by Katie Meyer
Ryan bit off a curse, either at the idea of the dog being purposely abandoned or at the predicament he was in. He was halfway through the thicket, crawling on his belly like a navy SEAL. At least his hair wasn’t long enough to be a hazard.
“Hang tight, Goldie,” she assured the dog. “We’ll get you out of here. Don’t worry.”
“You already named her, huh?”
Jessica smiled. “I guess I have. I didn’t mean to.”
He inched closer, his clothes covered in sand and dead leaves. “It fits her.” He motioned for Jessica to duck her head. “Let me get you free first, then you can help me with her.”
She angled her neck as much as she could to give him better access. His body leaned over her, their torsos nearly touching as he silently sawed away with the small blade he’d produced from his back pocket.
“There, you should be able to move now.”
She gingerly moved a hand up to her head. “How much hair did you have to cut off?”
“Hair? I didn’t cut your hair, I cut the vines.”
“Oh, thank you!” She’d been afraid she was going to end up with a big bald patch on the top of her head.
He shook his head at her in amusement, and then worked his way further into the brambles to where the dog’s tail was caught. “I’ll cut her free if you’ll talk to her and keep her calm.”
Jessica nodded and lifted the poor creature’s head into her lap. “You sure got yourself into a predicament, huh Goldie? Don’t worry though, we’ll get you out and make sure you are taken care of. You don’t have to worry about a thing.”
Wouldn’t that be nice, not having to worry? Not about relationships, or housing costs, or medical insurance or which childbirth class to take? Heart heavy, she laid her face along the dog’s soft fur and tried not to let her unease show. Maybe her own life was a wreck, but she could make things better for a dog. That she could do.
“There, she should be okay now, as long as she doesn’t get stuck again.” Ryan patted the dog’s rump. “Maybe hold off on wagging that tail until we’re out of here, okay?”
A happy thump thump thump was his answer. He laughed, the sound loud against the soft rushing of the waves. “Guess that would be too much to ask for. We’ll have to figure something else out or you’re going to get tangled all over again on the way out.” He went silent for a moment, and then began to pull his T-shirt off.
“Um, what are you doing?”
He grinned, and continued to strip.
She knew she shouldn’t stare, but damn. Ryan’s chest was a work of art, a landscape of hard male muscle with a light dusting of dark hair. Only a few hours earlier she’d hand her hands on it and the memory had her blood heating. Impatient at the delay, the dog nudged her and whimpered. Nothing like a cold dog nose to break the mood.
“Keep her still, I’m almost done.”
Forcing herself to look away from the distraction of Ryan’s chest she saw he’d wrapped his shirt around the dog’s tail, protecting the flowing fur from the thorns and branches they’d be crawling through to get back to the road.
“That should do it. The rest of her will be alright, it’s the wagging that got the tail so tangled. If she wasn’t so darned happy she wouldn’t have gotten stuck at all.”
“Don’t listen to him, Goldie. It’s good to be happy.”
“As long as it doesn’t get you tangled up in a problem you can’t get out of,” he agreed, starting back the way they’d come. This time he had no shirt to protect him as he belly crawled across the ground. He’d literally given the shirt off his back to help a stray dog. The gesture touched her in a way that his attempts to help her hadn’t. She hated being the object of charity, but she could appreciate that same generosity when it was aimed at someone else.
She may have made some big mistakes, but she couldn’t imagine a better guy to have made them with.
* * *
Ryan woke early the next morning, miraculously hangover free after a night of dreams about his wife. Ones that started with what had happened in his kitchen but, unlike yesterday, continued to his bedroom. Or his shower. Or on a blanket in the backyard underneath the stars. There had been several versions, all much more fun than the way the evening had actually ended, crawling through brambles rescuing a grateful but filthy dog.
Although even that hadn’t been totally without it’s rewards. He’d seen how Jessica’s face had flushed when he removed his shirt. There’d been so much electricity hanging between them he was half surprised neither of them had gotten singed. After the way she’d walked out on him it was good to know she was still affected by him.
