by Theresa Weir
Then, for the first time since her outburst, she really breathed. Long slow breaths.
“Feel better?”
Glancing at Jane, who now leaned against the doorjamb, Ninna nodded. “Yes, I do. I know you don’t like for me to go to the doctor, but I need to see him. I definitely don’t want a relapse.”
“And you won’t have one if you stay calm.” Jane straightened up. “Come back out to the kitchen. I’ll put on the tea kettle.”
Following meekly, Ninna allowed herself to be talked into sitting down on the couch while her friend warmed up another piece of pizza for herself and brought Ninna a cup of tea.
“Are you seeing things again?”
There it was. Out in the open. “More like hearing things.”
“Maybe it was the pizza?” With a suspicious eye, Jane studied the dripping hot piece of pizza on the plate in front of her.
“No, it wasn’t. It started this morning,” Ninna said, “as I walked into the Center.”
Jane’s face lit up and she snatched up the pizza. “Easy, it was brought on by stress. You were panicked about this job right from the beginning.”
Ninna sighed. She’d actually been anxious about not finding a job for months. Still Jane was right about one thing. Stressed—even panicked—was exactly what she’d been this morning. “Maybe, but I can’t afford to lose this job, either. This has to stop.”
“So what if you are having a relapse?” Jane mumbled around dripping cheese. “You dealt with it before. You can do it again.”
Ninna paused, staring at her friend. She was right. She’d had a relapse. That wasn’t earth-shattering news. She’d had them before, recovered and had gone on. She could do it again.
Feeling better, she decided to enjoy her evening with her best friend. She also wanted to go a little deeper into Jane’s reaction to Stuart. Not that Jane was going to get him.
Ninna had seen him first, after all. “So what did you think of Stuart?”
* * *
She was home. Troy ducked back around the corner of the small house, his jacket catching on the vinyl siding. Excitement sped through him as her shadow rippled on the other side of the thin curtains. She was in her bedroom, moving from one side of the room to the other. His imagination filled in the missing pieces. Those damn curtains were thicker than he wanted. Sheers would have been more convenient—for him. Damn, she was cute. Hot too.
He’d been here night after night, unable to help himself. Usually he didn’t work the same area consecutive nights, but the lure of seeing her had him changing his pattern. He knew better. He’d stayed free of jail all these years by being careful and smart.
A burst of anger set him off. She was making him stupid. The longer he stood there, the more his warring emotions fought with him. She fascinated him. At the same time, he was taking risks and making mistakes he shouldn’t.
If he got caught, it would be because of her.
Ignoring the dangers, he watched her shadow cross the room to her bed. She crawled under the covers and leaned up against the headboard. She was going to read.
Perfect. She did this every night.
He loved it when people followed the same pattern night after night.
It made his job so much easier.
* * *
Waking up in the middle of the night, Ninna wondered if the pizza had been a good idea after all. She stood up and raced to the bathroom.
Walking into her bedroom a few minutes later, she was uneasy. She realized the moon was hiding behind approaching storm clouds. Shivering at the gloomy night, she walked through her tiny house and double-checked the doors, windows and security system. All normal.
But it didn’t feel normal. She felt tuned to some elusive danger. She couldn’t quite place it, but something felt off and she knew one thing; there was no way she’d get back to sleep now. Grabbing a book, she propped herself against the headboard and started to read again.
But she couldn’t settle into the story. Perhaps a change of book. She looked toward her desk, piled high with others—then she froze.
A shadow fell across her bedroom window. She shuddered and watched it closely. This was the one thing she hated about the house. Her bedroom was on the ground floor. Living alone just added to her nervousness. The shadow never moved. She stared at it, swallowing hard. Should she turn her light off? Or would that be worse? Was someone watching her house, or were the shadows and trees and the moonlight playing tricks on her?
There was nothing funny about this.
Throwing back her bedding, she slipped across the room to peer out the corner of her window. The shadow was there, but she couldn’t see what created it. It moved suddenly, slipping around her house.
Her heart pounded and her stomach squeezed so tight she had trouble breathing. Oh God, please let it not be an intruder. She didn’t know how to scare him off. The rash of break-ins in her neighborhood had all happened while home owners were away. Maybe if she made some noise to let him know there was someone inside, he’d leave.
Making a decision, she turned on the back porch light and watched as the shadow slunk away. She followed it from window to window, moving through the house until she couldn’t see it anymore.
Whoever it was, had gone. As she dialed the police, shivers raced down her spine.
What if this guy came back?
* * *
The next morning before leaving for work, Ninna fought off her drowsiness with huge mugs of coffee. She needed another four hours of sleep, but had no chance of getting them. Her job was more important than sleeping.
Her arrival on the second day was easier. She was early and beat the crush she’d walked into the day before. She also entered through a different door. All of it helped to change her perspective and lessen her stress level. Coffee burbled as a fresh pot finished dripping. Grabbing a cupful, she headed to her desk, and almost smacked into Stuart.
He reached out and gently clasped her by the arms to steady her. “How are you feeling? Maybe you shouldn’t have come in today.”
