by Jennie Marts
Jocelyn pushed through the door, hoping to save her grandmother from having to reply to Mrs. Crandle’s complaints. “We’re back. And we brought some new friends.” The little dogs woke up at the sound of voices and squirmed in her arms. She set them on the floor to explore.
“What’s this?” Gram asked, leaning her hand down to beckon the dogs. “Where did these little guys come from?”
“We’re not sure,” Mack said, crossing to give his grandmother a hug. “We found them in the barn.”
Mrs. Crandle sat on one corner of the sofa. She tried to hold her chin aloft, but snuck a glance at the dog batting at the shoelace of her orthopedic shoe.
“Come here, you little rascal,” Jocelyn said, scooping the dog up and holding it in her lap as she dropped onto the other end of the sofa. “You leave Mrs. Crandle alone.”
The dog ignored Jocelyn’s reprimand and trotted across the cushion. He nosed Mrs. Crandle’s arm up, then wiggled underneath it and into her lap.
“Oh goodness,” she said, her expression softening as the dog curled up and rested his head on her other arm. He let out a contented sigh and closed his eyes.
“Looks like you’ve made a friend,” Jocelyn told her.
“I hope he doesn’t shed. I just washed these slacks,” the other woman said. Her tone was cross, but the tender look on her face as she gently rested a hand on the dog’s back told a different story.
The other dog was standing on Gram’s lap, doing her best to lick every inch of the woman’s neck. Her little tail spun in a happy circle, wagging a hundred miles an hour. “What are you going to do with them?”
Jocelyn shrugged. “We don’t know. For now, we gave them some food and a bath.” She glanced down at herself. “I got a bit of a bath in the process too. Which is why I had to borrow a shirt from Mack.” She gestured to the dogs. “They’re both really sweet and adorable. I’m sure they’d make great pets. We figured we’d take them over to the shelter and hope they get adopted.”
Mrs. Crandle pursed her lips. “Or you could keep them here until you find them a suitable home.” She glanced down at the little dog sleeping contentedly in her lap. “They don’t seem like much trouble. Maybe I could take this one. You know, just for a little while, just until you find a home for it.”
“Oh would you? That would be great. But are you sure it won’t be too much trouble?”
Mrs. Crandle sniffed as if she’d been insulted. “I think I can handle one little dog.” She cradled the dog against her chest as she pushed up from the sofa. “I’ll just take him over to the house now and get him settled in. I’ll call you later to let you know how he’s doing.” She was out the door before Jocelyn could even think to argue.
“I think that dog just found a home,” Jocelyn said, grinning at Mack and her grandma.
Mack chuckled. “I’ve never seen that woman move so fast in all the years I’ve known her.”
Gram cuddled the other dog to her chest. “Now what are we going to do with this one?”
By Thursday, they felt like they had done all they could do ahead of time for the upcoming concert. Hank had mowed the field, and he and Mack had set up an extra parking area. They had food vendors scheduled and a local cider brewery had created a special cider for the event.
Gram and Loretta had made some calls to see if anyone had heard about two lost dogs, and they had put up some posters, but no one knew where they’d come from or who they’d belonged to.
The little dog at Gram’s house seemed to have already decided she belonged there. She’d spent the day either trailing after Jocelyn or cuddling up in Gram’s lap—which had the added benefit of making Gram stay put on the sofa.
Jocelyn peered down at the sleeping pup stretched out between her leg and the inside arm of the recliner. The little sneak had crawled up there some time ago and fallen asleep while Jocelyn worked. The dog’s small scruffy head rested contentedly on Jocelyn’s knee. She was so cute. It was easy to fall in love with her.
But Jocelyn couldn’t let herself submit to that particular emotion. Not with the dog…or the handsome blacksmith who had been taking up too many of her thoughts today.
She wasn’t staying. She couldn’t. Could she? No matter how tempting her feelings for the endearing dog, and the hunky man, she had a life, a job, in New York. And not just a job, a career. A livelihood she’d spent years cultivating. Could she give that all up to pursue this thing with Mack?
She didn’t even know what this thing was. Were they rekindling an old flame or just having fun together while she was home? Mack had hinted at their relationship, even shared a few of his feelings, but he was a man of few words and it wasn’t always clear what he was thinking. And she wasn’t sure she wanted to ask, since she didn’t know what she wanted herself.
This felt like a big deal. It must be, if she was even considering giving up New York and all that she’d worked for to try to pursue something with him.
Back up, sister. Where had that thought come from? Giving up New York? Until the last few days, she wouldn’t have even considered the notion. But now, things felt different.
Mack was the only man she’d ever loved. And he’d been the yardstick she’d held up to every other mand she’d tried to date. And she’d found them all lacking.
When she’d returned to Harmony Ranch, she hadn’t planned on even seeing Mack, but she couldn’t deny those feelings were still there. Didn’t she owe it to herself? To him? To see if they had a chance at something?
Stop it. Talk about putting the cart before the horse.
