Sunset Bay Sanctuary

by Roxanne Snopek

  “It’s a nice night,” he said. “Let me walk you to your door.”

  Haylee glanced around, knowing there’d be plenty of questions for her in the morning. Day or night, Daphne heard every crunch of tire and footstep on the graveled yard and the lodge was full of windows. They passed by Gideon’s cabin and then Olivia’s, the lights from within like eyes shining onto the starlit darkness. She hunched her shoulders, feeling those eyes on her.

  “What’s the matter?” said Aiden. “Embarrassed to be seen with me?”

  “No,” she said immediately.

  “Good.” He captured her hand and tugged her closer.

  She pulled away but he didn’t let go. “I don’t like everyone knowing my business, that’s all.”

  Aiden stroked the back of her hand with his thumb and chuckled low in his throat. The sound and touch combined tickled the coil of desire slumbering in her belly.

  “Oh, come on. This can’t be the first time someone’s walked you to your cabin.”

  She managed to extricate her hand and shoved it deep into her jacket pocket. “So, come by tomorrow and we’ll get started. I’ve got a couple of dogs I think might work for you. But I’ll need to see you interact with them to know which one will be best.”

  “Whatever you say, Haylee.”

  They reached her small cabin. Inside, Jewel and Cleo set up barking, which got Hannibal and the others in the kennel started.

  “No one’s ever going to break in on you, are they?” said Aiden.

  “Not without alerting half the county.”

  And then Aiden’s lips were on hers. She was so shocked, she couldn’t pull away. One big hand was on the small of her back, his palm hot through the thin fabric of her top. The other hand cupped the back of her head, his fingers kneading softly through her hair. She didn’t direct her arms to move up and curl around his neck, or link together behind his head, but they did anyway.

  His lips were soft and firm all at once and on his tongue, she tasted a hint of the cheesecake they’d shared. His stubbled jaw rasped tantalizingly against her cheek and she wondered if it would show on her the next day.

  Aiden took a step and caught her front door with his hand before pressing her against it. She pulled his head closer, drinking him in, relishing the sensation of his big, hard body against hers. She lifted one knee and pulled him in to her, feeling his arousal press hard into her thigh.

  This was a bad idea. But it had been a long time. And there was that thing awakening in her belly, uncoiled and ravenous.

  “I didn’t think you cared,” he murmured into her mouth.

  “I don’t.” She bit his bottom lip, lightly. “But I’m not made of stone.”

  His chest shook once with that low chuckle again. “It seems I might be. Part of me, at least.”

  “Yeah,” said Haylee. “About that. You want to come in?”

  His eyebrows lifted. “You sure about that?”

  She grabbed his butt and tugged him closer. “What does it feel like to you?”

  She reached behind her for the doorknob. Jewel had settled down but Cleo was fit to be tied. She managed to get the door open and they stumbled inside, still devouring each other.

  Then Aiden jumped and they both nearly fell.

  “What the hell?” he said, looking down at his pant leg.

  Saliva-etched teeth marks stood out on the fabric. Cleo was backing away on stiff legs, her hackles standing straight up, her lips pulled back, growling high and hard.

  “Cleo!” said Haylee. She broke free of Aiden and grabbed the dog by the collar. “Bad girl.”

  The little animal shrank away from Haylee, as if just recognizing who she was. Her ears and tail went down. But when Haylee scooped her up in her arms, she looked at Aiden and renewed her growling.

  “I’m sorry, Aiden,” she said. “Let me put her in the kennel. I’ll be right back.”

  She walked quickly through the cabin to the opening at the back that led to the enclosures. Her legs were weak, her body on fire.

  “What is wrong with you, Cleo?”

  She put the little dog on the ground and immediately Cleo jumped up, lavishing Haylee’s face with kisses, all wriggling apology and joy.

  “You bit him, lovey. Why did you have to do that? Teeth don’t belong on flesh. You know better!” Sorrow filled her. Bites may or may not be deadly for people but they could and often did mean a death sentence for the dog. She couldn’t knowingly place a dog that had bitten someone, no matter how insignificant the bite.

  “Everything okay?” Aiden stood in the doorway behind her. “Are you crying?”

