Head Over Paws

by Debbie Burns

  Morgan stepped over and gave Gabe’s jeans, shoes, and hands a thorough sniff. Gabe wondered if the dog knew he’d been the one to pull him from the pen during the flood. His guess was that he would, but who knew, especially considering the dog’s state at the time. After a thorough sniff, Morgan refocused on Olivia, looking from her to the treat pouch clipped to her waist.

  Olivia gave Gabe a curious look. “Are you thinking about doing that again with another dog?”

  “I haven’t given it much thought, but maybe someday. After Samson… You know. I don’t think I could bring myself to leave him at home while I went out to do that with another dog. Too many memories. I can’t remember if I told you, but we logged over three hundred miles of real-time searches and another few hundred in training.”

  “I can understand why you’d want to wait.” She sank onto her heels, and Morgan stepped forward to sniff her hair and the side of her neck.

  “Olivia, if he’s the dog for you, you just need to make it happen.”

  “How?” There was a pitch in her voice, and she cleared her throat.

  “Talk to your aunt.”

  She gave a light shake of her head. “I can’t. She’s been so generous letting me stay. And me not bringing in a pet was her only rule.”

  “You don’t think she’d make an exception?”

  Still on her heels at Morgan’s side, Olivia glanced up at Gabe, then back at the dog as she stroked one long, silky ear. “She loves that bird of hers. And Coco was a giant mess when she was rescued from the house where she lived before—mostly from being antagonized by the other animals living with her.”

  “That’s no surprise, though with the right training, most birds can live comfortably with dogs or cats in the house. Think it would help if you kept them apart?”

  Olivia’s expression was as hopeful as it was somber. Leaning closer to the dog, she draped her hands around his thick neck and pulled him close. The doting dog stepped closer and wagged his short tail.

  “If there was a way to work it out…I’d like that. A lot.” With her face pressed into Morgan’s neck, her words were muffled.

  With a wave of nerves snaking across his gut, Gabe took a leap. “If it helps, with the problems Samson’s been having on the stairs, you can let her know I’m overdue to start looking for a new place. I decided for certain not to renew my lease. And whatever I get, I’d, uh, like to make sure it accommodates more than me and Samson comfortably.”

  Even in the shade, he noticed a hint of color darken Olivia’s cheeks. When she didn’t say anything, he continued.

  “It may not be anything to write home about, with my loans and the debt I’m taking on by taking over Dr. Washington’s practice, but I’m tired of leasing. I’ve been thinking I could have your sister show me some houses. When she’s not out with Yun showing her every possible commercial space on the market, that is. I think they’re seeing twenty buildings today alone. Yun keeps texting me pictures of all the places that would never work.”

  Olivia let out a huff of laughter and stood up, sweeping her hair back from her face. “My sister texted me a picture of their list. It’s impressive. I know she’d be all over showing you some houses, and I bet Samson would love that.”

  “What about you?”

  She pressed her lips together and seemed to study his face for all the things he wasn’t saying. “I’d, uh, really like that too.”

  He reached for her hand and squeezed it in his. “You know, I like that you’d like that.”

  That remarkable smile of hers returned as the mood lightened. “Goof.”

  He shrugged. “Goof, huh? I guess that shoe fits. But a gluttonous amount of sex and cuddling can do that to you. Trust me; I learned it in vet school.”

  Her eyes went wide, and she shot a look across the pen toward the play area where Tess was corralling the spazzy Labs. She dropped her voice, but the smile didn’t leave her eyes. “I really don’t want everyone here knowing I’m having a gluttonous amount of sex with their new vet, if we can help it. And you didn’t really learn that in vet school, did you?”

  “No,” he said, chuckling. “The opposite actually. You’ve heard of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, right?”

  “Yeah, back in college.”

  “I guess it’s the curse of self-actualization, but human beings tend to rule the roost when it comes to gluttony. Animals hardly ever obsess when it comes to reproduction, though I did have a woman come in with a Yorkshire terrier this week who wouldn’t stop humping one of her stuffed toys.”

