by Kate Kinsley
Garth slowly got to his feet. “You didn’t have to do that. Let me pay you for it.”
She shook her head adamantly as she handed the bag and bed to Mike when he’d reached out for them. “Nope. Consider it a welcome home gift, since you don’t seem like the type of guy who would want a plant or bouquet of flowers.”
He smirked. “I’d probably kill the plant with my black thumb, and flowers give me hay fever, so the bed works. Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. Oh, by the way, before I forget—I wanted to tell you that the bookstore at the other end of the building is going to be closing. The owner is moving to Florida to be with family. Anyway, I thought you might want to look at it for your café. If you want, I can walk you down there and introduce you to Harry, the owner. The place hasn’t been listed yet, so no one else is looking at it.”
He glanced at Mike, then turned back to Chloe. “Um, that’s sounds great. I’d love to see it, but do you mind if we do it tomorrow? I haven’t even been home yet.”
Her pretty hazel eyes widened as a blush stole across her cheeks. “Oh, I’m sorry! I didn’t even think about that. You must be exhausted after the long flight.”
“No worries. But I would love to see the place. Will you have time to introduce me to the owner tomorrow?”
“Absolutely. Just . . . um, call me in the morning and let me know what time you’ll be here. If it’s okay with you, I’ll let Harry know we’ll be stopping by.”
Garth smiled. “That’s fine. And thanks for thinking it might be a good place for the café.”
Her blush deepened for some reason. “Of course!” Squatting, she gave Roscoe a hug. “I’m going to miss you tonight, big guy. But I think with your daddy home, you won’t miss me much at all.”
The dog licked her face, and Garth had a feeling Roscoe would miss his foster mom more than she thought.
As she got to her feet again, she handed Garth the leash. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow then. And . . . and I’m glad you’re home.”
He couldn’t help himself. Leaning toward her, he kissed her cheek. “Thank you.”
Chapter Five
The next morning, Chloe was tired but looking forward to, hopefully, seeing Garth again. She wasn’t sure if her lack of sleep had been because she missed Roscoe’s snoring, or if she’d had his daddy too much on her mind.
She couldn’t believe she’d walked right up and hugged the man yesterday, but when his one arm had held her closer to him, she’d practically melted on the spot. Never, in all her years of dating, had any man felt so . . . perfect against her. It was like they were two pieces of a puzzle that fit when no others would. She’d been afraid he would notice how her heart rate had sped up at his touch, but if he did, it hadn’t shown.
He’d looked amazing in his uniform, and the cane hadn’t detracted her attention from his amazing body. Even after being in the hospital for six weeks and undergoing hip surgery, the muscles of his upper body were still evident under his clothing. There had been a five-o’clock shadow along his jawline and full upper lip, making her wonder what it would feel like if she’d stroked it with her hand. And when he’d kissed her goodbye on the cheek, it’d taken everything in her not to swoon and faint like a Victorian damsel.
Ugh. She had it bad. Was it possible to fall for a guy when most of your interactions with him had taken place online? She guessed it was possible. Look at all the couples who’d met through dating sites.
After letting Pepper out to do her business in the backyard, Chloe turned on her coffee maker and filled the dog’s food and water bowls. Today would be a repeat of yesterday—trying to decide what to wear, blowing out her hair, and putting on a little more makeup than usual. If Garth did come by to let her introduce him to Harry, then she wanted to look nice.
An hour later, she walked into the shop with Pepper, happy with the look she’d thrown together. Only one person had beaten her there this morning, and that was her groomer, Ashley Haynes, and from the looks of things, the woman had only gotten in a few minutes ago. She was standing behind the counter, perusing the day’s schedule, and glanced up when the bell rang announcing Chloe’s arrival. “Hey, you. Hey, Pepper girl.” The dog trotted through the open door next to the desk and ran right to Ashley to get her good-morning ear scratch. “That’s my girl. Now, tell me, why your momma’s all dolled up again today.”
