by Dylann Crush
Reagan nodded, and he pushed the door open. As he placed both feet on the dirt shoulder of the highway, she leaned over the seat and grabbed his arm.
“Be careful.”
He nodded and shut the door. What if whatever he’d hit was still alive? And hurt? And pissed? He wished for a baseball bat to materialize in his hand. Best he could do was fire up his flashlight app and hope for the best. He held his phone out in front of him, sweeping the small light from side to side as trucks and cars whooshed by on the highway. At least whatever he’d hit didn’t appear to be in the middle of the road.
Finally, about fifty yards back, he came across the still body of a giant, shaggy beast. He circled, giving it a wide berth. It didn’t move. What the hell was it? A wolf? A baby bear? Dark brown fur clung to its body in a matted mess. As Zach moved the light over the animal, he saw splotches of shiny red blood.
Reagan pushed past him and crouched down next to the body.
His stomach churned. She shouldn’t be seeing this. “Reagan, stay back.”
Her hand moved over the gnarly fur and a faint whimper came from the general direction of the animal’s head. “It’s hurt. We’ve got to do something.”
“It’s wild. Watch out.”
Reagan continued to run her hands over the animal. “It’s a dog, you dope. Help me get it back to the car so we can take it somewhere.”
A dog? That thing looked more like a bison than a dog. He knelt down for a better look. Damn, she was right. The mutt whimpered and tried to stand but collapsed to the ground.
“Zach!”
His gaze snapped to Reagan.
“Help me. We can’t leave it here.” She’d already collapsed to her knees and cradled the dog’s head in her lap. “What if it’s somebody’s pet?”
“Hell, what do you want me to do?”
She looked at him like he was a complete idiot. “Pick it up and carry it to the car. We’ve got to get it to a vet. Does it have a collar on?”
He reached a tentative hand out and felt around the dog’s neck. Nothing but matted fur and the sticky feel of blood. The dog’s tongue lolled out of its mouth and swept across the back of his hand. Zach yanked it away and wiped the slobber on his jeans.
“Haven’t you ever had a dog before?” Reagan asked.
“No. Actually I haven’t.” After six stitches on his lip, any affection he might have harbored for the canine species had dissipated.
“Come on, you’re wasting time. We’ve got to get it to a vet.”
Zach groaned. Since when had Reagan become such a bleeding heart? It’s not like he wanted to leave the poor thing on the side of the road, but couldn’t they call someone? He touched the scar on his lip, remembering the last time he’d been this close to a dog.
As if she read his mind, Reagan swatted at his arm. “We’re not leaving it here. Either help me get it to the car or I’ll do it myself.”
Shit. The damn dog was almost as big as her.
“Fine.” He squatted down and eased his arms underneath the dog’s side. It let out a slight whimper then settled into his arms. He struggled to stand with the huge mutt. It had to weigh at least a hundred pounds.
“Easy, boy,” Reagan said, smoothing down the dog’s fur. “You’re going to be just fine.”
“Go open the door.” Zach managed to stagger to his feet and make his way toward the car. “Hurry before I drop him.”
Reagan raced ahead, pulling open the passenger side door. “Here, put him on the seat.”
Zach leaned down and half-placed, half-dropped the dog onto the passenger seat. It ended up in an awkward position, its rear end on the floorboard and its upper half on the bucket seat. As Reagan walked around to climb in the back, Zach assessed the damage to the front bumper. A deep dent marred the passenger-side front quarter panel and the tire rim appeared to be bent. Great, just great. In addition to having to find care for their new hitchhiker, now he’d have to report the damage to the car rental place.
“Come on. I looked it up and there’s an emergency vet about twenty miles up the road.”
“Fuck.” This little adventure kept getting better and better. And just when he felt like he was making some headway with Reagan. Didn’t the white knight usually slay the giant fire-breathing beast? Not load its bleeding body into a rental car and go out of the way to deliver it to an all-night doc-in-the-box?
Hell, since when had he ever been anyone’s white knight? With a final shake of his head, he climbed behind the wheel, ready to indulge Reagan in her do-gooder detour.
