Summer Love Puppy: The Hart Family (Have A Hart Book 6)

by Rachelle Ayala

  “Where did she get this dog?” Grady shook the picture. “Is this what she’s been keeping from me? Is this the big reason why she has her brother throwing me out of the town?”

  “You’ll have to talk to her about it.” Tami yanked the picture frame from him.

  “Where is she? Why isn’t she answering my text messages?” Grady asked, even though he was the one who hadn’t answered her. “This is inexcusable. She kept my dog. Why would she do this to me?”

  “I’m sure she’s busy. Look, I have to let the volunteers in to feed the dogs and clean the kennels, and—” Tami pushed him toward the door.

  Grady dug in his heels. “I’m not leaving without my dog.”

  “Well, genius, in case you haven’t noticed, your dog isn’t here.”

  “Right, she’s taken off. Don’t tell me she’s playing another game with me, because I’m sick of it.”

  “She doesn’t play games.” Tami opened the door and pointed the way out. “But you hurt her long ago, and she can’t get over it.”

  “I hurt her?” Grady’s hackles rose. “What about the lies she told me? Like now. She’s stolen my dog. I bet she skipped out of town and she’s not coming back.”

  “Then you’ll have to find her. I’m telling you, she’s not here.” Tami gave him another shove. “You know, you’re not much of a saint either. She’s trying to make amends, but what about you?”

  “Make amends? By stealing my dog?”

  “Instead of jumping to conclusions, maybe you should trust her.”

  “Trust and Linx Colson don’t go together.”

  “Then you’ll never find what you’re looking for.” Tami crossed her arms. “And I pity you.”

  He whipped around and stomped off the porch all the way to his truck. So, the big secret was his beloved dog and not a baby or child.

  In a way, that was a relief.

  Or maybe not.

  A woman who would hide a dog could hide more, couldn’t she?

  Dry lightning sizzled in the charged atmosphere and raised the hairs on Linx’s arms. She wrestled the steering wheel of her SUV and lurched up the rutted drive to Grady’s plot of land.

  The air was heated and charged, and a heat wave lingered in the area. Even though clouds loomed above and lightning crackled, no moisture made its way down to the ground—perfect tinder for a wildfire.

  Beside her, Cedar leaned out the passenger window, her ears erect and her nose quivering. Giving her back would be the second hardest thing Linx had ever done.

  Tami had already called and told her Grady was on the warpath, and she couldn’t put it off any longer. She had to make it up to Grady and face his wrath. It was what she deserved for keeping him from his beloved dog.

  Linx’s heart raced as she climbed an embankment and turned her wheels to park. Four years ago, shortly after she found Cedar, she’d swung by to see if by chance Grady was hiding out here. Her stomach had squeezed in on itself when she spied the charred landscape and the ruins of his cabin—their long-ago love nest.

  Now, greenery had returned, and the plot was lush with grass and bushes. The building site was recently leveled, and a black tarp was anchored over the foundation by large rocks.

  Stacks of logs were piled around the site, and a fifth-wheel trailer was parked under a large tree.

  Linx swallowed and wet her lips as she and Cedar jumped from her Durango. Another bolt of lightning arced above them, and thunder boomed without rain. But Cedar didn’t seem to be spooked. She ran around the building site, sniffing and bouncing excitedly. Following her nose, she went to the trailer parked under the tree, but Linx didn’t think Grady was home since his truck was missing.

  Lightning sliced across the sky, flashing over the treetops, and Linx shuddered as the rolling thunder crashed overhead a few seconds later. She held her palm up, praying for rain.

  Every summer, dry thunderstorms all across the West ignited hundreds of forest fires, keeping fire crews busy and exhausted. If what she’d heard was correct, it was one such late season fire that had consumed Salem.

  Linx picked her way around the property, secure in knowing Grady wasn’t around. The cabin under construction was much larger than the tiny one-room cabin from before. This one spread out into two wings, and the logs stacked around were at least one foot in diameter.

  She lifted part of the tarp and studied the raised stone foundation. She visualized the walls of the cabin, growing to surround what was left of the old fireplace, and once again, her memories took her back to the tiny one-room cabin of the past.

