She waved her hand in the air dismissively. “Nah.” Then she placed that hand on her hip and looked around. “So baths for all the new pups up next?”
It was nearly eleven o’clock. But it needed to be done.
“Yeah. And looks like you’re going to have a lot of bedfellows tonight.” I grinned, but it felt tired.
“I better see if I can find extra blankets. Once I get everything ready, I’ll be back down to help.”
I set a water bowl in front of one our new family members. He greedily lapped it up.
“I’ve got it. You can take the early shift tomorrow.”
She scowled. “I always get the early shift. It’s like you think old people are up before the sun.”
“You are up before the sun.” I bit my lip to keep from laughing.
She shook her finger at me. “I can’t wait until you’re my age.”
“Me neither. Then I can say what I want, when I want, without worrying what anybody else thinks.”
She stroked the closest dog. “You should do that anyway.”
“You give the term ‘piss like a race horse’ new meaning.”
I nearly dropped the shampoo bottle at Teague’s words.
“Except you’re a dog, not a horse.” He scratched behind Muffy’s ears.
I always found it fascinating how quickly people started talking to dogs in real speak. Like we expected them to answer. They did seem to understand a lot more than they received credit for.
Red crept up Teague’s neck when he caught me eavesdropping. “Think that’s everyone. No cold walk for you tonight.”
If he hadn’t been here, this would’ve been an even longer night. I’d only bathed three dogs so far and now that they had figured out what was happening, they were becoming a bit uncooperative.
“Thanks.” I’d never been great at expressing my feelings. That word wasn’t enough for how overwhelmed with gratitude I was for all he’d done, but it was the best I could come up with.
He set Muffy free, who ran directly over to me.
“You want a bath?”
He sat at my feet, that tail dragging across like a windshield wiper at full speed.
“We gotta get these guys clean first. How about tomorrow?” I bent to kiss the top of his head and his tail wagged faster. He put a paw on my thigh. I shook it. “Deal. For now, you can supervise.”
This seemed to make him inordinately happy. He inspected the dog in the wash station as if checking my work.
I toweled off the wet dog and let him go before I found the next willing participant. She hesitantly allowed me to lead her to the wash station, her legs shaking violently.
I scratched behind her ears and Muffy licked her foot as if comforting her. He was such a gentle soul.
“It’s okay, sweet girl. This is going to feel good.” I turned on the water and let her get used to it running out of the nozzle.
Warmth hit my back. I jumped.
“You rinse, I’ll scrub?” The deep voice in my ear sent a tremor through me.
“I’ve got it,” I argued half-heartedly. “I’m sure you have things to do. And it’s late.”
Excuse after excuse fell out of my mouth. I wasn’t sure if I wanted him to take the out or stay.
He swiped the shampoo bottle and squirted some in his palm.
Teague was staying.
And I was relieved.
I rinsed the dog, and he began lathering her up.
“Feels good, doesn’t it?” He spoke in a soothing tone as he massaged the soap onto her sides. “Wanna know a secret? I wasn’t much for baths either when I was young.” Her ear perked up, like she understood they’d found common ground. I found myself leaning closer too . . . curious. “My mom would put me in a plastic pool because I liked that and I’d scream if she put me anywhere close to a tub.”
The vivid image of him as a child popped into my head. I couldn’t picture him being afraid of anything but could easily see him in one of those pools.
“I was a big pain in the behind.” He continued lathering, and she wasn’t shaking nearly as much as she had been before.
“Was?” The word popped out of my mouth without thought, and I wanted to kick myself. He’d been telling interesting stories and I’d likely ruined the moment.
He arched a brow at the same time a corner of his mouth lifted. “Yeah. Was.”
The dog licked him in the face, and he grinned.
“They all like you,” I said quietly.
“What about you?”
I shrugged. “Not much.”
His smile broadened. He should have his own calendar, not just one month. But I wouldn’t admit that to Miss Adeline. Or to him.
“I can work with a little.”
He took another lick to the face. “You are an affectionate thing.”
A shrill bark I didn’t recognize echoed through the space. We both turned to find Ash on her feet, nose pressed through the kennel door.
“I think she might be jealous.” The girl had been through so much. I was thrilled to see her coming out of her shell, telling us how she felt.
“You’re still my girl,” he called as he flicked his chin at her.
He couldn’t be this person. It was a lot easier when I thought he was a jerk. The more I got to know him, the more I chalked up our first encounter to a bad day.
He was all tough on the exterior. While we were at the track and things got crazy, he didn’t even flinch. He kept his cool. Defended us.
But inside . . . he had a tender heart.
“Hey! You sprayed me.”
I looked down. The nozzle was pointed at him instead of the dog. “Oops.”
“I’ll oops you.” He put a glob of suds on my nose.
I wiped them away with the back of my hand . . . then squirted more water at his chest.
“This your way of trying to get my clothes off?” He smirked.
I became so hot with embarrassment I almost sprayed myself to cool off. “Definitely not.”
But it wasn’t a bad idea.