As they made their way to the clinic Reagan had located on her phone, Zach knew they’d need to call the roadside assistance service. As soon as he accelerated over forty, the whole front of the car shook. He kept it at thirty-five and cringed each time a car or truck swerved around him, honking and flashing headlamps. Forty-five minutes later they pulled into the parking lot of a twenty-four hour animal hospital.
Reagan had called ahead and a young woman in scrubs rushed out to the car as he parked in the empty lot. Zach got out and pushed the seat forward. Reagan scrambled out from the back. She darted around to meet the woman on the passenger side and started filling her in on what had happened.
“Let’s bring him in. I’ve got an exam room ready. Can you lift him, or do I need to have someone come out and help?” she asked.
“Zach, can you grab him?” Reagan looked like a mess. Patches of brown fur covered the front of her white shirt and dried blood streaked down her arm.
“Yeah.” May as well. His T-shirt would need to be tossed as well. He leaned down and gathered the dog in his arms again. It licked him right across the face. Zach wrenched his head away, trying to avoid the slobbery laps of the animal’s tongue, all while not dropping the beast.
“That’s a good sign,” the woman said. “He knows you’re trying to help.”
“Where am I taking him?” Zach asked, moving toward the entrance.
“Follow me.” The woman rushed ahead of him.
Reagan closed up the car and followed behind.
Zach squinted against the bright fluorescent lights of the clinic as he trailed behind the woman. As they entered an exam room, the smell of antiseptic hit his nose. The dog shifted in his arms.
“It’s okay, buddy. They’re going to take good care of you,” Zach whispered, trying to provide encouragement.
Another woman in a long white coat stood near the exam table. “I’m Dr. Gupta. Set him down here, and I’ll have a look.” The vet moved with swift efficiency through the room as Zach laid the dog down on the hard, sterile table. She listened to the heartbeat, peered into the eyes, nose, and mouth, and ran her hands over the dog’s entire body, murmuring soothing words Zach couldn’t make out.
“Is he going to be all right?” Reagan asked.
Dr. Gupta smiled, the kindness in her eyes sending a message of reassurance. “He is actually a she and yes, I think she’s going to be fine. I want to do some X-rays, but I suspect she has a broken front leg. Once I see the film, I’ll be able to tell if she’ll need surgery.”
“Oh, thank God.” Reagan leaned against Zach’s chest and, without thinking, his arm went around her shoulder. “Should we wait in here or out in the lobby?”
“Why don’t you wait out front? I’ll come get you in about ten minutes.”
Reagan leaned down and brushed the hair back from the dog’s eyes. “Don’t be scared, girl. We’ll wait for you.”
Zach followed her out of the exam room to the lobby where she slumped into a chair.
“Can you believe it?” she asked. “How lucky is that?”
“Lucky for who? Did you see the front of the car? I didn’t get the damn insurance coverage. And who’s paying for this dog?”
“I’ll cover it,” Reagan said, patting the seat next to her. “Sit down.”
“How the hell are you going to cover it, Reagan? You have no wallet, no credit card, no checkbook. This trip is costing me a fortune. You’re a magnet
for disasters. You know that, right?”
She let out a huffy breath. “I’ll pay you back. I already told you. Just keep track.”
He made a move to tunnel his hands through his hair but stopped before spreading doggy blood over his head. “Is there a bathroom around here?”
A woman at the front desk pointed down a hallway. “Over there.”
“Thanks.” He stood and moved in the direction she had pointed.
Why couldn’t he have looked the other way when he saw Reagan Campbell at the airport? For eight years, she’d lurked in the back of his mind and he had wondered, what if her dad hadn’t threatened him to stay away from her? What if Jimmy Baldwin hadn’t burst into the closet that night? What if he’d had the balls to track her down after college?
All those years of wondering had finally passed, and now he found himself carting her ass to Miami on a wild goose chase with an injured dog, a dented rental car, and a maxed-out credit card. He could hardly wait to find out what the next two-hundred miles had in store.
