by Meg Benjamin
After the last customer had left the shop, Docia carried Nico’s food, water and catbox up the stairs, then went back for Nico.
Predictably, he wasn’t crazy about moving. He gave Docia a faint echo of his usual snarl and dug his claws into her shoulder. Compared to his normal reaction to being picked up, it was almost a love bite.
Docia plopped him down in his favorite spot in the bathroom, on the fuzzy purple bathmat, then descended the staircase from the apartment to the shop.
Dub Tyler stood next to her Texana display case.
Docia caught her breath, then managed to get her pulse rate under control again. “What do you want, Dub? We’re closed. Just about, anyway.”
“Just lookin’ at your collection. Not much that’s worth anything, though.” Dub’s pale blue eyes danced with mischief—his smile was faintly smug.
“I know it’s not as good as yours.” Docia managed to bite back her annoyance. “Can I help you with anything else before I lock up?”
“Still not interested in my offer? I might go as high as ten percent.” Dub’s smile retained that self-satisfied edge. He smoothed his hands across his plaid shirt.
Docia gritted her teeth. “No. Not until you explain what it’s all about.”
“Ah, well.” He shrugged. “No big thing. If you stay out, there’s more money in it for me.”
“That’s certainly one way of looking at it.” Docia walked behind him to the front door, resisting the urge to shove him through it.
Dub turned back in the doorway, his faded blue eyes suddenly sharp. “You just remember I offered, missy. Whatever happens.”
“Trust me, I’ll remember.” Docia watched him walk down the suddenly empty street, feeling a prickle that raised the hair on the back of her neck. Oh, grow up. He’s just trying to scare you.
And maybe he’d succeeded—a little.
—
Cal was surprised to see lights in Kent’s Hill Country Books at six-thirty. Most of the shops in Konigsburg closed at five-thirty or six. Only the restaurants and bars stayed open in the evening.
Through the plate glass, he saw Docia bending over behind the counter. He rapped his knuckles on the window and watched her shoot straight up, staring.
“Sorry,” he said when she’d unlocked the door. “Didn’t mean to startle you. I just thought I’d check on Nico on my way home.”
“Sure, thanks.” Docia pressed a hand to her chest, as if she were catching her breath. “I don’t know why I’m so jumpy all of a sudden.”
“I guess having somebody shoot your cat would do that to you.”
She turned off the lights as Cal followed her through the shop to a back storage room. A stripped pine kitchen table was pushed into the center on a threadbare rag rug, with a sink and a microwave on the far wall. A single window, high above the sink, had a hole in the corner with cracks radiating outward like a spider web.
“Somebody throw a rock through your window?” Cal asked.
Docia shook her head. “I think it was a bullet. Nico was outside in back when he got shot.”
Cal stared at the window. Something nagged at a corner of his mind, but he shook it off. “Where’s the patient?”
“Upstairs.” Docia climbed up the stairs ahead of him. Cal did his best not to watch her beautifully rounded behind bobbing in front of him. His best wasn’t good enough, however.
Nico didn’t seem particularly glad to see him, which Cal figured was related to the number of stitches the cat had in the roof of his mouth. Nico probably wasn’t too eager to see anyone just then, not that Cal blamed him.
“He’s doing okay.” Cal stood, brushing kitty litter off the knees of his jeans. “His eyes look good and he’s not feverish. Is he eating and drinking?”
Docia nodded, her gaze on Nico. “He was downstairs all day. I ground up a little canned food for him in the blender.”
“Good.” Cal took a deep breath, trying to decide how to approach this.
Could I buy you a drink? Could I buy you dinner? Could we just head for your bedroom and get started on the good part?
Steady, Idaho.
“Could I buy you dinner?” Docia blurted.
Cal grinned. “Sure. Delighted. Now?”
“Yeah, okay, right now. Come on.” Docia smiled weakly. “I mean if that’s okay with you.”
“Absolutely. Just let me wash the cat off my hands.” Cal turned to the bathroom sink, thanking whatever gods had decided to smile upon him.
They walked down the street toward the only lit sign in the block— “Brenner’s.”