Chloe frowned as she followed the dog’s path and entered the reception area. “I’m not all dolled up.”
“I’ve known you for seven years now, sweetie, and you’re definitely dolled up. So, does that mean you’ll be seeing your handsome soldier again today?”
She knew better than to lie—Ashley had been born with an accurate bullshit meter. “Yes, I’m hoping he’ll be back today, but only because I want to introduce him to Harry and show him that the store could be ideal for the café he wants to open.”
“Uh-huh? You could’ve done that in a Playhouse T-shirt and old jeans—your usual work uniform. But, instead, you’re wearing that blouse that you know brings out the green in your eyes, nice black pants that fit like a glove and will probably be covered in dog hair within the hour, makeup, and . . .” She sniffed the air. “You’ve got on perfume again. Yup, nothing there that would get his attention.”
“Your sarcasm needs work.”
“Oh, I doubt it.”
Chloe sighed and leaned against the desk. “Okay, so sue me. I like him. A lot.”
Crossing her arms, Ashley stared at her. “Why do you say that like there’s something wrong with liking him?”
“Because what if it’s one-sided. What if he just wants to be friends? Or doesn’t even think of me as a friend—just the woman who watched his dog for eight months?”
Before her friend could respond, the phone on the desk rang, and Ashley picked it up and answered it. “Pepper’s Playhouse, how can I help you?” Her gaze shifted to Chloe. “Yes, she’s here. Who shall I say is calling?” There was a pause, and then Ashley grinned like a loon. “Oh, hi, Staff Sergeant Andrews. Yes, she’s right here.”
Holding out the cordless phone to Chloe, she winked at her. Pursing her lips, Chloe snatched the phone and made a shooing motion with her hand. Ashley shook her head and left the office. Taking a cleansing breath, Chloe let it out and then put the phone to her ear. “Hi, Garth?”
“Yeah, hey. Sorry if I called too early, but the more I thought about the shop you wanted to show me, the more I excited I got to come see it.”
“Great! I spoke to Harry yesterday after you left, and he said to come by any time after ten, which is when he usually opens. Even though he’s closing, he has to clear out the inventory before he can shut down completely, so he said it would be about a month before you could get in there to start renovating. Is that okay?”
Before he answered, she heard a bark come over the line. “Roscoe, quiet. I’ll feed you in a minute. Sorry about that, Chloe.” She felt a shiver down her spine at the way her name rolled off his tongue. It sounded wonderful and sexy. “Um, yeah, that would be fine. With my PT and dealing with all the stuff that goes into getting my discharge, I wouldn’t be able to do anything with it for at least a month anyway. Okay, so I’ll see you around ten then. Can I bring you some coffee—the really good kind?”
She couldn’t help but tease him a little. “Is it one of those classy coffees you told me about? The ones that earned you the coffee snob nickname from your friends?”
He chuckled. “Yup. You can tell me if you think the everyday locals will like the high-octane stuff.”
“Sounds great. I’ll see you at ten.”
“Perfect. See you in a bit.”
When she hung up the phone, she glanced at the clock and was disappointed to realize it would be three and a half hours before she’d see him again. Damn.
Well, he had over three hours to kill before he could see Chloe again. The only thing Garth had to do before then was make an appointment to see the orthopedist on base as soon as possible. Af
ter an exam, the doctor would give him a prescription to continue his physical therapy.
Leaning against the kitchen counter while Roscoe wolfed down his food, Garth debated whether to crash on the couch for a bit and try to get two more hours of sleep. After picking up Roscoe yesterday, they’d gone straight to his house where he’d gotten another welcome home celebration courtesy of Mrs. Schofield. Since it was spring break, she’d been off from work and had spent the day before cleaning and airing out the cottage. She’d put clean sheets on his bed for him and had filled his refrigerator and cabinets with food. As he’d expected, she’d refused his offer to pay her back, so when his hip allowed, he’d find things he could do or fix around the house and property for her. It was a silent arrangement that’d developed between the two of them over the years whenever he’d gotten deployed or been on a training gig that’d taken him out of town for an extended period.
