“Yep, most of them. I grew up here.” He gave her a smile that would have made her toes curl if they weren’t so numb still.
“No wonder you’re such a good swimmer.”
“I lifeguarded all through college so, it’s part of my resume really.” He returned to the kitchen but with a slight twist of her head, she could see him preparing the salad as he lit the grill on the stove top for the steaks.
“A Dr. Lifeguard, huh? I don’t know how I could have been luckier.” She eased back on the couch, the warmth of the fire and wine relaxing her.
He gave her another grin that nearly took her breath her way. “How long have you had Rufus?”
“Only a few weeks. After moving down here, I wanted to have a companion and I grew up with dogs. I missed them. So, when he came up on the rescue’s site, I jumped.”
“Moved?” He asked as he flipped the steaks.
“From Boston. My parents are thrilled. They say they’re going to retire here. But I don’t know how long I’ll stay. I just needed a change. Something different.” She sighed as she took another sip of wine.
He quirked a brow at her. “I never expected to stay here. Always thought I would leave. But it turns out I missed the ocean and the quiet. I love it here. So when a job came up, I took it. Restored this house and haven’t looked back.”
“I love your house. It has to be the warmest, coziest place I’ve ever seen.” Except your eyes, she thought and then nearly smacked herself. The wine was causing her to think crazy thoughts.
He pulled out a loaf of bread and started cutting. Then he pulled the first steak off and began cutting it up.
Grabbing a bowl from the open shelves, he dumped the contents in. “Can Rufus have this?”
She blinked twice, had he just prepared food for her dog? “Sure.” She blinked again as Rufus, hearing his name, got up and meandered back to the kitchen.
Caleb set down the bowl and she could hear her dog scarfing it down. No snuggle required. Rufus seemed completely at ease here. So was she, for that matter.
“Are you up for coming to the table for dinner?” He glanced at her.
Pulling herself off the couch she padded barefoot over to the table. Everything looked delicious and her stomach gave a noisy grumble that was beautifully covered by Rufus barking at the back door. “This looks amazing, but I’ll be right back. I need to take Rufus out. You know how it is, he eats, he goes.”
Caleb chuckled again, the gold flecks in his chocolate brown eyes sparkling while a dimple appeared on his cheek. Seriously, he couldn’t get any cuter.
“I’ll take him out. You’re not wearing shoes.”
Holy shit, he just got cuter.
Rufus wagged his stub of a tail and easily followed Caleb outside. Claire peeked through the window to watch Caleb give her dog several pets before Rufus took off into the shrubbery to take care of business. Shaking her head, she tried to piece this together. She was not looking for a man. She was running away from one.
She had dated Josh for two years. It had been so fun at first. Night clubs, bars, fancy dinners―but it had gotten old, and she begged him to spend a little time in. Quiet couple time together. He had grown distant, less available. Which in turn had made her work that much harder. That was, until, she popped into work one day to take him out to dinner. He was working late again so why not surprise him? It would be a nice break.
That was the thing. When she looked back on it, she had done a lot of that kind of stuff for him. But he never did them for her. She’d pick up his favorite food or choose a movie he’d like. She didn’t know why it had been so surprising when he found the selfish asshole banging his secretary on his desk.
She’d spent about six months thinking back on how little he gave to her. And all that time trying to avoid him, in a city that turned out, wasn’t that big. What she had decided was she needed a break from it all.
So she’d taken a job on the Cape and moved. Time alone. What she didn’t need was a man with a perfect house, and warm brown eyes doing all the things Josh never did.
CRAZY PUPPY LOVE
CHAPTER THREE
Caleb could sense the change the second he walked back in. She’d lost her relaxed posture and was standing straight and tall with wary eyes.
The problem was that it made her breasts jut out in the most delicious way, and without a bra, her nipples were making it really hard to ignore her breasts. So, he poured more wine and began serving the steak.
The thing was, he never did this with women. At least not since college. There had been a lot of tourist girls looking for a vacation date but he had grown weary of casual. When he went off to med school, there hadn’t been time. He had dated a few women since then but nothing serious.
A few curls came loose from the chopstick and floated around her face. He was dying to tuck them behind her ear. It had been a long time since any woman had made him this off balance. He wasn’t sure if it was her large blue eyes or the fact that she was being swept out to sea when he met her, but he was dying to cuddle her back against his side and hold her close. “So you said you needed a change of pace, a change from what?”
She looked up at him, wary still, and he could tell she was trying to figure out how much to say. “Same old story. I loved a guy but he didn’t love me nearly as much.”
“Ahhh, that is a tough one. Boston, did you say?”
“I could have stayed. But, I don’t know. I needed a change.”
“The Cape isn’t exactly a place for change. Nothing happens here all winter long.” He raised his eyebrows and then took a bite of his steak.
Her eyes lit, sparkling as a smile teased her lips. She was gorgeous. “That is perfect. I want some quiet time to reflect. Figure things out, you know?”
“I do.” He wanted some more time to figure her out. He was going to have to stall before she walked out of his door and out of his life.
They ate in companionable silence for a while, Rufus settling back down by the fire. He hopped up and added more logs to the fire, and as she started to protest, he waved is hand. “Rufus needs to be warm. He had a tough day too.”