  She had been young, stupid, and in love.

  A truck door slammed, and Cedar leaped up barking. She scampered with her tail wagging toward Grady, acting as if her daddy had come home, and that nothing was out of the ordinary.

  Linx watched Grady hug and kiss his dog. She froze where she was, letting the tarp slip from her fingers and stupidly hoping he hadn’t seen her.

  As soon as he let Cedar go, she raced back to Linx, acting as if she had something to show her.

  “Woof! Wooooo!” Cedar howl-barked, her tongue lolling out with excitement.

  When Linx didn’t move, Cedar did that scampering move and made back toward Grady—clearly wanting to lead her to him.

  If she could talk, she would be saying, Mommy, Mommy, meet Daddy. He’s come home finally. Mommy, why aren’t you moving?

  Linx let her gaze rest on Grady, and she stood up straight from her crouching position. She’d done her duty. She’d brought his dog back officially, and it was time to leave. All she had to do was walk by him, get into her SUV, and never see him again.

  The man was too arrogant to care for. Even though there was no sun out, he wore dark aviator glasses. He was probably watching her, but not acknowledging her.

  Eff him. She didn’t need his type, no matter how much chemistry sparked between them, and she darn well wasn’t going to shed a tear for him.

  Nope. All the tears were for Cedar, but Cedar would get used to not having her around. Cedar would go back to being Sasha, and the circle was complete.

  She was through with being Grady’s slut, a quick hookup, trading sex for affection. Been there, done that, and didn’t even get the T-shirt.

  Nope, now that she’d lost Cedar, he could lose something, too—her body in his bed. That ought to grind his gears.

  “Hold it,” Grady commanded.

  Linx kept walking until a strong hand gripped her arm.

  “Let go of me.” She leveled a stern glare at him.

  “I’m ready to hear you out.”

  “I’ve nothing to say to you.” She twisted her arm from his grasp. “I’m sorry I kept your dog. She’s yours now. Goodbye.”

  “Linx …” Grady’s thick voice burred, drawing a sizzle down her spine. “I might have been wrong about things.”

  “Oh, really?” She tossed her hair over her shoulder. “So, the infallible Grady admits that he might have a problem.”

  “Yeah, you.” He ripped off his aviator sunglasses and those big brown eyes held her gaze, strong and intense, but surprisingly watery.

  Linx swallowed, feeling herself waver. Mean and hateful, she could take and even counter. But the hint of regret and sorrow was something she’d never seen on Grady Hart—who was always entirely too sure of himself.

  “Why am I the problem?” She set her lips in a firm line and flared her nostrils to show him she wasn’t cowed by whatever false feeling he was throwing her way.

  “Because you’re hiding something from me, and it isn’t your dog.”

  Now he wanted to know? For what? It wasn’t as if he could fix anything. What was done was done, and the sooner she got away from Grady Hart, the better.

  “Spit it out. What am I hiding?” She made her voice hard and cold.

  Even though Tami thought it was time to tell, Linx wasn’t going to give him an inch of hard-fought ground until he was ready to grovel at her feet and admit he’d been wrong.

  Grad
y pursed his lips and swallowed hard. His Adam’s apple bobbled, and he averted his gaze, blinking hard, wetting the tips of his lashes.

  A surge of adrenaline lifted Linx’s heart like the burners on a hot air balloon. He was actually unsure for once in his life.

  “Well? What am I hiding?” she challenged him.

  He opened his mouth as if to speak, then swallowed again. Shutting his mouth, his eyes wandered to her lips and it was over. The window of vulnerability shuttered as quickly as a summer shower blown away by the wind.

  “Nothing. Nothing at all.” His gaze turned lusty as he licked his lips. His sexy grin was back, and he tilted his head toward his trailer. “How about we talk in there?”

  Linx raised her hand as if to slap the cheeky grin off his face, but she didn’t strike him. “I’m no longer interested in what you have to offer. Goodbye, Grady. I’ve finally seen you for what you are. A selfish, self-centered, heartless jerk.”

  Lightning flashed, thunder boomed, and this time, the rain started to pour.

  She’d called him a jerk!

