Barking Up the Wrong Tree

by Jenn McKinlay

  And the second aw about took her out at the knees. Damn it. How was she supposed to maintain healthy boundaries if the guy was determined to be cute, funny, and helpful to injured animals? It wasn’t fair.

  “So, it looks like we both have animal dependents whether we like it or not. Since the prospective adopters are a bust, what’s your plan for Ike?” he asked.

  “I guess I have to find someone who doesn’t mind a little rough language,” she said. “Probably someone without children.”

  “Mean children at any rate,” he agreed.

  “Gavin said if I can teach him more words, it might edge out the bad words, but talking all the time is more exhausting than you’d think, plus I swear sometimes, which is not helpful,” she said.

  James tipped his head to the side and considered her for a moment.

  “I might be able to help him,” he said.

  “In what way?” she asked. Her mind went immediately to naked James even though there was no way that was helpful to Ike—just her, all of her. Oh, boy.

  “In rehabilitation, to get some of my less motivated clients on board with their treatments, I use everything I can get my hands on: music, motivational talks, videos, whatever works.”

  “I can see that,” she said. “But how does it apply to Ike?”

  “I put together a lot of recordings that I have my clients listen to, so I record MP3s, or CDs, even cassette tapes if that’s all they have,” he said. “I could help you make recordings of your voice for Ike to learn new words.”

  Carly considered him. She did not believe for one hot minute that he didn’t have an ulterior motive and she was pretty sure it was more in line with her own thoughts of sweaty rumpled sheets than it was about finding a loving home for Ike.

  “Why are you helping me?” she asked.

  “Wellllll,” he said, drawing the word out and gazing at her from beneath his ridiculously long eyelashes. “I like the idea of you owing me a favor.”

  Carly crossed her arms over her chest and looked at him with one eyebrow raised higher than the other.

  “Would you want a naked sweaty favor in return?” she asked. She narrowed her eyes as if she suspected he did.

  “No!” he insisted. “I promise. Unless of course you’re into that.”

  “I’m not,” she said.

  “Okay, then it’s just a favor to be determined.”

  She stared at him.

  “A clothed favor,” he clarified.

  Chapter 17

  Carly stared at him for five seconds and then blinked. “No.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because this”—she gestured between them—“is not normal.”

  “Normal is overrated,” he said. “I have a dog in wheels, you have a bird that swears, I’d say neither of us is really operating under the guise of normal so why should this”—he mimicked her gesturing between them—“be any different? Don’t you want to find Ike a new home?”

  Carly glanced over her shoulder at Ike. He was preening. He looked to have put the earlier drama behind him. She was glad. She didn’t like to see him stressed. It made her worry.

  Okay, that was bad. She could not get attached to him or Saul. It would be unhealthy for all of them. She just wasn’t the caregiver type, not for animals or people. If James could really help her with this recording then she needed to take him up on it.

  Once Saul and Ike had new homes, Carly would be unencumbered once again. She was ready for that. She ignored the tiny pang in her chest. She was sure it was just heartburn from too much coffee. Yeah, she was more than ready to get her life back.

  She held out her hand to James. “All right, you’ve got a deal.”

  He looked at her hand and pushed it aside. Then he opened his arms and said, “I don’t shake hands with my buddies.”

  Fine. Carly took a deep breath and stepped into his embrace. The familiar scent of him went straight to her head and she had to resist the urge to bury her face in his shirt.

  She patted him on the back twice and moved to step away, but he didn’t loosen his hold. Instead, he leaned back to study her in his arms.

  “Do you want to kiss on it?” he asked. His gaze was focused on her mouth and Carly felt a flash of heat zip through her.

  “No!” she said, trying to ignore her reaction to his nearness. She wondered if he felt the same.

  “You sure?” he asked. He waggled his eyebrows and even though he was teasing her, she got the feeling that he wouldn’t hesitate if she waved him in.

  Carly pushed him away. “Are you going to behave this badly whenever we’re together?”

  “That depends,” he said. “Will it get me anywhere?”

  “No. In fact, you may find yourself forfeiting a favor to be determined,” she said. “No funny business, am I clear?”

  “Crystal,” he said. “I’ll behave, unless I’m clearly instructed otherwise.”

  “Which you won’t be. I’m willing to give this ‘friendship’ one shot,” she said. “So, when do we make this recording for Ike? Do you need me? Can you do it on your own?”

  “No, he responds mostly to you so let’s make it your voice,” he said. “Can you come by my place tonight after eight?”

  “Sure,” she said. “Where is it?”

  “It’s in the old lighthouse on Bluff Point,” he said.

  “Your office is out there?”

  “Office, residence, the whole shebang,” he said.

  “So, you’re the one who bought the Bluff Point lighthouse?” she asked. “My mother told me someone from Boston purchased it, but she didn’t have a name. Everyone was worried that you were going to tear it down and build some ridonkulous McMansion.”

  “Nah, no mansion for me. I like the charm of the old building,” he said. “I found it a few months ago when I was looking for a space where I could live and have enough room for a rehabilitation center. Someone recommended it and when I saw that the price was right, I snatched it up.”

