by Dylann Crush
He shrugged. “Probably would have finished college, then gone on to vet school like I’d planned.”
“And it’s too late for that now?” she pressed.
He opened his mouth like he wanted to say something and then closed it again, just as fast. “Hey, I think Toby’s here.”
Saved by the contractor. Zina silently cursed the man for his unintended interruption.
* * *
* * *
Alex spent the rest of the morning working side by side with Toby and his crew. Finally, just after one, he sat back and wiped his arm across his forehead. Somehow the sweat still trickled down to his eyes. At least the water feature was installed. He’d rigged the hose to start filling the pool. Toby promised to have the dome set up by the end of the week and then they’d be ready for the penguins.
All he needed now was for Zina to get those dogs out of there. The insurance adjuster was giving her a major runaround on the settlement to get the roof repaired, but she’d promised multiple times to get the dogs moved out before the penguins moved in.
He didn’t know what he’d do if she didn’t come through. Dogs were a lot more adaptable than a half dozen penguins. With any luck her numbers would go down after the adoption event she had planned this weekend. He’d even been roped into volunteering to help, starting with giving all of the dogs a bath. Anything he could do to clear the warehouse of dogs and the sexy do-gooder who’d been driving him crazy.
He felt bad for how much time she was spending with those dogs. Losing the shelter made everything worse for her. What used to take her an hour to do in the mornings now took about three times as long since she had to take the dogs out one or two at a time on leashes instead of letting them run free in a fenced-in yard.
“Hey, Alex. Can you get the door?” Gramps asked.
“Sure.” He pushed open the door so Gramps and the two dogs he had with him could make their way through. Alex followed. “What are you doing?”
Gramps held tight as the dogs tugged in opposite directions on their leashes. “Come on, girls. We’re going this way today.” He increased his pace and the dogs moved to stay ahead of him.
“Gramps?” Alex increased his pace to keep up. “What’s going on?”
“Just pitching in. I don’t want to be thought of as deadweight around here.”
“Who called you deadweight?” Alex immediately tensed. Did Lacey say something about them staying at the house?
“No one. But a man can feel when he’s not doing his fair share. That girl needs help with the dogs and I’ve got the time, so I’m pitching in.”
Alex stepped back as the trio passed him. Was he seeing things or was Gramps holding his head a little bit higher? There seemed to be a new bounce in his step as well. Maybe the old man had found some purpose. If that was the case, Alex was glad. He could only imagine what it might feel like to have his best days behind him. Although, if he didn’t pull this wedding off, his best days might be behind him, too.
Maybe now that Gramps had something to help with, he might not be as down. One could hope. That reminded him. He hadn’t called for an update on where Gramps stood on the waiting list for a while. He picked up his phone and pulled up the number to the nursing home over in Cramden. Gramps might not like it, but even he would have to agree that once they were done with the wedding, he couldn’t go back to Char’s. It just wasn’t a long-term solution. Once Alex figured out where he was headed after this, Gramps wouldn’t have a choice but to make peace with the fact he couldn’t live on his own anymore and get used to someplace new.
He waited for someone to pick up the phone.
“Water’s Edge. How can I help you?” The voice on the other end of the phone held no warmth.
“I’m calling to check up on where my grandfather’s name falls on your waiting list,” Alex said.
“Name?”
“Mortimer Sanders.”
“Hold, please.” An irritating rendition of a song he vaguely recognized blared through the phone. Alex tried to curb his annoyance while he waited.
With a jarring click, the woman was back on the line. “I’m sorry but we don’t have a Mortimer Sanders on the list.”
“That’s impossible.” Alex put his hand to his forehead. “I called a couple of weeks ago and added him myself. There’s got to be a mistake.”
“Hold, please.” The music came back on the line.
His stomach flip-flopping, Alex didn’t have a choice but to stand by.
“I see we had Mortimer Sanders on the list but he was removed last week. If there’s nothing else I can help you with—”
“Wait. How’s that possible? I didn’t remove him.”
“Well someone did. Says here an Alex Sanders called.”
Alex’s head swam with the mix-up. “But I’m Alex Sanders.”
“Is it possible you made the call and then forgot?”
The sass in her tone rubbed him the wrong way. “No. That’s not possible. Can I talk to your supervisor please?”
“She’s not available now but I’d be happy to take a message.”
Alex questioned the authenticity of that statement but left his name and number. As he made his way back to the warehouse, he wondered how his grandfather could have been removed from the list. Char wouldn’t have done it. Which left one person who would have known.
“Hey, Gramps, can I talk to you for a moment?” He tried to keep his smile friendly and not give in to the rising frustration.
“I’m busy at the moment. What’s on your mind?” Gramps stood next to Zina, watching as she scooped out kibble and filled a dog’s dish before sliding it into its crate.
“I’d rather chat in private if you don’t mind.” No need to air his family’s dirty laundry in front of Zina. She already probably thought he was a lost cause based on how he’d destroyed her dog shelter.
“I don’t know why you can’t just speak your mind right here. You afraid you’re going to piss off one of the dogs?”
“Fine. I wanted to keep it just between us, but why did you remove your name from the waiting list at Water’s Edge?”
