by Codi Gary
“Look, it’s not as if I’m going to sneak into bed with you. It’s late and it seems like the simplest solution.”
“I think I’ll take option two and go back to the cabin. You covered the hole, right? It probably won’t come back tonight, anyway.”
Dex didn’t know whether to be exasperated or exhausted. “You would rather sleep in the cabin and risk another animal encounter than stay in my very comfortable guest room?”
“Yes, I think I would.” She stood up with Kermit in her arms. “What are your plans for this guy?”
“I don’t have any yet, besides getting him in to see the vet—”
“So if I wanted to adopt him that would be okay with you?”
“Aren’t you gone all the time?” Dex asked.
“I can find a pet sitter to watch him while I’m at work.”
Dex couldn’t say it was a bad idea. Allie did seem taken with him. “He needs his shots.”
“I’ll get them. I promise, he’ll be in good hands.”
Unable to come up with a reason to say no, Dex grabbed the crate he’d set up for Kermit and nodded toward the door. “I’ll walk you back and get him set up.”
“Thank you. I’ll return it when I get my own.” They walked outside and Allie paused. “Thanks for everything tonight, too. I may have misjudged you.”
As they crossed the yard toward the cabin, he shot her a wolfish grin. “You mean I’m not a conniving liar who has no business getting in the way of professionals?”
“Yet another apology I meant to give you. I am sorry I was so horrible at the hospital. I’m not usually like that, it’s just—”
“I get it, you don’t like me and I was stepping on your turf.”
“I’m not territorial and I didn’t say I didn’t like you!”
He reached past her to open the cabin door, and their chests brushed. Allie sucked in a harsh breath, and when his gaze dropped to her parted lips, it took every ounce of willpower not to do it. Not to give in and press her up against the door and kiss her until she was begging for more.
Of course, with Kermit in her arms like a furry shield, it would be a little hard to do, but if he really wanted to, he could probably manage it.
“So you’re saying you do like me?”
“I’m saying that everyone deserves another chance at a first impression.” She moved past him, leaving him to watch her hips swing as she walked into the kitchen.
“That’s mighty nice of you.”
Damn, she made a power suit hot.
He saw her face fall as she surveyed the damage. “It’s going to take me hours to clean this up.”
“Tell you what. Let’s get Kermit set up, and then I’ll help you.”
“Well, I suppose that’s only fair, since it’s your fault it got inside in the first place,” she said teasingly.
“You know, a simple ‘thank you’ would work.”
“Just speaking the truth.”
Dex followed her into her bedroom and set the crate down, surveying the changes she’d already made to the room. A set of blackout curtains covered the window, and across the dresser were a couple of picture frames. One of an older couple, and another with Allie hugging two other women who looked so much like her they had to be her sisters.
Dex almost asked about it, but figured it was none of his business.
Pulling out the bowl of food and water bowl that had spilled a bit in transport, he said, “He might need a dry towel or something.”
“I’ll take care of it.”
Dex left her bedroom, the image of Allie curled up under her black-and-white bedspread too tempting by half.
Dex got to work on the kitchen, and a few minutes later, Allie walked in. “You know, you’re probably tired. I can finish up.”
“I don’t mind. Besides, I thought this was my fault,” he said.
“I just…I want to be clear that we need to keep things between us cordial. You’re my landlord—”
“Actually, a landlord gets paid.”
Frustration marred her pretty face, and she seemed to be clenching her jaw. “Be that as it may, I’m not looking for complicated. And I feel like if anything develops between us it will be just that.”
Why her assumption bothered Dex, he couldn’t guess. He deliberately brushed every last bit of cracker into the trash and came around the counter. Standing in front of her, he said, “Actually, things with me would be pretty simple, sweetheart. We’d have fun until one of us got bored and we’d say good-bye. Nothing complicated about that.”
Dex saw a flash of something in the brown depths of her eyes. Temptation? Whatever it was, it was gone as soon as it appeared and her expression became hard as steel.
“Well, I’m not in the market for that, either. I need to get settled in and concentrate on work. Nothing more.”
His lips a hairsbreadth away from hers, he whispered, “Your loss.”
Before she smacked him, he turned and headed for the door. Pausing with his hand on the knob, he had to get the last word in.
“But just so you know, winter is coming and it can get mighty cold round here. If you change your mind and need some warming up, you know where I’ll be.”
Chapter 10
Allie woke up to the sun barely streaming into her bedroom. Hadn’t she closed those damn curtains last night? Kermit was whining, probably because he needed to go potty and was tired of being in his crate, so Allie swung her legs off the side of the bed. Her clock on the nightstand read six-thirty in the morning, and for the briefest moment, she wondered what had possessed her to ask for the dog. Now she was going to have to take him outside at all hours while she house-trained him.
Groaning, she opened his crate and picked him up. The minute his little body snuggled against her, the grumpiness melted away.
“What do you say we take you to go potty and have a bowl of cereal?”
A tiny, excited tongue on her chin was her answer as she opened the bedroom door and made her way to the living room. She set him down briefly to pull on her jacket and her boots by the back door, sweeping him into her arms before he got the chance to have an accident. Taking him out the side door, she shivered as the cool morning air bit through her thin pajama pants. She was really going to need to invest in a flannel set and some house slippers. She walked down the back porch steps and let Kermit down.