Roscoe let out a loud burp, which alerted Garth to the fact the food bowl was empty. He shook his head. “Some things never change, huh, buddy?”
When he got no response from the dog, Garth glanced at his watch. His internal clock was all screwed up and he was still on German time. According to his body, it was two in the afternoon instead of six thirty in the morning.
Yesterday, after Mike had left, Garth had chatted with Mrs. Schofield for a while before she’d ordered him to get some sleep. He hadn’t argued with her since he could barely keep his eyes open. He’d slept for about six hours before Roscoe had woken him up to be let out to do his business. Once that had been done, Garth had fed the dog and reheated one of the meals his landlord had made and left for him. After an hour or so of watching TV, he’d gone back to bed for another few hours until a little after 0300. He’d been awake ever since with the TV on low and a pen and notebook in hand as he made a list of all the things he wanted to ask the bookstore owner when they met.
He’d taken a chance calling Chloe’s business so early in the morning, but she’d told him she usually got in a half hour before they opened. Many of her daycare clients started dropping their dogs off at seven. If they wanted their dogs picked up by a Pepper’s Playhouse employee, who drove a converted mini school bus, that could be arranged as well. Chloe had bought the vehicle at an auction, removed the seats and replaced them with secured kennels, and had the yellow exterior repainted white with her logo and phone number on it. The woman had a successful business, and he was sure her attention to detail and the needs of her clients were what had made it work for her. Maybe he could ask her to suggest a few things—like where to get a sign made, where the best places to advertise were, and all the other little things he hadn’t had a chance to look into yet.
Roscoe sat in front of him and gave him a look that said, “Okay, Dad, what’s next?”
Instead of hitting the couch for a nap, Garth picked up the dog’s leash. “How about a little PT, buddy? I can’t run like we used to, but a walk around the block should do us both good. Whattaya say?”
An emphatic woof was his answer.
Chapter Six
At ten on the nose, Garth entered Pepper’s Playhouse, with his cane in one hand and Roscoe’s leash and a cup of coffee in the other. “Hi, Chloe.”
Smiling, she came out from behind the reception desk, with Pepper on her heels. The two dogs greeted each other with enthusiasm as Chloe said to Garth, “Good morning. You look well rested today.”
When he held out the coffee cup to her, she took it. “Yeah, it felt good to be back in my own bed, without all the hospital sounds, and with Roscoe snoring next to me.”
She laughed. “I kind of missed that last night, myself. When I first started taking him home with me, it took a few nights to get used to it, but then I found it soothing.”
“Same here.” He gestured toward the cup he’d given her. “Take a sip and tell me what you think.”
She did as requested, and when the rich, full-bodied brew hit her taste buds, her eyes widened and she moaned in delight. “Oh my God, that’s delicious! What brand is this?”
“Black Rifle Coffee. It’s a veteran owned company out of Tennessee and Utah. That’s their Freedom Roast which is a medium roast. I prefer their Murdered Out Extra Dark Roast but wasn’t sure if that would be too strong for you.”
After taking another heavenly sip, she shook her head. “Yeah, it probably would be too strong. This is perfect though—just the way I like it.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “Wait a minute. You put one Splenda and a splash of French Vanilla creamer in here didn’t you? How did you know that’s what I use?”
A shy grin spread across his handsome face. “During one of our Skype sessions, after I first got the tablet in the hospital, I asked how you took your coffee. I guess you don’t remember that.”
“But you did?” she asked incredulously. The man could recall her answer to a single question from about a month ago. Wow. Some of the guys she’d dated in the past couldn’t remember what she’d said five minutes earlier.
“What can I say? Conversations about coffee stick in my head.”
“Obviously. Well, now that I have my caffeine, thanks to you, why don’t I put Roscoe and Pepper in the play yard outside and then I’ll take you down to meet Harry.”
