by Lori Foster
As he pushed aside a few catalogs of summer gear, she asked, “My place or yours?”
He trailed one finger down her arm. “My place is closer.”
Looking back at the door to the stairs, she asked, “How close?”
He pointed up to the ceiling.
She rearranged the wrapper on her taco to get the last bite. “Have you really thought this through?”
“Yes.” No hesitation. He knew exactly what he wanted: her.
As if he hadn’t spoken, she pointed out, “Because my family has noticed you. And that means they’ll bring on the pressure and have all these expectations, and while I might not be here, you say you will be.”
“Definitely.” And he hoped she’d stick around, too. As she’d said, her family was here. She had a house. Would that be enough?
“So do you really want to deal with that?”
He wanted to deal with her. “I’m a big boy. Don’t worry about me.”
“But—”
“Lisa.” Leaving the chair, he walked around to stand in front of her. He took the empty wrapper from her hand and pitched it toward the garbage can.
She watched it land inside. “Good shot.”
Gray set her Coke aside, then flattened his hands on the counter at either side of her hips. “You can’t talk me out of what I want, but if it’s not what you want, you can tell me. I’ll deal with it.”
She stared at his mouth. “I want you.”
Much as he loved that, he asked, “But?”
“Everything is so complicated.”
“Doesn’t have to be.”
Suddenly she put her arms around him and hugged him tight. “I don’t want to leave you with a mess.”
He wanted to say, Then don’t leave. But he was determined not to push her on that. She needed to make her own decision—and he’d help by making Buckhorn more enticing.
Smoothing her hair, he said, “I can handle your family.” He hoped.
She laughed and hugged him tighter. “Oh, you poor misguided man.”
Okay, so he was being pretty optimistic about that. But he’d routinely handled petty thugs and hard-core criminals, prosecutors and defense attorneys, even stubborn-as-hell judges. How bad could her family be? “Trust me.”
The air around them seemed to crackle. She snuggled closer, kissed his throat and said, “I think I always have.”
That did it for him.
Giving her time to object, Gray slowly parted her thighs and stepped between them, then, with his hands on her trim hips, he snugged her up close so their bodies meshed.
“Gray,” she whispered before melting against him.
“Damn.” He kissed her throat, her shoulder, over to her jaw.
Hands tight on his shoulders, she sought his mouth with hers. When their lips touched, they both went still, but not for long. Sinking a hand into her hair, Gray kept her close and nudged her lips open, turned his head for a better angle, sank his tongue in to taste and tease. This. He’d needed this a lot. But only with her.
The kiss went hot and wet and deep. But it wasn’t enough, not even close. The better he knew her, the more he thought forever wouldn’t be enough. She gave a soft groan, arched into him—
A noise sounded behind them.
Taken off guard—something that never happened—Gray jerked around, blocking her with his body. What he saw left him blank.
Not customers. No one from her family.
Just a stray dog.
Relieved that he hadn’t let Lisa get caught in a compromising situation that might’ve embarrassed her, Gray took in the ancient dog peeking into the shop with eyes almost as dark as Lisa’s. Half covered in mud, a rough rope tied around his neck, he looked miserable.
And that got Gray pissed really quick.
Breathing hard behind him, unaware of the dog, Lisa whispered, “Oh, God.”
“Shh,” he told her. “It’s a stray dog.”
Immediately her head popped up over his shoulder. “Ohhh,” she whispered. “The poor baby. Is he hurt?”
“I don’t know, but he’s not in good shape.” Hearing them, the animal started to slink away, so Gray said to her, “Stay here.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Check on him, if I can.” Help him, if at all possible. “C’m’ere, boy. You okay? Scared, huh. I bet.” He kept his voice low and made painstaking progress at getting closer. The rope around the animal’s neck looked too damned tight, like a cruel trick. He’d seen a lot of shit in his lifetime, but anything involving animals or kids really did him in.
