Hot Winter Nights

by Codi Gary

  His brush-off was so painful that Allie felt as if he had put the paddles to her. So much for having one ally.

  Dex found his truck in the parking lot with Bluebell waiting patiently in the backseat. He’d asked Brian Darcy, one of Bear Mountain’s firefighters, to follow behind the ambulance in it, and Dex was definitely thankful to live in a small town where people could be trusted. Where people knew him and his background.

  Everyone except Allie.

  Dex slammed his palm against the steering wheel, letting loose a string of curses that would have made his grandma blush. It had taken all of his self-control not to lay into Allie Fairchild and her snotty, condescending attitude, but he’d been the bigger man, turned the other cheek.

  For all the good it did him. He knew he’d be stewing for days about this incident.

  Bluebell leaned over the back of the seat and nuzzled his ear. It was the hound’s attempt to calm him, but Dex was too fired up. It wasn’t as if he didn’t have any medical training, didn’t know how to administer CPR, yet he’d let her treat him like an idiot.

  He hated that. Growing up with parents like his hadn’t been easy. He’d been an ordinary kid who preferred fishing to calculus, and their disapproval had given him a bit of an inferiority complex. He could admit that. And Miss High-and-Mighty New York Princess had hit the nerve like a dart to a bull’s-eye.

  The only reason he had been at the scene of the accident was that he was driving behind them when the car had swerved off the road and hit a tree. Dex stopped to check on them and found the husband unresponsive, with a weak heartbeat. The wife was crying in the front seat with a head wound, and their two teenagers were in the back with minor injuries. Dex called it in and started on the husband, which was probably what had kept him alive until the ambulance arrived.

  But he couldn’t tell Allie that or she might have thought he cared about her opinion of him. Which he didn’t. At all.

  Heading out toward the Bear Mountain Search and Rescue building, he cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders, trying to relieve some of the tension plaguing him.

  Suddenly, something small and brown ran out in front of his truck. Swerving, he glanced back to see the little fur ball in the road, unhurt. Few cars came out this way, so Dex stopped and got out, making his way back toward the animal. He wasn’t sure what it was until it lifted its head and he saw the floppy ears and long snout.

  It was a puppy, and not a very old one by the looks of it. The dog cowered as Dex got closer, and started to slink away.

  “Hey, buddy. It’s okay.” Dex kneeled down a few feet away and held out a hand. “I promise you’ll be safe with me.”

  The puppy responded to his voice by submissively moving forward, and Dex saw the wet trail of urine it left behind. When it was finally within reach, Dex picked up the pup, noting its smelly, matted fur, and looked around. No one lived out this way, which made Dex suspect the little dude had been dumped in the forest.

  Dex headed into the woods where the pup had come from, whistling, but there wasn’t another sound. Fairly confident the pup was alone, he headed back to the truck and climbed into the driver’s side, setting the pup on the passenger seat. Bluebell whined and tried to climb over the backseat, but a firm “Stay” from Dex had her sitting back, her long ears perked as she eyed the puppy.

  And as the pup sat back, Dex got a good look at the little guy’s stumpy left front paw. Dex couldn’t tell what breed it was, but he had a feeling that its owners hadn’t been pleased by the pup’s deformity, most likely something it had been born with. But why let it live to be six, seven weeks before they dumped it?

  Grabbing a blanket from the back, he tucked it around the little guy. “What do you say we get you a bath and some grub?”

  The puppy cocked its head and whimpered.

  Dex took that as a yes. Pleased to have something to focus on besides Allie Fairchild, he started up the truck and headed to work.

  Chapter 6

  It was after nine at night when Allie stumbled out of her office. She had put in a fourteen-hour day and she didn’t just feel exhausted, she was also ready to get away from people. Since she’d made her snarky comment to Dex, the rest of the staff had been giving her a wide berth, including Hunter.

  Speak of the devil, there he was, walking out the front door ahead of her. Allie picked up the pace, wanting to make peace with him.

  “Excuse me, Dr. Gracin,” she called, racing to catch up.

