Make Me Stay

by Jaci Burton

"What? I know Logan fed you this morning, and I put water out for you. We've had a walk."

  The dog continued to stare.

  "If you're looking for me to throw a ball or something, you're out of luck, buddy. It's back to work for me, and back to the porch for you. If you'd stayed on the ranch, you could be chasing rabbits right now."

  The dog stared up at him with eyes of pure love. And if possible, he was certain the dog smiled at him.

  Reid didn't get it.

  He started back toward the mercantile, and the dog stayed right in step with him. Reid shook his head. This dog was well trained, able to walk on a leash.

  What was wrong with people who just abandoned dogs like they were trash? He'd like to find the person who did it and have a really intense . . . conversation with them.

  Deacon pulled up in his truck right as Reid made it back to the mercantile. He climbed out of the truck, a bag in one hand and a drink in the other.

  "Fast food?" Reid asked as he sat on the top step. The dog settled in next to him.

  Deacon took a spot on the other side of Reid and opened the bag, pulling out a carton. "Salad and green tea."

  "Dude. Really?"

  "Clean living, my man. You should try it."

  "I had no idea you were into the healthy lifestyle."

  Deacon shrugged. "I run and I try to avoid eating too much red meat. Trying not to drop dead at forty-five like my old man did."

  "Yeah, I understand." Reid knew that Deacon's father had had heart problems for a long time, and he recalled how hard it had hit Deacon when his father had died. Though they'd always known Deacon's dad's heart was in trouble, losing him at such a young age had impacted Deacon--obviously more than even Reid had been aware of. Deacon tried to act like it didn't matter, but Reid knew it did.

  "You're healthy, you know."

  Deacon nodded. "I know. Plan to stay that way, too." He motioned to his salad. "That's why I eat all this shitty rabbit food."

  Reid laughed. "So you're saying what you really wanted for lunch was a greasy hamburger."

  Deacon sighed and stabbed at the salad. "I don't even want to think about it. Tell me about your lunch with the pretty Samantha Reasor."

  He didn't even know Deacon had seen him with Sam. "Saw that, did you?"

  "Dude, everyone sees everything in this town. You should remember that from junior year in high school when you and I got caught trying to sneak out of the gym during third period."

  Reid glared at him. "That was your fault. You had a hard-on for Hailey Redmond over at Hope High and wanted to take her to lunch, and somehow I let you con me into going with you."

  Deacon grinned. "Yeah. Hailey was hot."

  "But those two weeks of after-school detention weren't. Plus my dad was pissed as hell."

  "Mine, too. That was even worse than the detention. Still, Hailey was worth it."

  "That's because you would've done anything to get laid. You probably still would."

  Deacon leveled a smug smile at him. "I don't have to work so hard at it these days."

  Reid laughed. "Whatever, stud. Finish your damn rabbit food and let's get back to work."

  Reid brushed himself off, refilled the dog's water bowl, then headed back inside to continue demolition.

  Chapter 6

  AFTER A LONG-ASS, tiring day, Reid headed back to his family's ranch. The first thing he needed was a long, hot shower.

  No. Correct that. First thing he wanted was a beer. Then a shower.

  He got out of the truck. The dog followed, staying by his side.

  "Seriously? Go get a drink. Hang out with your friends."

  The other dogs came over to greet Reid, so there was a lot of petting and head-scratching. Then they all ran off.

  Except the dog that was not his dog. He stayed there.

  "Go on. Go play."

  The dog finally sighed, then wandered off. Reid shook his head and walked up the steps, kicked off his filthy boots on the porch and went inside, straight for the kitchen, where amazing smells greeted him.

  "Oh, man, is it pot roast night?" he asked Martha.

  "It is." Martha pulled her gaze from the carrots she was chopping to give him the once-over. "You're filthy. Productive day?"

  "Very." He headed to the refrigerator and grabbed a can of beer.

  "I'm going to assume you'll be showering before dinner."

  "Yes, ma'am. I need a beer first."

  "Of course you do. Now you can drink it out on the front porch."

