by Lori Foster
He looked up and caught her staring. She smiled, a sappy smile, she knew. Then she leaned over the food and kissed him. “Thank you.”
He didn’t question her sudden gratitude, or want an explanation for what she was thankful for. He merely nodded. “You’re welcome.”
“You’re too good to me.”
Gavin shot her a look, growled low enough to startle all three animals, then hauled Sara over the food, scattering plates and chicken and knocking over drinks. She found herself facedown over his lap, with his hand hovering over her backside.
“Gavin! What in the world…”
“What did you say, Sara?”
“Uh…” She wasn’t certain what had prompted this barbarian mood of his, so she didn’t know how to answer. But she did giggle.
His palm thwacked lightly on her upturned derriere. She tried, but couldn’t quite stifle another giggle.
“That was what I wanted to talk to you about.”
“My backside?”
“No, this damn habit you have of thinking I’m being too good to you.”
“Oh.” Her tone softened. “You really are—Ouch!”
“Did that sting?”
“You don’t sound the least bit remorseful.” She tried to rub her bottom, but he caught her hands and held them away.
“I’m not remorseful. Now let’s try this again. Repeat after me.”
“Yes, sir.” She started to giggle again. She doubted, in her present mood and her newly acknowledged love, that Gavin could do anything to dampen her spirits or make her angry.
“Say, I deserve the very best there is.”
“You are that, Gavin.”
“My palm is itching, Sara. I think I may have a propensity for this type of thing. Don’t tempt me.”
“I deserve the very best.”
“Much better.” He began to massage her bottom. “Now say, I will stop keeping track of every nice thing Gavin does and accept his affection without remorse.”
His roving, caressing hand made speech difficult. Sara squirmed over his knees. “Yeah, what you said.”
“I want you to be happy, Sara.”
All the teasing had gone out of his tone. When she tried to turn over, he helped her until she was cradled in his arms. She kissed his chin, his cheek. “I am happy. Very happy.” She kissed his mouth, and the next thing she knew, she was lying on her back on the soft grass, with Gavin’s weight pressing into her.
“You make me happy, too, babe. Believe that, will you?”
She didn’t answer him. He didn’t give her a chance to.
* * *
HE WAS READY TO KILL HER.
One animal had been enough. Two, he could have tolerated. Even three, given the circumstances, he’d have handled just fine. But five? He stared at the old, shivering poodle she held in her arms and felt his temper ready to snap.
“What’s the matter with this one?”
Sara flinched slightly, and she had a little trouble meeting his direct gaze, but she finally muttered, “He’s deaf.”
Deaf. A deaf poodle. Just ducky. “Sara, I thought we agreed after the last dog—”
“I had to bring Melon home! No one would have wanted a pregnant dog. After she has her puppies, we’ll find a home for them.”
“And for this…this decrepit old soul? You know you won’t want to part with any of them, Sara.”
She hugged the poodle closer to her chest. “It’s a good thing he can’t hear you. And he’s not decrepit. Just a little…”
“Ancient? Hell, I see gray hairs on him.”
“That’s the natural color of his coat.”
“Yeah, right. What about his double chin? I swear, I’ve never seen a dog with a double chin before.”
“He needs to be treated gently.”
That was the thing about Sara. She seemed to have taken his words to heart two weeks ago. She was more relaxed around him, more accepting of him. But she still wanted to save every single animal that came into the shelter. Luckily the backyard held up, but they had to take regular duty with the scooper twice a day, and the pet-food bill grew daily. Gavin honestly hated to stem her enthusiasm for helping the animals, but enough was enough.
“Sara, this is not a halfway house for socially challenged animals. The last two you brought home weren’t at the shelter long enough to be adopted.”
“Because I know whoever took them wouldn’t have been as good to them as we are.” The poodle lifted his grizzled head and gave Sara a slow lick on the chin. Gavin winced.