Too bad it couldn’t have lasted. Instead, she’d purposely avoided looking at him and focused all her attention on the dog. She’d even, after assuring herself of his sobriety, had him drive her car so that she could sit in the back seat with Goldie.
When they got home she’d bathed the dog and fed it some hot dogs from the fridge before turning her attention back to him long enough to mumble a platonic good-night. Of course Goldie had gone into the bedroom with her, and now, as he peeked in through the partially open door, the dog was curled up against her new mistress’s legs. Jessica had claimed last night that she had no intentions of keeping the homeless pup, but Ryan would bet his bottom dollar that the golden retriever was going to be a permanent addition to Jessica’s household. She and Jessica had taken to each other instantly, love at first sight. He knew the feeling.
“You’re a lucky dog, you know that?” he muttered, wondering how he’d ended up sleeping alone while this stray got to share a bed with his wife.
Goldie opened her eyes and cocked her head in confusion.
Ryan pointed a finger at her. “You heard me.”
“Heard you say what?” Jessica asked groggily, squinting at him in the harsh morning light.
“Nothing.” He certainly wasn’t going to admit that he was jealous of a dog. “I didn’t mean to wake you. I just wanted to see if you were up.”
“It’s okay. I need to call Cassie and see about bringing Goldie over there before my shift starts. Get her checked out, see if she has a microchip, that kind of thing.”
He nodded. “I can call animal control and see if she’s been reported missing.”
“That would be great.” She sat up, stretching her arms up over her head. The motion caused her ragged nightshirt to rise up, exposing a line of tanned skin above the waistband of her pajama pants that his fingers itched to touch. “You think someone is looking for her?”
“Huh?” He dragged his mind back from the erotic places it was trying to go, and attempted to focus on what she was saying.
“Just wondering if she has an owner, one that wants her back. You saw what bad shape she was in last night. She’s cleaner now, but she’s still way too thin. Either she’s been on her own a long time, or she’s been badly neglected.” She stroked Goldie’s now-clean fur, causing the dog to wiggle even closer. Lucky, lucky dog.
“Like I said, I can’t remember seeing any fliers or notices fitting her description, can you?”
Jessica shook her head, sleep-tousled curls tumbling. “No. And I always check the lost-and-found board when I go by the clinic to see Cassie.”
“So if no one is looking for her, there’s a good chance she was she was abandoned on purpose.” The idea of someone treating a living creature like a disposable object made his blood boil. “Well, as far as I’m concerned, she’s welcome to stay here.”
“Are you sure? You’ve already got me living here now, and then there’s the baby coming...” Jessica bit her bottom lip, obviously torn between practicality and emotion.
Screw practicality. The dog made Jessica happy, and he was coming to realize there was very little he wouldn’t do to achieve that. “Hey, every kid needs a dog, right?”
Jessica leaped from the bed and threw herse
lf into his arms, wrapping him in an enthusiastic hug. For a brief moment he let himself appreciate her soft curves pressing against him, and then she was bouncing away, turning her affections toward the dog in question. Grinning at him, she ruffled Goldie’s fur and dodged canine kisses. “Thank you, Ryan. I mean, maybe we’ll find that there really was a mistake—that her owner is looking for her—but if we don’t...thank you.”
“Hey, I’m not your landlord, this is your home too. We’re partners now.”
“Still, thanks.”
He shrugged, uncomfortable with how big a deal she was making of it. “No worries. Want some coffee?”
“Sure. I’ll be out in a few minutes. Could you let Goldie out to potty while I get dressed?”
“Of course. Come on, girl. Wanna go outside?”
The big dog leaped off the bed and ran through the door, nearly bowling him over in her haste. “Hey, slow down. I’m the one with the opposable thumbs—you’re going to need me to open the door.”