  Martha was no-nonsense about her rules, and her number one rule was you didn't drag your day's worth of dirt into her kitchen, especially when she was cooking.

  "I'm out the door right now."

  "You might as well grab another beer for Logan. I hear his truck pulling up out front."

  She also had very good hearing, which hadn't boded well for them when they were kids. Reid's mother had ignored pretty much everything he and his brother had done as long as they didn't bother her. Martha, on the other hand, heard and saw everything, especially if it involved trouble.

  She had also loved them more than their mother ever had, which was why he'd always thought of her as his mother more than he ever had his own.

  There wasn't a day that went by that he wasn't grateful for her presence in his life.

  He reached into the fridge for another beer, then kissed Martha on the cheek as he walked by.

  She scrubbed her face. "Now I'm all dirty. And you stink."

  He laughed. "I promise to shower as soon as I finish this beer."

  "You'd better. You smell like you spent the day shoveling cow manure."

  "Love you, Martha."

  She laughed. "Love you, too, Reid."

  He stepped out onto the front porch and set the extra beer on the railing, then grabbed a seat, popped open his can, and propped his feet up. The dog who was not his dog came over and wagged his tail, then sat beside him. With a sigh, Reid scratched the dog's head.

  Logan was talking to Ben, who waved to Reid before heading off behind the house. Logan walked up the steps.

  "Is that your second beer?" Logan asked, nodding toward the one Reid had set on the railing.

  "No. It's for you, but now that you mention it, two sounds pretty good."

  Logan snatched it up and took a seat next to him. "Too bad. It's mine now. You'll have to go inside and get another."

  "Martha won't let me."

  Logan nodded. "Because you're covered in dirt. From the looks of you, demo must have gone well."

  "We tore out the dropped ceiling, pulled the cabinets, and dragged out most of the broken-down furniture and old boxes from the first floor today. The tile flooring still needs to come up--"

  "Which is always a bitch," Logan said.

  "Yeah." Reid took a long swallow of his beer. "We'll start tackling that tomorrow."

  "What's your timeline for this project?"

  "About eight to twelve weeks if everything goes well. I'm hoping to be closer to the eight-week side."

  Logan took a swig of his beer and nodded. "Anxious to get back to Boston?"

  "I do have a company to run."

  "Yeah, I understand. But you have good people there, right?"

  "I have good people there. Still, it's not like being there to do it myself."

  "I know that feeling. I can't imagine not being here to run the place, but between Des, Martha, and Ben, they've convinced me I'm allowed to take some time off."

  "How was Paris? And the Mediterranean cruise?"

  Logan's lips ticked up. "They were good. Only because Des was there."

  The screen door opened and Des herself walked out. Even in jeans and a plain white T-shirt, the woman still looked like a movie star. Her dark hair was pulled into a high ponytail and she wore black canvas tennis shoes, but there was something about her that was innately beautiful and glamorous.

  "Did I hear my name?" she asked as she made her way out to the porch. She leaned over to kiss Logan. "I heard you
drive up. How did it go today?"

  "Good. How about you?"

  She took a seat in the chair across from theirs. "Read through some scripts. Found a couple interesting ones."

  "Yeah? Which ones?"

  "The drama and the action adventure. That was the one you were interested in."

  "I can't wait for you to tell me about them later."

  It was interesting to watch the dynamic between his older brother and Des. If someone had told Reid that someday Logan would end up married to an A-list actress, Reid would have laughed at them. If you looked up stone-faced loner in the dictionary, Logan's picture would have been right next to it. But Des brought Logan out of his shell, and he was more animated and friendly now than Reid could ever remember.

  Des dragged her gaze away from Reid's brother and onto him. "How about your day, Reid? How was the first day at the mercantile?"

  "Dirty and dusty."

  Des laughed. "Yes, I can see that. I can't wait to drive into town to check it out. I love that old building. Ever since Logan told me about you all buying it, I've been to town several times to check it out. It has some amazing history attached to it."

  "That it does. I did a little research at the library, and got some information from the historical society. The mercantile has been everything from a mercantile--of course--to a speakeasy to an auction house to a movie theater."