14
“You’re sure she’s going to make it?” Reagan asked as Dr. Gupta entered the waiting room. Zach had gone out front to call the car rental place and see about a replacement vehicle. He didn’t think they’d be able to make it the rest of the way on a bent rim.
The vet sat down in the chair across from her. “The X-ray shows it’s a clean break, but we are going to have to do surgery. We’ll cast her leg, and she’ll have to stay off her feet for several weeks. I’ve given her some medicine for the pain and can go ahead with the surgery if you’d like.”
“Oh, she’s not my dog. We hit her on the highway while she was trying to cross. I thought I explained that on the phone,” Reagan said.
“You did. She doesn’t have a collar, and I checked for a microchip. Based on her appearance, I think she’s a stray. That means either you take responsibility for her, or I have to turn her over to the humane society.”
“What would they do with her?” Reagan asked.
“I’m not sure. I estimate she’s around twelve to eighteen months. But surgery will be expensive so they may opt to euthanize.”
“You mean put her down?”
Dr. Gupta nodded. “There might be a no-kill shelter willing to take her. I can make some phone calls in the morning. But she needs the surgery as soon as possible if we want her to have the best chance of healing.”
Reagan couldn’t stand the thought of being responsible for the poor dog being put to sleep, couldn’t bear to see another living thing suffer. “Please go ahead with the surgery. I need to know she’ll be okay.”
“I’ll need you to fill out some information.” Dr. Gupta stood and walked to the desk where she picked up a packet of forms. “Once you have this complete, hand it in at the counter over there and we’ll get started.”
Reagan took the clipboard the vet offered. Zach would more than likely be pissed about having to plop down his credit card on her behalf again. But what was the alternative? Take off for the beach, knowing they were responsible for ending a poor creature’s life? She rummaged through her purse for a pen and began to fill out the forms. When she got to the payment portion she took a deep breath and stood. Here goes nothing.
She walked through the sliding glass doors into the cool night air. Not quite as warm as it would be in Florida, but at least there wasn’t a blizzard raging.
Zach sat on the curb, his head resting in his hands. “Everything all right with the beast?”
“That’s what I came out here to talk to you about. The dog needs surgery. Can I have your credit card number for the form? I promise I’ll pay you back. Plus interest if you want.” She stopped a few feet from him.
“Sure.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. “Which one do you want? You’ve already done enough damage on my Amex. Let’s work on the Visa next.” He handed her a platinum card.
“Zach.” Reagan shifted her weight from foot to foot. “I’m sorry about all this.”
“Hey, you weren’t the one who nailed the dog with the front bumper.”
“Yeah, but you wouldn’t even be in this situation if it weren’t for me. Are they going to be able to get us a new car?” She clipped the credit card to the clipboard as Zach got to his feet and stood beside her.
“The office is closed now. They suggested we find a place to stay tonight, and they’ll get us a new vehicle in the morning. They open at ten.”
Reagan glanced at her watch. “But that’s twelve hours from now!”
He shrugged. “Either that or we limp down the highway on a bent rim and wait for the whole wheel to fall off.”
She didn’t say a word, just cradled the clipboard in her arms.
“What do you want to do? I’m open to suggestions. This whole damn thing has been nothing but a clusterfuck. One disaster after another. I should have known better.”
“Should have known better than to what? Am I that bad?” It seemed like they’d been working together, but apparently he felt otherwise.
She waited for him to answer but he stood there, staring at his hands.
“Well, guess what? I relieve you of your duty. You’re no longer responsible for me.” She turned to go back into the building, wiping at the corner of her eye as her body whirled away from him. She wouldn’t show any signs of weakness. No matter what.
“Dammit, stop for a sec.” His voice lost its sharp edge and a deep sigh followed his words.
Reagan stood with her back to him. His arms wrapped around her, coming to rest across her ribcage, right under her chest. His touch should have made her pull away, but it ignited a slow, deep burn in the bottom of her belly. Heat radiated out from where his hands clasped together, spreading through her torso and out to the extremities of each limb.
