by Debra Kayn
***
Gregg thrust the weights he’d been bench pressing up onto the rack and let his arms fall to the sides, stretching his pectoral muscles. Groaning, he sat up, caught sight of the supplies stacked in his garage, and heaved a sigh. The proof of his love for Amber sat unused and unacknowledged. It seemed everywhere he went, someone or something reminded him of what he’d lost the moment he’d tried to help Amber.
He removed his soaked t-shirt and tossed it across the garage. He’d sent flowers twice, called every day, and gone out of his way to talk with her more times than he wanted to admit, and she still wouldn’t give him the time of day. Yesterday about killed him, seeing the realtor’s for sale sign in her front yard.
He stalked into the kitchen, grabbed a bottle of beer, and snapped off the lid. He had to come up with a different plan. Maybe he was trying too hard.
Nah. He loved her. He couldn’t just let her walk away without giving a damn.
“Woof.”
Carrying the beer outside, he walked outside and gazed out at the beach. Frowning, he stepped out farther along the dune. There wasn’t a soul on the beach.
“Woof.”
Gregg cocked his head and turned. A familiar shaggy head popped out of the tall grass to the left of him. He whistled. The dog bounded onto the sand, running as fast as his legs could carry him.
Squatting down, Gregg smiled. “Come here, Buster. Come here.”
The dog tackled him, and he reached out to keep from falling backward. He leaned back to keep Buster’s tongue from licking his face.
“Where’s your owner, huh?” He scratched the dog behind the ears. “Did you run away?”
“Woof.”
He worked his fingers in the thick fur at Buster’s neck. “You don’t even have your collar on. How about we go inside and see if we can find your owner’s phone number, huh?”
He shut the sliding door and stared at Buster. A slow smile curved the corners of his mouth. This is perfect.
“Oh Buster, you are a damn good dog. When this is over, I’m going to buy you more doggy toys than you’ve ever seen in your life.”
Chapter Fifteen
Amber opened the door and the telephone rang. She paused at the threshold and pursed her lips. She wanted to go to Gregg’s right now and tell him what a fool she’d been.
The phone kept ringing.
This better not be her dad. She tossed her purse onto the chair, stepped across the kitchen, and picked up the phone. “Hello?”
“Amber, I have—”
“Gregg! I was just—”
“No, you have to listen—”
“But, Gregg, I want—”
“It’s about Buster.”
She closed her eyes. “What about Buster?”
“I think he ran away from home. He showed up at my house without his collar on, and I didn’t know who else to call but you.
“Is he OK?”
“He’s fine. Do you think you can come over and pick him up and take him home?” A dog barked in the background.
“Sure. Keep him inside so he doesn’t run away again. I’ll call Pete and let him know where Buster is.” She reached for the folder with all her old client information in it and swallowed.” Gregg?”
“Yeah?”
She squeezed her eyes shut. Now wasn’t the time to confess her love. “Never mind. I’ll see you in about twenty minutes.”
She pushed the on-off button twice and dialed Pete’s number. Come on, come on...
“Hello?”
“Pete, this is Amber Bailey. Chief McKee found Buster and is keeping him at his house until I can get over there and pick him up.”
“Oh thank God, I’ve been searching all over for him. I’d taken him with me jogging at the beach and he slipped out of his collar. I yelled and ran after him, but you know how fast that dog is.” Pete blew out his breath. “I just came back to the house to check if he ran home, and I didn’t know where else to look.”
“Well, he’s safe and sound. I’ll bring him to you.” She pushed the folder back beside the phone charger. “Listen Pete, is it okay if I bring him back in an hour or two? I need to talk with Gregg...”
“Sure. No problem. I’m just glad he was found. He’ll be happy to see you. Thanks for calling me, and...good luck with Gregg.”
She laughed. “Thanks. I’ll see you later.”
***
Buster sat at Gregg’s feet and whined. He patted the couch cushion beside him, but the dog just stared at him with his mouth open. What are you trying to tell me, Buster?