  Des moved over to where Logan sat and nestled down in the seat with him. He smiled in appreciation at her move and put his arm around her. "Really? That's fascinating."

  "Yeah. I got the historical society to help us out by copying some of the older photos from over the years. I plan to blow them up, re-create them in black-and-white, frame them, and put them in some of the common areas of the building, along with information placards informing of the history of the building."

  Des sighed. "I love that idea."

  "It's good to keep the history of the place in the forefront," Logan said. "Keeps it from just being some old building."

  "That's what I thought as well."

  "I can't wait to see you perform your magic on it," Des said.

  "I don't know about magic, but we'll see what happens."

  "Either way, I sure am glad you're hanging around for a while, both in Hope and here at the ranch."

  "Thanks, Des. It's nice to be home again."

  "Oh, speaking of home . . . So I'm planning a dinner party for Saturday night. Just a few couples, some drinks, dinner, fun. You know."

  "And you'd like me to make myself scarce? Not a problem."

  She laughed. "No. Not at all. We'd like you to be here for it. It's a couples thing, though. Can you bring a date?"

  "Uh . . . a date?"

  "Sure. You know . . . a girl. Or a guy, if that's your thing."

  "Girls are my thing. I'm just not dating anyone. Not here. Not anywhere, actually."

  "I can set you up with someone."

  "No." He said the word kind of forcefully, causing Logan to laugh.

  Des looked over at Logan. "What?"

  "He's kind of old for a blind date, isn't he?" Logan asked.

  "He is not. And I know a lot of amazing single women in town."

  "I'll get my own date, but thanks."

  "So that's a yes? Awesome." She got up and kissed Reid on the cheek. "I'm going inside to see if Martha needs any help. You should both grab a shower before dinner."

  After Des went inside, Reid sipped his beer and stared out over the property.

  "Where the hell are you gonna get a date?" Logan asked.

  He'd known it was coming. "I know people. Women people."

  "So you're gonna call one of our cousins?"

  Reid glared at Logan. "No. I'm not going to call one of the cousins. I'm going to call a woman who isn't related to us. Because I know women."

  Logan let out a laugh and took a couple of long swallows of his beer. "Sure you do. I'm going to go take a shower."

  "Right behind you."

  Reid finished his beer, crushed the can in his hand, and lingered for a few minutes longer.

  He could get a date. Somewhere.

  Maybe.

  Chapter 7

  SAMANTHA HAD THREE birthday bouquets and four dozen bouquets of roses to finish up today for anniversaries. She also had to deliver two plants and three bouquets of flowers to Hope Hospital, along with a deluxe spray for a funeral. It was a very busy day.

  She was working in the back room when she heard the door chime, so she wiped her hands and headed out front, surprised to see Reid standing at the counter. With the same dog he'd had the other day. The dog sat obediently by Reid's feet.

  "Hey, Reid. I see you brought your dog again."

  "Hi, Sam. He's not my dog."

  She tried her best not to smile, but failed. "Of course he's not. How's it going today?"

  "Busy like you wouldn't believe."

  She looked him over from head to booted feet, admittedly enjoying the view. "You don't look as dirty as you did the other day. I take that to mean demolition is moving along more smoothly?"

  His lips ticked up. "I guess it is. But I managed to wipe down the dust before I headed this way."

  "What brings you to my store?"

  "Uh . . . I need to ask you a question."

  "Sure." Maybe he needed to order flowers, though it wasn't Martha or Ben's birthday. It wasn't Logan or Luke's birthday, or Emma or Des's birthday. Or any anniversaries either. The benefit of being the town florist was she pretty much had all the important dates in her head.

  "Des is hosting a dinner party thing Saturday night at the ranch."

  "She is?"

  "Yes."

  Des had already told her about the couples dinner party several weeks ago. She'd been invited, but she'd put that on hold, because that would have meant she had to scrounge up a date, which hadn't been on her radar at that time.

  "That sounds fun."

  "Yeah. It's a couples thing, though, so I need a date."