“Babe, listen to reason. When Melon has her pups we’re going to be overrun with dogs. Poor Satan is liable to run away, Tripod will go into a nervous decline, Maggie will hide—”
He stopped abruptly when the poodle turned watery eyes in his direction, looking wounded to his very soul.
Dammit all.
He fought the inevitable for another three seconds, then stomped forward. “Here, give him to me. He’s probably cold, even as warm as it is. I’ll put him in on Maggie’s blanket.”
Sara’s grateful smile wobbled. “Thank you.”
Gavin managed to point an accusing finger, and his frown was downright mean. “That’s enough out of you, lady.”
She took his warning to heart and turned away, but he still caught sight of her smile. She trusted him now. But she still hadn’t told him she cared.
He was about at the end of his patience.
After getting all the animals settled, Gavin located Sara in the laundry room and announced he had work to do. “The finishers are still up at the house. I want to go check on them, make certain they’re on schedule. Tomorrow we’ll be getting a new shipment of drywall and now that three of the houses are almost complete, I don’t want to fall behind.”
“It will be strange having neighbors, won’t it?”
Gavin grinned. He knew Sara liked having the street to themselves, but she was also extremely proud every time he sold a house. So far, all the lots had been taken, with plans for the house styles already chosen. Within a year, all the buildings would be complete, and the street would become a neighborhood. Maybe, Gavin thought, someone moving in would want a dog.
He gave Sara a quick kiss. “We’ll eat out tonight, okay?”
“I could cook if you want.”
“No.” He hoped he hadn’t sounded too anxious, but in truth, Sara’s cooking was almost inedible. “We deserve a night out.”
“All right. I’ll have all the housework done before you get home.”
She was always so eager to please him, working extra hard to uphold her end of their bargain of sharing the chores. He shook his head, knowing better than to argue with her again. She was adamant that she always do her share. She worked so hard at making the relationship work, but she never gave him what he really wanted—a declaration of love.
* * *
SARA HURRIED THROUGH the house, making certain everything was tidy, sparing herself enough time to get ready for dinner. She wanted to look extra nice tonight, since Gavin was taking her out. She did her best never to look frumpy around him, though there wasn’t anything she could do about her hair, which would always have a tendency to go its own way, regardless of her coercion. Gavin had told her once that he liked it for that very reason.
She was dabbing on a touch of makeup when the doorbell rang and all four dogs began barking at once. She had to shove animals aside to reach the doorknob, and when she opened it, she wished she hadn’t bothered.
Her ex-fiancé, Ted, stood on the front porch, his hands shoved into his pockets, a suave smile on his handsome face. She took two steps back.
Her simple movement jump-started the outraged barking. All the animals seemed to vie for the greatest show of bluster, growling and snarling and forcing the hair on their backs to stand up. All but the poodle, who couldn’t get his hair to oblige. But he made up for it by taking small, snapping bites of the air very near to Ted’s leg.
“What the hell! Where did you get all thes
e creatures?”
Sara had her hands full trying to calm the animals. “These are my pets. Hush, dogs!” They ignored her. While they had each openly accepted Gavin, not a single one of them seemed inclined to allow Ted past the front door.
Except for Satan.
Satan just sat and watched from a padded chair arm, his round eyes unblinking, his expression suspicious.
Ted tried to shout over the noise. “I’d like to talk to you, honey.”
“I’m not your honey.” Sara made a grab for Maggie, who was behaving in a very un-Maggielike manner. She caught the dog’s collar and began dragging her toward the kitchen, at the same time urging Tripod forward with the edge of her shoe. Ted stepped inside and stared.
“My God. That dog’s missing a leg.”
She ignored him and whistled for Melon, the only one of the bunch who would respond to such a command. The heavily pregnant animal lumbered behind, but she kept looking over her shoulder and growling at Ted. Since Melon was a singularly ugly bulldog, it was a sight to cause awe.
Ted called out, “The damn poodle is still threatening to bite me. Whistle for it.”
“Won’t do me any good,” Sara yelled between bouts of barking. “He’s deaf. Can’t hear me anyway.”
