Annie sat down on the Church steps and rearranged the skirt of her dress around her knees. “When everyone’s got a cup of coffee and something to eat we can go back and get one for ourselves.”
“Thank goodness you decided to come outside.” Sally stood beside Dylan. “My ears were ringing and I’d only been inside for a few minutes.”
Annie looked behind Sally. “Where’s everyone else?”
“Molly saw someone she knows and Logan and Tess have gone to get us all a coffee and slice of cake. They could be a while.” Sally looked down at the Church steps. “I’m going to join you. My heels are killing me.”
Dylan looked at Sally’s shoes. The yellow high heels would have made anyone’s feet sore. He looked at Annie. She’d swapped her standard sneakers for a pair of silver sandals. The red polish on her toes matched the bright red dress she had on. She looked cute. With her pixie hairstyle and light dusting of makeup, she could have passed for a woodland nymph, or a fairy princess, or something even more interesting, but he wasn’t going there.
Annie pulled her feet under her skirt. “I don’t like high heels.”
“I’m glad.” Dylan slowly lowered himself onto the concrete step beside her. His ribs were still sore, a reminder of his stupidity. Going head-to-head against someone bigger and meaner hadn’t been a good idea. Especially when the guy in question had another three friends waiting to finish off what the first Neanderthal couldn’t manage.
Annie watched him with a steady gaze, but didn’t say anything. She knew his ribs were still giving him trouble. He liked her even more for not saying anything.
Sally slid her feet out of her offending shoes and sighed. “When do you move into your new home, Dylan?”
He blinked and tried to work out how they’d gone from high heels to moving house without anything in-between. “How do you know I’ve bought a house?”
“Your realtor is friends with another friend of mine. Rachel said you bought the Quinn home on Morning Sun Drive.”
Dylan nodded. He’d forgotten how interesting the strangest things could be in a small town. “The moving company is taking my furniture across on Friday. I’m taking a few boxes into the new house each day to make unpacking easier.”
He glanced at Annie and knew exactly what she was thinking. “I intend to unpack everything.”
Her grin grew wider and he smiled back.
Sally cleared her throat and a blush skimmed Annie’s cheeks. Dylan didn’t know what that meant, but Annie didn’t look too impressed.
Sally ignored Annie’s red face and pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. “You wouldn’t be interested in fostering a litter of kittens would you? We can’t keep up with the number of animals arriving at the shelter.” She turned her phone toward him and showed him a picture of three of the ugliest looking kittens he’d ever seen.
They were a motley splodge of brown, tan and orange. As Sally scrolled through the images, he began to appreciate how weird genetics could be. Apart from their coloring, they all had completely different markings.
Sally finished showing him the photos and smiled. “What do you think?”
The only thing he knew for certain was that they were too young to be away from their mama. “How old are they?”
“Six weeks. They were born at the shelter.”
“What happened to their mother?”
Sally sighed. “She got sick and died. We’ve been hand feeding the kittens for the last two weeks. They’re in good health, they just look a little…”
“Ugly?” he offered.
“…different,” Sally said with a grin. “Different is good. They’re unique. You’ll never find three kittens who look like these ones do.”
Dylan believed her.
“Can I see them?” Annie asked.
Dylan shook his head. “You don’t want to do that. Sally will convince you to take them home and you’ll end up with them meowing in your laundry all night.”
“No, I won’t.” Annie held her hand out. “You’re the one Sally asked to be their foster daddy.”
Dylan didn’t want to be anyone’s daddy, including three orphaned kittens.
“Oh, look at them.” Annie’s voice fell into a wistful sigh. “They’re not ugly, they’re cute.” She swiped the screen and looked at the other photos on Sally’s phone. “They’re beautiful. How could you say no?”
Annie’s big blue eyes stared straight at him and he didn’t know if he could say no. He ignored the gleam in Sally’s eyes and focused on the cell phone. He’d never looked after any cats, let alone kittens. Even as a boy he’d only been allowed a goldfish. But three kittens? He’d be asking for trouble.