He heard Lisa moving behind him, and a second later he felt her touch on his back. “Offer him this.”
He took the beef jerky and held it out.
The dog went on alert, ears up, nose sniffing the air.
Chances of getting bitten seemed good, so Gray tossed a piece toward the dog.
He caught it in the air and swallowed it in one gulp.
Yeah, that rope dug into the dog’s neck, way too tight. Gray tossed another bite, making this one closer so the dog had to step farther inside while Gray circled to the side. He kept it up, wanting to get behind the dog so he could close the door.
But first... “Lisa, I need you to go up to my place. If the dog freaks out, I don’t want you to get bit.”
“No.”
Since he’d given that order in his best cop voice, he stalled. “This isn’t—”
“Hush, Gray.” Phone to her ear, she said, “Hey, Dad, it’s me. We need a little bit of help. I don’t suppose you have any free time?” Quickly she explained the situation, and when she disconnected, she said, “He’s on his way.”
What the hell? Did she think her dad could do something he couldn’t?
“He’s a vet,” she reminded him. “And we’re in luck. He was using today for house calls, so he’s not that far away. Fifteen minutes, he said. Instead of trying to trap the dog, let’s just keep feeding him. Once he’s here, Dad will know what to do.”
It wasn’t in Gray’s nature to ask for help, but Lisa seemed to have no problem with it. At least when the help came from her family.
“All right,” Gray agreed. “Find some more food. But I don’t want you near him.”
Instead of taking exception to that, she said, “Gray? Is that a note tied to the dog’s neck?”
He’d already seen it, so he only nodded. “Yeah.” And far as he was concerned, whoever had put it there needed his ass kicked.
CHAPTER SIX
HER DAD GOT there in under ten minutes, and he had both Uncle Sawyer and Nadine, Shohn’s fiancée, with him.
As her dad worked his magic, talking soothingly to the dog and quickly earning his trust, Lisa whispered, “Nadine owns a pet hotel, so she’s really great with animals, too.”
Beside them, arms crossed as he watched, her uncle Sawyer said, “Jordan has a way with animals.”
Gray looked impressed. “He whispered and the dog just came to him. Like he knew him or something.”
“They all do that with Dad.”
Nadine nodded. “I’ve seen him whisper to cows and goats and hawks and groundhogs. They all love him.”
The exaggeration, slight as it might be, made Lisa grin, especially since it looked as though Gray believed her. Her grin died, however, once the rope was off the dog and they saw the note.
Jordan handed it off to Nadine, who read it and then handed it to Sawyer. “‘You’ll pay,’” he read. And then to Gray, “Any ideas?”
“Yeah. A cruel idiot.” Seeing Jordan had it under control, Gray joined him, going down on his haunches to cautiously stroke the marks left around the dog’s throat. “He’ll be okay?”
“She, but yes.”
�
�She?”
Lisa grinned again at Gray’s expression. “A girl, Dad?”
“Yes, and by the looks of her, I’d say she’s at least twelve, maybe older. A mutt, but I see a lot of coonhound in her. She’s malnourished, has some small wounds that need attention, and she needs a good cleaning.” He looked at Gray. “If it’s okay with you, I’d like to take her in and get her treated.”
“Please,” Gray said. “Do whatever she needs and then let me know what I owe you.” He again stroked the dog, and this time she tipped her head up, her eyes closed as if relishing the touch.
Lisa understood that; she often felt the same when Gray put those warm, strong hands on her.
Nadine nudged her, and she realized both her dad and Uncle Sawyer were watching her. Clearing her throat, she asked Gray, “Do you plan to keep her?”
“Yes.”
No hesitation. She really liked that about him. Decisive. Caring. “I’m glad.”
Her dad got a crate from the back of his truck. “If I’d known I’d be bringing one back with me,” he said, “I’d have lined it with something soft.”
“Here.” Just like that, Gray pulled off his T-shirt and handed it over.