“I hope this is okay.” Docia bit her lip. “We could go to the Silver Spur if you’d rather have steak.”
Cal shook his head and extended a hand to push the frosted glass door open. “This is fine.”
A small dark-haired man with an armful of menus headed their way. “Docia—terrific! I just added that burger you talked about last time. You can try it out!”
Docia grinned, nodding in Cal’s direction. “Lee, this is Cal Toleffson, the new vet.”
“Lee Contreras.” The dark-haired man extended his hand. “I’ve heard a lot about you, Dr. Toleffson.”
“Cal.” Cal shook his hand warily, wondering if Lee Contreras was one of the ones Horace had mentioned who’d been circling around Docia. “Not from unhappy patients, I hope.”
“On the contrary. You’ve sparked a tremendous wave of concern about animal health throughout the town. Particularly the female population.” Lee winked. “This way.”
—
Docia saw at least three women put their forks down and stare at Cal as they walked across the restaurant. One of them half turned in her bentwood chair as he moved past, her eyes widening in admiration.
Cal didn’t seem to notice, but then, he must be used to it. Texas women couldn’t be the only ones who went all goony whenever he walked into a room. It must have been happening ever since he’d hit puberty.
Docia felt a vague spark of unease that she’d learned to recognize as the Donnie reaction. She took a breath, pushing her doubts to the side. Knock it off. He may be gorgeous, but at least he seems honest.
Lee waved them into the corner booth with the vintage velvet banquette. “Enjoy,” he said, grinning at Docia.
Terrific. Nothing like having everybody in town following your romantic strategies, such as they were.
Cal glanced at the menu. “Anything you’d recommend?”
“Hmmm.” Docia scanned through the specials. “Lee added the buffalo burger and the rib-eye because I thought they might appeal more to the locals than the tapas he’s pushing, so you could have one of those and make him happy.”
Cal gave her a slightly lopsided grin. “That’s okay. Maybe I’ll try the soup.”
Docia narrowed her eyes, making the connection. “You’re a vegetarian, aren’t you?”
His head came up, eyes guarded. “Yeah. But don’t worry, I always find stuff to eat.”
“You’ll find more than just ‘stuff’ here.” Docia nodded toward the bar, where Ken Crowder was opening a bottle of wine. “Ken’s vegan, and he’s Lee’s partner, professionally and personally. I’d say around a third of the entrees on the menu here are made with Ken in mind. The mushroom risotto is terrific, and if he’s got the carrot-basil soup, I’m going to get a big bowl and pig out.”
“Hard to connect ‘pigging out’ with carrot-basil soup, but who am I to judge?” Cal grinned.
“How do you feel about wine?” Docia raised an eyebrow. “I can see Ken heading this way, and he’s always got something he wants me to try.”
“I’m very pro-wine. I’m even more pro-Dos Equis.” Cal closed the menu. “Mushroom risotto sounds great.”
“Docia, my treasure, I’ve got some West Texas malbec here you’ll want a glass of.” Ken was already pouring splashes of red wine into the two glasses he held between his fingers. “Try a taste?”
“Oh, just leave the bottle.” Docia sighed, the corners of her mouth
edging up. “I know I’ll end up liking it.”
Ken grinned, handing a glass to Docia. “Ken Crowder, Dr. Toleffson, I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Cal raised his eyebrows. “Call me Cal. Good things, hopefully.”
Ken pushed a glass in Cal’s direction. “Definitely interesting, anyway. Enjoy.”
—
Cal took a cautious sip of wine. It tasted good, smooth and fruity. He wasn’t exactly sure what he was supposed to be looking for, though. Being a beer man and all. Could a beer man and a wine woman make beautiful music together? Cliché time, eh, Idaho?
The door to the restaurant opened behind Docia, and Cal saw a dark-haired woman he recognized from the Dew Drop. A moment passed before he remembered who she was—Allie Maldonado, who owned a bakery on Main. Her date stepped through the door behind her and Cal broke into a grin.
Wonder. In a wine bar.
The two started across the room, following Lee Contreras, when Allie Maldonado caught sight of their table.
“Docia!” She grinned. “How’s the demon kitty?”
