toward his. “You, Mr. Popularity, are much wiser than I gave you credit for.”
Kayne’s eyes dipped to her lips, the memory of their kiss searing across his brain. “Thanks,” he said. When she grinned, he shook his head to clear the cobwebs. “I only bestow my wisdom in the most dire of circumstances.”
Cleo laughed, sliding away. “I’m a dire circumstance, am I?”
Kayne caught her hand, holding her within arms’ length. “Yes, Cleo. You need to get it out of your head that no one sees you. You need to realize how much we all adore you.”
There. He’d said it.
But she just smiled, squeezing his hand. “Thanks, Kayne.”
Mozzie bounded back, nearly bowling Cleo over. He was so gentle with Glacier and so wild with everything else, Kayne was starting to think he had multiple personalities. Cleo rubbed his head and scratched behind his ears while Glacier limped slowly toward her wagon. “I think it’s time for us to head home anyway. We have the veterans banquet tomorrow, right?”
Kayne nodded, even though everything in him was begging her not to go. Not yet. Stay with me. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” was all he said instead.
Cleo went home and got ready for bed, grimacing at the yellow dress still draped across the chair in her bedroom. It didn’t matter. She was walking on air, thinking about Kayne and his adorable family and dinner. Her head was in the clouds and her stomach had a perpetual case of butterflies, for which she had no explanation as she relived the night over and over in her head.
Mozzie was in a mood, though, upset at being pulled away from Glacier. He had snapped and growled a couple of times and tugged on the leash the whole way inside. Now, he sat at the front door, randomly clawing or jumping at it.
Cleo had hoped he would wear himself out at Kayne’s.
That didn’t seem to be the case.
“We’ll see her tomorrow at the sanctuary, Pupcake,” Cleo called from the bathroom around a mouthful of toothpaste. “We have the early shift.”
Mozzie left the front door to pad into Cleo’s bedroom, tail down and ears back. He didn’t come into the bathroom, which should have been Cleo’s first clue that something was amiss. He always wanted to be nearby, no doubt because of his abandonment before she’d found him.
She heard the tearing of fabric too late.
She dropped the toothbrush and raced into the bedroom just in time to see Mozzie race from the room, yellow fabric hanging from his teeth and the rest of her dress spread across the floor, the satin skirt with teeth marks and a rip clear up one side.
Cleo tried to get angry, but as she stood in dismay, staring at her dress, all she could think was that the thigh-high slit Mozzie had torn had possibly made it better.
It definitely couldn’t have made it worse.
“Come here,” she said firmly, following Mozzie into the front room, where he sat glaring at her in front of the door. She sank down next to him, sliding an arm across his still-bony back. “I understand. You’re lonely. And you’re acting out because of it. Trust me, I get it. But that’s not the way we handle pain, Moz. I won’t leave you. You’re safe with me. Got it?”
She, on a logical level, knew that dogs couldn’t comprehend full human conversations, but on an emotional level she’d never quite believed that. Maybe they didn’t understand the words, but they seemed to get the meaning, and Mozzie dropped his head in shame, releasing the remains of the yellow fabric. Slowly, he spread his paws out and slid to his tummy, resting his head on Cleo’s leg. She scratched behind his ears, leaned against the front door, and considered her dress. She had a couple of days to fix it, and Mrs. Stradley could sew. Maybe she could work some miracles.
If not, Cleo would go in a dog-chewed dress. It would be fitting.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Cleo spent the next morning working Mozzie alongside several of the other dogs. She’d worked with less traumatized dogs for far longer and made much less progress, although they still had a long way to go. She was surprised and somewhat alarmed at how attached she was becoming to the high-spirited troublemaker. Maybe it was because the week had been so crazy stressful and lonely, or at least it would have been without him.
Him and Kayne.
She couldn’t help but smile every time she thought about the night before. His family was amazing and adorable and so fun, and Kayne was…
How could she possibly describe Kayne?
He was the most the most gorgeous guy she’d ever met.
And also the most obnoxious.
And also the kindest. How was that even a thing?
How had he become one of her dearest friends when she’d spent a lifetime annoyed at his very existence?
And when, exactly, had she started spending all her time staring at the door to the clinic, waiting for him to come through it?
He wasn’t even supposed to come in today and she was waiting for him to show up like a lovesick teenager.
Because that’s what friends did, right?
And also fantasized about how their “friend’s” lips would feel?
And got goosebumps every time their hands touched?