  “Small wonder, you know that place is haunted, right?” she asked.

  “No, it isn’t.” He laughed and looked at her like he found her adorable. Carly realized it was a look she could get used to. She shifted away from him.

  “Yes, it is,” she insisted. She turned to wipe down the tables while they talked. “When Jillian, Mac, Emma, and I were teenagers we used to drive out there late at night and then we would dare each other to go up and touch the side of the building.”

  James crossed his arms over his chest. “I’ve been there for a couple of months and there’s been no sign of any ghosts, ghouls, or specters. Besides, with the number of workmen I’ve had coming and going, I’m pretty sure any otherworld inhabitants would vacate the premises to get away from the noise.”

  “What are you having done to the place?”

  “This and that, upgrades mostly,” he said. He stepped close and whispered in her ear, “When you come out tonight, I’ll give you the grand tour if you’re not too afraid.”

  Carly shivered and it wasn’t because of her fear of ghosts.

  “All right,” she said. “I’ll be there. Eight o’clock.”

  When he stepped away from her, she felt the lack of his warmth immediately. He ducked through the back of the shop to collect Hot Wheels and when the two of them left through the back gate, Carly noticed that James looked pretty pleased with himself.

  Carly couldn’t figure out if it was because he was going to get her on his turf or because she would owe him a favor. A kaleidoscope of images twirled through her brain as she remembered their night together. How his dark hair fell over his forehead when he was leaning over her; the way his blue eyes seemed to see her, really see her, catching her every expression while he learned who she was, what she liked, and how to make her his. Would her debt include anything like that? He’d said it wou
ldn’t and she had to acknowledge a smidge—okay, more than a smidge—of disappointment at that.

  Realizing that he was slyly working his way into her life, Carly felt vulnerable for the first time in forever. In a crushing moment of self-doubt, she wondered if she hadn’t just made the worst bargain of her life.

  • • •

  Since Gina had their shared car, Carly borrowed Jillian’s Jeep to drive out to the Bluff Point lighthouse. It was on the outskirts of town down a narrow dirt road that wound through a thick copse of trees.

  Only, the road wasn’t as narrow or as dark as Carly remembered it. The trees had been cut back so that they didn’t hang ominously over the road anymore. The road, while still dirt, had been widened and smoothed out so that two cars could actually pass each other without fear of a collision.

  A lighted lamppost illuminated a sign that read Sinclair Rehabilitation Center at the end of the dirt road with an arrow pointing to the house that was adjacent to the old lighthouse.

  The lot that had once been overgrown weeds and broken bottles from the local teenagers who came out here to party was now a small shell-encrusted parking lot. The two story rectangular white house looked the same, except the broken windows had been replaced and it was sporting a fresh coat of paint. Cheery yellow light spilled out of its windows with a welcoming warmth, and the sound of music was faint over the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks just beyond the lighthouse.

  Carly parked the Jeep in between James’s car and a sleek black car that looked like the type used by a car service. She checked the time on her cell phone and realized she was right on time. She had a sudden bout of nerves. What if James had forgotten about their plans? She huffed out a breath and glanced at the tall, wide lighthouse beyond the house.

  It, too, had a fresh coat of white paint. Even though the light at the top was dark, as the Bluff Point lighthouse hadn’t been used since they’d built a newer and bigger one farther up the coastline, it still stood proudly against the star-studded night sky as if ready to be utilized at any given moment. Carly took heart from its strong stance and tightened the silk scarf about her neck as she strode toward the front door.

  She rapped her knuckles against the thick wooden door and waited. No one answered. She checked the wall for a doorbell but didn’t find one. She knocked again. Still, there was no answer.

  She glanced back at the Jeep and wondered if she should just go. Maybe James had gotten busy with work and couldn’t fit her in tonight. She glanced back up at the lighthouse. No, a deal was a deal. She was going in.

  She grasped the old-fashioned door handle and pressed down on the lever with her thumb. It wasn’t locked, so she pushed the door open. Stepping inside, she caught her breath. The place was covered in plastic sheeting, and littered with tools, electrical cords, and sawhorses. Clearly the main part of the house was under construction, but she could see where the open floor design was headed and it made her catch her breath.

  It was going to be beautiful. She thought about how she’d thrown rocks at the old windows when she was a wild teen and shook her head. Who’d have thought the old pile of refuse and decay could be turned into such a showstopper of a house?

  To her left was a large kitchen; there were no appliances in it, and the cabinetry was only half installed, but the dark wood looked wonderful against the pewter and cream paint. An island separated the kitchen from the large living area. The narrow, old windows had been replaced by huge, floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the water. Carly was sure the view by day was spectacular. She crossed the room to peer out the window. She could just make out the lights of a distant ship. She wondered as she always did who was on it and where were they going?

  The sound of a door shutting in the distance made her jump and she realized she hadn’t announced her presence. She hurried back across the large room, hoping to look like she was just entering before she called out. She got halfway across the room when the sound of laughter stopped her and she whipped her head toward the hallway on her left just in time to see James coming toward her with a woman who was draped across him like a cheap plastic bib at an all-you-can-eat lobster special.