She wasn’t even sure that Mack was interested in getting back together with her. Sure, they’d danced, and hugged, and he’d held her hand. But that didn’t mean he still had feelings for her or wanted a future together. Although there had been feeling in those hugs, in the way he held her in his arms.
Jocelyn sighed and closed her laptop. It was late and time to turn her brain off. She glanced at the clock and was surprised to see it was almost nine. Her grandmother had gone to bed awhile ago, but she’d been so engrossed in the latest thing she’d been working on for the coffee shop that she’d lost track of time. She’d turned in the final proposal earlier that afternoon, then tonight had thought of another cute idea. This was the part she loved, and she was really having fun with the new marketing concepts she’d come up with for them.
Hmmm. A job she loved doing, and a company she loved working for—that didn’t feel like something she was considering giving up.
A knock sounded at the front door, and she gave a little jolt, startling the dog. Jocelyn pushed out of the chair and the dog stretched, then hopped down to follow at her heels. She rubbed her sore neck as she pulled open the door.
Mack was standing on her porch, and Savage was sitting by his feet. Speak of the gorgeous bearded devil. “Hey. What are you doing here?”
“Delivering this,” he said, carrying a flat square box into the kitchen and setting it on the counter.
“What is it?” Her curiosity piqued, she tried to look over his shoulder as she followed behind him. The little dog ran around Savage’s sturdy body, her tail furiously wagging with excitement.
“I don’t know. It’s probably dumb,” he said, looking suddenly shy as he shoved his hands in his front pockets. “We just spent all that time working on those pies for the auction and never got to eat any. And you’ve been working so hard on the concert this week, I thought you deserved a treat.”
Jocelyn’s lips curved into a smile as she peered into the box. “You bought me a pie?”
“No. I made you a pie.”
“You made this?” She stared at the round dessert, marveling at the perfectly piped whipped cream that formed a lattice pattern and the curls of chocolate shavings sprinkled over the top.
“I did. And it’s not just any pie. It’s peanut butter.”
“You’re kid
ding.” She breathed in the heavenly scents of peanut butter and chocolate. “Like the kind Gram used to make us when we were kids?”
“Exactly the same kind. I used her recipe.”
Her gaze bounced from him to the pie, then back to him again. “I can’t believe you did this. For me. It’s so nice.” She swiped her finger through a dollop of whipped cream and pie filling then licked it off and let out a groan. “Oh my gosh. And it’s so good.”
She took another big swipe, then held her finger out to Mack. He started to lean forward, then she let out a laugh as she twisted her hand and smeared it across his mouth and chin.
He grinned as he licked it from his lips. “You’re right. It is good. Makes me hope you’ll invite me to stay and have a piece.”
She grinned back as she teased him. “I don’t know. It’s pretty good pie. But I guess I could share one piece. Since you made it and all.”
He swiped at the pie filling on his chin. “How do you feel about letting me eat this piece with a fork?”
“A fork? I suppose next you’re going to want a plate, too?”
He shrugged. “I’ve been known to eat a piece of pie out of my hand.”
She laughed as she dug through the drawer for a pie cutter. Setting it on the counter, she turned back to Mack and rested a hand on his forearm. “Thank you.” Her tone softened as she gazed into his gorgeous blue eyes. “For the pie. For trying to help my grandmother. For everything.”
He held her gaze, his voice dropping to a husky whisper. “I would do anything for you.”
She sucked in a sharp inhale at the intensity of his words.
“And for this place,” he said, dropping his gaze. “It means a lot to me.”
“Me too,” she whispered. But what she wanted to say was, You mean a lot to me too, but the words stuck in her throat.
The smaller dog had given chase to Savage, racing around Mack and Jocelyn’s legs in an attempt to get the bigger dog to chase her. The basset hound lumbered forward then tripped on his long droopy ear, and he crashed into the side of their legs.
Mack took a step back, then crouched down to run a hand over Savage’s back. “You all right, pal?” The basset issued him a sad look, but tipped his head up to lick the remnants of whipped cream drying on his chin. Mack smiled up at Jocelyn. “He seems to be fine.”
She got plates and forks out and served them each a slice of pie. Carrying their plates to the table, Jocelyn moved the printouts of some of the artwork and graphics she’d been working on.
Mack slid into the chair next to her and picked up one of the pages. “What’s this?”
“One of the graphics for the new marketing campaign for the coffee shop I told you about.”
“This is good. I like how the froth in the cup creates two hearts. I don’t think anyone down at Harmony Perk knows how to make something like this.”
“Some of the baristas in the city take their froth art pretty seriously.” She tilted her head to study the picture. “I feel like this is good, though—maybe the best work I’ve ever done. There’s something about being here that’s opened up my creativity. The inspiration for this whole ad came to me as I wandered around the ranch the other morning. The entire campaign is based on their coffee tasting like home in a cup.”
“I like it.”
“I hope they do too. This is the account that my promotion hinges on. I’ve been working on this stuff for a month now, picking colors and making graphics and really branding the whole thing together. I turned in the preliminary package today, and I’m nervous, but I think they’re going to love it. And I hope it shows my boss that I’m the best choice for the new position.”