  He paused just outside the entrance and waited for her. He was out of his scrubs and wearing a simple T-shirt and jeans. Jeez, were all the men in Bear Mountain immune to the cold? She was wearing wool tights under her slacks and still freezing her butt off.

  “I am really sorry about earlier. Mr. Belmont is my landlord and we didn’t exactly have the best first impression of each other, but that’s no excuse for being rude and unprofessional. I’ll apologize to him, but I wanted you to know that behavior like that isn’t normal for me.”

  Hunter crossed his arms over his chest. “I know Dex can be kind of a dick, pardon my French, but he’s saved a lot of lives in this town. People respect him.”

  “Well, I’ll do my best to get along with him and make things right.” She gave Hunter a small smile and asked, “So what about you? ’Cause, to be honest, I need all the friends I can get.”

  “I suppose I could be persuaded to not join the angry mob…if you’ll have a drink with me.”

  As much as she wanted to make amends, Allie was so tired that she’d rather get back to the cabin, crawl into bed, and sleep than try to be social tonight. “Can I take a rain check?”

  “How about tomorrow? I have the day off; you have the day off. We could go exploring, maybe have a picnic before the weather gets too cold.…”

  “How do you know I have the day off?”

  “I may have asked Rebecca if you were coming in.”

  Even when he was mad at her, he’d still asked about her schedule? How endearing was that? “Well…”

  “I promise you’ll have fun.”

  Think about the list. Plus, it would keep me away from the cabin so Dex can fix it.

  Allie pictured being stuck in the cabin all day with Dex; sweaty, shirtless Dex in a tool belt and swinging a hammer with those strong arms.…

  “Okay, yeah. A picnic with a friend sounds great.”

  “For now,” he said, grinning.

  “What?”

  “Friends for now.”

  Laughing softly, she shook her head. “I get the feeling you don’t hear the word no a lot.”

  “Not often, but I promise I’ll be the perfect gentleman. Would nine tomorrow morning work for you?”

  “Nine is perfect,” she said.

  “And just to show what a swell guy I am, I’ll walk you to your car.”

  “You know, most men don’t call themselves ‘swell’ anymore.”

  “What can I say, I’m a throwback.” Hunter put his hand on the small of her back, and the warmth of his palm was comforting. It made her feel safe and cared for, a feeling she could definitely get used to.

  God knew none of the boyfriends she’d left behind had ever shown her such consideration. And as he took her keys and unlocked her door, she didn’t feel the need to remind him she was more than capable of doing so herself.

  When she pulled in front of the cabin fifteen minutes later, she glanced over at Dex’s house and saw that the lights were still on inside.

  Tomorrow morning I can talk to him. Tonight I have a date with my new flannel sheets.

  Plus, Allie wanted to get a few more boxes unpacked before bed. She climbed the porch steps and unlocked the front door. She flipped on the light and took one step inside when something big stood up on her counter, staring at her with black, beady eyes.

  And she let out a bloodcurdling scream.

  Chapter 7

  Dex had just put Bluebell and the puppy into crates when he heard Allie’s scream. Grabbing his rifle off the rack abov
e the fireplace, he ran the hundred yards to the cabin, only to find Allie standing on the porch, holding the front doorknob, and shaking visibly.

  “Are you all right?”

  “There…there’s an animal in the cabin!”

  Dex brushed past her, opened the door and stepped inside. On top of the counter with a mangled box of crackers in its hands was a big, fat raccoon. The animal dropped down onto all fours and arched its back, letting out a high growl.

  The door squeaked open behind him, and Allie hissed, “Shoot it!”

  “I’m not going to shoot it.”

  “Then why the hell did you bring a gun?”

  “In case.” Dex glanced around, looking for any of the coon’s buddies, but he seemed to be alone.

  “Okay, seriously, there is a wild animal eating my brand-new box of Ritz crackers and you are standing there staring at it! Aren’t you supposed to be a big, tough mountain man?”