I stiffened and focused back on the task at hand. Washing the dog. Not spraying Teague down.
I felt his eyes on me as I rinsed the same spot on her but pretended not to notice.
Eventually, he returned to his work. “I thought it was pretty dang creative myself.”
Heat rushed through me again. “Not every woman wants you naked,” I snapped.
“Aww, now you’re just hurting my fragile ego.”
I snorted. “You’re not fragile.”
“I’m sensitive.”
I cut my eyes over to him and he batted his lashes innocently. “I should spray you again.”
“Then it’ll only be fair if I get to spray you back,” he warned.
“Hmph.”
After a final rinse, I turned off the water and toweled the dog off. She wasn’t shaking anymore, so that was a win.
Teague gently set her on the floor and she lay beside him. He scooped another dog up as if he weighed nothing.
This one tucked his tail as if he’d accepted his fate. The dreaded bath.
“I’m sorry,” Teague said as he massaged shampoo into the dog’s skin. “About yesterday. My sister arrived into town early and she wanted to go see Cassano.”
“It’s fine. You have no obligation to us.” But my tone said otherwise. That it wasn’t fine. And I didn’t want him to know he’d hurt my feelings. Actually, I didn’t want him to have the power to hurt my feelings. Maybe that was what bothered me most.
“He was injured in the fire where I found Ash. Almost died.” Teague paused scrubbing as if trying to collect himself. “It could’ve been me.” He resumed shampooing. “Maybe it should’ve been.”
The last part was spoken so quietly I almost missed it. Survivor’s guilt. It was obvious he was struggling with it.
“I’m sure your visit meant a lot to him.”
He shrugged. “Or my sister’s did.”
The playfulness was back
, and I was relieved. I didn’t like to see him upset, though I wasn’t exactly sure why it mattered.
“Where does your sister live?” Curiosity got the better of me, even as my brain screamed at me not to learn any more about this man or I’d be in trouble.
“London.”
Oh. Wow. I’d been thinking Rhode Island or somewhere stateside.
“Are you close?” No. No. No. Stop asking personal questions.
The way his features brightened told me everything I needed to know.
“Yeah. She’s a giant pain in the behind, but I wish she’d move back.” He rinsed the suds from his hands. “She annoys our brother more than she does me.”
“You have a brother?”
Apparently I’d gone all in on investigating every nook and cranny about him.
“An older one. Who also is a pain in the ass.”
“Sounds like it runs in the family.”
He snorted. “I guess it does.”
We finished bathing the last dog and all the others were sound asleep.
“What do you need?” Teague asked, just above a whisper.
I looked around, not even sure where to start.
“Food. Beds. Bowls.” I threw my hands up. “Everything.”
He slid an arm around my shoulders and pulled me into a hug. I dropped my forehead against his chest and breathed in his soothing scent. He rested his chin on top of my head and held me tighter.
Eventually, I gave in and put my arms around his waist.
I needed this.
A moment of reprieve. Where someone would make me feel like it was all going to be okay even if it wasn’t.
I closed my eyes.
He rubbed a strong, comforting hand up and down my back. I held on.
“We’ll get through it.”
I wanted to tell him to save promises he couldn’t keep.
We skated by on sporadic donations and did the best we could with what we had. Somehow we managed to stretch and keep going. But there was never enough money.
Because there were always more dogs to be rescued.
We were about to the point that if we received a call today, we’d have to say no. But we wouldn’t.
We couldn’t.
No matter how hard it got, we always figured it out.
Miss Adeline and me. No one else.
Yet I couldn’t seem to tear myself out of his embrace.
His warmth brought a comfort I rarely, if ever, felt from another human. The dogs gave me peace. They didn’t care if my clothes were stained or I didn’t brush my hair or if I ate too much cake.
They loved me at my worst just as much as they did at my best.
Teague had gotten a glimpse at the not so glamorous side of my life. Instead of making excuses to leave, he’d jumped right into the chaos.
And I wasn’t sure what to do with that.
I yawned and sank further into him.
“Is that my cue to go?” His voice had a tease that brought a weary smile to my face.
“I think so.” Reluctantly, I lifted my head and was almost certain disappointment was etched on his features. “I appreciate . . . everything.”
I squeezed him one last time before I dropped my arms. He inched closer. I held my breath. He’d already mesmerized me tonight. His care for the dogs. The safety they’d felt in his arms. I’d wanted that. And now, he was giving me that same safety, and I appreciated it more than I’d be able to communicate. I’d say he smelled great, but he truly smelled like dog. Clean dog, but still. And of course, I even loved that.
But now, as he drew closer, I wondered.
Is he going to kiss me?
I froze, stuck between the desire to feel his lips on me and scared of what would happen if he did.
He was so close, the heat as he exhaled hit my skin. The moment of impact was imminent. And I didn’t know what I’d do.
Just before his mouth reached my forehead, he stopped.
Disappointment and relief sailed through me.
He cleared his throat as if coming out of the same fog I was in.
“I’m gonna head out.” He pointed with his thumb over his shoulder. “Unless you need me.”