Gramps scoffed. “That place? The only water they’re on the edge of is a man-made pond they filled with runoff. I don’t care what you and your sister say, I’m not going back into another home.”
Zina’s eyebrows shot up and she let the scoop fall into the bin. “I’ll catch up with you in a bit. Sound good?” Alex didn’t miss the way she dropped a hand to his grandfather’s shoulder.
Gramps covered her hand with his and gave her an authentic smile, not one of the tight-lipped grimaces he’d been sending Alex’s way. “Don’t let my persistent grandson scare you off.”
“Do I look like the kind of woman who spooks easily?” she asked.
“No, you sure don’t.” Gramps let out a chuckle as Zina walked away. “That girl is somethin’ else. Why, if I were a few years younger . . .”
Alex couldn’t agree more. Zina was full of surprises. The way she handled Gramps, the comfortable way she’d been around Dolly, there really wasn’t much she couldn’t do. Before he went all soft thinking about Zina and the way her lips quirked up at the corners when she found something amusing, he shook it off.
“We’re talking about the wait list.”
“You know, you should ask her out.” Gramps nodded. “She’s a real catch. Don’t find women like that nowadays. They’re all soft and wishy-washy. Not like your sister. And not like Zina. Those two are cut from the same kind of cloth.”
“In that case, I’m out. I definitely don’t need someone like Char in my life. I already have to put up with her trying to boss me around.”
Gramps chuckled. “Your grandmother was like that. All bark and no bite. She’d threaten all right. But when it came down to it she was a softy.”
Alex remembered. But he wa
sn’t in the mood to share a tender moment of reminiscing. He needed to figure out why Gramps thought it was a good idea to take himself off the wait list.
“You know I’m not sticking around after this wedding, right?” Alex asked. “I got a call from Mr. Munyon’s attorney. When I’m done here, he wants to hire me for another project he’s got going down in the Caymans.”
Gramps shrugged. “Not my business what you do with your life.”
“That’s right.” Good, maybe they saw more eye to eye than he thought.
“Not even if you are messing it up.”
“Excuse me?” Alex crossed his arms over his chest. “Why the hell do you think I’m messing up my life?”
“You keep running but you’re not going to find what you’re looking for.” Gramps let out a sigh.
“And what exactly is it you think I’m looking for?” He wanted to know.
“I can’t tell you that. You’ll have to figure it out for yourself.”
Alex rolled his eyes and huffed out a breath. “If you’re done spouting your mumbo jumbo crap, can we talk about why you called the nursing home and took yourself off the wait list?”
Gramps didn’t bat an eye. “I’m not going.”
“You don’t have a choice.”
“Son, you’ve always got a choice, and I’m not spending the rest of my days at Water’s Edge.” He made air quotes around “Water’s Edge” like he wanted to further drive his point home.
“You can’t stay with Char. We both know she’s in over her head with those girls.”
“You’re right. I don’t want to stay with Char. I’m going to live on my own.”
Alex wanted to shake the man’s shoulders . . . anything so he’d see the light and realize he was past the luxury of being able to make those kinds of decisions for himself. But Alex figured he’d humor him, just for a bit. “Where are you planning to go?”
Gramps shrugged. “I’ve got a perfectly good place that’s already paid for.”
“It doesn’t work that way. You can’t stay out at the ranch by yourself. I’m calling them back and adding your name to the list.”
“Do what you’ve got to do,” Gramps said as he unclipped the first dog from its leash. “And I’ll do what I need to do.”
Alex shook off the thinly veiled threat. He didn’t have time to worry about Gramps and the very real risk of him going rogue. He was about to be up to his ears in penguins and pit bulls, and he needed all the help he could get.
“Okay, Gramps. Let’s make a deal.”
“Now you want to bargain?”
“You help me with the penguins and pitch in with the dogs. If you can stay out of trouble and don’t take any spills, I’ll talk to Char about maybe letting you go back to the ranch.”
“I think that’s only fair.” Gramps shrugged but didn’t try to hide the satisfied grin.
“I’m still putting your name back on that list. If you have any health issues, you’ve got to take the spot at Water’s Edge.”
Gramps didn’t nod but the slight incline of his head signaled he’d got the message, loud and clear.
Alex was tired of arguing. It seemed to be the only thing he’d done since he got back. He left his grandfather to deal with the dogs and went looking for Zina. What had possessed him to agree to help her bathe the dogs that afternoon?
fifteen
Zina hooked the leash to Buster’s collar and handed it to Alex. “We’ll take this slow. Some of the dogs don’t enjoy having a bath but I want them all to look their best for Saturday, so try, okay?”
Alex took the end of the leash and looped it over his hand. “Can you tell me which ones don’t like to get wet?”
He looked so unsure of himself she wanted to laugh out loud. But she didn’t want to scare him off so she bit back her grin. “I’ll give you the easy ones.”
“Gee, thanks.” He appeared to be less than thrilled at the task ahead. She didn’t blame him. Bathing the dogs was a pain in the ass and she usually relied on her volunteers to take on the brunt of it. But with so many dogs to take care of, they were busy walking and feeding the ones who remained inside.