***
Claire shook her head. When was the last time someone had worked so hard for her? She thought back to her last boyfriend and couldn’t think of a single time Josh had built a fire for her or cooked for her or taken care of her, let alone her dog. Shaking her head again, she tried to break out of this spell. It didn’t matter. She wasn’t going to get involved with anyone.
But she watched him stoke the fire, add more logs and pet Rufus. His broad shoulder flexing as he worked. Biting her lip, she tried to look away but his chocolate brown hair and tanned arms kept pulling her eyes toward him. Wild thoughts flitted across her mind. She could entertain the idea for just one night. Maybe it would even be good for her to break her fast, so to speak.
Caleb walked back to the table and her eyes were glued to him. He gave her a wink and sat back down. An ache that she hadn’t felt in a long time was growing inside her. It centered between her legs and radiated out.
They finished eating and Caleb swooped in to clean up the dishes. “Is it weird if I say I’m glad you got caught in the water today? This is has been really nice.”
“It has been nice. Though I don’t know if I’d go that far!” She giggled as she stood and her feet wobbled underneath her. How much wine had she had?
He laughed too. “Go sit by the fire. I’ll be right there.”
Sinking back into the leather couch, she sighed with contentment. A girl could get used to this. She tucked her feet under the blanket and reached down to pet Rufus who gave a satisfied gurgle. He loved it here too.
Caleb joined her on the couch and reached for one of her hands. “Let me see how warm you are.”
Producing a hand, she gave it over to his touch as he lightly massaged her fingers. It was a soothing warm touch, and as he moved to the other hand, she relaxed into the contact.
“Your hands feel
nice and warm. Now let’s check your feet.” He reached under the blanket and hooked her feet pulling them out and into his lap. It scooted her down into a semi laying position and Claire closed her eyes, enjoying the light massage immensely. Her body hummed and without realizing it, she nearly purred with contentment.
“Tomorrow, I’ll pencil you in for an appointment at five thirty, my last of the day. We reserve it for sick visits. I just want to check you over one last time and make sure you’re recovered. I’ll have a list of doctors for you too.”
“Mmmmmm.” She gave him a lazy smile, opening her eyes to find his warm melted chocolate ones assessing her rather intensely.
He leaned closer to her and her lips parted. She wanted him to kiss her. It came as a bit of shock. She hadn’t wanted that in such a long time. When she thought about it, she had grown quite ambivalent about Josh too but that seemed so wrong. His hand came out and gently brushed a curl off of her cheek. Inhaling at the light touch, her heart beat quickly and the ache she had experienced earlier intensified.
“Claire.” His voice was a husky whisper and she found herself sitting up to lean towards him.
“Yes.” Her voice matched his huskiness as she moved closer still.
“I just realized I haven’t seen you with car keys. Any idea where they might be?”
Her eyes nearly bulged out of her head. “Shit.” Her dulled senses came fully awake. “They were in my jeans.”
Caleb jumped off the couch and raced up the stairs. Claire heard the dryer shut off and the door open. She realized she was holding her breath. Rufus let out a snore. “You could pretend to be worried,” she grumped at him. He snored again.
He came down holding her jeans but his pinched face said it all. No keys. “You don’t have a spare set do you?”
“Back at my place.” She could kick herself. Buying the Jeep had been an indulgence of the new job after living in the city and she loved that car.
“Well, you don’t have shoes anyway, so I’ll drive you to get them and then we’ll come back so you can get your car.”
“I am a plague on you.” She nibbled her lip.
He came over, leaned down and quickly kissed the top of her head. It was super sweet and a few more of the walls she had been holding around her heart melted. Definitely puppy love. “I don’t mind helping you at all. Honestly, it has been one of the most interesting days I’ve had for a while. If it weren’t for your near drowning, I would call it fun.”
“Do you go around saving girls often?”
“Not since my lifeguard days.” He wiggled his eyebrows at her.
She released the lip she’d been chewing on to give a tiny giggle. He tossed her a pair of flip flops. “They’re five sizes too big but at least your feet won’t be bare.”
“Thanks.” A trickle of disappointment snaked through her. Except for the near drowning, it had been fun. And it had been a long time since anyone had given her so much help. She’d have to find a way to thank Caleb for all he had done.
Just off the kitchen was a small mudroom and through that, a garage. While there were two stalls, one car sat in the bay.
Claire called to Rufus and after three tries, he finally heaved himself from the fire and climbed into Caleb’s back seat. “You’re sure you don’t mind Rufus being in your car?”
“Are you kidding?” He closed the door behind her and then came around to the other side. “I love him. You said you just got him? How did that happen?”
“Well, a friend in Boston volunteers for a boxer rescue west of the city. He came through and she kept talking about how great he was but they couldn’t find him a home. It seemed like the perfect time to get a dog. I could give him a home and he could give me some companionship.”
“I still can’t believe you left your life in Boston for this. I love it because I was raised here but I understand it isn’t most people’s thing.” He glanced at her as he drove. “Where am I going?”
“Take a left on Six. It’s the first right.”
“Are you renting?”