The statement was too loaded for me to process. I wasn’t generally good with men, I knew that. I wasn’t exactly shy but more introverted. I’d never thought myself particularly . . . interesting. As if they would bore easily of me. And so this moment with Teague was going to be one of those times I chalked my answer and his departure to my reticence. Again.
“Umm . . . no. I’ll let you out.”
We tiptoed to the front door. Only a few dogs raised their heads when we moved.
I twisted the lock and pushed the door open. He hesitated but eventually walked through, flicking his chin at me as he passed.
Once he was gone and the door was secure, I sagged against it.
What a day. What was happening?
Too exhausted to think about it, I shoved off the door and quietly approached the now sleeping pile of dogs.
I found an empty spot among them, lay down, and crashed.
Chapter Fifteen
Teague
“You want to go shopping?”
My sister looked at me as if I’d grown another head.
“Yeah.” I said the word as if I lived for shopping.
She knew me all too well. How many times had she begged me to tag along with her to Saks Fifth Avenue, or hell, even to a street market?
A dark brow rose, but she didn’t press me on my change of heart. “Let me grab my purse. Will you pour my smoothie into a to-go mug?”
She disappeared before I could answer. I rifled around in our brother’s kitchen cabinets until I found an insulated mug. It was a little after nine, but I guessed he’d been gone for hours.
Our sister was in town from the other side of the world for a short time. We hadn’t seen her in . . . I couldn’t remember. Too long. Instead of spending time together, Lincoln went to work.
She sauntered back into the room and slung her purse on the island before she shrugged on her coat.
“How’d you get out of going to the office?” I poured her smoothie into the mug and rinsed out the blender.
“Jet lag.” She winked.
I put my hand over my heart and staggered backward. “I can’t believe you of all people.”
My brother was a straight-up workaholic; my sister was a close second. But at least she knew how to let loose.
She laughed and wrapped a scarf around her neck. “Let’s just not get caught out and about, okay?”
“You’d definitely better not be seen hanging around with me.” The familiar bitterness crept in that I couldn’t seem to let go.
Beau placed her delicate hand on my arm. “I don’t give a damn what he thinks.” She snatched the mug out of my grip. “Let’s get out of here before you change your mind.”
She didn’t like to dwell on the negative. Even as a kid, she’d been like that. And I didn’t want to let my father ruin our day together either. He’d done enough.
“I’m in this for the long haul today.”
She looked at me strangely again before she shook her head. “Who are you and what have you done with my brother?”
An hour later, I questioned my sanity at asking my sister to go shopping. Why I thought we’d be able to go in, get what we needed, and get out was beyond me. I should’ve known better.
This was the third store we’d been in.
“Will this padding give a greyhound enough support?”
The kid working at the pet supply shop blinked at Beau. He’d been dazed since he laid eyes on my sister, but now he looked as if she’d given him the final Jeopardy! answer and he had no idea what the question was.
Beau tapped her foot and squeezed the dog bed again before she made a disgruntled noise.
“They don’t have what we want.” She looped her arm through mine and led me to the entrance.
Once we were outside she hustled
with determined steps to who knew where.
“I appreciate your enthusiasm,” I started, my long strides barely a match for hers. “And I want them to have the best too, but they need something today.”
She glared. “I haven’t lived here in a long time. It’s taken me a minute to get warmed up, but I remember a store a friend used to love.”
“Why would a friend recommend a pet store to you? You’ve never had any pets,” I said as she dragged me down the sidewalk. “Can we slow down?”
“You’re the one who said we’re in a hurry.” If anything, she walked even faster. “And I had to buy gifts for people with pets.” No one could put me in my place like my sister.
“I thought we could just do one store and get this done,” I muttered. It wasn’t only the shopping I wasn’t crazy about. There were a lot of dogs with no beds, bowls, and food who needed them yesterday.
“If you’d have given me some notice, I could’ve done prep work.”
“For shopping?”
“It’s no different than basketball. When there’s a game plan, there’s greater success.”
I stared at her. Was she serious? It didn’t take but a second for me to see that yes. Yes, she was.
“Don’t worry. We’re about to make a half-court shot.” She grinned.
I got nervous.
“We should’ve brought my truck.”
Her smile grew wider. “And some of your fire station buddies.”
I snorted and tried to smile back, though the mention of them was like a punch in the gut. It had been two days since I’d seen or spoken to any of them except Cassano. I missed my job.
“Hey.” Beau punched me in the arm. “You’ll be back to work before you know it.”
Maybe I wasn’t like her and Lincoln, driven and cut out for corporate life. But I was dedicated to my job. It fulfilled me.
If it hadn’t been for Pepper and the dogs, I’d have been floundering the past few days.
Even I could admit I needed the time off to heal. Time I wouldn’t have taken if not for the suspension. Ugh. The bullshit suspension.
“Are you going to punch something?”
I blinked at Beau and realized my fist was balled tight.
Crash: Crash & Burn Duet Book 1 (Shaken) Page 7