“Go ahead, pumpkin.”
The puppy nosed around at the dirt and leaves for a few seconds before he squatted down to do his business. Allie’s gaze wandered around the forest, grudgingly admitting that it was a beautiful place. She could get used to being here.
When Kermit was done, Allie called him over and picked him up. Once they were back inside, she set him down on the hardwood floor and took off her boots and outerwear once more.
“What do you think? Kibble for you, Fruity Pebbles for me?”
Kermit chased after her feet, skidding across the floor when she stopped abruptly once she saw the kitchen.
As she took in the chaos of the crime scene with horror, Allie’s emotions twisted between fear and fury. She looked up at the cardboard covering the hole in the ceiling, but it was still in place. How the hell had that furry bastard gotten back in last night? Then her gaze landed on her box of Fruity Pebbles, which had been snug and safe in the cupboard when she’d gone to bed. The cupboard that now hung wide open, like a giant mocking mouth.
Her delicious Fruity Pebbles. The box had been ripped open and its guts shredded. What was left of the colorful cereal was spread across the counter and smashed into what looked suspiciously like raccoon feces.
Allie’s entire body surged with molten rage.
“Damn you, you no-good son of a bitch!” Allie threw the chewed-up box of cereal across the room, surprised when she heard a familiar grunt.
She looked up toward her front door and found Dex standing in the doorway. He stooped to pick up the mangled box, giving her a dry look as he tossed it onto the overturned trash can.<
br />
“I’ve been dreaming my whole life about a woman who looks like an angel and cusses like a sailor.”
Allie glanced around for something else to throw, but couldn’t find anything worthwhile.
“What is it with you? Don’t you know that cheesy lines and breaking and entering are not sexy?”
The panty-melting grin he shot her almost made a liar out of her. “That’s too bad, ’cause that’s all the game I’ve got.”
“Obviously! What are you even doing here this early?”
Waving at the tool belt on his hips, he said, “I have the day off, so I figured I’d get started on those repairs. After all, the sooner I get them done, the sooner you start paying me.”
“Next time, you need to call and then knock before you just come barging in. I could have been sleeping or in the shower.”
“Now you’re just teasing me,” he said, shamelessly grinning at her.
“Whatever. The first thing you can do is figure out how he got in because your stupid cardboard is still there.”
Dex walked over to stand under the cardboard, turning his head from every angle, as if looking for a weakness. “Huh. Maybe he never left the cabin after all. Maybe he’s in a cupboard or something right now?”
Allie picked up Kermit, her gaze darting around the room in alarm. “Do you think so?”
“Could be. I’ll do a thorough search. Your cupboards, your closets…I should probably check your underwear drawer, too.”
She realized he was messing with her, again, and glared at him. “Ha-ha, I had my door shut, so there’s no way he was in my room.” A lump crawled up her throat, and she hated that she was about to cry, especially in front of Dex. “Please just find him and make sure he doesn’t get in again, okay? I can’t stand the thought that he might hurt Kermit if I don’t realize he’s in here.”
Every trace of humor left his face. “I’ll fix the problem.”
“Thank you.” Grimly surveying the mess once more, she said, “I guess I’ll put Kermit in his crate while I clean up.”
Kermit wasn’t happy about being locked up again, but she didn’t want him underfoot while she cleaned. Especially if any raccoon poop had gotten onto the floor.
As she scrubbed the counter, her gaze kept straying to Dex as he inspected every nook and cranny. He looked good in the white T-shirt and jeans, the tool belt slung low on his hips. He was wearing a dark ball cap that covered his sun-streaked brown hair, and the shadow of the bill gave his face a mysterious edge.
Hunter. Focus on Hunter, remember? He’s the catch here.
“I’ll be gone most of the day, so don’t worry about me being in your way.”
“Working today?” he asked without turning around.
“No, Hunter Gracin is showing me around.”
Did his shoulders stiffen or was that just her imagination?
“Oh, well, that’ll be good. Hunter’s a good guy.”
“Yeah, he seems nice.”
“Plus, he’s a doctor.”
Allie bristled at his tone, as if he were insinuating that was the only reason she’d said yes to Hunter. Okay, so he was settled with a career and that was a factor in her decision to go for him, but that didn’t mean she was a gold digger. She had money of her own.
“What are you saying?”
“Nothing, I just know that most women want to score a man with money and a high-powered job. Doctors are the ideal, right?”
“I told you, I’m not looking for anything right now. Hunter and I are just friends.”
He stood up with his hands in the air. “Whoa, don’t jump all over me, sweetheart. I was making conversation. You don’t have to explain yourself to me.”
“I wasn’t explaining myself, I was emphasizing the fact that there is nothing going on with Hunter!”
“Gotcha.”
Allie violently tackled the rest of the cleanup, sanitizing the counter. Finally, she announced, “I’m going to take a shower.”
The jerk had the nerve to leer at her. “You telling me ’cause you want some company?”