Docia gave her a weak smile. “He’s getting better. Have you met Cal Toleffson? He’s the vet who saved Nico.”
Allie turned her grin on Cal, brown eyes dancing. “Allie Maldonado. I think I’ve seen you at the Dew Drop. Thanks for saving Nico. He keeps my yard lizard-free—not that I want him to, you understand. He just does it on his own.” She turned to look over her shoulder. “Have you met Steve?”
Wonder narrowed his eyes.
Cal grinned. “I believe I have.” Would Docia invite Allie and Wonder to join them? His grin faded slightly. Lord, he hoped not.
Wonder put his hand on Allie’s elbow. “Looks like Lee’s got us a table.” He smiled thinly at Cal. “Bon appetit, Idaho.”
Interesting. Apparently, Wonder had some plans of his own that didn’t include dinner with Cal and Docia. Cal nodded toward Allie’s retreating back. “Why would a woman who owns a restaurant of her own come to a competitor for dinner?”
“Allie just does breakfast and lunch.” Docia’s gaze turned dreamy. “She does scones that are beyond belief. And soup. And salad. Also, she bakes the bread for Lee and Ken, so you could say she has an interest in Brenner’s too.”
Cal picked up a slice of the ciabatta Lee had dropped off and dipped it in the small bowl of olive oil and balsamic vinegar on the table. Amazing. Lunch at Allie’s was definitely called for.
Docia leaned back in her chair, the shadows sculpting her cheekbones. “So how do you like Konigsburg so far? How long have you been here, anyway?”
Cal closed his eyes for a minute, tasting his wine before he swallowed it. “Eight weeks next Tuesday. It’s a great place. Not a big city but not a small town either.”
“Where were you before?”
He shrugged. “Kansas City. Before that I was assistant at a place in Dubuque. Both easy-driving distance from Lander.”
“Lander?”
“Lander, Iowa. Where my folks live.” For a moment, Cal considered throwing a pinch of salt over his shoulder. But that was to keep the devil, not your mother, off your back.
The wine in Docia’s glass caught the rays of the setting sun shining through the front window, glowing deep red. Her green eyes seemed to match. “Do you miss it?”
“Lander? Nope.” He grinned. “Where are you from?”
“San Antonio.” Docia set down her glass. “And some other places.”
“Other places?”
“I traveled for a while after school. And then I lived in Houston.” She looked away from him, her gaze roaming across the white-draped tables. Apparently, she was as uninterested in talking about her background as he was in talking about Lander.
Cal took another bite of ciabatta. His stomach applauded. “So you’ve lived here a couple of years?”
She nodded. “More or less. The shop’s been open for a little over a year. I was here a few months before that working on the building.”
“And you like it?”
She turned her amazing green eyes in his direction again. The flecks looked copper-colored. Either that or his wine was definitely beginning to kick in.
“I love it.” Docia gave him a dazzling smile. “It’s home for me, although I’m still trying to convince the locals of that.”
Cal raised an eyebrow. “Why’s that?”
Docia shrugged. “I guess it just takes a while to fit in. I’m working on it.”
Lee Contreras stepped up to the table with a small plate of something that looked like exotic onion rings. “Docia, sweetheart, try this. Fried calamari with marinara.” He slid another bowl in front of Cal. “Grilled corn salsa with blue-corn tortilla chips. Your honest opinion, please.”
After the first bite, Cal’s honest opinion was he’d happily eat at Brenner’s for the rest of his life, even if it meant becoming more poverty-stricken in the process.
The warm, soft darkness had closed in by the time they’d finished. Overall, Cal reflected, it was the best meal he’d had in Konigsburg. Hell, it was in the running for the best meal he’d ever had anywhere.
Of course, the company had something to do with it. They talked about the book business, the vet business, general Konigsburg gossip (amazing that Wonder was considered a catch) and the chances for the peach crop given the late April freeze.
No Lander. No San Antonio. No finances. No families.
Cal wasn’t sure if that was a conscious choice or not, but he wasn’t going to fight it. Talking about his finances was not high on his list of favorite activities, and talking about his family wasn’t a whole lot better, given his mother’s considered opinion that anyone who moved from Iowa to Texas needed psychiatric care, particularly when it meant going deeper into debt than any prudent Norwegian-descended Midwesterner could accept.
