Paws for Love

by Mara Wells

  It was too close to the truth. Knox flinched. “I’ve got a job offer in Atlanta. With some guys I served with.”

  “Oh, some guys. Well, by all means, abandon your brothers to go help some guys.” Grandpa William was looking like he hadn’t taken his blood pressure medication today. A vein pulsed in his neck. “What is wrong with you boys that you don’t see what a good thing you have together?”

  Knox knew it was pointless to remind him that he was only here because of Grandpa William’s stipulations. After their father lost everything and landed himself in prison, Grandpa William had held out his ownership of the Dorothy like a carrot on a stick, promising to hand it over to Caleb if the brothers worked together. Knox stepped up to do his duty because Caleb needed him, but when the Dorothy was done, all that would be over. And then what? He sometimes felt itchy, like he needed more than plastering walls and researching security systems to fill his days.

  Grandpa William and Mr. Cardoza wanted him to propose, but Knox and Danielle barely knew each other. Not anymore. So what did he want? It wasn’t a question he’d asked himself in a very long time, not since he’d enlisted. After the IED, he’d been surviving, doing what was necessary, what was in front of him, one foot in front of the other, thinking that once he got full use of his leg back, things would be different. Two years was a long time to live in limbo, and somehow seeing Danielle again, kissing Danielle again, had him longing for things he couldn’t even name.

  Instead of answering his grandfather, Knox took another drink and walked over to the railing to stare out at the horizon. Man, the tinto de verano came with a dose of philosophical angst, no doubt about it. One light shone out in the dark ramble of his thoughts. He wanted more time with Danielle. Maybe even a lifetime. And for sure at least one night. He’d start there. A conversation, a date. How hard could it be?

  “You really going to walk away again?” Mr. Cardoza came up beside him and rested his elbows on the teak rail, eyes tracing the line between sea and sky.

  Knox hung his head, gazing into the glass he held in both hands. The ice cubes had melted, turning the scotch a watery gold. Walk away from Danielle again? He couldn’t imagine it. Her walking away from him? Now that was no stretch of the imagination at all.

  Chapter 10

  “It’s such a pleasure to see them run, isn’t it?” Eliza shifted forward in her seat on the bone-shaped bench, watching Luna and Flurry lap the large-dog section of Fur Haven. Persistent Lady galloped along behind them, optimistic that she’d catch them. Luna slowed down enough to ignite Lady’s hope, and then, just as Lady was close enough to touch her hind leg, Luna sprinted off, leaving the black Lab in the proverbial dust. Eliza chuckled at their antics, but Danielle was on her phone and missed the whole thing.

  “I’m sorry. What did you say?” Danielle turned her phone facedown, all the better to stay in the moment. Because pondering what Knox’s Can we talk? I’m almost there text might mean wouldn’t get her anywhere good. Almost where? Did he expect her to be at home? What else could he mean? And needing to talk was almost never a good thing. Was she in trouble for texting him too many adorable photos of Sarge in the past week? The dog was photogenic, and Knox hadn’t yet filled out the online application so she’d thought it best to keep him in the loop of Sarge’s progress. Or maybe he wanted to talk about The Kiss. Then what would she do? Admit that the barrage of photos was because she couldn’t wait until their day-before-Easter date with Eliza to see him again? People talked about how great being young was, but being suddenly thrust back into her teenage emotions was not great, not great at all. This time around, she couldn’t even blame fluctuating hormones. So yeah, they could talk, if she got her butt in gear to meet up with him at home. Except her butt stayed put. “About the dogs, was it?”

  “All the running.” Eliza pointed out their dogs, still tearing up the soft sod. Chunks flew out from under Luna’s feet and smacked Lady in the face. From under the bench, Sarge let out a soft woof.

  “You’re right, Sarge. That is dirty pool.” Eliza bent over so she could give Sarge a pat.

  Danielle could feel the dog’s heat against her bare ankle. He’d seemed thrilled to ride the elevator up to the park and had really enjoyed a nice roll in the grass, but as soon as Luna and Flurry had started running, Sarge hid under the bench. Danielle was more than a little worried. He’d been walking around her place just fine, putting more weight on the bad leg as it healed. She could always hear him coming, the way his cast thumped on the tile floor. She’d thought he’d enjoy the park, but instead she was worried that she’d somehow retraumatized him.

