“Matt, could you help me with something downstairs?” his sister asked, gesturing her head toward the door.
He already knew what this was about. When he’d told his sister about Claire’s offer, she’d said it sounded like big-time trouble—for Claire. He’d brushed Laura off and finally gotten her okay for Ellie’s sake, and then sprinted upstairs to avoid Laura’s questions.
Downstairs, she pulled him into the laundry room and shut the door. “Look, it’s been almost two decades since you and Claire broke up. So maybe there’s no unfinished business. But I’m telling you right now, brother, do not play with that woman’s head. Don’t start something you can’t finish.”
“Who says I’m starting anything?”
“Hmm, moving into your first love’s house? She’s divorced. You’re single. Trust me, something is going to happen.”
“And?” he asked. Why did he feel so defensive? Because deep down he wanted something to happen? “What if something does?”
“Men.” She shook her head slowly. “You’re figuring out what to do with your life. Claire Asher is living hers. She’s clearly dating. You hurt her once, Matt. All I’m saying is, if you’re not sure about her, don’t even go there. Leave her be.”
“I’m not sure about anything,” he said.
“Which is why she deserves better than a three-week stand, or however long it takes you to train Sparkle.”
He sighed inwardly because his sister was right. As usual.
The next afternoon, Claire waited for Matt in the gift shop area of the lobby, putting together a box of necessities for Sparkle. She’d included a cute purple collar with white stars, a silver, bone-shaped temporary name tag with Sparkle’s name and Matt’s cell phone number engraved on it, two different types of leashes, a water bowl, a food bowl, the kibble Sparkle had been eating, a few toys and a packet of information on training and caring for a puppy. Since Matt would be officially fostering the pup, the shelter would take care of Sparkle’s vet appointments, and right now the dog was up-to-date on all shots. In about six weeks or so, Sparkle would be ready to be spayed, but right now, all Matt had to focus on was training the pup to live with his sister’s family.
When Matt walked in, Claire gave up on pretending she wasn’t hopelessly attracted to the man. First love aside, Matt was fostering Sparkle so that his little niece could have the dog she’d fallen in love with. That was pure kindness, especially since Matt had never had a dog nor grown up with one.
“Everything you need for Sparkle is in here,” she said quickly, willing herself not to stare at him. “Let’s leave this for now, and we’ll pick it up when we bring Sparkle through.”
“Me, a dog trainer,” he said with a smile. “Who knew?”
“What you’re doing for your niece is really wonderful,” she said as they headed to the kennels.
“I’m just glad I can.”
As they entered the kennel area, Matt made a beeline for Hank. “Poor guy,” he said. Hank looked at him, staring woefully. The dog got up and walked to the edge of the kennel, and Matt slowly knelt down to say hi. “Hey, guy.” Couldn’t be so great to be cooped up in there. “Maybe I can take Hank for a walk before we get Sparkle,” he said to Claire. “I feel for him.”
She smiled. “He’d love it.” She picked up a leash from the rack and told Hank to sit, which he did, then she entered the kennel and closed it behind her. She put the leash on, then led him out and latched the kennel again. “There’s a path out that side door you can take. It’s a quarter-mile loop. I’ll go finalize Sparkle’s papers, and then we’ll be good to go by the time you come back with Hank.”
Again, he knelt down beside the senior dog, and she noticed it took him a beat longer than expected. Injury, she figured.
He gave Hank a scratch, then stood up as slowly. “How is this dog still at Furever Paws? He seems like such a good dog—he’s calm, he’s an old soul and he’s awesome looking.”
All true, she thought, her heart squeezing for the man and the dog. “I know. But older dogs, especially big ones, tend to languish. We make sure he gets lots of love and TLC.”
He nodded and looked at Hank. “See you in a few,” he said to Claire.
As she watched him walk away with Hank, she knew she was sunk.
Twenty minutes later, the paperwork was complete and Matt was back, Hank looking quite happy.