  Dex saw the tufts of fur at the edge of the hole in the ceiling. “Looks like he came in through the attic.”

  “Well, hallelujah, Sherlock, looks like you solved the mystery of how it got in. Now how about you get it the hell out?”

  Dex sighed and pulled out his phone. Looking over his shoulder at her, he said mildly, “Just a little friendly advice, but the next time someone comes to your rescue, you might want to be a little more grateful.”

  “I would be grateful if you were actually helping!”

  Dex dialed his buddy, Deputy Luke Teller, who picked up on the second ring. “Teller.”

  “Hey, it’s Dex.”

  “What’s up, man? I was getting ready to knock off.”

  “Before you do, I’ve got a raccoon situation in the cabin.”

  Luke sighed heavily into the phone. “Give me ten minutes.”

  Dex ended the call and guided Allie back out the door. “A deputy will be out in a few minutes to take care of your buddy there.”

  “You called the sheriff for a raccoon?”

  Dex gritted his teeth. “I’m getting a little tired of you treating me like I’m an idiot.”

  “I don’t understand why you can’t shoo it or shoot it!”

  “Because the sheriff’s department, which doubles as our animal control, can tranquilize him and relocate him, whereas if I shoot him, you’re cleaning up the raccoon bits.”

  “Oh.” Although it was dark on the porch, the kitchen light streaming from the front door highlighted her flushed cheeks. “I’m sorry.”

  “I appreciate the apology,” Dex said, despite the fact that it hadn’t done much to appease him. He also couldn’t ignore the fact that Allie looked cold, if the arm-rubbing and shivers were any indication. “Why don’t you come over to my place while you wait? At least it’s warm in there. I’ll look for something to cover up that hole until I can patch it in the morning.”

  She seemed to hesitate, so Dex shrugged. “Look, it’s up to you. You can stay out here and wait in the cold or you can come sit by my fire.” He walked down the porch steps, grinning as he called over his shoulder, “But fair warning: raccoons sometimes jump down from trees onto people’s backs when they’re feeling threatened. He could have friends watching you right now.”

  He heard her steps pick up behind him, and started whistling. Hey, he might be a gentleman, but that didn’t make him a saint.

  Chapter 8

  Allie couldn’t stop shooting laser beams at the back of Dex’s head as he walked into his big kitchen. She’d known he was probably messing with her about the raccoon jumping on her, but that hadn’t stopped her skin from crawling. She had never been much of an outdoorsy person. The one time she’d gone away to camp, she’d begged her parents to come get her after one night, since she’d stayed up the whole time jumping at every noise.

  “Are you hungry? I’ve got some leftover pasta. Or I can make some coffee.”

  “I’m already jittery, so I don’t need to add caffeine. Thanks, though.”

  Allie sat down on the couch and studied the large open living room that bled into a beautiful kitchen. Everything was rustic, except for the stainless steel appliances. There were framed arrowheads on the walls, dozens of them, and the large fireplace roared with golden-red flames, casting dancing shadows on the cedar walls.

  Dex came back in with two glasses of amber liquid and held one out to her. “Here, this will calm your nerves.”

  “What is it?” she asked.

  “It’s whisky. Don’t tell me you’re too good for whisky, too?”

  His challenge had the desired effect, and she took the glass, downing the contents in one gulp. Her throat blazed as the liquid raced down, pooling warmly in her belly. Her eyes watered and she tried not to cough.

  “Looks like I was wrong about you. You drink whisky like a champ,” Dex teased, sitting on the couch across from her.

  “What did you…ahem…what did you mean by I’m ‘too good for whisky, too’?”

  “Nothing. You don’t seem to really fit in around here.”

  “Or maybe you have something against me because I don’t fall at your feet—like every other woman—just because you’re hot.”

  He quirked his left brow. “You think I’m hot, huh?”

  “Don’t get too full of yourself. Pretty is as pretty does. Just because you’re nice to look at doesn’t mean anything to me.”