  Grady Hart was not a jerk. Never.

  He prided himself on playing by the rules and treating everyone fairly. He was spectacular in bed, he gave into their fantasies, even said the right things to give them mind-blowing climaxes, but he’d never promised anyone a relationship or a future.

  He was a rolling stone—they knew it and they all were okay with it because they were so eager to get in bed with him.

  But count on women to renege and pull emotional blackmail.

  Maybe she had been pregnant. Maybe it had even been his, although the dates were off. The case was closed. There was no baby, and it shouldn’t matter what she did with it.

  A woman’s choice. Right?

  That was assuming it wasn’t a false scare with nothing coming of it. Which was what she’d told him.

  He didn’t need answers out of nothing.

  Jerk indeed. If she told him it was nothing, then why was he a jerk for not believing her?

  He could barely close his mouth at the audacity of Miss Linx Colson calling him a jerk as she stalked off in the rain toward her SUV.

  She cut a sight to make men drool. A swaying ass over mile-long legs, lush enough curves over slender muscles, and hair that draped like a silk curtain over his face while she rode on top of him.

  She was also strong and challenging, and the fact that she called him a jerk was like throwing a red cape in front of a raging bull.

  “Sasha!” he called as his dog jogged after Linx.

  The dog looked back, but didn’t break a stride.

  “Sasha!” he called again, then threw up his hands. He wasn’t going to lose his pride by going after the dog. That meant dealing with the likes of a woman who’d called him a jerk.

  Turning his back, he made his way to his trailer to get out of the rain. It was a perfectly good place to brood and curse his fate.

  Of all the women in the world, why was he tied into knots by one he didn’t even like?

  He heard a barking whine and turned for one last look.

  “Stay!” Linx commanded Sasha. The dog sat on the wet ground, ten feet from the SUV as Linx got into the driver’s seat.

  “Wooo … woof!” Sasha whined again, wagging her tail. She was clearly an obedient dog, and she was waiting for Linx to give her the “all clear” command, signaling it was okay for her to approach the vehicle.

  Instead, Linx turned on the ignition and backed out of the parking spot. The dog still sat, her ears upright and eyes fixated on Linx, waiting for a treat or praise.

  The SUV made a three-point turn and barreled its way down the steep driveway.

  “Woof. Woof.” Sasha barked, at first not believing Linx wouldn’t return.

  Grady’s heart broke when the dog looked back and forth, as if realizing she’d been abandoned. Her ears sagged down, and she laid down on the same spot, resting her snout over her paws.

  The steady rain wet her coat, but she didn’t move from the spot Linx had ordered her to stay.

  “Sasha.” Grady rushed to her. “It’s okay, Sasha. Come here. It’s okay.”

  The dog quivered on her haunches and gave him the saddest look he’d ever seen. Her tail was tucked between her legs and she lowered her head, making a low whine.

  “It’s okay, baby. I’ll take care of you.” He bent down and lowered himself to the ground. “You’re home now. Everything’s going to be okay.”

  Except nothing was okay, and the ache inside of him mirrored Sasha’s distress.

  They’d both been abandoned and forsaken by the fiery and hot-tempered Linx Colson—the “Short Fuse” who had a bad temper, but a very good heart, especially for dogs.

  Chapter Seventeen

  The next morning, Grady put Sasha in his truck and drove down to town. As they got closer to the town square, Sasha’s ears perked up and she leaned eagerly out the window, as if she thought he was taking her home.

  “Sorry, girl, I can’t take you by the rescue center,” Grady said. “I’m not allowed on the premises.”

  Sasha’s brows wrinkled with a worried look and her tail drooped. Somehow his dog reflected the dull ache in his chest at the cold way Linx had left them.

  No fire.

  Only ice.

  As if the spark that always surged between them had gone out. She wanted nothing more from him—not even a fight.

  “I know you want to go see your mommy, but now’s not a good time. Tell you what, let’s go visit Aunt Cait and Uncle Brian. They’ll love you to pieces.” Grady tried to sound upbeat.

  His sister was still gung-ho about locating her wedding and memorabilia business in the middle of this nowhere town, and now that Brian was part of the fire department, she was even more eager to put down roots before their baby was born.