“Woof.”
“You can come up.” Gregg thumped his chest with the flat of his hand. “Come, Buster.”
The dog jumped up and laid half on his lap with his lower half sprawled out on the couch. Gregg rubbed Buster’s back. “She’s trained you well, hasn’t she?”
“Woof.”
He chuckled. “If I didn’t know better, I’d almost believe Amber’s opinion that you understand what I’m talking about.”
Buster cocked his head to the left and then to the right.
“Tell me, buddy. Is Amber going to forgive me? Will I have the chance to explain why I had to do it and show her how I’d planned to make things right?”
“Woof.”
Gregg inhaled swiftly. “I hope you’re right.”
“Woof.”
“I love her.”
“Woof.”
“I know you love her too.”
A loud knock brought Buster scrambling off the couch. Gregg stood, ran his hands over his face, and followed his new friend to the door. Please let her stay long enough to listen.
Bending down, he threw his arm around Buster’s neck and opened the door. His gut tightened. The sweet scent of her blew in with the wind.
“Hi.” She stepped inside the house.
He shut the door, let go of Buster, and stood up. “Thanks for coming over.”
“Actually, I—I was on my way here.” She pinched the base of her neck. “I mean, I wanted to talk with you, and I was going out the door to come here when the phone rang.” She glanced down at Buster, smiled, and reached out to rub the fur on Buster’s neck. “Hey Buster boy, still getting into trouble I see.”
Greg stepped closer, positive that she could hear the way his heart pounded in his chest. “Amber...I’m so sorry—”
“Stop. None of this is your fault.” Taking his hand, she held it to her cheek. “God, Gregg. I wanted so much to show not only my relatives, but you, how responsible I was and that I could handle everything. I shut out the one person who mattered the most because I was too stubborn to listen. I pushed you away from me, instead of hanging on to you.”
He stared down into her face. “It killed me to think I lost you. You must know that.”
Amber nodded. “I know.” She inhaled deeply. “One of the things I love about you is your level of commitment you put in everything you do. You love your work, and you take it seriously. You need to make decisions that keep people safe, your men safe.” She shook her head. “I always knew that and never faulted you for doing your job. I even admired those strengths, because I lack those skills. What upset me was finding out my father contacted you, and you didn’t tell me. It felt like you purposely hid it from me.”
“That wasn’t my intention, although looking back, I know I could have handled it differently. I was afraid of losing you, and in my head, I had it all figured out, down to the smallest details, except I had no idea you’d deny my help when time was running out for you.” He ran his finger down the side of her cheek.
“I don’t understand. What plan?” She laid her hand on his.
“Follow me. I want to show you something.” He led her out to the garage.
A stack of boxes and piles of lumber sat in the corner of the room. He shoved his hands in his pockets. He had to make sure this wasn’t some wild whim of hers, and tomorrow, she’d change her mind.
“I bought these the same week I received the fax f
rom your dad. I had remembered you telling me that you had to work out something on your own, it had to do with your business, and you were afraid you’d have to move out of Port View. I figured out the magnitude of the business application worried you, and you were trying to save money.” He stepped forward and slapped his hand on the nearest box. “This is a complete sprinkler set up.” Moving down the row, he pulled out a fire extinguisher. “There are two of them, one for the kitchen and for the front room.”
“Gregg—”
“This lumber is for the new fence I’d planned to build for you. It’ll be tall and sturdy enough to keep any size animal inside the yard, plus leave your place attractive to the neighborhood.” He walked back over to Amber and placed his hands on her shoulders. “Afterward, I was going to talk you into moving in with me.”
Amber’s brows rose and her jaw dropped.