“Buster loves his baths. He’ll be a good one to start with.” She leaned over and scratched the big lug behind his good ear. “You take it easy on Captain Jaybird, okay?”
Buster’s tail thumped against the grass in agreement. Zina wished someone would open their hearts to him. He’d been at the shelter the longest, about six months at that point. He wasn’t the cutest dog they had available. Not with his shredded ear and the scars crisscrossing his nose. But he was one of the sweetest, despite his tendency to let loose a little extra flatulence every once in a while.
“Here goes nothing.” Alex moved over to where she’d hooked up the hose. He turned it on and began to spray Buster.
Zina laughed as the dog jumped and spun, trying to bite the spray of water. Then she turned to get the next dog out of her crate. The young female that Dolly named Aurora didn’t seem too sure about the bath based on the way she cowered at the back of her kennel. “It’s okay, sweetie. I think you’ll like it.”
She carried the pup out to where Alex stood with his hands full of soapsuds. Buster must have had at least a few inches of bubbles coating his back. He looked like an abominable snowman under all the white. “You might want to go easy on the shampoo.”
“Yeah, I figured that out after I’d sudsed him up,” Alex said. “You’re right, he seems to be enjoying himself.”
The dog stood still, his eyes half-closed like he’d reached some state of internal Zen. Alex turned the spray on to rinse him off. When he was done, she took the hose and he grabbed a towel to run over Buster’s back.
“Your turn, little girl.” Zina set Aurora down on the grass and turned the water pressure down so just a small dribble of water came out of the end. The pup sniffed at it. Her curiosity was a good sign. Zina held it out to her while her pink tongue lapped at the water.
“You’re really good with her.” Alex moved closer, Buster’s leash in his hand.
“Lots of practice with scared animals unfortunately.” She held her hand up to shade the sun and take a look at him. His shirt was soaked through thanks to Buster. While she watched, he lifted the hem and pulled it over his head.
“Didn’t think I’d get so wet.” He turned and flung his shirt onto a bench.
Zina drew in a deep breath as her gaze roamed over the defined muscles of his back. What did the man do to keep cut like that? Life wasn’t fair. She’d give just about anything to run her hands over those shoulders.
“Everything okay?” He’d turned and was making his way back to her.
“Huh?” Pulled from her illicit musings, she glanced down. The pup had moved, meaning she’d been dripping water onto her jeans for the past several moments, creating a nice wet patch at the apex of her thighs. “Oh no.”
She immediately tossed the hose to the ground, which released the kink she’d formed to make the water flow slower. The hose twisted and turned, spraying water everywhere.
“Catch it.” Zina reached for it, coming up empty-handed.
Alex let go of Buster’s leash and stepped on the hose, then bent to grab it with both hands. His laughter bounced off the building and echoed around her. “I got it.”
“Good job.” Embarrassment flooded her face with heat. Even though water dripped down her hair and she shivered slightly, her cheeks flamed.
“What happened?” He kinked the hose again, preventing the water flow.
“I don’t know. I guess I was distracted.”
“Mmm.” His brow furrowed. “By what, exactly?”
Oh hell, he knew she’d been checking him out. She could tell by the hint of humor that sparked in his eyes. Nice eyes. Eyes she wouldn’t mind gazing into for a few minutes or a few hours or even a lifetime. Bes
t not to go there. She shook off any warm fuzzies that threatened to encroach on her bubble of safety.
“I think Buster must have let one rip.”
“So you were distracted by the farting dog?” He moved closer.
“He’s really got a problem. Have you heard him? I think it’s why he hasn’t been adopted yet.”
“I didn’t hear it.” He moved even closer, his hand reaching for hers. “I think you’re lying.”
She bristled. She might exaggerate or stretch the truth from time to time, but she wasn’t a liar. At least she hadn’t been until she met him. Her stomach clenched. He’d called her out and she’d fibbed. Time to own it. “Fine. He didn’t fart. I was distracted by something else.”
“What?” He moved past the invisible barrier she’d erected to keep people out of her personal bubble. Nothing happened. Where had all of her defenses gone? In that moment she realized she was powerless against this man with the blue-green eyes and amazing abs.
She huffed out a breath and glanced to the ground. “You. Happy?”
He put a finger under her chin, searing the spot where he touched her. Nudging her chin up, he forced her to meet his gaze. “So you’re saying I distracted you?”
She rolled her eyes. “Yes, fine. You distracted me.”
“Wow. If taking off my shirt affected you that much, I wonder what this might do.” He leaned in, pressing his lips to hers.
Zina stumbled forward but he caught her, his arms clasping around her like a vise. She’d always considered herself immune to men. Sure she enjoyed their attention sometimes, but she’d always been able to put attraction aside when necessary. Like most things in her life, she made it bend to her will. But there was no controlling the surge of desire that overwhelmed her as he took the kiss deeper.
His tongue ran over her lips, making them part like he held the secret key. She fought against it even while her arms wrapped around his midsection, pulling him tighter against her. She battled the desire to melt into him even as she angled her head to give him better access. What was happening to her? She’d never been so powerless when it came to controlling her attraction.