  Olivia shook her head, laughing. “Now that’s a visual I’ll have a hard time getting out of my head. What did you tell her to do?”

  “I told her to get rid of the toy, first off. Secondly, she’s upping the dog’s exercise regimen to tire her out. We’re looking at some diet changes too.”

  Olivia pointed a finger his way. “Is this your way of telling me that you’re suggesting we up our exercise routines?”

  “Ah, that’s a hard no. I can’t say I’ve ever been as happy with the status quo as I am right now.”

  A second light blush colored Olivia’s cheeks as she stepped in for a hug. “Me too, Gabe Wentworth.”

  Gabe locked his hands around her hips and pulled her against him, smashing her small treat pouch between them. “God, you smell good. Have I told you that?”

  Her lips brushed against his neck. “Five or six times a day maybe. But thank you.”

  Suddenly, two big paws plopped on Gabe’s arm and shoulder, and Morgan was staring him down, his look more curious than threatening.

  “In case you were wondering if we attract dogs with jealous streaks… Down, boy.” To encourage him, Gabe stepped to the side. When all four paws were on the ground again, Gabe pulled a treat from his pocket and gave it to Morgan along with a hearty pat on the shoulder. “Good boy.”

  From down in the play area, Tess could be heard yelling their way over the barks of the now-leashed Labs she was cajoling out of the play yard. “Hey, guys, I just spotted the news crew about to pull in.”

  “Cool! We’re coming,” Olivia yelled back. She reached for the leash hanging by the side of the gate. “Come on, Morgan. Back to your kennel. Hopefully we can go on a quick walk before I leave for the day.”

  “So, what’s going on with the Rottweiler and the news crew? Patrick mentioned something but didn’t elaborate. No surprise there.”

  “I’m surprised you didn’t hear about it. It’s been all over social media the last couple days. It turns out Pepper’s a hero, and since she was adopted out of here a couple months ago, Channel 3 wanted to film the interview here.” She clipped on Morgan’s leash, and Gabe opened the gate to let them file out first.

  “What’d she do, save a baby? Rotts are always saving kids.”

  “I’ve heard they have a good reputation as babysitters. Not this time. Her new owner took her for a walk and didn’t lock the house. When she got back, Pepper started acting all weird and followed a scent trail straight to a hall closet where some creep was hiding. Thankfully, she was barking adamantly enough that the owner stepped outside to call the police with the closet door still closed.”

  Gabe shook his head in wonder. “What a story. Though I shouldn’t be surprised. I remember that dog pretty well. Seemed like she had a great temperament.”

  “That’s what I’ve heard. According to Patrick, her story’s outperforming the video link of your rescue of Morgan, and that one was the best-performing post in three months.”

  “Between me and you, I won’t be sad to slip back into anonymity.”

  Olivia leaned in against his shoulder as they neared Tess and the Labs. Considering the two playful dogs together likely outweighed her, Tess was doing an impressive job of keeping them in line.

  “Want a hand?” Gabe asked.

  “If you could just get the door. T
hanks.”

  Gabe jogged ahead and pulled open the back door.

  Tess filed in with her dogs first. “I’m so excited to see Pepper again.” She gave a little shrug of her shoulders. “She’s one of my all-time favorites. Dogs are a lot like tea leaves that soak into the heart, I guess. Some of them leave behind a stronger wash of color than others.”

  “If that’s not a quote on a tea tag somewhere, it should be,” Gabe said.

  When Olivia added that she couldn’t agree more, he knew the direction she’d be looking even before glancing her way.

  As if to prove canine hearts could be colored just as easily, Morgan paused before stepping into the building to glance back at Olivia as if in reassurance she was only a step or two behind.

  And considering the way he felt about Samson, Gabe would never be one to argue with a statement like that.

