Dylan’s eyes sparkled in a way they only did when he was talking about wildlife. His tanned face was flushed with excitement. This is what he loved, and it was obvious to the kids too. It took a special talent to keep young people so engrossed. When he finished, the children gave him a huge round of applause.
He would make a wonderful father, Kinsley thought, if he ever decided to get married and then have them.
“How did I do?” he asked, casually draping his arm across her shoulders.
“You’re a natural with kids. Just like you are with animals,” she replied.
“Well, I don’t know about the being natural with kids part, but I sure do enjoy seeing the little wheels in their head turn as they learn something new.”
“You’d make an excellent teacher.”
“In my next life,” he joked.
“Have you ever thought about giving guided tours to schools?” As soon as she said it, she wished she could take back her words. It wasn’t right to suggest such a thing when she didn’t yet know what she was going to do with the sanctuary. He must’ve thought so too because he didn’t answer.
Instead, he said, “Let’s go see what else there is to do.”
Outside the tent, music filled the air. It grew louder as they walked. Soon they reached a massive crowd that had gathered in front of a stage.
“Care to dance?” he asked. Not waiting for her answer, he took hold of her hand and led her onto a large wooden floor.
Kinsley wasn’t much of a dancer. She worried about stepping on his feet, but with his arm snugly around her waist, it was easy to follow his lead. When the band played a slow song, it seemed natural to rest her head on his broad chest. The musky scent of his cologne was extremely masculine. Kinsley closed her eyes, enjoying this opportunity to be so close to him. Unfortunately, the song ended much sooner than she would’ve liked.
“What’s next?” he asked.
She glanced around and spotted the lights of a giant Ferris wheel twinkling against the night sky. “Let’s take a ride on that,” she answered, pointing to it.
“I guess it’s safe to assume you’re not afraid of heights.”
“Not at all. Are you?”
When he looked down at the ground and didn’t’ answer, she said, “You are, aren’t you?”
His gaze shifted up until it met hers. “Maybe just a little.”
“Aw, you don’t need to be ashamed of that. Everyone has their fears.”
His cobalt eyes darkened to indigo. “What are you afraid of, Kinsley?”
Falling in love with you! She couldn’t say that, though, so she simply said, “Relationships,” and then started walking toward the Ferris wheel.
“Me too,” he replied softly.
While they waited in line, she could tell that he was nervous. “Don’t worry. You’ll be fine. I’ll be there to protect you like I was the other night. Just don’t look down.”
“Oh, thanks. That’s a big help, and just so you know, I didn’t plan on doing that.”
Once they were in the passenger car and the Ferris wheel began to move, he put his arm around her. This time, she had no doubt it was to steady his nerves. He seemed to relax a little as the ride went on, even surprising her when it stopped at the top by remarking on how amazing it was that they could see the entire town from there. The ride lasted about fifteen minutes and made three full revolutions of the wheel. By the time it was over, she was pretty sure he’d been cured of his fear.
“What did you think? Would you go on it again?” she asked.
“I would with you.” His answer made her heart flutter.
“With all the food we ate tonight, I think we should skip the shuttle and walk back to the car. What do you think?”
“I like that idea,” he replied.
As they began to walk, Kinsley looked up at the sky. “It’s such a beautiful night, so clear you can see a million stars.”
“Are you sure it’s a million?”
“No. It could be two. Look over here.” She pointed to the right. “It’s the big dipper.” She moved her finger a little. “And there’s the little one.”
“My mom used to tell me when I was a kid that if they were the first two constellations you saw at night, then you should make a wish on each one because it was destined to come true.”
She tipped her head back and studied the stars. “Did you believe it?”
“I did when I was young.”
“But you don’t now?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. Do you believe everything you did when you were a kid?”
She took a moment before answering. “That’s the trouble with being an adult. The magic goes away.”
Dylan stopped walking to take hold of her elbows, turning her so that she faced him. “It doesn’t have to. Only if we let it. Why don’t we see if we can bring it back by making a wish on each of the dippers?”
She was too startled by his suggestion to offer any objection. “Okay. I’ll give it a shot if you will.”
“Do you know what your wishes will be?”
She closed her eyes. “Give me just a second.” She knew immediately what the first one would be, getting over her fear that if she fell in love, it would ruin her career. The second one was the stickler, but when it hit her, she knew immediately that it was just as important as the first. Kinsley opened her eyes and said, “I’m ready now.”
“On the count of three, we’ll wish. One, two, three!”
She looked at the big dipper and made her first wish, then she looked at the little dipper and wished she would know without a doubt what she should do with the sanctuary.
“You done?” Dylan asked.
“Yes. Are you?”
“I sure am. Now, all we have to do is promise to tell each other when our wishes come true.”
Kinsley looped her arm through his and started walking again. “I like how you said when instead of if.”
“I’m trying to bring out my inner child and believe all things are possible.”
She laughed. “I had a really good time tonight.”
“I did too.”
They didn’t talk much on the ride home. Kinsley was exhausted and guessed Dylan must be too.