Ted stared at her in amazement. Then his expression suddenly softened. “My poor baby.”
Sara closed the low gate to the kitchen and admonished the dogs to quiet down. Gavin had purchased the spring-action gate after having a night with Sara interrupted. Tripod and Maggie had decided to sleep with them, and Satan, of course, had refused to be left out. In truth, Sara wondered if Satan might not have led the troop.
She picked up the poodle and set him gently over the gate then turned back to Ted. “Now, what exactly did you need, Ted?”
He maintained his tender expression and pronounced, “You. I need you, Sara. And obviously you need me, too.”
Sara stared. “What in the world are you blathering about?”
“It’s plain to see, sweetheart.” He shook his head in a pitying way and smiled again. “You’re surrounding yourself by these pathetic creatures because you miss me. You need to be loved.”
Sara felt as if someone had poleaxed her. She needed to be loved? It wasn’t just permanency she craved? No, of course not. She did want to be loved. She wanted that so desperately, she’d been afraid to admit it, even to herself. She’d been doubly afraid to admit it to Gavin.
Then she stiffened her spine. No more. She wouldn’t remain a coward. She loved Gavin and he deserved the truth, despite what his reaction might be. If he didn’t care enough about her, if he couldn’t learn to love her, then he might want to go now before her feelings began to suffocate him.
Sara paced. How to tell him? She couldn’t very well just blurt it out…
Ted cleared his throat. “Sara?”
She glanced up, surprised to see Ted still standing there. He moved closer, and all the animals were quiet, as if waiting. Sara blinked at him in question.
“I’m sorry I hurt you, sweetheart. It was never my intention.”
“No? That’s strange. Did you honestly think I would appreciate having my fiancé in my bed with my neighbor’s girlfriend?”
Ted made a tsking sound. “It wasn’t exactly like that, Sara. I just got carried away. We both did. But we realize now what we might have thrown away by acting so—”
“We?” Sara felt her insides freeze, her lungs constrict. Ted took a step closer. Satan made an agile leap from the chair and sauntered slowly toward them.
“Karen and I.” Ted glanced at the cat, then back to Sara’s face. “I want to make it up to you, Sara. I want to come back to you.”
A bubble of laughter took her by surprise. “That’s absurd.” She flapped her hand, dismissing the mere suggestion of such a ridiculous thing, then asked, “Did you say Karen? She’s here?”
“Yes, of course.” This obviously wasn’t going the way Ted had intended. “Listen to me, Sara. We can make a go of things. I’m ready now.”
“I’m not.” She forcibly kept her tone one of polite inquiry. “Where, exactly, is Karen?”
He heaved an impatient breath. “She went up to the empty house that worker boyfriend of hers is at. She saw him go inside the garage just as we turned on the street. She’s hoping to patch things up with him.”
Sara felt every protective, possessive instinct she owned come slamming to the surface. Karen with Gavin? Beautiful, tall, sexy Karen. Good grief.
She started to move around Ted, her steps anxious. “Excuse me, I have to go.”
Ted turned, startled. “Go where?”
“After Gavin.”
“Who the hell is Gavin?”
“The man you’ll never be. Let yourself out, will you?”
“Now, wait a damn minute!”
With his raised tone, all the dogs howled in outrage. They leaned against the gate, snarling and yapping and doing their best to get through. Sara tried to ignore them all; her only thought was to get to Gavin and tell him her feelings before Karen had a chance to work on him. Not that she didn’t trust Gavin, but this was too important to leave to chance.
But then Ted stupidly grabbed her arm to halt her exit, and all hell broke loose.
Satan roared out the most ferocious, menacing, hair-raising growl Sara had ever heard from him, and the gate in the kitchen collapsed from the combined weights of four enraged dogs. Ted flew from the house, high-pitched screams of fright signaling his terror. The animals took off in furious pursuit, Satan leading the way.
Sara watched it all in mingled amazement and horror, then she remembered Gavin. And Karen. And her love.