“I don’t want you to go anywhere. I meant it when I said I was here to help you. I love you. I know because of the way you were raised just hearing those words makes you more determined to do things on your own, but that’s not how I want my relationship to work. My problems are yours, and vice versa.” He stepped back and lowered his hands. “But, you have to realize that freezing me out...running away from your problems ends now. I won’t tolerate that when it comes between our love for one another. Most of all, I’m not your parent, I’m the man who loves you. Letting me help you doesn’t mean you didn’t do everything on your own. Live life for you, sweetheart. Not for your family, not to make a name for yourself, and definitely not for me. What does Amber Bailey, pet daycare owner, want to do?”
She didn’t move a muscle. Just stared up at him with tears rolling down her cheeks. He wanted to reach out and comfort her, but the decision was hers. She’d either commit to the relationship or walk out of his life.
“I love you.” She wrapped her arms around her waist. “I was miserable without you.”
“But do you want me?” He fisted his hands inside his pockets. “Can you handle me trying to fix all your problems, being too stubborn, and having to run out at the most inappropriate times on emergency calls? Can you believe in me?”
“Woof.”
Buster pushed at the back of Amber’s legs and she fell into Gregg’s arms.
“You know, that dog really can understand us,” he said.
She laughed through her tears. “Yes to everything. I do believe in us. I love you.”
He picked her up and captured her mouth with his. The salt from her tears, the heat from her love, and the passion of the moment could be tasted in the kiss. He never wanted to let her go.
“I love you too, sweetheart.” He carried her back into the house.
“Woof. Woof.”
“Yes, Buster. I love you too. Thanks for bringing Amber back to me.”
Chapter Sixteen
Buster, Max, Shadow, and the new dog, Lucky, scrambled after the tennis ball Amber held in her hand. She stepped over to let Cleo out of the cage while the dogs were distracted. It was nice to be able to trust the cat to stay in the newly fenced yard Gregg built, and she finally learned how to climb down the trees in the yard by herself.
“Amber, it looks like Ditto is asleep. Do I cover his cage with the sheet?” Kristy stood in the doorway of Aunt Grace’s house.
“Yes. Thanks Kristy.” She dug four dog treats out of her pocket and held her hand up. “Sit.”
One after another, the dogs sat back on their haunches with their noses in the air. A burst of success warmed her against the autumn chill in the air. “You guys are so good. Yes, you are. Very good doggies.” She flipped each one a treat, except for Shadow, who’d miss the catch and leave Buster to steal it once it hit the ground. Leaning down, she let Shadow eat his out of her hand.
“’Pretty soon you’ll have them mowing the lawn and hanging up laundry.” Mrs. Parker laughed from the other side of the fence.
“Good afternoon, Mrs. Parker.” Amber picked up another ball, gave it a toss to the other side of the yard, and moved over to the fence. “They’re smart dogs, and they have such fun together.”
Mrs. Parker ambled down the sidewalk and nodded. “You’ve made quite a name for yourself, missy.”
Amber glanced over to the front of the house. A wooden sign with Bailey Pet Daycare written in big block letters hung over the door. She turned back to Mrs. Parker and grinned. “I’ve had to turn my first customer away this week. It helped when I hired Kristy to work for me, but the city wants one worker for every three animals I care for. One more animal would push me over the limit. I think sometimes animal laws are stricter than human daycare regulations in Port View.”
“Hm...” Mrs. Parker tapped the fence with her hand. “I’ll work for you.”
Amber’s brows lifted. “You?”
“Why not? I’m not too old to watch a bunch of well-behaved animals. Hell, you’ve practically got them using silverware at lunchtime. In fact, I can mention the job down at the senior citizen hall. I bet we can set up a volunteer schedule, and one of us can help you each day of the week.” Mrs. Parker laughed. “Seniors and animals, that’s a good combination. Very therapeutic, I hear.”
Amber leaned over the fence and gave her friend a hug. “Mrs. Parker, you are the best. I’ll take you up on that offer.”
“What offer?” Kristy joined Amber in the yard.
“Mrs. Parker is going to work at Bailey’s Pet Daycare.” She nodded. “We’re going to start a volunteer program at the senior center for those who’d like to come over and donate time helping the animals. I think it will work out perfectly.”