That was enough. Grabbing an apple from the bowl, she hurled it at Dex’s head. He barely ducked out of the way in time, but when the edge of the apple skimmed his shoulder, she felt marginally better.
Until she reached the door to the bedroom and she heard him shout, “You’ve got some weird ideas about foreplay, darling.”
Slamming the door closed and locking it with a click, Allie threw herself across the bed and buried her head in the pillow before releasing a frustrated scream.
Chapter 11
Hunter climbed the steps to Allie’s cabin and knocked on the door. It was five minutes to nine, and he was really hoping that she wasn’t one of those women who are chronically late.
The door swung open and Dex stared out at him, a hammer in his hand.
“What’s up, buddy?”
Hunter arched a brow at him as he stepped inside. “It’s awfully early to be working on repairs, isn’t it?”
“There was a raccoon invasion last night, so I am being a good landlord and dealing with the issue.”
“I thought she wasn’t paying you.”
“She’s not, but she will be soon.”
“Hi,” Allie said, coming into the kitchen with a puppy in her arms. She was decked out in leather boots, tight blue jeans, and a blue long-sleeved top. Her golden-blond hair fell around her shoulders in loose waves and he was struck again by how pretty she was.
For some reason, Hunter glanced toward Dex, and he stiffened as he recognized his friend’s expression.
Hunger.
Dex had been adamant about having no interest in Allie, but…as Hunter took a long time to process everything that was happening around him, he decided that Dex was simply looking at Allie the way he did every beautiful woman.
Relaxing, Hunter stepped forward and kissed Allie’s cheek. “You look amazing.” Taking the puppy from her arms, he held him up until he was at eye level. “And who’s this handsome dude?”
“This is Kermit. Dex found him yesterday and I am keeping him. Isn’t he adorable?”
“Real men don’t say adorable,” Dex grumbled, but Hunter heard him.
“Oh, he’s definitely adorable.” He waited for Dex to give him shit, but his friend silently climbed the ladder under the hole in the ceiling, ignoring him. “I figured we’d start off by taking a drive around town, and I can show you all the places I love around here. Then we’ll stop for a picnic.
“Then I was thinking later we’d go by the Grizzly and have dinner,” Hunter said. “So is it all right if we put Kermit in his cage tonight? You’re not really living until you’ve had a pulled pork sandwich and a frothy mug of BearFaced Brown.”
“I’m afraid to ask what that is,” Allie said.
“It’s this awesome potato ale made in Idaho, by the Bear Island Brewing Company. It’s tasty, you’ll like it.”
“I’m in.”
“Is it cool if you watch Allie’s pup for now, Dex?”
Dex grunted, and Hunter called up again, “You okay?”
“Fine. Why don’t you two get the hell out of here so I can work in peace?”
Something had definitely crawled up Dex’s ass and died there, but Hunter wasn’t going to pry it out of him now. Allie grabbed her jacket, a hat, and gloves and gave Dex a withering look.
After going to the front door, Hunter held it open and waved Allie through.
Once she was outside, he shot one more glance at Dex, who finally looked his way.
“What the hell, man?” Hunter mouthed.
Dex didn’t answer him, just went back to hammering. Shaking his head, Hunter closed the door with a thump.
Dex slammed the hammer down on his thumb for the third time in an hour and hollered. “Shit!” Throwing the hammer down, he climbed off the ladder and wished that he had something to swing at. He had no idea what had set his teeth and temper on edge, but he was pretty sure the blame sat at Allie Fairch
ild’s sweet little booted feet.
Dex could chalk it up to the feeling of wanting what he couldn’t have, but there had been women in the past he’d backed off of for a friend and been happy to. And seeing Allie look so relaxed, with her hair soft and touchable, had thrown him. Especially when he started imagining Hunter running his fingers through it.
She’s just one woman. A woman who doesn’t even think you’re good enough for her, anyway.
The voice in his head was right, of course. What he needed was to keep his mind focused on someone else.
Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he scrolled through his contacts, finally landing on Iris Jacobs, a recent divorcée with a wild streak a mile long.
And his finger hovered over the Call button.
After exploring Bear Mountain for several hours, Allie and Hunter sat at the base of a mountain, eating their picnic lunch. A river bubbled and broke fifty feet away, and the view of statuesque mountains and pine trees was beautiful. The sun was out, and warmed the air slightly, but Allie still kept her coat on. So far, the date had been going very well. Hunter was funny, charming, and a gentleman.
“I found this spot when I was out driving and, I don’t know, it just became my place. I haven’t brought anyone else up here.”
Hunter’s words were romantic and right. They were sharing a lovely picnic and the sounds of rushing water from a river nearby were positively soothing.
So why didn’t her heart flutter the way it had when Dex had stared at her this morning?
I need to put that man from my mind for one afternoon. Why is that so hard?
“Well, I’m honored,” she said.
“If you want to feel even more honored, grab a brownie from the basket. I know it’s not manly, but baking is actually the one thing I can do outside of the OR on rare occasions.”
“You bake?” A man who was gorgeous, successful, and baked? Hunter was beyond the total package.
Allie grabbed one of the brownies and took a bite with relish. “Mmmm, seriously, you should patent these bad boys.”