Neither her dad nor her uncle seemed to think anything of it, but once Lisa got her eyes to blink she noticed that Nadine was staring with rapt surprise.
It was Lisa’s turn to offer a nudge.
Nadine turned to her and silently mouthed, Wow.
Nodding, Lisa agreed with her.
“I understand she’ll be fine with you,” Gray was saying to her dad. “But I feel bad just letting her go.”
“Then don’t.” Uncle Sawyer, avoiding her gaze, stepped in. “Sheriff Turley’s going to need to see that note.”
“I’ll handle it,” Gray said with silky menace.
“All the same, Turley needs to know. I’m free today, Jordan’s free, and I’m sure Lisa can handle the shop for a few hours.”
Seeing a trap closing in, Lisa said, “But—”
“Ride back with us,” Sawyer continued. “After we talk to the sheriff, I can show you Jordan’s clinic. It’ll give us a chance to get better acquainted.”
Her dad gave her a look, then said to Gray, “We’ll need to fill out some paperwork for her. On the way to the clinic, you can think up a name.”
The dog, after sniffing the shirt Jordan spread in the crate, went in willingly.
“She’s smart,” Nadine said. “If there’s anything you need from me, let me know. Otherwise I think I’ll hang out and give Lisa a hand.”
Again, Lisa tried to protest.
But Gray beat her to the punch, asking, “Do you mind?” His eyes, the color of the stormy sky, stared into hers. “I’ll be back before we’re due to close.”
He might as well have said, In time to give you everything I promised with that hot, killer kiss.
The dog watched her, so how could she refuse? Deflated, Lisa flapped a hand. “It’s been a slow day, what with the rain. Go on. I’m sure we’ll be fine.”
Grinning, probably anticipating a lot of girl talk, Nadine said, “This is going to be fun.”
Gray said, “Let me grab another shirt and I’ll be right with you.” He disappeared inside.
Lisa stood there, her father, uncle and Nadine all watching her. She chose to focus on the dog. “Such a sweetie. How long will you need to keep her?”
“If there’s nothing major wrong, I can give her back to you at the picnic Sunday.”
“Back to Gray, you mean.”
Her dad just gave her another long look.
Luckily Gray returned, still buttoning up his short-sleeved cotton shirt. He paused beside her, said, “I won’t be long,” and right there, in front of family and a friend, he put his mouth to hers.
Lisa was so shocked she didn’t even blink.
Smiling, he touched her cheek. “You have my number if anything comes up.” He kissed her again, then strode to the dog crate and, like freaking Superman, put his hand in the handle and lifted it as if it didn’t hold a large dog.
Sawyer grinned back at Lisa. “I like him.”
Brows up, her dad opened the back of the truck. “Yeah.”
When Gray said, “I’ll ride back here with her,” Nadine put a hand to her heart and whispered, “Oh, me, too.”
Amazing. Gray had told her he could handle her family. She’d had her doubts, but wow, he’d just made it look pretty easy.
They were all won over.
And if she were honest with herself, she’d admit she wasn’t far behind them.
* * *
TUCKER TURLEY DIDN’T like the note, or the treatment of the dog, any more than Gray had, but as he’d already known, a note wasn’t much to go on.
“Could’ve been meant for anyone,” the sheriff said.
“Yeah,” Gray agreed. But he trusted gut instincts, and his gut said the dog had been sent to him, specifically.
Which meant the lame You’ll pay was a direct threat. So someone had a beef with him? He’d gotten along fine with all the locals, so he didn’t have a clue.
They left with Tucker promising he’d keep both an eye and ear out. Neither Sawyer nor Jordan looked happy. And he knew why.
After they reached the clinic, Gray hovered nearby while Jordan checked the dog from nose to tail. He gave her some pain meds that he said would also make her sleepy. He put ointment on the raw abrasions on her neck, cleaned out her ears, checked her teeth and decided to let her eat and get a good night’s sleep before bathing her in the morning.