“It would only be for a few weeks, just until they’re a little older.” Sally pointed to her phone. “They’re good kittens. Boxer jumps all over his two sisters, but they manage to hold their own. Boots, and Blinky like to lick him when he’s half asleep.”
Dylan glanced at Sally. “You’ve named them?”
She looked at him as if he’d asked the strangest question. “Why wouldn’t I name them?”
“They’re kittens. Shelter kittens. You find a home for them and then they’re gone.”
Sally shook her head. “It doesn’t make any difference. They deserve the same kind of life other kittens enjoy, even if their mom has died and they’re living with a foster family.”
“I’m not a family. It’s just me, and I’m not home all of the time. I’m leaving for Colorado on Thursday to compete in the Boulder Half Ironman Race.” He had a life that didn’t involve furry little creatures that depended on him. He worked all around the country, guarding some high profile personalities. Boxer, Boots, and Blinky would understand his sound, logical reasons for not taking them home.
“I could look after them while you’re away?” Annie handed Sally back her phone. “As long as you bring their litter box and food with them, I’d be happy to help.”
His sound, logical reasons disappeared.
A grin filled Sally’s face. “I knew I could count on you.” She hugged Annie, then looked at Dylan as if she was about to pounce on him. “What do you say, big guy? Do you want a hug?”
Dylan froze. He’d hugged Annie. For six seconds. Hugging Sally had never occurred to him. He was surrounded by hugging females and he wanted to run.
Sally’s smile turned to a frown. “Maybe not.” Her disappointment at not hugging him was short-lived. In the next breath, Sally was smiling at him. She’d ignored his paranoid touching issues and raced ahead, letting him know what he needed to do to collect the kittens.
“The shelter’s open tomorrow from ten in the morning until four in the afternoon. I’ll text Betsy Adams and let her know you’ll be calling in to collect the kittens. Betsy’s been at the shelter for years. She’ll tell you how to look after your babies.”
“They’re not babies, they’re kittens,” Dylan muttered.
Sally waved off his comment with a set of perfectly manicured nails. The other hand tapped out a message on her cell phone. “The text has been sent. Congratulations. You’ve just saved three little souls from a hard life.”
Dylan didn’t feel like he’d saved anyone. He felt like he’d just taken on more than he wanted, opened his home to three of the ugliest little beasts he’d ever seen. Annie, on the other hand, was looking at him as if he’d saved the kittens from death row.
He glanced between Sally and Annie. “It’s for two or three weeks, right? After that they go back to the shelter.”
“Absolutely. No questions asked,” Sally promised. “In three weeks’ time I’ll take them back to the shelter and wait for another family to adopt them.”
Dylan had a feeling he’d been sucked into one of Sally’s shelter adoption scams. She’d hope that after three weeks he’d fall in love with the kittens.
She’d be hoping for a long time because Dylan, contrary to what had just happened, was able to say no to most things. And a set of scrawny little kittens wouldn’t cha
nge his mind. Even if Sally and someone with big blue eyes and freckles thought he was wrong.
Chapter Eight
Dylan sat beside Annie in the big white tent the bride’s parents had rented. Holly and Richard’s families and friends were coming and going, moving between the dance floor in the barn and the buffet table in the tent.
Jackets and ties had been left on the backs of chairs. Everyone was enjoying themselves, catching up on what had happened since they’d last seen each other. It should have been the perfect night for Dylan to relax and unwind, forget about his week from hell and enjoy everyone’s company.
But the only thing he could focus on was the music and laughter coming from the barn. Tess and Logan had already left their table to go dancing. Tess would be pulling a reluctant Logan onto the dance floor. He’d moan and grumble, but Dylan knew the truth. Logan enjoyed dancing. He could foxtrot and waltz all night if he needed to. It was hard to get him off a dance floor if he had a partner who knew how to dance. And Tess did. She loved ballroom dancing as much as Logan did. Unfortunately for Dylan, that meant Tess and Logan’s wedding would be jam packed full of waltzes and foxtrots.