  As always, James looked slightly disheveled. He was in a pair of faded, well-worn jeans, but instead of a sleeveless shirt or a thermal long-sleeved shirt, both of which made the most of his ripped physique, he was in a baggy gray sweatshirt with the word “Boston” in big blue letters on the front.

  In contrast, the woman didn’t look as if she had so much as a hair out of place. Her black hair was styled in a tight topknot on her head. Her workout clothes, a purple sports bra and matching yoga pants, hugged her slender curves and boasted a creative peekaboo cutout over her cleavage. Talk about your mixed signals. Was she here to work out or pick someone up? Carly decided she didn’t like this woman.

  She crossed her arms over her chest and started to tap her foot. She was profoundly irritated. Here she was on time for their appointment and there was James cavorting with some sexy siren type like he had forgotten all about Carly coming over. She wanted to kick him, really hard.

  “James, I can’t thank you enough, for everything,” the woman purred and pressed herself up against him.

  “Any time, Bethany,” he said. He was smiling down at her and Carly found she didn’t like that at all.

  “Ahem,” she cleared her throat.

  Both James and Bethany jumped and looked at her in surprise.

  Really? They had been so caught up in each other that they hadn’t noticed she was here? Now Carly was deeply offended.

  “Sorry to barge in,” she said. “I knocked but no one answered. We had an appointment for eight, right? Unless, of course, you’re otherwise occupied.”

  James looked from Carly to Bethany and back. Then, as if aware of how it looked, he gently extricated himself from Bethany’s grasp, moving her hands to the back of one of the bar stools. He went over to the closet by the front door and came back with two crutches and a coat, which he held out to Bethany.

  Carly watched as the woman tucked them under her arms and then used them to brace herself. Suddenly, she felt bad for thinking that the woman had been draped on James for reasons other than balance.

  “No worries, Carly,” James said. “Bethany and I just finished up. I’ll see her out and we can get started.”

  Carly glanced at Bethany, who was looking at her curiously.

  “I’m Bethany Wales,” she said. She extended a perfectly manicured hand with a ring that had a diamond the size of a walnut on it.

  Carly shook her hand and was surprised that Bethany didn’t have an icy-fingered, limp-wristed handshake, the sort that Carly found off-putting in other women. Instead, her handshake was warm and firm, letting Carly know that she was a professional who took herself seriously. Now if only she hadn’t been draped all over Carly’s recent one-night stand, she might even like her a little.

  “Carly DeCusati,” she said.

  “Are you here for rehab, too?” Bethany asked.

  “No,” Carly said. “I haven’t injured anything . . . lately.”

  Bethany smiled. Then she hugged James close and said, “Well, if ever you do, he’s the guy who can fix it. I blew out my knee dancing, but I’m fighting my way back.”

  “And doing amazing,” James said. The affectionate look he cast Bethany made Carly’s stomach knot.

  “Good to know,” she said. She knew her voice sounded frostier than she had intended but she was powerless to change it now, so she tried to soften her words with a smile but she feared it looked more like she was gnashing her teeth.

  “You ready, twinkle toes?” James asked. “I’ll walk you out.”

  “Thanks, love,” she said.

  Love? Carly felt her insides shrinkle up in disapproval at the endearment.

  Bethany used her crutches to push herself up, almost falling onto Jam
es when she kissed his cheek. He steadied her so that she didn’t tip over and she laughed and said, “There you go, saving me again.”

  James glanced at Carly and said, “Be right back.”

  “Pleasure to meet you,” Bethany said as James ushered her outside.

  “You, too,” Carly lied.

  For a nanosecond, Carly debated whether spying on them would be in poor taste. Then she realized she didn’t care and she hurried over to the kitchen window to peer outside.

  When James and Bethany were halfway down the walk, a man stepped out of the big black car. He was wearing the dress of a professional driver and when he circled the car to hold the back door open for Bethany, that confirmed it.

  Carly knew she should step back, but she didn’t. She stayed right where she was, waiting to see what sort of good-bye James and Bethany shared. It was not one of her finer moments and even though she didn’t even care what his relationship was with the slinky siren, she couldn’t make herself back away.

  So naturally, when James glanced back at the house, he caught her watching him.

  Chapter 18

  Instinctively, Carly ducked back out of sight, but she knew it was too late. Even in the dark from a fifty-foot distance, she had felt the intensity in his laser-like blue gaze. She could feel embarrassment warm her face but she refused to let it show.

  She had nothing to be embarrassed about. She wasn’t the one who was wearing a woman like a necktie. She wondered if he was kissing her good-bye. She leaned forward to peek back out the window. All she saw were the taillights of the car disappearing down the drive. She didn’t consider that a bad thing.

  When she turned around, James was standing behind her. He had his hands shoved in his back pockets and his head tipped to one side as he considered her.

  “Oh, you’re back,” she said. She tried to sound blasé but the words got caught in her throat and she sounded like she might choke on them.

  “Bethany is a client.”