“Your face lights up when you talk about this stuff.”
“I love it.”
“I see that. I guess I thought that with everything that’s happened, you were considering…” His voice trailed off.
“Considering what?”
“Nothing. Never mind.” He shook his head. “I guess I just didn’t realize the promotion meant that much to you.”
“It means everything to me.”
His brow furrowed, and he pushed his chair away from the table and stood. “It’s getting late. I should probably go.”
“Go? But you haven’t even finished your pie.”
“I guess I’m not that hungry.” He whistled for the dog, and Savage trotted out the door in front of him. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow,” he said, pulling the door shut behind him.
Jocelyn slumped back in her chair. What the heck just happened?
Did he want her to stay here?
Only one way to find out. She pushed away from the table and hurried after him.
Chapter Seventeen
Jocelyn caught up to Mack as he was stomping up the steps of his cottage. Was he mad at her? What was going on?
“Hey,” she called out, stopping him in his tracks. “I feel like something just happened there, but I’m not sure what it was.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Yes, you do. One minute we’re sharing peanut butter pie and joking around, and the next, you’re running out the door like the house is on fire.”
He turned as he reached the landing of the porch. Crossing his arms over his chest, he leaned against one of the posts as he regarded her. “That’s a funny way to put it—joking around. I guess I just realized that’s all this is to you.”
She jerked back. Joking around? How could he think that? Their relationship—or whatever they were doing—was no laughing matter to her. “I certainly don’t think of the time we’ve been spending together as a joke. But as far as what we’re actually doing, I honestly don’t know what to think. It’s not like you’re really good at sharing your feelings.”
“What do you want me to say? You know I’m a man of few words. But my actions should have spoken volumes to you. I thought we really had something here.”
He thought they had something? Her throat tightened, and she found it hard to speak. Her voice came out husky, raw. “We do. I mean, I think so too.”
“Just not enough for you to consider sticking around to figure out what it is.”
Come on. Now he was just trying to make her mad. She planted a hand on her hip. “I didn’t even know you wanted me to stay.”
He scrubbed a hand through his hair and let out a sigh. “Of course I want you to stay.”
“You never said so.”
“I shouldn’t have to,” he stated, his tone bordering between anger and frustration. “Couldn’t you tell by the way I held you? By the way I hugged you as if I might not ever see you again?” His eyebrows were drawn together as he strode down the porch steps two at a time, then wrapped his arm around her waist. Pulling her to him, he pressed his lips to hers and kissed her hard. And thoroughly.
He pulled back, his breath ragged as he leaned his forehead against hers. “Now do you know how I feel?”
She knew how she felt—dazed, breathless, and suddenly very warm. His emotions had come through in the intensity of the kiss, but she still wanted to hear him say it. “Yes, but…”
“No. No buts. I care about you. I always have. You were the first—and the last—girl I ever fell in love with. I thought I’d buried all those old feelings, put my past with you away. But then you came back, with your fancy clothes and city-girl attitude, and you were more beautiful than I’d even remembered.” He reached to brush his fingers over her cheek, his gaze intense as he studied her face. “You were different, and I was sure you’d changed. But then you smiled, and it was like the sun came out on a cloudy day. And then you started teasing me about my beard and you climbed in my truck and let my stupid mutt drool on your leg, and I knew you hadn’t really changed.”
She reached up and lightly touched the side of his face. “You do have a pretty great beard.”
/> He put his hand over hers and held it to his cheek. “Joss, I thought I was over you. Then you came home and every day that I’ve spent with you has me falling back in love with you again.”
She swallowed.
“Is that plain enough for you?” He repeated the words. “I’m falling in love with you again. And I want you to stay and give us a chance to see where this thing goes.” He let go of her hand and raked his fingers through his hair. “But I saw your face tonight when you were talking about your job. You’ve worked hard and put a lot into getting this promotion. I can’t ask you to give all that up.”
Isn’t that what she’d been wanting him to do? Ask her to stay with him and give “them” a chance? But now that he had, panic was constricting her chest.
Could she really give up everything? For the guy who had shattered her heart into a million pieces the last time she’d trusted him with it?
She ran her fingers along his jaw. “I’m falling in love with you again, too. This last week I’ve been happier than I have been in years. I didn’t realize what I was missing until I was with you again. But this is a big decision. I need some time to think.”
He pulled away, and she immediately missed the warmth of his arms. She crossed her arms around her middle to fight off the sudden chill. Is this what going back to New York would feel like? Like all the warmth had suddenly left her body?
“Take all the time you need,” Mack said. “I’ll be here. I know what I want, and I’m not going anywhere.”
She watched him walk back up the steps and go inside the cottage before she turned and headed back to Gram’s house. Still holding her stomach, she walked slowly, as if trying to hold up the enormous weight of this situation on her shoulders.
Could she really uproot that life and move to Colorado? Where would she even live? Would she move in with her grandmother? Sure, that seemed like a great idea—then her and Mack’s relationship could be on display and under the microscope of their matchmaking grannies.