“You can do as I did just before,” Claire told him, “Lead him in on leash, latch the kennel behind you, unleash him, ask him to sit, then come out and relatch.”
“Got it.” He did as instructed, standing in front of the kennel as though he was having a hard time walking away.
“And how about a biscuit for being such a great dog?” Claire asked, handing Matt the bone-shaped treat.
Matt slipped it through the kennel bars, and Hank slowly ambled over and picked it up with his mouth, then took it to his bed and began nibbling.
“See you next time, big guy,” Matt said.
A few kennels down, Claire had Matt do the same with Sparkle, grabbing her favorite pink-and-purple-striped blankie to put in the box of her things.
“Wow, you are crazy cute,” Matt said, kneeling down again and giving Sparkle a pat. “No wonder Ellie went nuts over you.”
Sparkle barked up a storm, jumping up on Matt’s leg.
“No jump,” Claire said firmly. Sparkle remained where she was. “No jump,” she repeated, gently moving the dog off Matt. “She’ll get the hang of it.”
“We’ll learn together,” he told the puppy. “We’re both beginners.”
I can help you, she wanted to say. I’ll share everything I know. But then she’d be with him more than would be healthy for her heart and peace of mind.
In the lobby, Claire grabbed the box of Sparkle’s things. She took a final look through, making sure she hadn’t forgotten anything.
“What do I owe you for that?” Matt asked, taking out his wallet.
“Oh, since you’re fostering, it’s on us,” she said.
“As a donation then,” he said.
That was nice. She named a figure and he walked up to the counter, where Birdie happened to be sitting, training a volunteer on front desk coverage. She could tell Birdie liked Matt’s generosity.
“You’re doing a wonderful thing by fostering this pup and training her for your niece,” Birdie said, giving Matt a serious once-over with her assessing blue eyes. “If you need anything or have any questions, call the shelter anytime. And of course, you’ll have one of our best resources steps away,” she added, nodding at Claire.
Matt glanced at Claire and smiled, then turned back to Birdie. “Thanks. I appreciate that. And I’m sure I will have many, many questions.”
The bell jangled over the front door to Furever Paws, and a thirtyish blonde woman wearing sunglasses and high heels walked in.
“I’d like to adopt a dog,” the woman said, despite the fact that Birdie was in midsentence with her trainee. “Small, under twenty pounds. A female. She can’t bark. And I don’t like dogs with bug eyes.” She glanced at Sparkle. “Oh, this one’s cute. Did you just adopt her?”
“Yes,” Matt said, picking up Sparkle and holding her against his chest, one arm seemingly protecting the puppy from the woman’s long pink nails. “She’s taken.”
Claire stared at the woman. Bug eyes? I don’t like dogs that bark? Exqueeze me? “Cute indeed but she’s a big barker.”
The blonde shivered and pushed her big white sunglasses on top of her head. “Oh. Well, I said I wanted a nonbarking dog. I can’t stand yippers.”
Birdie cleared her throat, her blue eyes steely. “Dogs bark. It’s what they do.”
Sparkle let out a series of yips to prove Birdie’s point.
“My ears,” the blonde said, covering them with her hands.
Could she be more drama
tic?
“We have some beautiful short-haired cats,” Claire said to the woman. “Mirabelle is particularly stunning. Cats, of course, don’t bark. And they’re under twenty pounds.”
The woman raised an eyebrow. “Mirabelle? I do like that name. Cats are very queenly. Yes, I’d like to see her.”
Birdie smiled and stood. “I’ll show you the way.”
The woman followed, her heels clicking on the floor.
“Why come in saying you want a dog if you can’t handle barking?” Matt asked as they headed for their cars.
“Some folks like the idea of a dog, but the reality is quite different than their fantasy,” Claire explained. “And others ignore what they don’t want in a pet because they can’t resist how the animal looks.” She shook her head. “Last week, someone brought back a dog because she didn’t like the way it followed her from room to room.”