His yard was fenced but he went out with her anyway, wanting to be sure she didn’t dig anything up or find some secret escape route. If she stayed he’d make sure the fence was totally dog proof. It wouldn’t do for her to get herself lost again.
For now, he straddled one of the two folding chairs he’d bought for the small concrete patio. Resting his arms on the back of the chair he watched the dog explore her new territory and found himself hoping she stayed. Jessica probably didn’t realize it, but she seemed to relax her guard when she was around Goldie, dropping the protective wall he’d been banging his head against since the first day they met. Besides, taking care of the dog would give him and Jessica a chance to practice their teamwork before the baby came. And when it came to winning over his wife he was going to need all the help he could get.
If that help came with soft fur and a wagging tail, well that was just fine.
* * *
The Paradise Animal Clinic waiting room was a zoo of activity when Jessica walked in an hour later. An elderly man held an angry Chihuahua in his lap, the miniature menace doing his best to intimidate the bored Great Dane lying on the floor a few feet away. Two cats in matching pink cat carriers were meowing in protest at their current confinement, and a parakeet had gotten loose and was darting back and forth just out of reach of the tattooed and potbellied man trying to catch it. Goldie, apparently not used to such commotion, whimpered and huddled into Jessica’s side.
She rubbed the nervous dog’s soft ears soothingly. “It’s okay, baby. It’s a little overwhelming, but this is a safe place, I promise. They like doggies here.”
“We sure do.” Cassie said from an exam room doorway. “But where did you find this one?”
Jessica led Goldie over to her sister-in-law. “Running across the road, over by the beach. I nearly hit her.”
“Oh no! She’s lucky you didn’t. We see a lot of canine versus car injuries, and the car always wins. I wonder where she came from.”
“I was hoping you could help me with that. She wasn’t wearing a collar or anything, but I thought you might recognize her.”
Cassie cocked her head in thought as she looked the dog over. “No, I don’t think so. But we’ll scan her and see if she has a microchip. Most shelters implant them now, and a lot of breeders do too. Not everyone keeps up with the registration, but if she has one it will give us a place to start.”
She turned and ducked her head back into the exam room, where a young boy was futilely trying to drag a dog twice his size toward the door. “Jimmy, your mom will be done paying the bill in a minute. Why don’t you let her handle Bruno, okay?”
The boy tugged once more, his face straining as he leaned all his weight on the leash, before nodding in defeat. Cassie smiled and headed for the main treatment room, motioning for Jessica to follow her. Behind the scenes, things were even more chaotic than up-front. A row of gleaming metal cages held half a dozen resident patients, some with IV drips, some sleeping, and one feisty puppy who was digging furiously in his food bowl, scattering kibble everywhere.
“Busy day, huh?” Jessica asked, even as an employee in scrubs pushed a chart into Cassie’s hands. Cassie looked down, made a notation, and handed it back before answering.
“Yup. But hey, at least it isn’t boring. Dad’s coming in this afternoon, so that’ll help.” Cassie’s father was still a partner in the clinic, but he was semiretired now.
“I’m sorry to bother you. I could come back later.” She probably should have called first.
“Nonsense.” Cassie reached into a cabinet and removed an oblong plastic device. “It’ll only take a few minutes to scan this pretty girl, and if we can reunite her with her owner it will be well worth the time.” She ran the scanner over the dog’s neck and shoulders, holding it up in triumph when it beeped. “Got it!”
Jessica’s heart sank. She should be glad, but in her heart she’d already started to think of Goldie as hers. “Now what?”
“Now we call it in to a central clearinghouse.” The young vet copied the string of numbers from the device’s screen onto a pad of paper. “If we’re lucky they’ll match this number up with her owner’s information. Or, if it’s still registered to the shelter or breeder she came from we’ll call them, and see if they can track down who she belongs to.”
“I can do that.” Jessica reached for the paper, fighting the urge to rip it up and pretend she’d never seen it.