Instead of stepping away, she leaned back slightly to look up into his face. What was he talking about? Her confusion must have shown, because he added, “After you ran out last night, Jane explained how you’d been feeling sick earlier.”
Oh she had, had she? Funny, Jane hadn’t told Ninna about that conversation and they’d covered the subject of Stuart pretty intensely. And Jane had explained she only stayed to check out Stuart—for Ninna’s sake. That was so Jane.
“I’m feeling much better. Still a little tired, though,” she added. Hopefully, that gave her an excuse for the bags under her eyes that no amount of makeup would cover.
“You take it easy today. If you start to feel unwell, consider leaving early.”
Ninna smiled. “Thanks for the sentiment, but I need this job. Sick or not.”
He frowned. “I understand. However, we don’t want anyone else getting sick, especially anyone working around the animals.”
Right. So his concern was for everyone else, not really for her. Figures. Still he was right. Sigh. She plastered a cheerful smile on her face. “No worries. I’m much better. Not contagious, I guarantee.” As he hadn’t dropped his hands, she stepped back and then headed around him to her desk.
Once there, she sat down and attempted to read through her training notes of the day before, which was not an easy thing to do as a continuous stream of animals arrived—on her side of the counter. Did everyone in this place bring their animals to work? Some employees arrived with dogs, one had a cat in a small basket, and someone had a parrot or something similar on his shoulder—now that guy was going to leave a mess.
“It’s okay, Ninna, we don’t do this every day,” Stacey said from behind her, startling her.
“Sorry, I didn’t hear you come in.” Ninna kept her hand to her chest, waiting for her heart to stop galloping inside. “What were you saying?”
“I was trying to explain the animals. Today is staff cli
nic day. Anyone who has a pet that needs to see a vet can bring it in free of charge. One of the benefits of working here. It happens once a month.” She grinned at Ninna. “Do you have a pet?”
Ninna chuckled as she finally understood what was happening around her. “No. I’ve thought about it, but hadn’t felt the need.”
“If you live alone, a dog can be a great companion, not to mention a wonderful guard dog.”
That reminded her of her shadowy visitor the previous night. “Maybe, you’re right,” she said slowly. “I have been nervous these last few nights. The recent break-ins in my neighbourhood have been kind of scary.”
“There you go.” Stacey walked toward her office. “If you decide that’s something you’d like to look into further, talk to Stuart. He’d be happy to help you decide on the perfect breed.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“Think about what?” Stuart walked toward her, a huge puppy in his arms. “Did you see this guy? He’s only three months old.”
Ninna’s gaze widened and she gasped in delighted horror. “What? He’s huge!”
“He’s a Newfoundland puppy. Belongs to one of our trainers.”
Ninna wanted to walk over and give the overgrown teddy bear a cuddle, only she wasn’t quite to that point…yet. “He’s gorgeous,” she whispered in delight from behind her desk. “So many animals today.”
“There always are lots. Today, though, they are also on your side of the counter.”
She smiled. Maybe she should get a dog, although she’d have to buy a bigger house for one like this baby. “Stacey explained why there are extra animals here today. She also suggested I speak with you about what kind of dog might be good for me, if I can even get comfortable enough with the idea to take that step.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Do you have any pets?”
When she shook her head, he frowned. “Then why a dog? Maybe a cat is better. They generally require less maintenance, don’t have to be taken out for walks, and can be left alone for longer periods of time.”
“I’m not sure what I want,” she admitted.
She still mulled it over when the basset hound walked around the corner in the company of a black lab. She eyed him carefully, glad she was sitting with the desk safely between them. He sat down on his wrinkly butt and grinned at her.
“A cat might be nice,” she said cautiously, never taking her eye off the dog staring at her.
The dog’s grin widened.
She shuddered and looked away.
“A cat can be great company if you’re a cat person. If you’re not, well, let’s just say that you shouldn’t go there.”
That brought a startled laugh out of her. “Then I guess I should put some more thought into it.”
“True. And consider that a dog has a function in your home. They can be great watchdogs. Look at all the break-ins in our neighborhood this last week. A dog might have prevented those.”
“Or the dog would have been injured by the intruders.” She’d feel terrible if that happened.
Stuart shook his head. “That’s why we’re such strong advocates of training here. True, if the intruders had a gun, a bullet is definitely going to do a lot of damage to a dog. But a good dog is going to do a lot of damage to an intruder, too. Often just the presence of a watchdog is enough to stop the intruder from even trying. Why bother? There are easier houses to go after.”
“So you’re saying they’re really a deterrent?” She got that, and after last night’s scare, she wouldn’t mind taking one home at the end of the day, for that reason alone. “I was afraid someone was watching my house last night.”
“Really? I thought I heard someone around the garage last night too, but after the initial noise alerted the dogs, I couldn’t hear anything but them. Needless to say, if there were an intruder, he didn’t stay around long.” He shifted the dog’s weight in his arms. Huge chocolate eyes peered up at him curiously, waiting for the jostling to be over.
She laughed. “He’s so content.”
“Nothing bothers this little guy. But he’s too big for you. A lab would be better. They make great family dogs. A small dog might be a good choice, too. They can be yappy, though.