“You’re kidding.”
She shook her head. “I wish I were. I truly do.”
“I guess some people don’t know what they’re letting themselves in for,” Matt said. “Like me.”
Claire laughed. “But you’re doing this for a good cause.” She reached her car and put the box in the backseat. “We’ll be at the house in no time—Kingdom Creek is just minutes away. I think you’ll like the privacy of the development.”
“Kingdom Creek. Sounds fancy.”
She shrugged. “It was the house I lived in with my husband. Was supposed to be our forever home. For a family and two rescue dogs and four cats. Maybe some birds and rabbits too. Now it’s just me. And Dempsey, of course. Thank God for Dempsey.”
Oh God. Had she said all that? Our forever home? What was wrong with her? Just stop talking, Claire.
“How long have you been divorced?” he asked, presumably setting Sparkle down in case she had to do her business. The puppy immediately set to sniffing around her, and Claire focused on that instead of meeting Matt’s eyes.
“Three years. He started cheating on me the year prior to our breakup. But he married his affair so he thinks that makes it okay.”
She felt her cheeks flush with heat. Hadn’t she just told herself to stop talking? The man was making her nervous. That had to be it.
“Cheating is never okay,” Matt said, holding her gaze for a second. “I’m sorry you went through all that.”
“What’s that saying? What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger?” I got through you, Matt Fielding—of course I got through my divorce.
“Don’t I know it,” he said with a kind of wistful nod.
“Guess we’ve both been through a thing or two.”
He nodded again. “We both had been through a thing or two when we were a couple, Claire. I’d lost my brother. You’d lost your dad. It’s always friggen something.”
“Yeah,” she said. “It is. Thank God for cuddly dogs, huh?”
He smiled and scooped Sparkle up, giving her a nuzzle. “I’ll be right behind you.” He nodded at the car next to hers.
A lone duffel was in the backseat. Was that everything he had? She supposed he couldn’t accumulate a life’s worth of possessions while on multiple tours of duty.
Fifteen minutes. And then Matt Fielding would be moving into her house, their bedrooms separated only by drywall. It had to be the worst—and best—idea she ever had.
* * *
“And this is the bedroom,” Claire said as Matt followed her into the large room of the second-floor apartment.
He liked the place. The apartment was a decent size, the living room spacious, with French doors leading to the small deck and stairs down to the backyard. That was his entrance, so he wouldn’t necessarily run into Claire unless she happened to be out with Dempsey in this part of the yard. The bathroom had a big tub and spa-type shower, which was a plus when you were six foot one. He barely noticed the kitchen since he didn’t cook much, other than basic spaghetti with jarred marinara sauce and never-toasted-right toast. But he did notice the windows—lots of them. Matt could breathe here, relax here. Considering that the proximity of Claire Asher made those things difficult from the get-go, it was a real testament to how comfortable he felt in the apartment.
He put his duffel bag on the queen-size bed. He and Claire had created a lot of memories in their two years as a teenage couple, but “the bedroom” hadn’t been a part of them. He’d barely touched her, though he’d been dying to. Hands skimming over her shirts and sweaters, sometimes slipping underneath. That was as far as they’d gone in those days. They’d been lip-locked constantly, and he’d fantasized every night about sex and particularly sex with Claire Asher. Now, standing inches from a bed, her light perfume enveloping him, awareness of her driving him mad, he wanted to lie down and take her with him.
Instead, he leaned down to give Sparkle a pat for being a good dog and not barking or peeing on the rug, as she’d done on the tour of the kitchen. Claire hadn’t blinked. She’d grabbed paper towels, followed up with a Swiffer and that had been that. “It’s a nice place. Don’t you agree, Sparkle? A good training center for you.”
Sparkle barked twice, looking up at him. The bedroom carpet was soft, which had to be a plus for a little dog.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” Claire said with a smile. “Okay, back to the kitchen. I have a whole folder of info for you.”