Before going into the house, she gently kissed his cheek. “I need to tell you again that I had a fabulous time tonight.”
“We can do this again, you know.”
She took a deep breath, filling her lungs with the fresh night air. After letting it out, she whispered, “I know. Good night.”
When she was inside, she pressed her back up against the door, savoring the feel of a perfect date. It might not have been intended as one, but it certainly turned into that, and she bet Dylan felt the same way. Despite all her misgivings at getting too close to him, she wouldn’t change one thing about tonight.
Chapter 12
As Dylan lay in bed, he stared at the moonlight streaming in the bedroom window, creating a beautiful display on the adjacent wall. When he’d first met Kinsley, his plan had been to charm her to convince her not to sell the sanctuary. Nowhere in that plan had it included falling for her. Hadn’t he learned his lesson with Tori? A city girl was always a city girl. Having his heart broken once was more than enough. And Kinsley had certainly made it clear how much she loved her home…and career. She sure wasn’t going to give up either one to move here, and if he was honest with himself, he didn’t expect her to. She was right when she said there wasn’t enough work here to fill her week. Such a smart, beautiful woman deserved to live life to the fullest, and she could do that best in the city. Still, when he’d wished on the dippers, he’d made the same wish twice: that Kinsley would come up with a way to make keeping the sanctuary work for her.
The next morning as he made the rounds of feeding the animals and helping the interns clean the enclosures, all he could think about was Kinsley and the wonderful time he had with her last night.
“You seem awful chipper today,” Emmit said before they
broke for lunch.
“I went to the festival last night…and rode the Ferris wheel.”
The young man nearly dropped the bucket he was carrying. Everyone at Forever Wild knew about his fear of heights. “And how did you manage that?” Emmit asked.
“I had a little help.”
“From a woman, I’m guessing.”
“Could be, but I won’t tell you her name.”
“You don’t need to. I know it’s Ms. King. I saw the way you looked at her when she was in the barn with the wolf pups.”
Dylan snickered. “Oh, you did, did you?”
“Yep. It’s obvious you like her.”
“Well, what’s not to like? Besides, I have to be nice to her, she owns the place. All our jobs depend on it.”
“Okay, boss. You keep telling yourself that’s all it is. I know there’s more to it than that.”
“Go have lunch, Emmit. Your thirty minutes starts now.”
The young man laughed as he hurried to catch up with the others.
Later in the afternoon, while Dylan was in the wolf enclosure, he spotted Kinsley on the other side of the fence.
“Sorry to bother you,’ she said, “but I need to talk to you.”
He could tell by her expression that something was wrong. “It’s no bother.” He’d been sitting on the ground spending time with Nadia, so when he got up, his pants were covered with dirt. After quickly brushing them off, he went over to the gate and unlocked it. “Come in,” he invited, opening it enough for her to walk through.
She fingered the pendant which hung from a thin gold chain that she wore around her neck. “Inside the enclosure?” Her gaze darted to Nadia. The wolf was studying her intently from the other side of the fence.
“Come on. You’ll be fine.” Dylan wouldn’t have had her come inside if it would’ve put her in danger. The other wolves were in a separate part of the enclosure with a group of scientists from Pennsylvania. “Only Nadia’s here, and she won’t hurt you. I promise. Just walk in slowly, don’t look her in the eye, and let her approach you.”
“Oh, don’t worry. I’m not silly enough to rush up to any animal, especially a wolf.” As she crept in, she blew out a series of short breaths.
Dylan closed the gate behind her and then took hold of her hand. “Relax.”
“I’m trying,” she said softly.
He led her over to a wooden bench, where they then sat down. A few moments later, Nadia shyly made her way over. “Come to say hello, have you?” He let the wolf lick his face, before adding, “This is Kinsley, and she’d love to meet you. Show her what a wonderful girl you are.”
Nadia sniffed Kinsley’s feet and legs, but when the wolf began to sniff the rest of her body, Kinsley stiffened.
Dylan knew how to put her at ease. “Show Kinsley how happy you are that she came to visit you today.”
Nadia looked at him. A moment later, the wolf rested her head in Kinsley’s lap, causing her to let out a little gasp of surprise.
“Go ahead and pet her,” he advised. “Nadia would love that.”
Kinsley gently ran her hand over the wolf’s fur. He noticed her fingers trembled at first, but as she slid her hand down along the animal’s neck and back, the trembling went away.
“Tell me the truth, when you learned that you’d inherited a wildlife sanctuary, did you ever think you’d wind up petting a wolf?” he asked.
An expression of satisfaction showed in her eyes. “Not for a second, but then I had no way of knowing my aunt had hired someone as knowledgeable as you to run the place.”
“Are you glad I asked you to come inside the enclosure?”
A thoughtful smile curved her mouth. “I am now, but if I’m honest, when you’d first asked me to come inside, I was tempted to leave, instead.”
He laughed. “I had a feeling you were thinking of doing that. You made the right choice, though. Not many people get to experience what you have today.”