“Yep.” She glanced at him.
“From John Hartford?”
“How did you know?” She partially turned in her seat to study his face.
“If you have any trouble, call me.” He gave her a brief glance before his eyes went back to the road, his grip tightening.
She mumbled, “Thanks.” But she doubted she would call. He’d helped her enough and she wouldn’t want to impose any more than she had.
“You were telling me about Boston.” He glanced at her again.
“I’m the one just up on the left.” She pointed towards her tiny cottage. “I went to Simmons College and my friends were the same ones from college. I love them but I’m tired of the clubs and bars, I guess. Every Friday and Saturday night. Josh too. It felt like we weren’t having a real relationship. We were just propping each other up at bars.” They were in her tiny drive and she was glad it was dark because she was blushing a little. “It sounds weird, I know. But I tried to make our relationship grow, but he just didn’t want to and I was tired of putting in so much effort and--” She was saying too much.
“I understand. I felt the same. I wanted something quieter but it’s deeper somehow. More time to decide who you really are. More quiet to reflect on what you want and more beauty to cleanse your spirit.” His voice was soft and deep, acting like a balm to her insecurities after revealing so much.
She stared at him. It was like he had read her thoughts. That is what she came here for to find a deeper meaning for her life besides a good time. And a dawning realization that she did want another relationship but one that gave as much as it took. With someone more like… Caleb.
“I should get my keys.” He cleared his throat.
“Sure,” she gave a smile to lighten the mood. “Rufus and I will wait here, won’t we boy.”
Rufus gave one of his boxer snorts and she reached back to pet him before she climbed out of the car.
She reached under the mat for her spare key and then unlocked the door. Grabbing her extra keys from the ring, she slipped off his flip flops and put on a pair of ballet flats near the door. She locked the door and started jogging towards his car through the headlights. It wasn’t until she looked down that she realized she wasn’t wearing a bra. She wasn’t huge but she wasn’t tiny either. Josh had once commented that she had a perfect rack. It was so like him to be so crass. The night air was cool and her nipples were standing taut against the thin fabric.
Caleb looked at her and his hands clenched the steering wheel. He cleared his throat and then cleared it again. “Get your keys?” he asked, his voice strained.
Claire pulled her lips together to keep from smiling. He had noticed but was desperately trying not to look. She could tell, just like it was obvious that he was attracted to her though he had been a perfect gentleman while she had been in a rather compromising position.
“I did, thanks.”
Coughing and staring out the windshield, he handed her a rectangle of cardstock. “It has my office address. Pop by at five thirty and I’ll just check your heart rate and blood pressure and give you some names for possible physicians.”
“Thanks. And Caleb, thanks for helping me today. I don’t want to think what might have happened if you hadn’t been there and you’ve been so kind to me. I’m not sure how I can repay you--”
“Say that you’ll have dinner with me after the appointment.”
She gave him an assessing glance. She didn’t want to date but under the circumstances, how could she say no? “Is there some way we could bring Rufus? He gets anxious when I’m gone too long.”
“How about pizza takeout? There’s a great place right in Truro.”
Biting her lip, she tried to formulate an answer. She shouldn’t go to his house again but he was breaking down her defenses “I’m not saying no but I told you about Josh and I don’t know if I’m ready…”
“We’re just hanging out. Friends. I promise to
send you packing at nine sharp.”
Before she thought anymore, she heard herself saying, “OK, that’d be great.”
He put the car in reverse and pulled out. Rufus gave another snore from the back seat. “I love that dog.” He reached back to give him a pet before putting the car in drive.
She grinned. She loved him too but, if she were honest, Rufus seemed more relaxed than any other time she had had him. She thought Rufus might love Caleb too.
It only took them a few minutes to arrive back at the Herring Cove parking lot. Down the beach, Claire saw the small twinkles of Caleb’s lights. His home was so much more welcoming than hers.
“I like your Jeep.” He was craning his neck to get a better view.
She grinned at him. “Thanks, I love it. I still can’t believe I bought it. I mean a needed a car but… It’s one of the reasons I ended up renting the place I did, I may have overspent.”
“Well, it’s hard to resist a car like that.” His eyes twinkled in the lights of dashboard. “Go start it up, I’ll get Rufus.”
The car started easily and Caleb came around the passenger side with Rufus begrudgingly in tow. It was a simple gesture, putting her dog in the car but it made him so… irresistible. She had the intense urge to press her lips to his. “Thanks again. I’ll see you tomorrow?”
“You bet.” He leaned in, and for a split second, she imagined he was going to do just that but then he gave her a peck on the cheek. “Tomorrow.”
CRAZY PUPPY LOVE
CHAPTER FOUR
Claire got back to her place and plopped on the couch. Her mind was turning. She had barely spoken to her friends since moving, she missed them. Not living in Boston, or bar hopping, but girl talk. Picking up her phone, she dialed her friend Rebecca.
“Hello,” a breathless voice answered.
“Bec? It’s Claire.”
“Claire,” she squealed. “We miss you so much! Are you moving back yet? Has the Cape lulled you into a coma?”
Crazy Puppy Love: Chance Romance with a Canine Helper! Page 2