“Info?” he repeated, following her down the hall.
“For your new life as a foster dad who’ll be training a five-month-old puppy.”
As she turned to head out of the bedroom, he reached for her hand, and she whirled around.
“I’m not even sure if I said thank you. For this,” he added, gesturing at the room. “You saved the day for my family. Now I have an excited niece, a not-pissed-off sister and a not-pissed-off brother-in-law.”
She laughed. “Well, the apartment was empty and the situation presented itself, so...”
“So, here we are.”
“Here we are,” she repeated, then cleared her throat and turned to go again. This had to be kind of uncomfortable for her. It sure as hell was for him. But in equally good and bad ways.
Back in the small white kitchen, Claire picked up a folder and opened it. “Okay, straight to business. This contains everything you need to know about training lessons and basic puppy care.”
The little brown-and-white dog began turning in circles, trying to catch her tail, which was her trademark move. “Hey, Sparkle,” Matt said.
The dog ignored him.
“Sparkle,” Matt said again.
Ignored by a twelve-pound spinning pooch.
“Page two,” Claire said, pointing at the folder. She turned to the bags she’d brought from the shelter, and took out a pack of small training treats.
She held a treat in her hand, her fist closed over it, and waved it near the dog. “Sparkle.”
The dog stopped and looked at her hand.
“Yup, she definitely smells the treat. She can’t see it, but she can smell it.” The dog sniffed around. “Sparkle!” Claire said again.
The dog looked at her.
“Good dog!” Claire said, and gave her the treat. “We’re teaching Sparkle her name. Every time you say her name and she looks at you—actually makes eye contact—give her a tiny treat. After she associates the word Sparkle with a treat, she’ll realize she gets a treat every time she acknowledges it. Then we’ll move on to calling her from another room.”
“Huh. I guess I always wondered how dogs learned their names.”
“I do expect you to do your homework,” she said, pointing at the folder.
“Yes, Teacher. I absolutely will.”
She smiled, and it lit up her entire face. “Now for a housetraining lesson. The plan will be to take Sparkle out first thing in the morning, then every hour, immediately after she eats, after she wakes from a nap and before bed. She
’ll get used to the idea that doing her business is meant for outside, not inside.”
“Did you say every hour?”
Claire laughed. “It’ll take a few days, but then you can stop that and move to after meals and naps.”
“Well, Sparkle,” he said, and before he could continue, the little spinning creature looked right at him! “Hey, she looked at me!” He reached into the bag for a treat and gave it to her. Sparkle sure did like these treats.
“Perfect. It really happens fast. In a couple of days, she’ll know it’s her name, and we can work on more commands like come and stay.”
“You’re a good dog,” he said to Sparkle. The puppy turned and looked at him, which earned her another treat.
Claire smiled. “So she’s had a few treats, and she last went potty on the kitchen floor. We don’t want her to associate eliminating with the kitchen, so let’s take her out. If she pees or poops, she gets a treat.”
“Will she gain a hundred pounds?” he asked.
Claire smiled. “These treats are tiny and temporary. Plus, Sparkle is so busy and will get so much exercise running around the fenced yard that she can have all the treats she deserves.”
“Key word is deserves, I figure,” he said.
“Absolutely. No treats for just being adorable.”
He laughed. “I’m getting the hang of this.”
She handed him the leash. “Let’s take her outside.”
He followed her through the French doors to the small deck, and then down the stairs to the fenced yard.
Sparkle did her business, which got her a “good dog” and a treat. This dog training business was going all right so far.
“Well, I have two classes of essays to grade,” she said. “But text or call if you need me.”
Wait. You’re leaving? Suddenly Matt felt a little out of his element at the idea of being all alone with the puppy. Sparkle was sturdy enough, he supposed, but there was something fragile about her too. She was a baby. Maybe that was it. “What should I do with her?” he asked.
A New Leash On Love (Furever Yours Book 1) Page 5