Which was another reason why he needed to get over his issues and get dancing. He glanced at Annie and watched her talk to Sally and Molly. Her hands were moving in time with her words, creating a whole new level of communication. She was animated, happy and excited. Just watching her took his mind off what was coming next.
Annie glanced at him and grinned. “Are you ready?”
She didn’t need to say what for. He knew. He’d known from the moment Holly and Richard had danced the first waltz of the night.
Dylan and Annie had practiced dancing together on Thursday night. It hadn’t been so bad when they were alone. When his nerves got the better of him, they’d stepped apart. He’d taken a moment to do the deep breathing exercises Annie had found in a book, and kept going.
He’d feel like a dork standing in the middle of the barn taking deep breaths and visualizing the cool, calm, serenity of a lake. Dealing with his life in Annie’s company was one thing. Dealing with his life in the middle of a barn, surrounded by strangers, was completely different.
Annie’s gaze lifted to someone behind him. Her smile turned guarded, everything that it hadn’t been two seconds ago. “Brad? I didn’t know you were coming to Holly and Richard’s wedding?”
Dylan scowled. Brad, the bowling coach, was back.
“I work with Richard. I haven’t seen you at our last two club days.”
Dylan wondered what it would take to give Brad the message that Annie wasn’t interested in him.
Annie smiled in the type of non-committal way that was polite, but distant. “I’m really busy at the moment. I’ve cut my practices back to twice a week. I’ll be at our coaching session next Tuesday, though.”
Dylan could feel Brad’s indecision about what to do next. He decided to make it easy for him. He stood up and stared at Brad. “Annie and I were just about to dance. Maybe we’ll catch up with you later?” The chance of that happening was almost non-existent. From the frown on Brad’s face, he knew it as clearly as Dylan did.
Sally looked up at Brad. “You can join Molly and I, if you like? We’re going to get dessert.”
“Thanks, but I’ve got dessert waiting for me at my table.” Brad glanced at Annie. “I’ll see you on Tuesday night. It’s Angelo’s birthday and he’s buying pizza after we’ve finished.”
Annie stood up and grabbed Dylan’s hand. “I’m making him a birthday cake. I’ll see you Tuesday. Bye.”
She didn’t need to tug Dylan’s arm to get him to move. He nodded at Brad, then whisked her as far away from Brad the bowling coach as he could manage.
Annie let go of his hand as soon as they were outside the tent. “Thank you. I don’t think he understands that I’m not interested in him.”
“He understands all right,” Dylan muttered. “He just wants to make sure you know he’s available if you change your mind.”
“But I’m not going to.”
“Doesn’t stop a man from trying.” They walked toward the old two-story barn. Garlands of sweet smelling flowers greeted them at the door. Someone had wrapped fairy lights around the rafters, creating a twinkling backdrop to the large glitter ball suspended from the ceiling.
“Wow,” Annie said. “This looks amazing.”
Dylan glanced at the people on the dance floor. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest. His palms started sweating. He needed the cool calm lake already, and they hadn’t danced one step.
“You didn’t ask me why I’ve been so busy?”
He looked down at Annie. She slipped her hand inside his and pulled him closer to the crowd of people. A slow romantic song was drifting across the room. Not that he was paying too much attention to the lyrics. He was more interested in where Annie was taking him.
She stopped on the edge of the dance floor, off to the side of the main entrance. No one paid them any attention. She put one of his hands on her waist and moved closer. “If your warehouse offer is still available, I’ve decided to start my own business.”
Dylan was so surprised that he barely noticed the first steps they took. “You’re leasing my kitchen?”
“If you’ll have me.”
Dylan pulled her closer. “What about dinner?”
“You’ve already eaten.”
Dylan could hear the laughter in her voice. “For Todd and I. Are you going to take pity on two old bachelors and make us meals?”
“If you’re willing to let me experiment on you, I’ll cook as many meals as you like.”