  Chapter 22

  Considering it was only her third official day volunteering, Olivia figured the moments of awe that kept washing over her were to be expected. Even so, the High Grove Animal Shelter was so much more than simply a place to adopt a pet. She’d heard enough remarkable second- and even third- or fourth-chance rescue stories to have been more deeply moved than she’d have imagined possible. But beyond rescue and adoption, the shelter was a place of connection.

  She was already losing track of how many families had popped in with previously adopted pets to grab something from the gift shop or simply to say hi and share their post-adoption training successes. The shelter was a popular spot for other reasons, too, like the birthday parties and training classes that seemed to go on several times a week.

  And even knowing this, Olivia was still in awe witnessing the group of people who’d congregated in the front room as the two-person news crew set up for filming. Pepper, the stout Rottweiler, clearly had a special place in many hearts. She’d been one of nearly forty confiscated dogs from a large-scale fighting ring last fall.

  Tess, who was standing next to Olivia, said, “Obviously we’re all about spaying and neutering, considering how many animals are still put to sleep each year, but she was pregnant when she came in. I was lucky enough to be there when she delivered her pups.”

  “That must’ve been something.”

  “It really was. And she was a great mom.”

  Pepper looked completely relaxed being in the shelter again, and she didn’t seem affected by the small group of people gathering around her. Mostly, the sweet-looking dog just appeared to have eyes for her owner, a middle-aged woman with striking silvery-gray hair.

  The Channel 3 reporter, a twentysomething brunette, was giving the owner a rundown of how the interview would likely go once they started filming. “I’m thinking of ‘from disposable to indispensable’ as a tagline. Of course, we know she was never disposable, but clearly the people who wanted to fight her thought so, and I like the way it brings the story full circle.”

  Pepper’s owner, who was tugging nervously on her zipper, nodded. “Makes sense to me.”

  “Great. And I know what a hard time this must be for you. The man who broke in was carrying a knife, and without your dog…” She broke off and shuddered. “I can only imagine. I know my producer spoke to you about keeping the focus on the dog, and we’ll do that, but I just want you to know that wherever your emotions take you during filming is fine. If you don’t like how something comes out, we’ll film it again. And when we’re done, we’ll go outside and do some mock footage of you arriving and Pepper getting out of your car. Maybe let her sniff around the parking lot. This was her home for what…?” She glanced at Megan, but Patrick answered.

  “She was here for twenty-three days. If you count her time at what used to be our off-site property, it was a hundred and thirteen days total.”

  Patrick’s directness clearly caused the reporter to do a double take. “A hundred and thirteen days. How about we round up to four months?”

  As the reporter continued to run through the basics, attempting to ease the nerves of Pepper’s owner, Olivia’s attention was caught by two women standing nearby waiting for the interview to begin—but they weren’t paying any attention to the reporter, Pepper, or her owner. They were whispering to each other and had sly looks on their faces as they checked out something or someone in the rear of the room.

  Curious what had their attention, Olivia followed their gaze and felt a shot of alarm when she realized it was Gabe they were staring at. At least, she was almost certain it was Gabe. They’d gotten separated a few minutes ago when Fidel had pulled him to the side to ask something about one of the older cats.

  He and Fidel had finished up with whatever they were discussing and were watching the interview preparations like everyone else. And there was enough distance between Gabe and Fidel that Olivia felt convinced that it was one hundred percent Gabe who had the women’s attention.

  Her heart thumped a touch faster. One of them was facing in Olivia’s direction, and even though she did her best not to stare, she couldn’t help but watch the woman’s lips to see if she could catch what she was saying. “I could make a meal of that, no question.”

  The words were just loud enough to make out a few of them, but watching her lips, Olivia felt confident she’d understood most of it. Palms sweating and blood rushing to her face, she looked away. Maybe that wasn’t what the woman had said at all. Who was she kidding? It was, and you know it.

  Olivia took a calculated breath, trying her best to refocus. Who cared if some woman wanted to make a meal of Gabe?