  The bed and breakfast was an old, rambling house which had definitely seen better days. While the paint wasn’t exactly peeling off, the exterior had that worn, tired look and the white had faded to a dull gray—the evidence of soot fallout from nearby fires.

  Cait opened the door with a big smile which quickly morphed to a furrowed brow as she spotted Sasha. “Why do you have Linx’s dog?”

  Grady let Sasha step into the room first, then closed the door behind him. “Cait, Brian, meet Sasha, my dog.”

  “Your dog?” Brian set his electronic tablet down and leaned forward, beckoning Sasha to greet him. “What’s the story here?”

  “Remember when my cabin burned down way back?” Grady swiped a hand through his thick hair. “Apparently, Sasha got away from the fire and somehow, Linx Colson found her.”

  “Wow, and all this time you thought she was dead?” Cait petted the dog. “I can’t believe I didn’t recognize her.”

  “She was only a puppy when I brought her home that one time,” Grady said. “But yes, she was here all along. Apparently, Linx held onto her and never told me.”

  “Whoa, wait. Rewind.” Cait raised her hand. “Maybe she didn’t know it was your dog. She’s got so many dogs in the center.”

  “Oh, she knew all right.” Grady couldn’t keep the anger from his voice. “Remember she made a big deal about how her dog hated me, so I couldn’t go to the center? All of it was a smokescreen to keep me away from my dog.”

  “Why would she do that?” Brian asked. “She’s always trying to help people find their dogs. Works really hard at locating owners before letting a dog get adopted.”

  “She’s got something personal against me.” Grady’s fists clenched and the rock in his chest pressed against his heart.

  Dammit. Why was he so affected by her? Why couldn’t he write her off and let it go. He got his dog back, and there were plenty of other women who could rock his socks off—if that were all he wanted.

  “I don’t get it.” Cait still wanted to defend her friend. “How did Linx know Cedar was Sasha? Did you post a lost dog notice?”

  “She used to visit the cabin seven years ago when Sasha was
there.” Grady stomped around the room, punching the air with his fists. “I had no idea she’d hate me so much that she’d steal my dog.”

  “Wait a big fat minute.” Cait stabbed an index finger his direction. “You lied to us. You said you didn’t know Linx Colson. Pretended you were strangers. What did you do to her to make her hate you?”

  “I dumped her.” Grady’s words blazed from his lips. “Dumped her when she wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

  “Wow. Just wow.” Cait backed to the sofa and collapsed as if losing all her muscle tone. “Are you saying she’s a crazy stalker-type? You dump her and she takes your dog?”

  “I’m starting to believe so.” Grady crossed his arms, his face as stiff as a mask.

  “She’s the reason you’re done with women?”

  “Yes, done. Finished. No more.”

  “Then why are you still flirting with her? Verbal sparring? Checking each other out and pretending you’re interested in hooking up?”

  Grady’s heart dropped like a heavy stone into a deep well. His cover had been blown. Cait would leave no leaf unturned until she figured out exactly what was going on between him and Linx.

  The cogs seemed to be turning in Cait’s mind as she counted her fingers and moved her lips. When she looked up at Grady, her face was pale. “Seven years ago, you were an instructor for the Forest Service. Linx was a rookie. She told me she’d jumped one season. But after that, she quit.”

  “Did she tell you why she quit?”

  “Said she lost interest and decided to work with dogs.” Cait shrugged. “I take it there was something else?”

  “Maybe.”

  “You slept with her, didn’t you?” Cait nailed him with her sharp green eyes. “You were an instructor, and you weren’t supposed to fraternize with the rookies. She could have had you fired.”

  “Well, I wasn’t fired. She quit instead.”

  “Do you think she was pregnant?” Cait’s mind worked at warp speed.

  “She doesn’t have any children. I, uh, don’t think that’s her problem.”

  Cait’s face twisted as if she were checking off clues at a mystery dinner. “She quit firefighting abruptly. She pretends she didn’t know you when we met. Her family wants to run you out of town, or at least her big, overprotective older brother does. She kept your dog.”