  They should go home. Not because she thought that was where Knox was heading but because Sarge could use the safety and security of a familiar place to boost his confidence. That Knox might be there soon was simply a bonus. Danielle slipped off the bench and squatted in front of Sarge.

  “You ready to go?”

  Sarge perked up his head at her words, one of his ears rotating forward while the other stayed flat against his head.

  “You’re not leaving so soon, are you?” Sydney, dressed as always like she was on her way somewhere more important, joined them at the bench. Her chihuahua, Chewy, squirmed in her arms to be let down. Sydney set him on the grass, and he took off as fast as his little legs would carry him. Danielle kept an eye on her greyhounds, but their reconditioning held, as she’d known it would. They might’ve been trained to chase small, fluffy things around a track, but they were well aware that their racing days were over. They’d gladly traded their racing instincts for a loving home. At least, that was how Danielle explained it to prospective new owners.

  Chewy leapt at Luna’s front leg, enticing her to play. She shot off, and he chased her, the distance between them widening with every step. Chewy dug in, determined, his short legs churning so fast they were a blur.

  “We have enough time to stay and wear your little guy out.” Danielle leaned back on the bench, and Sarge plopped his head in her lap. His pleading eyes seemed to say, “Didn’t you say we were going?”

  “Here, for being so good.” She covertly offered him a bit of freeze-dried sweet potato, his favorite treat. But not covertly enough. Luna’s and Flurry’s muzzles were in her business before Sarge had even finished swallowing. Chewy bounced against her leg like the ground was a trampoline and her knee was a wall he wanted to vault. Lady waited patiently while the other dogs scarfed down their treats, then raised her paw like she wanted to shake hands.

  “It’s alright?” Danielle asked Eliza and Sydney, aware that no matter how much dogs thought it fine to take food whenever and wherever offered, owners preferred to have the last say.

  “Go right ahead.” Eliza crinkled the plastic bag at her side. “She’ll mope if she feels left out.”

  Lady lipped the treat out of Danielle’s outstretched palm and carried it away to eat on the other side of Eliza. Sydney nodded her approval, and Chewy dashed off with his prize.

  While the greyhounds nuzzled Danielle’s pockets for more, Eliza asked Sydney, “How go all the preparations?”

  “For which event?” Sydney laughed happily, crossing one leg over the other in a stance that looked like she was ready for a fashion shoot. Her body-skimming black jeans ended in ankle boots with spiky heels that slowly sank into the sod the longer she stood in place. “The Easter Bonnet Parade is going to be a blast. Twice as many vendors as for our Valentine’s Day fair! Fur Haven is really getting a reputation in the area. The event calendar on the website is filling up quickly.”

  Sydney lived down the street and was a dog park regular long before the dog park even officially existed. Danielle wasn’t exactly sure how it had happened, but Sydney was in charge of Fur Haven’s website, especially booking and organizing events.

  “And the wedding?” Eliza prompted, a gleam in her eye. “Everything set for the big day?”

  “Definitely. Now that Riley
and Caleb finally picked a date, we are good to go. I even have my bridesmaid’s dress. Want to see?” Sydney whipped out her phone and swiped through her photos before Eliza or Danielle could respond.

  Danielle’s own phone felt heavy in her pocket. Should she respond to Knox’s text? They hadn’t spoken since their afternoon decorating Eliza’s front yard. Since The Kiss. I’m almost there. If she sat here looking at wedding prep photos, would she miss him? Her feet bounced like they were ready to take off no matter what her brain said.

  She quieted her fidgets and made appropriate sounds of approval at the sight of Sydney in an off-the-shoulder coral dress with so much lace it should’ve looked fussy but somehow on Sydney looked perfect. Sydney launched into a long story about how difficult it’d been to find a dress that both she and Riley liked, ending in a recommendation for a local tailor who had made alterations at a very reasonable price.