  “No.” She pushed the growling dog into the kennel and pulled the gate closed. “I’m fine.”

  “She didn’t hurt me,” said Aiden. “She barely left a mark on my pants. It’s no big deal.”

  “Good.” She swiped a hand over her cheek, pushed past him into the kitchen, and flicked on the lights. “You want some coffee or something?”

  He followed her back inside without speaking.

  “I’ve got decaf. Or tea. I think.”

  “Haylee?” He reached for her arm.

  “It’s late, Aiden,” she said, pulling away. “Thanks for dinner. I never did ask about your living situation or how you’ll manage to take care of a dog with your hours. I’ll e-mail you, okay? We’ll talk more later.”

  He took a step back and put his hands in his pockets. “If that’s what you want.”

  She shot a quick glance at his face. “I’m sorry about . . . we shouldn’t have . . . can we pretend that didn’t happen?”

  “What? The kissing? No.” He said the last word as if the thought of forgetting that was laughable.

  “It was a mistake, Aiden. I apologize. I should have stayed professional.”

  He snorted. “Do not apologize for that, Haylee. You and I had something.”

  “No. We did not.”

  “Yes, we did.” He spoke gently but firmly, as if she was a patient refusing to hear a bad diagnosis.

  She put her hands to her head and whirled around. “Okay, there was something. There’s not supposed to be. I don’t want this. I don’t have time for this.”

  She felt his warmth behind her but he didn’t touch her.

  “Oh, Haylee,” he said, his breath tickling the back of her head. “Life’s so short.”

  He bent down and kissed her hair. And then he was gone.

  Chapter Twelve

  “I’ve never seen such well-cared for animals. Don’t come looking for fancy living quarters but if you are looking for a great getaway, fresh air, exercise and maybe a bit of personal growth, you won’t regret visiting the ranch.”

  —Kelly Ridgeway

  Haylee smoothed her Sanctuary Ranch T-shirt over her denim shorts as she looked over the obstacles she’d arranged in the yard. It was going to be a warm one today and she was glad Aiden had agreed to see her on his day off this morning instead of this afternoon.

  To see her dogs, she amended. Not her.

  That kiss had been a mistake, a product of oysters, overactive imagination and an awakening libido. She needed to stay focused. Fortunately, she had a session with Athena Fiori scheduled before he arrived. That ought to get her mind back on business.

  She let the dogs out, a barking, tumbling mass of energy and joy, bracing herself as Hannibal launched himself at her. Cleo popped around as if her legs had springs in them. Buddy, the Border collie, greeted her politely, and then moved to check the fence line. They all needed to work off some steam before she let them meet Athena. She bent down, ruffling coats, stroking ears, rubbing, patting, thumping.

  As she waited for Athena to arrive, Haylee thought about their latest guests. The Fioris were proving to be a challenge for everyone. The father, Daemon, considered himself an expert on everything from organic gardening to horseback riding and shared his knowledge freely, accompanied by numerous suggestions on how the ranch could be improved. This meant a lot of gritted teeth and careful wor
d wrangling to correct the information he was giving his children, without making him look like an idiot in the process.

  Angel, the mother, had spent the first two mornings walking in circles in the yard, checking the step count on the activity tracker she wore on her wrist. Olivia quickly had enough of that; today Angel’s job was to assist Gideon in bringing in the horses from the west pasture, for their fall veterinary care. On foot.

  The kids seemed normal enough, for children cursed with the handles Athena and Xerxes. That ought to be considered child abuse, according to Daphne. The cook had taken to calling the girl “Tena” but for the boy, she stuck with “honey,” “sweetie,” or “young man.”

  Athena called him “Jerk-Face.” But only when her parents weren’t around.

  Haylee had realized almost immediately that Athena’s interest in animal behavior was about on par with her father’s knowledge of horses. But she’d signed up for Dog Training 101, so that’s what she’d get.

  “I’m here,” said Athena, from behind the gate.

  Haylee quickly put everyone but Jewel back inside. “Come on in.”