  “Is that so?” He stood up and bent to take her glass, leaning in far closer than he needed to. His face was only a few inches from hers and she fought the urge to pull away, refusing to let him think he was getting to her. “So, what does affect you, Allie Fairchild?”

  Allie’s heart slammed against her breastbone as she stared into those bright-green eyes.

  Your eyes. Your shoulders. That sneaky tattoo that continues to tease me…

  The sound of a cage rattling and a whimper broke the spell.

  “What is that?” she asked.

  “That would be Kermit.” Dex stood up, making it easier for her to breathe once more. He walked across the room and bent over, messing with something she couldn’t see.

  “What’s a Kermit?”

  He stood back up with a fluffy bundle of adorableness in his arms. “This is a Kermit.”

  Allie felt her heart liquefy into a gooey puddle as Dex brought the puppy closer. When he sat down next to her, she didn’t even protest, she was so fixated on the sweetest face she’d ever seen.

  “Aw, pumpkin, come here.” Without asking, she took the puppy from Dex, snuggling him close to her chest. “You are so freaking cute. Where did he find you?”

  “I found him this afternoon. Someone had dumped him, probably because he’s got a deformed paw. He was a sad little pup at first, but after a couple of baths and some grub, he finally started to perk up.”

  Allie held the puppy out, studying the paw, and he scrambled to get close to her again, his little tongue darting out toward her. Laughing, she let him lick her nose and hugged him once more. “What kind of dog is he?”

  “My best guess is a sheltie. He looks like a tiny Lassie, right?”

  “He does.” As Dex reached out and stroked Kermit’s head, his hand brushed Allie’s collarbone and they both stilled. Staring at each other over the puppy’s head, she said, “It was good that you stopped. He might have died out there.”

  “I’d never leave an animal like that.”

  “Just like you wouldn’t shoot the raccoon when you knew you could have him tranquilized and relocated.”

  Was it the fire finally warming her or had the temperature suddenly amped up?

  “I told you, I didn’t want the mess,” he said softly.

  “I don’t believe you. I think underneath the dickish exterior, you’re a big old softy.”

  Was she actually flirting with Dex?

  Danger! Danger! Abort!

  “That’s what you think, huh?” He leaned a little closer, and whether it was the lull of his voice or the whisky clouding her judgment, she did the same.

  “
Yeah. Am I wrong?”

  His lips were so close and he smelled so good that she licked her own.

  “Absolutely.”

  Allie closed her eyes, anticipation humming through her body.…

  The loud pounding on the front door made her jerk back, and his hound started baying.

  Dex sat back, his expression unreadable. “That would be Luke.”

  Realizing what almost happened, Allie moved away from Dex on the couch. “You should probably get that.”

  He stood up without another word and went to grab the door. Meanwhile, Allie kissed Kermit on the head, cursing herself. That’s it. No more whisky. No more raccoons. And definitely no more alone time with Dex Belmont.

  Chapter 9

  Dex walked out of the cabin with Luke, grimly. By the time they’d gone back inside Allie’s home, the raccoon was gone. They’d boarded up the hole with a piece of cardboard, but it was only a temporary fix. If the raccoons really wanted in, they could do it with very little effort.

  Which meant that Dex either needed to repair it tonight or let Allie stay in his guest room and come over to take care of it in the morning.

  Or she could just share my bed.

  No, that was a bad idea. He couldn’t get involved with her, especially after what Hunter had said the other night. It was one thing to have a casual thing with his tenant—that’d be wrong in itself—but to screw over his best friend?

  He wasn’t that much of an asshole.

  After Luke left, Dex made his way back to his place and found Allie on the floor of his living room, playing with Kermit. When she looked up at him, he forgot for a second that Hunter had called dibs and she wasn’t meant for him.

  What he really wanted to do was cross the room and kiss her, just to see what she tasted like.

  “Did he get it?” she asked.

  “No, it was gone and will probably be back, especially now that it knows there’s food inside. So I can set up the spare bedroom for you and fix the—”

  “You…you want me to stay here tonight? With you?” Shaking her head, she said, “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”