“Right. More to think about. Do you do adoptions here?”
“Absolutely. Matching the right dog to the right person is important.” He started to walk back down the hallway. “When you get a moment, come to the back and see the various animals we have there.”
“I will.” She wasn’t sure she wanted a dog at this stage of her life. Why couldn’t she just borrow one for a while? See how that worked out first? She pondered that concept as she turned back to her work. Surely that was an option? Didn’t centers foster animals out?
“Yes we do,” Stuart answered, at the end of her work day when she finally managed to approach him with the question. “Usually, though, they’re animals with special needs and are matched to caregivers who have the time and love for them.”
He pointed at several cages behind her. “For example, the calico cat in the first cage…her front leg was badly damaged when she was brought in. We had to amputate it. Now she’s on the mend and will finish her recovery at a foster home. She’ll most likely go to Nancy, a retired nurse. When the wound has healed, the cat will be put up for adoption.”
“So I can’t ‘try out’ a dog?” She winced at the look Mosey gave her as he sidled past to a large cushion by the back door. “I know that probably sounds wrong, but I just don’t know that I’m going to like having a dog around.”
He stared at her thoughtfully. “I have a suggestion for you. I have to go away next weekend. Why don’t you look after my dogs? Even better, stay in the spare room. That way, you’ll have some idea of what to expect when living with them. Dogs are great company,” he added warmly. “Besides, you’d be doing me a huge favor.”
She sighed. “I’m a sad case, huh?”
A boyish grin split his face. “No, you’re cautious. That’s a good thing. We don’t want you adopting a dog and then finding out that the two of you aren’t a good fit.”
“So in a week and a half?”
“I’m leaving on the Friday. My brother had planned to help out, but he’s finishing up with contractors on my acreage and it would be inconvenient for him to stay in town then.”
“When are you coming back?”
“As early as I can on Sunday, probably noonish. In theory, you’d only be there for two nights. You can go back and forth to your house as you need to. I’d prefer you stay over instead of just coming back and forth to feed them. With as many animals as there are, they’ll be much calmer if they have someone with them all the time.”
She gave in. It was her fault, really. She’d asked and this had been his solution. It wasn’t a bad one, and it was for only a couple of days. Besides, she’d be helping him out. That would be a good thing—right?
Then he did it.
“As a thank you, I’d love to take you out for dinner after I get back. I know a great Thai restaurant downtown.” His wheedling tone made her grin. He sounded like a twelve-year-old boy trying to get his own way.
She relented, secretly delighted, but not wanting him to see how much she loved the idea of the date. Jane would laugh or if she’d been lying about her own lack of interest in Stuart—she’d be pissed. Still, Ninna knew Stuart wasn’t Jane’s type. “Fine, but you have to make a list of everything I have to do for the dogs. Make it so an eight-year-old could understand. I’ve never been around dogs, so I don’t know when they have to go for walks or anything.”
His face lit up. “No problem. I’ll make sure the instructions are easy enough the dogs could follow them.”
Shaking her head at her own stupidity for agreeing to dog sit, she walked out to her car. “Damn, what did I just do?”
Hot dog! We’re gonna have fun next weekend.
Ninna stopped and looked around.
Mosey lay on the grass beside a cherry-red Jeep with a roll bar i
nstead of a roof. So, Stuart drove a Jeep. Nice.
If you ask nice, he’ll take you for a ride.
“I’m not talking to you. Go away.” Determined not to pay attention, she continued walking to her blue Honda Civic.
Never again. Now that I’ve found you, I’m never going to give you any peace!
Chapter 4
Ninna managed to forget about the upcoming weekend for over a week. That had been made all the easier as the basset hound communication seemed to have stopped. It must have been the stress of the new job. It had taken a few days of looking over her shoulder and eyeing dogs a little warily, but finally she’d relaxed. She could do this. And maybe even enjoy it.
Then Friday rolled around, and her calm disappeared. Because it was today that she’d promised to help Stuart out. Damn it. Why had she decided to do this? An offer to help a friend was one thing. An offer to help a sexy, eligible guy was another thing. To deal with dogs, including a potential talking dog, now that was a different story altogether.
It was stupid, but she was working herself up into a real lather over looking after a few animals for a couple of days. How hard could it be? Feed them, change their water. She even considered staying in her house and just checking on them a couple of times. No biggie.
This was ridiculous. Just thinking about it turned her into a frazzled witch as the week wore on.
“Hey Ninna, have you finished updating the reports?” Stacey walked toward her desk with a large stack of papers in hand.
“Yes, but I haven’t printed them off yet.” Ninna got up to check that the printer had paper. “Do you need them right now?”
“No need, as long as I have them by the end of the day.” Stacey, with an already-on-to-the-next-problem look on her face, strode off, leaving Ninna wondering if everyone was having a bad day.
Of course they are. Budget cuts and grant deadlines. Human stuff.
Ninna stiffened. All week she’d managed to avoid the basset hound, keeping her head down and her mind closed. Not an easy feat. It was something she’d learned how to do years ago. Focus on one thing only. Don’t get sidetracked by non-essentials. She thought it had been working—until now.