Dylan froze. Her words threw him back to another time, another place. A place he never wanted to go back to again. His lungs felt as though they were on fire, sweat broke out on his forehead, stung his eyes.
He ignored the sound of everyone around him. He tried to remember what his psychiatrist had told him, the process they’d worked on to calm him, bring him back to reality and not the hell his life had been. It didn’t work. He could feel himself slipping, moving deeper into the darkness that had almost destroyed him.
He didn’t know where he was, couldn’t understand why his feet were moving over uneven ground. He was trembling, shaking so much that he could barely walk.
“Sit down here.”
Annie was with him. Her hands pushed at his chest and he stumbled backward, catching himself on the rough trunk of a tree. His legs knocked against something hard as he collapsed onto some kind of seat.
“Put your head between your knees and breath.”
“I can’t…”
“You can. Listen to me, Dylan. Take a deep breath…that’s it. In…and out.”
He felt her hands in his, squeezing his cold fingers in time with her words.
“You’re doing great. In…and out.”
He didn’t know how long they sat outside. As Annie encouraged him with softly spoken words, his past fought to break free. There was nothing gentle or kind in the rush of memories flooding his brain. He was being tortured, broken in ways he’d never been able to talk about.
Dylan started to realize where he was. He heard the trickle of water over stones, felt a soft breeze turn the sweat on his skin to ice. He lifted his head and took another cleansing breath. “It’s gone.”
He didn’t want to tell Annie it would be back. He knew the triggers to watch out for, the signs that told him to be careful. Everything had happened so fast. One word had spun him out of control, left him quivering like a nervous wreck in a stranger’s barn.
Annie was kneeling on the ground in front of him, her hands still holding his. He hadn’t had such a major relapse in a long time. He felt as though he’d let himself down, let Annie down.
He wasn’t normal. He’d never be normal, but with everything inside of him, he desperately wanted to believe he could be.
“I’m sorry.” His voice was rough and raw, too much of everything that was still settling inside his body.
Annie let go of his hands and sat beside him. “You’ve got nothing to be sorry for. No one noticed us leave.”
He leaned against the tree trunk and closed his eyes. He heard Annie move beside him. He looked down and watched her brush twigs and leaves off her knees. “Did I hurt you?”
Annie flexed her hands. “No, I’m fine. But next time I’m going to hold your arms and not your hands.”
Dylan lifted one of her hands into his and gently rubbed her fingers. “Your hands are so small.”
“Comes with this sized body, but I’m as tough as old nails.”
He sighed. “It wasn’t supposed to turn out like this. I was doing okay. I thought I was ready for whatever happened tonight.”
“I thought you were ready, too,” Annie said. “And I still think you are. I said something to upset you and I don’t know what it was.”
Dylan dropped his chin to his chest. “When I was in Afghanistan I was captured and tortured by the Taliban. Terrible, inhumane…” His voice disappeared on the night breeze. “We were hung from the ceiling by our wrists. They’d beat us with cables and wooden sticks. When they wanted more variety, they used electric shocks and did things to our bodies that…”
Dylan took another deep breath and pushed back the panic racing through him. “That’s why I don’t like being touched.”
“Didn’t like being touched.”
He frowned. Annie lifted her hand. He still had his fingers wrapped around hers, holding her hand so carefully that it brought tears to his eyes.
“You’ve come so far. Don’t forget that.” Annie’s steady gaze gave him courage when he thought she wouldn’t want anything to do with him.
They sat silently beside each other. Moonlight bounced off the stream, music and laughter drifted toward them. The big oak tree they were sitting under spread its branches across the evening sky. They could have been alone, forgotten by the families celebrating the marriage of two people in love.
He felt at peace, content in a way he hadn’t felt in a long time. Usually after a major panic attack he disappeared for a few days, tried to find something that was always just out of reach. Something that would soothe his soul and give him a reason to carry on. Tonight, for the first time, he’d found that something, and she was sitting beside him.
Loving You (The Bridesmaids Club Book 2) Page 14