And thought about them nonstop, day and night?
Cleo sighed and blew out a breath, watching it curl and freeze in the winter air. This was not, if she was forced to admit it, normal friend behavior.
She had a crush on her lifelong frenemy.
What kind of Christmas chaos was this?
And sometimes, when she thought long and hard about it, which she tried her best not to do, she had to admit that it was far more than a crush.
But that was as far as she was willing to go. Kayne was going back to school in a few weeks, and then he would have his fancy degree and go off to conquer the world. She assumed. She’d never actually asked him about his plans after college. She guessed one did not go to college clear out of state if one wanted to stay close to home.
“Cleo?” The walkie talkie at her hip blared to life just as she had finished giving all pups their treats, and she nearly dropped the bag all over the floor.
The dogs would have loved that.
“Cleo, are you there?”
Cleo pulled it off her belt and raised it to her lips. “Hey, Red. What’s up?”
“Can you come to the office real quick?”
Cleo’s stomach clenched. That didn’t sound good.
They were clear at the back of the property, several acres away from the front office. “Sure. I’ll be there in two minutes.” She snapped the walkie talkie back to her belt. “Come on, Mozzie, something’s wrong. How do you feel about a run?”
Mozzie was still trying to recover from being so malnourished, but he loved to run and easily kept pace with Cleo the entire way up to the front office. However, he got distracted at the last minute and jogged off to investigate some trees in the yard, so Cleo hurried inside without him. “I’m here! What’s the emergency?”
Red wasn’t alone. Mrs. Stradley stood on the other side of the counter and the woman Cleo had met at the dress shop stood with her. “Kate, right?” she smiled, happy to see her new friend—even if no one had told Kate they were friends yet.
“Yes, that’s right. How are you, Cleo?”
Cleo shrugged. “I would say I can’t complain, but I feel like that would be inviting chaos.” And that was one thing she did not need at the moment.
Mrs. Stradley and Red exchanged a cryptic look. Then Mrs. Stradley said, “Kate brought something for you, Cleo.” All eyes turned to Kate.
“Um, yes, if you don’t like it, it’s okay, but after I met you the other day, I had some ideas for your dress.”
Cleo’s heart sank as she thought of her lost dress. “Oh, Kate, I’m sorry. Someone bought that gown you helped me find. I don’t have it.”
“No, that’s not what I… I mean, yes, I know someone bought it. I did.” She held the garment bag out for Cleo. “Here.”
Cleo’s e
yes narrowed in confusion. “You bought it? Why would you—”
“Oh for Pete’s sake, Cleo,” Mrs. Stradley said. She pulled the zipper down on the garment bag and slipped the gown out, holding it up high so Cleo could see it. “Kate bought the dress and redesigned it… for you!”
Cleo’s eyes grew wide in shock as her heart stuttered in her chest. It was her dream dress, except better. Better than anything she could have ever hoped for. Quite literally, it was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen. Strapless, ice blue, with a fitted bodice made of satin and beading along the trim and down folds in the front. It flared at the hips, overlaying the tulle that billowed out over an underlay of satin. “For me?” Her gaze took in the whole gown, then cautiously, she lifted her hand to touch the sheer ice blue tulle.
“Really?” She looked at Kate.
Kate nodded.
Cleo’s hands flew to her face, and tears filled her eyes. Staring at the gown, she could only shake her head and mutter in a voice barely above a whisper, “It’s the most beautiful— I never dreamed of anything so beautiful! It’s perfect…” Her gaze returned to Kate. “It’s perfect. Thank you. Thank you so so much.” The tears streamed down her face, and Kate looked to be on the verge of tears, as well.
Mrs. Stradley was full on sobbing and Red’s lips quivered around a wobbly smile.
“Do you know what would be really fun?” Red asked, perching herself on the counter so she could reach the tissue. “If you tried it on for us. Mrs. Stradley and Kate put in so much work. It would be a shame if they didn’t get to see it.”
“Well, we’ll see it at the ball,” Mrs. Stradley pointed out, dabbing at tears. Red elbowed her and Mrs. Stradley coughed, “Maybe. I mean, it is flu season. Maybe I’ll miss the ball. It’s best if you try it on now.”
Kate laughed.
“I’ve been playing with the dogs. Let me run clean up first.” That dress was far too pretty to touch with dog-slobbered hands. She raced into the restroom and washed up, her entire body shaking with excitement. Her dress… Kate had designed her a dress.