  Sarge rescued Danielle from more wedding talk with a whine and nudge of her hand. She stood with a stretch and reached down to clip leads on the greyhounds. “We better hit the road. I have the late shift at the clinic tonight.”

  “It’s always good to see you.” Eliza lifted her cheek, and Danielle dipped down to kiss it.

  “We’re on our way, too. Got a client meeting soon.” Sydney offered a little wave. “I’ve never seen Chewy run as much as he did today, Danielle.” Sydney scooped up the Chihuahua and placed him back in the doggy sling. “Look how pooped he is! With any luck, he’ll let me sleep past 5:00 a.m. tomorrow.”

  “Anytime. The girls love to run.” Danielle walked toward the elevator and the dogs followed obediently, none of them pulling or straining at the leash. It wasn’t easy for three large dogs to make space for each other, and she was happy that they’d figured it out among them.

  “I do hope we’ll see you here more often.” Sydney kept up a steady chatter, waiting at the elevator. “It’s such a beautiful space now, isn’t it?”

  “It is. See you this weekend.” Danielle turned to wave one last time at Eliza. Eliza didn’t see her, busy as she was rustling around in the tote bag at her feet. She pulled out a paperback novel, and Lady took off to inspect the park’s perimeter, one careful sniff at a time.

  “Riley told me your dad is a veterinarian.” Sydney stepped into the elevator first, then held the door for Danielle. “I’ve been thinking of switching. The vet I take Chewy to retired, and I’m not sure I like the new vet. He always seems in such a rush.”

  “Sure. Give me a second, and I’ll give you a card for the clinic.” Danielle loaded the dogs into the large elevator and pushed the button for the ground floor. She reached into her bag for a card.

  “Thanks.” Sydney tucked it into her back pocket and asked a few questions about how things worked at the clinic that Danielle answered with half her attention. The other half was busy wondering if the buzz in her pocket was Knox.

  Danielle ended the suspense by checking her texts again. It was merely her cell carrier, acknowledging her auto-payment had gone through. She couldn’t help but reread Knox’s text. Was he already at her house? No, he’d text when he was outside, wouldn’t he? If she wasn’t there, would he wait for her? She was so engrossed in reading his message for the fifteenth time that she didn’t notice when the elevator doors opened.

  “I sent the text so you’d wait for me, not run away.” Knox stood in the opening, hands casually planted in his back pockets. His charcoal USMC T-shirt stretched tight against his chest, and Danielle couldn’t look away.

  “Hey, Knox.” Sydney exited the elevator first with a friendly smile for Knox. “How’s the Dorothy coming along?”

  “It’s coming. Slower going than anybody likes, but Lance says that’s normal.” Knox’s gruff voice raised the flesh on Danielle’s arms.

  Danielle wrenched her gaze from Knox’s pecs and looked at Sydney. How was she so unaffected by him? Sydney chatted about renovation plans and the wedding schedule for a few moments before heading out with a careless wave. Danielle envied Sydney her poise, her style, her made-for-fashion body.

  Self-consciously, Danielle tugged at her old pineapple T-shirt. It’d been cute when she bought it, but many years and many washings later, it was definitely a going-to-the-dog-park shirt, not a run-into-your-ex-who-you’re-hoping-to-kiss-again shirt.

  Knox’s gaze followed her fidgety hands, and he cleared his throat. “I like your, uh, pineapples. I mean, pineapple.”

  There was only one on her shirt, but the heat in his eyes made her think he wasn’t talking about the T-shirt design at all. The urge to cross her arms, to hide in some way, was strong, but her hands were full of dog leashes. She shoved one in his direction.

  “Want to walk him?”

  “Sure.” Knox accepted the leash, a move that made Sarge’s tail beat against Danielle’s leg at full force. “Where are we going?”

  The dogs didn’t need a walk, not after their run at Fur Haven. Sarge plopped onto his haunches and craned his neck so that his nose pointed straight in the air, all the better to keep his eyes on Knox.

  “I was heading home.” Danielle switched both Luna’s and Flurry’s leads into her left hand.

  “Didn’t want to wait for me, huh?” Knox absently patted Sarge’s head.