“Okay, the number to call is here, on the back of the scanner.” She handed it over along with the paper. “You can use the phone in my office. Let me know if you run into any trouble.”
Office was a generous term for the closet-sized space that housed Cassie’s desk, a computer and stacks of veterinary textbooks and medical journals. But it had a phone, and, with the door closed, offered a bit of quiet compared to the chaos outside.
After dialing the number, it took several minutes to navigate the automated menu, but finally she got a human being on the line. One who was more than happy to share all the information he had on Goldie. Except Goldie’s real name was Chloe, and she belonged to a man named Clive Redmond.
Jessica numbly wrote down the owner’s contact information and hung up. Goldie/Chloe rested her head in Jessica’s lap, perhaps sensing something important was happening. Absently, Jessica stroked her silky fur and dialed.
“Hello?” a groggy voice answered on the third ring.
“Hi, I’m looking for Clive Redmond?”
“Well you found him. What do you want?”
She took a deep breath, and forced herself to sound polite. “I wanted to let you know I found your dog last night.”
“Lady, I don’t have a dog.”
“A golden retriever, named Chloe?” she persisted. “The microchip company said she’s registered to your name.”
“Ah, hell. That dog? She ran away months ago. I only adopted her because my old lady wanted a dog, but she took off a week after I got the dang thing and left the stupid mutt with me. When it ran off too, I figured good riddance to both of them.”
Goldie/Chloe whined, and Jessica realized she was clenching her hands in the dog’s fur. Relaxing her fingers, Jessica forced herself to stay calm. Yelling at this loser wasn’t going to help anyone, even if he did have it coming. “So does that mean you don’t want her back?”
“Hell no. I can’t afford to feed myself, let alone some smelly dog. As far as I’m concerned, you can keep her.” A sharp click ended the conversation.
Shocked, Jessica looked down at the soft, trusting eyes staring at her and wondered how anyone could be so hard-hearted. “So, what do we do now, Goldie?” No way was she going to use the name that horrid man had given the dog. A soft wag was the dog’s only reply. “Is it wrong that I want to keep you? I’m pregnant, and I’m sort of freaking out about that. And I just started a new job that’s going to keep me really busy. And on
top of everything else I went and got married. So you see, my life is really complicated right now.”
Goldie gave her arm a gentle nudge, sneaking her head further into Jessica’s lap.
Giving in, Jessica dropped a kiss on the gentle dog’s nose. “Welcome to the family.”
Chapter Thirteen
Despite Jessica’s worries, Goldie slid seamlessly into her life as if she’d always been there. In fact, there were days when Goldie’s happy wag and loyal companionship were the only things keeping Jessica sane. She was still on the night shift, although no longer partnered up with Ryan. Thankfully her superiors at the department had taken news of her marriage and pregnancy in stride, simply advising her to keep them apprised of any medical issues that might affect her performance or safety, and asking that she fill out all the paperwork for her maternity leave well in advance. She’d be allowed to continue her regular duties until and unless she requested to be moved to a desk job. Figuring out how to order a maternity uniform had been the most difficult part.
Among her fellow deputies, however, the news had made a bigger stir. But it wasn’t that she was pregnant that attracted the most attention—it was their sudden elopement that had really greased the gears of the gossip mill. Everyone wanted to know when they’d met, how long they’d been dating, why they’d kept their romance a secret. She’d floundered at first, leading several to speculate about a shotgun wedding, with the suggestion that her brother had held the proverbial gun.
Alex, thankfully, had denied those rumors and admitted he hadn’t known about the wedding until after the fact. She didn’t mind people thinking she’d gotten married because of the baby, it was true after all. But the idea that she’d been forced to marry, that her brother had made that decision for her as if she was some kind of pawn to be ordered around—that infuriated her. As did the insinuation that Ryan had only proposed under duress. Something she’d explained to Cassie one night with a few tears and way too much ice cream.