After all that, they got the dog settled in a roomy kennel area, and Jordan said, “Let’s get some coffee in the break room.”
Which Gray knew was a euphemism for Let us grill you to our satisfaction.
He started the conversation by saying, “Hell of a nice setup you have.”
“Thanks.” Jordan filled three disposable cups, then pulled out a seat and sank into it. “Any thoughts on a name?”
“Yeah.” Gray sipped his coffee, knew the men were analyzing him and said, “Shelby.”
“Interesting choice,” Sawyer said.
Shrugging, Gray explained, “My deceased partner’s last name.”
Clearly they already knew his background, given their quiet nods of respect. After a stretch of time, Jordan set his coffee aside. “Are you going to convince my daughter to stay in Buckhorn?”
Gray didn’t deny that they had a relationship beyond employer and employee. Neither of these men was blind or stupid.
And of course, they’d witnessed the very deliberate, possessive kiss he’d given her.
But he wouldn’t mind using the opportunity to get a point across. “I don’t want to pressure her. All of you are doing enough of that.”
Sawyer and Jordan shared a frown.
“What I will do,” Gray said, “is give her plenty of reasons to stay.”
The frowns smoothed out and the men grinned. As if remembering himself, Jordan coughed his away. “Lisa is—”
“Very special. I know.”
Jordan agreed. “She’s smart, and she can take care of herself. But if you have some nutcase after you, is it safe?”
“You don’t have to worry.” Gray knew well the dangers that existed in the world. “Whatever the note meant, no matter what the threat might be, I won’t let anything happen to her.”
After quietly taking that in, Sawyer asked, “You’re armed?”
“At the shop, yes. Going forward, I will be everywhere.” He hoped they understood that for a cop, carrying was second nature. “But even without a gun, I’d protect her.”
Sawyer smiled. “Even though he’s mayor now, Morgan says he feels naked without his gun.”
“True story.” Gray like
d the familiar feel of the weapon, whether in a hip holster or at the small of his back. “Once a cop, always a cop.”
Jordan said, “He told us about your partner. That had to be tough.”
Sawyer tipped his head, his attention on Gray’s leg. “You’re okay now? Have full mobility back?”
“I’m fine.” Gray saw the questions they didn’t ask. Might as well clear the air now. He spent the next hour or so talking, and in the process he learned that he liked Sawyer and Jordan both. They were interested without being overly intrusive. Protective of Lisa while also showing their respect and insisting they trusted her to make the decisions best for her.
As a doctor, Sawyer asked plenty of questions about Gray’s injury. Jordan had a quieter way about him, but Gray thought it might be deceptive, a way to hide the intensity.
They were good men, and he was glad Lisa had them in her life.
Before they left the clinic, Gray again checked on Shelby. Now that she’d been fed and had some meds, she was resting peacefully on a plush doggy bed—and his shirt. He stroked her, enjoyed the thumping of her tail and promised her he’d see her again in the morning. She closed her eyes on a big doggy yawn, so Gray didn’t linger.
The later it got, the fewer people would be at the marina and the better the chance of Lisa being alone.
By the time Jordan dropped Gray back at the shop, it was raining again. Thanks to a call, they knew Nadine had left half an hour ago because business was so slow. Gray saw a man using the ramp to take a boat out. Along the shore, only two people, a woman and a man, cast out lines, their hats and windbreakers the only sign that they noticed the weather.
“Thanks again,” Gray said to Jordan.
“You know, the previous owners sometimes closed up early on days like this. You could do the same.”
Seeing Lisa in the doorway waiting on him, Gray decided that wasn’t a bad idea. “Sounds like a plan.” He opened the door and stepped into the downpour.
“Gray?”
He ducked his head back into the open truck door.
“Don’t make me regret liking you.”
Grinning, Gray closed the door and jogged to the shop. Soon as he reached the door, Lisa stepped back. She looked both worried and anxious and, damn, he wanted her.