Every part of her became aware of Zach’s presence: his warm breath on her neck, the undeniable male scent enveloping her, the delicious feel of his chest pressed against her back. She wanted to elbow him in the ribs and dash into the safety of the clinic. She also wanted to twist around and capture his mouth in hers.
Before she could do either, the familiar spasm racked her diaphragm and a hiccup broke through her lips. Her cheeks flamed. She ducked her head, attempting to cover her mouth and suppress the next uncontrollable outburst.
“Hey.” Zach’s soft whisper danced across her ear, sending a wave of shivers cascading down her entire right side.
He gently turned her in his arms, and she waited for the next hiccup to bubble up. His finger went under her chin, tilting her head up to his. She didn’t want to face him, to see the look of amusement and pity she was so sure would be reflected in his eyes.
Reagan dared a glance. No pity, no humor. Just concern. There was something else there as well.
As his gaze searched hers, his lips parted like he wanted to say something. Her focus shifted to his mouth, a perfectly kissable full bottom lip and the scar running through the top one. Because of a dog bite. He’d told her he didn’t like dogs. Yet he’d rescued the one inside, scooped it up in his arms, and detoured to an all-night vet.
For her.
Her heart stalled in her chest. He was going to kiss her. The realization sent a delicious chill down her spine. She held her breath, waiting, anticipating the contact. Another hiccup rose from her diaphragm, but then Zach’s lips were on hers and the spasm faded.
The sound of the doors whooshing open brought her to her senses. The vet tech stood on the sidewalk and cleared her throat. “Do you have that paperwork finished? We need it on file before we can start the surgery.”
Mortified to be caught in a public lip lock, Reagan broke the embrace. “I’m almost done. Let me fill in the payment portion.”
The tech nodded and went back inside.
Zach tucked a strand of hair behind Reagan’s ear. “So glad we figured out a cure for those hiccups.”
She cocked her head, not sure what to think about this new development. Was he really trying to get rid of
the hiccups or did he mean something more?
“I’d like to pick up where we left off, Reagan.”
Her heart launched into a rapid torrent of heavy thuds. “I don’t know what that means.”
“Why don’t you go finish up your paperwork, and then we’ll figure it out together?”
She hadn’t been with a man in over two years. Zach’s kiss reminded her of what she’d been missing. Her body craved more. With one word she could give in to the bottled up need she’d felt for him for all those years.
But first, the dog. Her feet carried her backward, toward the clinic. Zach’s hands fell from her waist as she backed away. As the glass doors opened behind her, she whirled around to enter the clinic.
With one word, she casually tossed caution to the wind. “Yes.”
Zach’s feet remained rooted to the sidewalk. Yes. She’d said yes. Just like that. He needed to find a hotel, maybe someplace to grab a bite to eat. He pulled his T-shirt away from his body and took a whiff. And a shower. Definitely a shower.
He slid into the car and watched Reagan through the glass doors. The woman at the front desk said something, and Reagan passed the clipboard to her. Even in stained jeans, a wrinkled shirt and no makeup, she possessed a certain quality that commanded attention. Maybe her parents had ingrained it in her from the time she was a kid. Or she might have been born with it.
Whatever it was, he hadn’t been able to concentrate since they’d started this little adventure.
Once upon a time she’d been his world. His happiness depended on hers and hers on his. She was the first person he wanted to talk to when he woke up and the last one he wanted to see before he closed his eyes at night. And he’d blown it. After his run-in with her dad, Zach had tried to convince himself they were just kids, that what they had wasn’t even real.
But he’d never felt that way again about anyone—not the supermodels, the bikini-wearing beach bunnies he ran into in LA, or even the one or two women he’d managed to attempt a relationship with over the years. He’d been searching for that feeling—the mix of anticipation, chemistry, mega attraction, and a hint of nausea. It was the nausea that let him know he was on the right track with Reagan. While he was usually pretty laid back, she made him nervous. Reagan wasn’t a casual girl, and that thought both thrilled him and scared the shit out of him.