  “Actually, I was trying to get there before you. But you were coming here?”

  A slow smile spread across Knox’s face. “So you weren’t trying to avoid me?”

  She ducked her head so her bangs covered her face. She straightened Luna’s perfectly straight collar. “How’d you know I was at Fur Haven?”

  “Recognized the bench. From the last photo of Sarge you sent. Plus the time stamp. I was only a few minutes away.”

  “I was confused by your text.” Danielle’s fingers squeezed around the embroidered martingale. She forced herself to look up at Knox. “I thought you were avoiding me.”

  “No. I wouldn’t do that.”

  “But I haven’t seen you—”

  “Right.” He cut her off. “Maybe I would do that. A little bit. But only because I was so damn nervous.”

  “You? Nervous? I find that hard to believe, Mr. Marine.”

  “What can I say?” He held a hand out to her, palm up. “You still give me butterflies.”

  Danielle swallowed so hard she almost choked. “Me?”

  “You.” His hand remained in the air between them. Open, inviting.

  “Me too.” She reached out and placed her palm on top of his, a light brush of skin on skin, but she felt the heat all the way to her toes.

  His fingers curled around hers, but she was the one who tugged him closer. He took a step, then two, in her direction. All three dog heads swiveled to watch his next move.

  He didn’t make one. Instead, his mouth quirked in a half smile. “Where’s a Magic Eight Ball when you need one?”

  “What do you want to know?” Was that breathless voice hers? Made sense, though. Her lungs felt tight, her whole body poised on the brink of flight.

  “Does Danielle Morrow want to kiss me?”

  Flurry stretched out her long, white neck and nudged their hands. Danielle was pretty sure Flurry’s intent was to get them to pet her, but it felt more like a benediction. Permission. Danielle stepped in toward Knox, until her, uh, pineapples pressed into his chest.

  Breath escaped in a loud whoosh, and his free hand curled around her waist. He watched her with lowered lids, nostrils slightly flared.

  Danielle reached up, sliding her fingers into the short hair over his ears. She pressed with the pads of her fingers, letting them glide across his scalp to the back of his head.

  Knox’s eyes closed all the way, and he leaned in to her touch. “You can do that all day.”

  “I’d rather do this,” she said in that breathless voice she hardly recognized as her own. Then she pressed her lips to his, nudging into him, test
ing the fullness of his bottom lip with her tongue.

  He moaned, deep and low in his throat, and his lips parted slightly. She swooped in at the opening, and his tongue met hers in a fierce dance. She pressed herself closer to him, and his arm banded around her, his palm in the small of her back, to draw her more forcefully against him.

  Danielle lost herself in Knox. Not in the memory of him. No, she’d spent too many nights after their breakup recalling every detail. This was much better than her memories. He was so warm, so solid, and every stroke of his tongue pulled her in more. She could kiss him forever, here on the first floor of a parking garage, in plain view of anyone who might walk by.

  The thought brought her back to reality with a crash. Both her hands were cupped around Knox’s head, the leashes dropped to the ground.

  “The dogs.” She pulled back, breath hitched in her chest.

  Knox pressed his lips to her forehead, and she looked down, inhaling deeply. Beside them, Sarge sat, still keeping all his attention on Knox.

  The girls, on the other hand, were nowhere in sight.

  Chapter 11

  It was damn hard to step away from the soft embrace of Danielle’s body, but there was no denying the tension that stiffened her small frame. Reluctantly, Knox let his arms fall to his sides.

  “They can’t have gone too far.” He scanned the garage, filled with older Toyotas and other economy cars in bleached-by-the-sun colors. The Dorothy residents parked on the first floor. The second floor was open to the public, a source of income for both the building and the City of Miami Beach. He didn’t see any long-muzzled hounds, but then, as big as they were, they were smaller than any of the cars they might be hidden behind.

  “Are you kidding me?” Danielle’s agitation was contagious. At least Sarge caught it, whining low in his throat. Danielle shoved a hand through her hair, bangs flying every which way. “In three strides, they can make thirty miles per hour. Top speed is forty-five. They could be anywhere by now.”