  The truth of it was, she cared. Her thoughts flashed to early this morning when he’d found release inside her, and she’d savored the way the muscles along his torso tensed as he rode it out. She’d not known she could want someone the way she wanted him.

  Those women probably didn’t know he had a girlfriend, and they certainly didn’t know his girlfriend was eavesdropping on their conversation, she told herself. Olivia could feel the heat rising up her neck and the sweat blossoming on her palms.

  Before she knew what was happening, the two women headed to the back of the room, planting themselves in front of Gabe and Fidel.

  Even from fifteen feet away and in a crowd of other people, Olivia heard enough to make her stomach flip. “We just wanted to tell you how moved we were by that amazing rescue of yours.” They sounded like chattering birds in mating season, introducing themselves and gawking over how terrible it would’ve been if he hadn’t broken through the bolt in time.

  Olivia cleared her throat and did her best to focus as the reporter ushered Pepper and her owner into position.

  “It gets easier after awhile,” Tess said, offering her a sympathetic smile. “Believe me.”

  “I don’t…” But she stopped herself. She knew, and clearly Tess knew too. The thing was, Tess’s tone was lined with both compassion and understanding. Olivia had heard that Tess, the newest shelter employee, was dating the Red Birds’ third basemen. For the most part, Gabe was just getting proposals in the comments section of a YouTube video. Tess was dating an actual celebrity. “Thanks, Tess. Everything’s just happening so fast, you know?”

  “It’s been my experience that some of the things that matter most hit you before you even realize they’re happening.”

  Olivia forced her shoulders to relax. “I won’t disagree with you there.”

  “And if it helps,” Tess said, dropping her voice, “there’ve been girls here doing their best to flirt with him ever since Dr. Washington first introduced him. But until you, I never spotted an ounce of flirt coming off him in return.”

  Olivia brushed Tess’s arm. “Thanks. That sounds like him, but it’s nice to hear it from someone else. And honestly, I get it. You can’t blame a girl for trying.”

  She was about to ask about Mason, Tess’s boyfriend, but all of a sudden everyone was getting quiet and Pepper was being asked to sit for a treat as the
cameraman panned in on a close-up of her. The laid-back dog munched a treat and wagged her nubbin of a tail in hopes of another as the reporter dove into her story, making quick work of bringing her tagline into her spiel early.

  Suddenly, Olivia felt a hand close over her low back, and Gabe was stepping in at her other side. She glanced up to a quick wink before he focused on the interview in progress.

  The last of the doubt and insecurity that had been threatening to rock her off her axis ebbed away. Other women wanting to make a meal of her boyfriend didn’t have to become a flaw in their relationship. Not if Olivia refused to let it. And being the recipient of such easy devotion made that a whole lot easier.

  Chapter 23

  Gabe had just finished a molar extraction on a Greyhound and was drying his hands after scrubbing down when he heard his phone vibrating on the shelf above the sink. By the time his hands were dry, he’d missed the call.

  Picking up the phone, he saw two missed calls from Yun and three texts.

  10:58 Hey. Call ASAP.

  11:43 What? Are you in surgery or something?

  12:51 Gabe.This.Is.Torture.

  What’s gotten in your head now? He stepped out of the scrub room and out the back door of the building onto the sorry excuse for a patio at the back of the building. Even if the broken concrete and privacy trellis were repaired, the commotion, smells, and noises of the shopping mall his office backed onto weren’t going to change, leaving compelling enough reasons for the patio’s continued neglect.

  “Where’s the fire, Yun?” he said when she picked up.

  “I take it you were in surgery? When’s your lunch break?”

  “Ah, now, I guess. And yes, I was.”

  “Anything good?”

  “A molar extraction—the four-o-nine. And some of the surrounding bone.”

  “My heart weeps with envy at all the things you get to do by yourself. I spent the last three hours of my day shaving and prepping animals for surgeries I haven’t even been brought in on.”