  She waited to release the dog’s collar until Athena had latched the gate. Jewel bolted toward the girl as fast as her legs would allow, delighted to meet a new friend. Athena’s reaction made Haylee suspect her underwear was in peril.

  “Stand your ground and don’t look at her until she settles.”

  The dog pranced around them, her long tail whipping their legs, her big feet kicking up bits of sawdust and dirt.

  “She’s going to bite me.” Athena’s high voice quavered, drawing out the last word. She ducked behind Haylee, clutching at her as if she was evading gunfire.

  “Her name is Jewel and she wouldn’t bite you if you were a cream puff. But you sounding like a scared rabbit does not establish authority.” She put her arm around the girl and gave her a squeeze. “She wants your attention but the first rule in dog training is that nothing comes for free. Everything has to be earned.”

  The dog shoved her head against the girl’s arm. Athena gave a shuddery moan and put her hands over her head. Jewel hopped from side to side, clearly hoping those hands contained treats.

  Haylee sighed. “Lower your arm. Close your fist and hold it close to your body. Now lean forward a bit. She’s calming down, see?”

  Jewel’s jaw hung open like a door with a broken hinge, her big red tongue lolling sideways. She was the picture of ease but Haylee could understand that someone who didn’t know dogs might see her as threatening.

  “Now, give the hand gesture I showed you.”

  Athena looked at her, wide eyes white-rimmed and questioning. She looked like her mother.

  Haylee crossed her arms. That damsel-in-distress thing wouldn’t work here.

  “You can do it, Athena. You’re the boss here.”

  The girl blinked, then put her hand out, palm up, and lifted it. “Jewel, sit.”

  Athena’s voice quavered, but Jewel’s haunches promptly dropped to the floor.

  Athena whirled to face Haylee. “She did it. Do you see that? She did it!”

  “Yes,” said Haylee. “So reward her quick for being such a wonderful, smart girl.”

  Athena held the treat out in front of her, gingerly, with two fingers and before Haylee could correct her, Jewel’s appetite got the best of her and she snatched the morsel away.

  “She bit me!” Her voice went up sharply, amazed and affronted, all the little-girl-lost act gone, replaced by entitled-daddy’s-girl rage. “You said she wouldn’t but she did. I felt her teeth.”

  “She did not bite you.” Haylee examined the girl’s fingers. “No broken skin, no blood.”

  The girl yanked her hand away. “I felt it.”

  “Take a look at those jaws, Greek. She could take your hand off at the wrist if she wanted to. Those teeth are her fingers. She took that treat the only way she could.”

  “I don’t care.” Athena’s jaw quivered. “I need a Band-Aid. This is supposed to be fun, not dangerous. We’re not supposed to get hurt.”

  “Honey.” Haylee rolled up her sleeve. “See this scar? I caught myself on a barbed wire fence. And this one I got from scraping on a broken tree branch. You’re going to have as much fun here as you decide to have and no, you’re not supposed to get hurt. But you could. Accidents happen. A lot of things could hurt you while you’re here. Our horses could kick you, our dogs could bite, the cats could scratch you.

  They won’t, but they could. Even Daphne could . . . never mind. Point is, we’re all dangerous in one way or another. If you let yourself be afraid of everything that might hurt you, you’ll never do anything.”

  “Wise words. You should listen to the lady. She knows what she’s talking about.”

  Haylee looked toward the gate, where she saw Aiden leaning casually on his forearms, one booted foot crossed over the other. He was early. She felt warmth flood into her cheeks that had nothing to do with the afternoon sunshine.

  “I want to go inside.” Athena hugged her arms to her chest.

  “Let’s try again.” Haylee softened her tone, ignoring Aiden. She pressed another treat into her hand and beckoned to the dog.

  “Here’s another treat. Close your fist around it. Now, hold it toward Jewel, so she can sniff it.”

  Jewel stood up and tested the air but her ears were down. She read the bad energy coming off the kid and knew something was wrong.

  “Now, ask her to sit again. Then, open your hand and offer the treat on the flat of your palm, the same way Olivia taught you to give the horses treats.”

  “Yeah, right,” said the girl. Haylee felt a mixture of pity and exasperation. Athena’s sheltered upbringing had left her riddled with fear but her approaching adolescence made her want to hide it.