“You’re right, and that’s a shame. Maybe if they did, people would have more respect for wildlife.” Her thick blonde hair hung in long graceful curves over her shoulders, and her dark eyes were compelling, magnetic.
He was surprised to hear her say that, and when he responded, it was almost a murmur. “I couldn’t have said it better myself.”
“I’m really coming to understand how very important your work is.” As she continued to stroke the wolf’s back, she closed her eyes, as if to savor the experience.
“Thank you. I appreciate that.”
They stayed in the enclosure a bit longer, and when they got up to leave, Nadia followed them over to the gate.
“I’m sorry,” Dylan said, “but you have to stay here. I’ll be back later, though.” The wolf tilted her head, listening to every word.
“Goodbye, Nadia. I’ll come to see you again,” Kinsley added.
Dylan made sure the gate was locked, before saying, “What was it you wanted to talk to me about?”
“I have to go back to the city. There’s an emergency at work. One of my clients is threatening to cancel a listing. Says I’m not spending enough time on his property.”
“When are you leaving?”
“Now. I’ll be back in a few days, as soon as I can calm things down. Tuesday or Wednesday most likely.” She handed him a piece of paper. “That’s my cell phone number. Text me yours.” Before she left, she added, “Will you keep an eye on things at the house? Paul’s over there now working. He’ll lock up when he’s done. But the kitchen appliances are being delivered early next week. Probably Monday. I want to make sure there aren’t any problems with any, and if I’m not there…”
Dylan put his hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry about anything here. You’ve got enough on your plate as it is.”
“Thank you.”
“There’s no need. Just stay calm and drive carefully.”
“I will.”
As he watched her walk away, his heart went out to her. She had so many responsibilities, and she was trying to deal with them all alone. Sooner or later, something was bound to give, and he hoped it wasn’t Kinsley’s ability to cope.
At the end of the day, before heading home, Dylan went over to the Victorian to see how Paul was doing. He’d just finished installing the kitchen floor, using a gorgeous porcelain tile.
“How’s your arm?” he asked looking at Dylan’s bandage. “I heard you almost had a run in with a coyote.”
“Yeah, it was a close call. Kinsley and my two dogs saved the day.”
“That’s what she said. Man, good thing you had your gun handy. I’m keepin’ mine by my back door.”
“I’m sure that coyote’s long gone by now.”
“I sure hope so.” Paul packed up his tool bag. “This house is lookin’ real fine. Cora sure would be proud of how the old place came out.”
“You’re right about that. It’s hard to believe it’s the same house.” Dylan scanned the kitchen, remembering how it looked before. “We need to have a party when everything’s done here next week.”
“I’m never one to say no to a party. Especially, if it’s one I don’t have to clean up.”
Dylan laughed. “You’ve done enough work already. I’ll take care of the clean-up. Let’s make it a surprise party for Kinsley to show her how much we care about her.”
Paul cocked a brushy gray brow at him “And to try to persuade her not to sell the place?”
“Well, that too.”
“Sounds good to me.”
That night Dylan made up the guest list and called Sarah at Delicious Delites to see if she’d like to cater another gathering for him. By the time he went to bed, he had most of the arrangements done, and he fell asleep with a smile on his face.
Chapter 13
“I sure am glad that’s settled,” Kinsley said hanging up the phone. Barry Rogers could be difficult, but the Baylor property was an important listing. It was in an area of the city where she’d been trying to gain a foothold.
“How are things at the sanctuary?” Sue asked.
“Moving along a lot faster than I’d figured they would. The company I’m using to do all the work is fantastic. I’m just annoyed that I had to come back here right now. The kitchen appliances should be coming on Monday, and I really wanted to be there when they arrived.”
“Has anyone ever told you you're a control freak?”
“Ha ha. I’ve been doing everything myself for so long I don’t know any other way.”
“Why don’t you bring some brokers on board?”
Kinsley groaned. “That can open up a whole can of worms. Egos and infighting. That’s the last thing I need.”
“Not if they’re the right fit for the office and you let them know what your expectations are right up front.”
“Aw, I don’t know. Just the thought of it makes me shudder.”
“But it’s the step you need to take. How in the world are you going to keep things going here when you’re in Camille? It just won’t work long term, and you know it.”
She hated to admit when Sue was right, but unfortunately, she feared this was one of those times. “I hear you, and believe me I’ve been contemplating all possibilities.”
“Do you know for sure what you’re going to do with the sanctuary? Or is that still up in the air too?”
Kinsley sighed.
“That’s what I thought. You know I love you, so I have to be honest. You’re a mess. You have no personal life except your Thursday night dinners with the No Brides Club. Your business is suffering because you don’t have enough time for it, and now you’re the owner of a wildlife sanctuary. Something’s gotta give, and I’m afraid it’s your health. You’re gonna wear yourself down until you wind up in bed for three weeks. I know I keep harping at you, but if I don’t, who will?”
“I know you’re right. Really, I do. I’m on the verge of making those important decisions, but you know how I am.”
No Time for Love: No Brides Club, Book 1 Page 8