  This was interesting, especially since Reid looked very uncomfortable. She was going to go with it to see how it played out. "Is that right?"

  "Yes. So I was wondering--and you're under no obligation, of course--but if you weren't busy or anything, would you want to go?"

  But now it looked like she did have a date. And an extremely hot one at that. "I'd love to come. So I'd need to bring a date?"

  He frowned. "Uh, no. You'd go with me."

  "Oh, I see. You didn't actually directly ask me to be your date, so I was kind of confused."

  "Shit. Sorry. Samantha, Des is having a couples dinner party at the ranch on Saturday night. I would very much like to bring you as my date, if you'd like to come with me."

  She knew she'd made it hard on him, but it had been too much fun to see him squirm a little. "I'd love to, Reid. Thank you for asking."

  He exhaled. "Thanks. I'll come pick you up around six thirty."

  "That's not necessary, since it's a long drive out to the ranch. I can drive over."

  "No, you won't. I asked you to be my date, so I'll come pick you up. At six thirty."

  Wasn't he being chivalrous. And wasn't she enjoying it oh so much. "Okay. Then I'll be ready at six thirty."

  "Great."

  She waited while he stood there and stared at her as if there was something else he wanted to say. Or do.

  Like catapult himself over the counter, pull her into his arms, and kiss her.

  Or maybe that was just her wishful thinking.

  "So I should get back to work," he finally said.

  No catapulting. How disappointing. "Yes, I should, too."

  He grasped the dog's leash. "I guess I'll see you Saturday night then."

  "Okay." She drummed her fingers on the counter, waiting for . . . something. She didn't know what. Just some kind of signal that him asking her to be his date hadn't been a painful experience for him.

  "I'll see you later, Sam."

  "Bye, Reid."

  He and th
e dog left, and despite having been asked to be his date, she couldn't help but feel . . .

  What? Disappointed? She had no idea what she felt. But whatever the sensation was, she had no time to feel it, because she had loads of work waiting for her in the back room to deal with.

  Thankfully. Nothing like immersing herself in the creation of beautiful flower arrangements to take her mind off the mystery of men.

  Or, rather, the mystery that was one man.

  Reid McCormack.

  OKAY, THAT HAD gone about as well as it could have considering he and Sam weren't dating and he'd asked her out completely out of the blue.

  "What do you think?" he asked the dog as they made their way to the park, where the dog peed on a tree, then sniffed the grass for a few minutes before sitting down next to Reid's feet.

  Since it was nearing lunchtime, he figured Deacon would run out to grab a bite to eat, so he took a seat on one of the benches. The dog parked it next to him. "No opinion on my skills at asking women out, huh?"

  The dog looked up at him, his tongue hanging out the side of his mouth. The dog had thoughts. Plenty of them. Reid could see that in his very intelligent, dark eyes. He was sure the dog was thinking something along the lines of Dude, you were a total stud back there.

  "Yeah, I thought it was pretty good, too."

  A police car rolled up and stopped at the curb. The window rolled down, and Reid smiled as he saw his brother, Luke.

  "You know you're sitting in the park talking to your dog."

  "Not my dog. He just keeps hopping into the truck when I come to work."

  "That's what I've heard. Which kind of makes him your dog."

  Reid shook his head. "Nope. Not my dog. What are you up to?"

  "Solving crime. Saving the world. The usual."

  Reid's lips curved. "Sure you are. Got time for lunch?"

  "Yeah. How about Bert's diner?"

  "Sounds good. Want me to meet you there?"

  "That'll work best, in case I get a call. I'd hate to leave you stranded. Or have to handcuff you and shove you in the back of my patrol car."

  "You're so funny. See you there in five."

  He walked the dog back to the mercantile and set him up on the porch with water and the dog bone he'd retrieved from Martha this morning.

  "Behave. I'll be back soon."

  The dog was too busy gnawing on the bone to pay any attention to what Reid said.

  He texted Deacon to let him know he was having lunch with Luke, then climbed into his truck and drove off, knowing the dog would be safe there. The best thing about a small town like Hope was that no one messed with your stuff--or your dog.