  Jewel was watching Athena like she might burst into flames, but sat at the girl’s command.

  “Now, open your hand, flat.”

  Athena dropped a few f-bombs under her breath.

  “If she bites me . . .”

  “She won’t. Trust me. She’s the dog, you’re the human, ergo, you’re in charge. Feel the power.”

  “Fine.” Athena thrust her hand forward, casting a black look at Haylee. “Here, dog.”

  Jewel sniffed hesitantly at Athena’s shaking knuckles.

  “It’s okay, Ju-Jube,” said Haylee. “You can take it. Go ahead.”

  The dog lifted the treat off Athena’s palm barely even touching her skin.

  “Oh,” said the girl.

  “Good girl,” said Haylee. “Good Ju-Ju-Bear, very good girl. Now, off you go.”

  She opened the partition allowing her back into the main yard where Cleo immediately raced up, yipping and sniffing, her stubby tail a blur of joy.

  “Good job, kiddo,” said Aiden. “You’ve got guts.”

  Athena blushed to the roots of her dyed-black hair. “I dunno,” she mumbled.

  “That’s enough for now,” said Haylee. “Daphne’s got cookies or something up at the lodge. Go on. Take a break.”

  Athena shook the hair away from her face and walked off without looking at either of them.

  “See you later, Athena,” said Haylee, waving at the girl’s back. “By the time you leave, you’ll be a pro.”

  Aiden chuckled. “Impressive. You do this all the time?”

  Haylee shrugged. “I train dogs every day. When guests want to work with dogs, I train them, too. If I can. Not everyone’s trainable.”

  “What about me? Am I trainable?”

  There was a glint in his eye she couldn’t quite read, but it felt playful so she decided to go with it.

  “Depends. I’d have to find out what motivates you.”

  His eyes darkened. “I’m highly motivated. I’d be an honor student under you.”

  Haylee felt a flush creep up her neck. She pretended not to notice, moving around the yard, picking up dog toys and training tools.

  “Here, take these.” She thrust a couple of bra
ided rope toys into his hand. “Follow me. We’ll be working with Buddy today but I want to clip off his undercoat first. You can pet his head while I groom him.”

  Buddy was a wonderful dog, smart, healthy, emotionally stable, and controlled. Maybe too controlled. Aiden seemed to like him, but there was none of the jumping, wagging enthusiasm she liked to see on Buddy’s part. For a dog to help emotional issues, there needed to be an emotional bond.

  Then again, sometimes a person was helped more by caring for someone or something needier than themselves. Buddy and Aiden were both pretending they needed no one. Could be they were perfect for each other.

  She gestured for the dog to hop up on the grooming table and lie down on his side. He complied but his tail was tucked and he licked his lips anxiously.

  “I know, I know,” she said. “But you’ll thank me later.”

  She held the clippers behind her to help muffle the sound, and flicked on the switch. Aiden stood by his head, stroking and patting.

  “Sorry, Buddy.” The dog licked his hand. “I’m not here to save you, just to comfort you in your time of need.” Then he looked at Haylee. “Should we talk about last night?”

  “Nope.”

  Swaths of black-and-white fur dropped onto the floor as the blade peeled through the thick undercoat, baring the dog from rib cage to genitals. He’d be protected from overheating in the afternoon but when he stood up, his nakedness would be invisible.

  She should have postponed this meeting, given herself some time and space to recover her equilibrium. “He’s going to feel so much better. All this fur is brutal in summer.”

  “I’m sure,” he said, stroking the dog’s ears. “For the record, I had a nice time with you last night. I hope you feel the same.”

  The ease in his voice rattled her. She didn’t want to be comfortable with him. He tempted her to let down her guard and that was wrong.

  “No food poisoning, at least,” she said. “I call that a win.”

  He lifted his eyebrows. A flicker of disappointment passed through his eyes. “I’d call it a win on many levels besides gastrointestinal.”

  She pushed away the guilt she felt. She hadn’t asked him to share his life with her. Well, maybe she had, but it was professional interest, to understand his needs, to make a better match for him. Not personal.