He handed over the dog’s leash. “Sounds good. I’m excited to see the place in person. I looked it up on the internet last night and browsed through the photos he has on his website.”
“You’re going to love it in person.” She held out her coffee. “Can you hold that for a minute? But make sure there’s some left when I get back.”
He chuckled. “You have my word—I won’t even take a sip.”
A few minutes later, the dogs were behind the building, having fun, while Chloe strolled beside Garth on the sidewalk, outside the three stores separating hers from Harry’s. She hadn’t needed to adjust her stride to match his. “You’re walking well, considering the surgery was only a few weeks ago.”
“I’m getting there. I was so glad they told me I could ditch the walker for the cane. Hopefully, I can get rid of that soon too. I have an appointment with the orthopedist on base tomorrow and should be starting PT again by the end of the week. The surgeon said I was healing fast since I’d already been in good shape. If this is fast, I’d hate to see how long it takes for someone twice my age.”
“My aunt had her hip replaced two years ago, after she fell and broke it. She was never the same after that and passed away last September.”
“Sorry for your loss.”
“Thanks, but we weren’t really close. She was my mom’s sister, and they’d had a falling out when I was a teen, so I’d barely seen her since then. Although, surprisingly, I am close to my cousin. We stayed in touch even though our mothers didn’t.” She wasn’t sure why she’d told him all that, other than the fact he was easy to talk to. He always seemed interested in what she said and never interrupted her or made her feel like she was boring him.
Coming to a stop in front of the door to the bookshop, she pulled on the handle and let Garth hold the door open for her when he grabbed the side of it. He then followed her inside. There wasn’t anyone in sight, so she called out, “Harry, are you here? It’s Chloe.”
“I’ll be right out,” his strong voice responded from somewhere in the back were the storeroom was located.
It was clear Harry had already begun getting rid of some of his inventory. There were several boxes, in various states of being filled, in a row next to the checkout counter, and some of the shelves on a few bookcases were completely empty. Chloe watched as Garth looked around, taking in his surroundings. She couldn’t tell if he liked what he saw or not, though. Not wanting to push him into something he didn’t want, she waited for Harry to join them.
Garth was so damn nervous, and he had no idea why. It wasn’t like he’d never been on a first date before. But, then again, it’d been a long time since he’d become friends with a woman before asking her out.
After meeting Harry, getting a to
ur of the shop, and asking the three dozen or so questions he’d written down, Garth had come to the same conclusion Chloe had—the bookstore was perfect for his café. The older man had told him the landlord had already agreed to charge his new tenant the same rent, which had been surprisingly reasonable. Harry was also willing to leave Garth some of the fixtures he’d installed over the years—including several of the mahogany bookcases. Harry and Chloe had loved his idea of keeping some shelves up to sell books written by local indie authors. The shop already had a section dedicated to them, and the store owner said he would pass on the word to those authors that their books would still be available to Garth’s customers.
In his mind, he’d mapped out exactly how he wanted to set things up, and he was so excited to get the ball rolling. With Harry’s and Chloe’s help, he’d added to his list of things he’d need to do to get started. Harry had also put him in contact with the building’s landlord, who’d been glad to hear there was already someone willing to move in after the former tenant moved out.
Assuring him her employees could run things and knew where she was if they needed her, Garth had been happy she’d stayed with him for two reasons. One, she had some great ideas for his café, and two, he really liked her. In fact, after an hour and a half of talking with Harry, during their walk back to her end of the strip mall, he’d asked her to dinner tonight, and, be still his heart, she’d quickly excepted. He hadn’t even needed to pretend it was a thank you for all she’d done for him, even if that was a part of why he’d extended the invitation.
That evening, he stood in his bedroom, trying to find something to wear that didn’t look or smell like it’d been in his closet or drawers for the past eight or nine months. Grabbing a good pair of jeans and a black, button-down shirt, he took them into the small laundry room off the kitchen and thanked his lucky stars when he saw a new box of fabric softener sheets. Mrs. Schofield to the rescue once again.