Docia walked beside him now, not touching but so close he could feel her warmth. After a moment, he took her hand. Their palms rested together in a natural fit, and he laced his fingers through hers.
Glowing pools fell from the iron streetlights that lined the sidewalk. A half whiskey-barrel full of petunias in front of Haecker’s Mercantile scented the air.
“Texas nights,” Cal murmured. “You can’t beat ’em.”
Docia nodded. “Even when it’s still in the nineties, the air feels like velvet. I’ve never felt night air like this anywhere else.”
They turned the corner and walked toward the door to her apartment.
“You want to check on Nico again?” Docia half turned as she unlocked the door.
As an invitation, the question wasn’t quite up there with “Want to see my etchings,” but Cal would take what he could get. “Sure, I’ll give him another look.”
Nico was curled on the bathmat, snoring. He raised his head slightly when they entered the bathroom and gave a vaguely disgruntled snort when Cal rubbed him behind his ears, then settled back into sleep again.
“He’s doing well.” Cal rinsed his hands in the sink, then followed Docia back to the kitchen. “He’s recovering a lot faster than I would have guessed.”
Docia stood at the window, her face partly illuminated by the lights from the street. “You thought he wouldn’t make it when I first brought him into the clinic, didn’t you?”
“I wasn’t sure.” Cal shrugged. “But it didn’t look good. The odds were long.”
“But you didn’t let me know. You just went ahead and saved him.” Her voice was soft, but emotion vibrated underneath.
“I figured you knew what the odds were. I didn’t need to spell it out. And he saved himself—all I did was make it possible.”
“He means a lot to me. I don’t know why exactly. I guess I didn’t realize it until I almost lost him.” Her voice trembled slightly.
Cal moved to stand in front of her. “Usually, there’s no logical reason for loving an animal. You just do.” His breath was heavy in his chest. He didn’t want to frighten her away. He might only get one chance at this.
&
nbsp; Docia stood watching him, eyes huge, deep green in the darkness.
He cupped her face in his hands, sliding the tips of his fingers into her fine, curling hair. Then he dipped his head, brushing his lips against hers.
He’d meant it to be brief, only a touch, a promise of what they could do. But then he tasted her, the faint, lingering tang of wine on her lips and something that was hers alone, that was essence of Docia. He ran the tip of his tongue across the seam of her lips, feeling them open, her own tongue rising to meet his.
And he was lost in the warmth and sweetness and spice of her mouth.
He kept his hands around her face, knowing if he touched any other part of her body, he wouldn’t be able to stop. Knowing it was too soon to push her further, no matter how reckless he’d begun to feel where she was concerned. Her hands were pressed tight against his chest, and his breath deserted him.
He raised his head slightly, breaking the kiss, breathing deep, while he rested his forehead against hers, his eyes closed. Whatever control he’d had was splintering as he stood with his hands sliding slowly down her back, feeling the smooth, warm skin at the top of her waistband.
He lowered his mouth to hers again.
—
Docia’s pulse hammered in her throat. Her lips parted further, letting him in, her tongue rising to meet his. Her body arched against him, breasts brushing against his chest. Ribbons of heat flowed through her, merging in her belly, at the meeting of her thighs. It was too soon to be feeling this much, surely. Way too soon. Donnie-based caution warred with heat. Heat won.
Her hands fluttered against his shoulders before they caught hold. Sliding down across the width of his chest, feeling the quick jut of his nipples against her palms.
Lights danced before her eyes, fireflies, stars. She was dizzy with his taste.
Somewhere below them something crashed.
Docia jerked back, heart racing. “What the hell…”
Granted it was one of the most soul-searing kisses she’d ever shared, but it didn’t seem like enough to make things go boom.
Another heavy thump sounded down in the shop.
“Nico?” Docia turned back to the bathroom. Nico sat blinking at her. “Somebody’s in the shop,” she gasped. She started for the stairs to the back room but felt Cal’s hand on her arm.