“That’s terrific. Plus, I’m selfish, and I love the fact that Matt will have some surrogate grandparents around when he gets out of school every afternoon.” Kristy hugged both the women.
“I can’t wait to tell Gregg.” Amber laughed. “It’s also a good thing I moved over to his house and expanded each of the rooms in the house into separate areas for the animals. We’ll be able to take care of a lot more animals. Who knows? Maybe I’ll start chains of pet daycares all over the state.”
“Look at the dogs.” Mrs. Parker pointed.
All the dogs stood with their front paws against the fence sniffing the air. Amber cocked her head and stepped toward them to see what the problem was when the faint sound of sirens reached her. “That sounds like the fire truck.”
She called the dogs to her side and stood with her hand shielding her eyes. The fire engine turned down the street and headed her way. She looked back at the house. No smoke billowed out.
“Wonder what’s going on. I don’t smell smoke.” Kristy kneeled down with the dogs and petted them to keep them calm.
“I don’t know, but this time, it wasn’t something I did.” She swallowed. “Shoot. They’re pulling up in front of the house.” Walking back toward the gate, she spotted Gregg in the driver’s seat.
Gregg shut the sirens off, opened the door, and climbed down. Amber licked her lips. That was strange. He was in his dress uniform.
One of his men jumped off the back of the truck, grinned at Amber, and handed a box over to Greg before hurrying back on top of the engine.
“Greg, what’s going on? I know Mrs. Parker didn’t call the fire department this time.” She opened the gate and let him through. He carried a large box into the yard. “What’s in the box? Did the new leashes I ordered last week come in? I had them delivered to your house, because the delivery service has a habit of coming after five o’clock.”
He appeared so serious, her breath caught. She laid her hand on her chest. “Please don’t tell me I broke another code.”
Gregg bent over and placed the box on the ground. It moved and a tiny yip came from inside. The other dogs rushed over and sniffed the box, their tails wagging.
“Back, dogs. Sit.” Amber held her finger up above their heads and turned to Gregg. “What is it?”
“A present for you. I thought you might like to have a dog at the house with you at night when I’m
working, and during the day I can take her to work with me. That’s after you train her.” He stood back clutching his dress hat in his hands.
She broke out in a smile. “My own dog? Oh Gregg, I’ve never had my own dog, just other people’s dogs.” She kneeled down and carefully flipped back the lid. Cooing, she pulled out the most adorable Dalmatian puppy with one little spot on its nose and two spots on its back.
“The lady I bought her from said she’ll develop more spots as she gets older.” Gregg reached out and petted the pup.
“What’s her name?” She held the dog up and smooched its nose. “Oh, you are so sweet and pretty.”
“I believe her name is on her tag.”
Amber held the dog in the crook of one arm, and turned the collar around. “Her name is...Will you marry me?”
She lifted her head, her mouth dropped open, and she flew into Gregg’s arms. With the dog cuddled in between them, she kissed the man she loved with all her heart. She sobbed against his lips. Happy tears ran down her cheeks. “Oh God, Gregg. Yes, I’ll marry you.”
He cleared his throat. “I love when you say that.”
“What’d she say, Chief?” Sam stood on the top of the fire truck with the other four firefighters, trying to see what was happening.
Amber turned around smiling and wrapped her arm around Gregg’s waist. This is what she’d always wanted. Someone who supported her ambitions, loved her with every piece of his soul, and made her feel special.
“She said yes!” Gregg leaned over and gave her another kiss.
Kristy screamed and ran over to give Amber a hug. The other firefighters jumped off the truck to give the newly engaged couple their congratulations, and even Mrs. Parker walked over to give Gregg a stern lecture about taking his sweet time.
Amber gazed up at Gregg, trying to absorb the fact that this gorgeous, ultra responsible fire chief was going to marry her amid all the excitement. Her, a misfit pet sitter. She smiled and wiped her cheeks. She’d finally found success in life, and it came pretty damn easy once she opened her heart to the matter.