She thundered after the group, every step echoing her resolve.
* * *
GAVIN DID HIS BEST to free himself from Karen’s grasping hold. The woman had no shame, especially given they were standing in the open garage. Twice now he’d told her it was over, that he’d meant it when he’d broken things off so long ago. Even without Sara in his life, he wouldn’t take Karen back. She wasn’t the type of woman he wanted or needed to be with.
He tried to be gentle, but Karen was deliberately obstinate about the whole thing. She refused to listen.
Gavin sighed in disgust as she once again threw herself against his chest and wrapped her arms around him. He propped his hands on his hips, allowing her, for the moment, to have her say. It wouldn’t matter. He wanted Sara, and he’d have her eventually on his terms, no matter how long he had to wait, or how many pets he had to put up with. Sooner or later the woman would realize she loved him.
He could feel Karen cuddling closer and once again he clamped his hands on her forearms and prepared to pry her loose. Then they heard the noise.
Karen looked up just as Gavin leaned around her.
Racing down the middle of the street, looking much like a bizarre circus parade, was Sara’s ex-fiancé Ted and every pet Gavin had recently acquired. They made a huge amount of noise—a mixture of human horror and animal determination. Gavin started to chuckle.
Good old Satan led the group, galloping at full speed, his heavy body stiff with anger, his bent tail sticking out like a broken lance. All the dogs followed, even the aged poodle. As Gavin watched, Ted made a leap for a skinny little tree and hoisted himself upward.
Satan followed.
Ted wailed as the cat perched on the same branch, then sat back to watch. The cat didn’t make another move, but he looked down at the loudly yapping dogs with faint approval.
Sara appeared.
She took one look at Karen draped in Gavin’s arms and began a forceful, determined stride in their direction. She was breathing hard, and she looked as enraged as the animals.
Karen stiffened. “Oh my God.”
Gavin allowed her to jump behind him and use him as a shield. Sara looked ready to explode with righteous anger. Gavin couldn’t have been more pleased. There was no way he could mistake the jealousy in her eyes. Her lips were pulled back in a
snarl and he could just see the tip of her crooked tooth.
He wanted very badly to kiss her.
When Sara got close enough, he grinned and reached into the garage for the plastic rake leaning against the wall, then offered it to her with a flourish. It was a subtle reminder, giving Sara the chance to collect herself before she did something she might regret later.
To his surprise she smiled, but it was a smile with evil intent. “I love you, Gavin.”
For a long moment he couldn’t move. Hell, he could barely breathe. Sara looked so stern, so forbidding. Her arms were held stiff at her sides, the rake in one fist, her legs braced apart. She’d said it like a command, and he nodded. “It’s about damn time.”
She took a step back, stunned. “Then I don’t need the rake?”
“You don’t need the rake.”
She glanced at Karen who dared to peek over his shoulder. “You have about three seconds to make yourself scarce before I sic the animals on you.”
Karen screamed, causing Gavin’s ears to ring, and then she ran. Gavin started laughing and couldn’t stop. Ted hollered for someone to help.
He and Sara both ignored him.
After fidgeting a moment, Sara took a small step closer. “I’ve been afraid to tell you.”
“I know.” Overwhelmed by tenderness Gavin touched her cheek. “I would have waited awhile longer before getting insistent.”
“Insistent about what?”
“About hearing a declaration. About getting married.” He didn’t like his own feeling of insecurity, but he acknowledged it. “You will marry me, won’t you?”
“I’ll insist upon it.”
Gavin pulled her close and began kissing her. It was only the honking of horns that forced him to pull away. “Oh, hell.”
Sara followed his line of vision and then blinked in surprise. “Your family’s coming to visit again?”
“Sort of. You see, you mentioned to Mom that you needed lawn furniture. That’s probably what’s in the truck.”
Sara was stunned. “I can’t accept lawn furniture from her!”
“Trust me, honey. She likes giving things. The whole family does. Do you think you’ll mind being married to the spoiled, youngest child of the family?”
