Concern flashed in his eyes, and he shoved his hands into his pockets. “Not that we’re going to be invading your space or anything. I’m sure once the puppies are gone we won’t bother you.”
His words were as effective as an exterminator who had just killed off every single bee buzzing innocently in her stomach. “Of course.” She shivered from the open window. “Thank you again for helping me clean everything up. Will you please tell Kellen and Ivy I’ll let them know when the puppies are ready to be held so they can pick one out?”
“Sure. Do you have their number?”
Shoot. She’d completely gotten so caught up in being the perfect host by baking her famous chocolate chip cookies that she’d forgotten to get the young couple’s contact information. “No.”
Gabe withdrew his phone and tapped on the screen a few times. “If you give me your number, I can text you their contact info.”
It had been a while since a guy had asked her for her number. She desperately wished she could ask him if he was just trying to be sneaky about getting her number or was it really just for the puppies?
She gave it to him, and he read it back to verify he’d gotten it right. “I’ll pass this on to the Thomas’.” He pocketed his phone. “And now I have your number so I can contact you about how much I need to write the check for.”
When she opened her mouth to protest, he held up his hand. “I Googled Cavalier King Charles puppies, so I know you’re losing a lot of money.”
She was losing a lot of money, but she didn’t expect him to make up for the entire loss. Besides, it was just as much her fault. Any responsible breeder would not have let the event happen in the first place.
“I don’t know what my expenses are yet. Emma, the breeder I was collaborating with, is in London for the next two weeks at dog shows. She was a friend of my mom’s and hadn’t charged me anything up front.”
“But you’ll let me know, right?”
“Yes.” She had agreed for now, only because he didn’t seem like he was going to let it go. But Piper couldn’t let him pay for her mistake.
He stood watching her for a few more seconds. Then shifting his focus to the open window, he said, “The smoke has cleared out so you might want to shut your window now.”
“I will.”
Glancing at her briefly, he nodded his head. “Okay, I guess I’ll see you around.”
“See you.”
Good manners called for her to walk him to the door. He paused for a moment to watch Anastasia and her babies. “Which one did my kids pick out?”
“Lindsey wants a girl. She doesn’t care which one. Shane wants the big male sleeping on the right side.”
“I’ll help you find homes for the puppies,” Gabe said, a slight frown forming on his lips. “But I can’t handle a new puppy along with everything else I’m juggling.”
“I understand. I’ll do my best to sway them if they come over again.”
“Thank you.”
She felt the weight of his responsibilities settle over the room and wished she could help ease his burdens. It was on the tip of her tongue to invite him to bring the kids over tonight for dinner, but her cell phone dinged an incoming text. Then it dinged again and again. The only person who liked to do this was her crazy little sister.
“You better get those before your phone blows up.”
“It’s my sister. She likes to annoy me.”
A smile edged up one side of his mouth. “I might have to try that some time with my sister.” Then he opened the door and, without looking at her, stepped outside, closing the door behind him.
Just like before, when he and his children had visited and then left, she felt an overwhelming sense of loss and loneliness. Her phone dinged another text message, but she wasn’t sure now was a good time to talk to her sister. Ignoring the messages, she went back into the kitchen. The acrid scent of burnt cookies lingered in the air, and it made her smile. From now on, she was positive that smell would forever remind her of the moment Gabe had rushed to her aid, grabbed her hand and stuck her fingers under the cold water. She rubbed her thumb over the roughened skin on her fingertips, remembering the feel of his touch.
She liked him. Merely acknowledging that thought made her uncomfortable, so she amended her thinking to include his children. Yes, that was better. She liked the Wesson family. They were great neighbors.
While she cleaned up the mess made from the burnt cookies, she allowed her thoughts to linger on Gabe and his children and how much she enjoyed their company. What could it hurt to get to know them better?
It’s not like Gabe was secretly married. Ivy had purposely made sure Piper knew Gabe was single, hinting at playing the part of a matchmaker if Piper wanted her to. The invitation she’d received for the sledding party Ivy and her husband’s family were hosting next week was also issued to Gabe and his children. Ivy had casually suggested they might come together, since Piper was new to the area and all.
The familiar sound of a FaceTime call rang out from the desk, interrupting her thoughts. She hurried back into the family room and picked it up.
“Didn’t you get my text messages?” Tomi asked indignantly. “I sent them an hour ago.”
“I got them. I just didn’t have time to read them yet.”
“What if it would’ve been important?”
“Was it?”
“As a matter of fact, yes.”
Piper frowned. “What’s going on? Are Maggie and Dad okay?”
“They’re fine.” Tomi switched the view and Piper saw a box sitting on her sister’s bed. “I just wanted to tell you the boots I ordered for you finally came!”
“Please don’t tell me you ordered those frilly pink boots.”
Tomi flipped the screen back and shot her a peeved look. “Okay, I won’t tell you.” Then she grinned. “But just in case I were to send you some kind of thoughtful gift, because you have the most adorable and selfless sister and she does stuff like that, could you give me your new address?”
Piper tried not to smile. Her sister was adorable, but cared way too much about Piper’s wardrobe. “What’s going to be in this hypothetical package?”
“It’s a surprise, so I can’t tell you,” Tomi said with an exaggerated grin. “Hypothetically speaking, of course.”
Rolling her eyes, Piper promised to send her the address.
“So,” Tomi said, “you never did call me back to give me an update on your puppies? Did the neighbor apologize for his roaming dog?”
“He did.” Just thinking about Gabe made Piper’s cheeks go warm. “And he’s promised to reimburse me for my expenses.”
“Are you blushing?” Tomi asked.
“No.” Piper waved her hand in front of her face. “It’s just really warm in here.”
Tomi laughed. “You are the worst liar. So tell me what’s going on? Is your neighbor hot?”
Extremely. “He’s a nice guy with two kids.”
“And did you find out what happened to his wife?”
“Enough to know they’re divorced.” She still didn’t know the story, but it was obvious Gabe’s wife had abandoned them all. “And that was confirmed by the vet as well as a couple who want one of the puppies.”
“Wow, you must really like the guy since you’ve done your research.”
“It’s not like I did background check.” Although, if she’d had that as a policy before dating someone, Tucker Langston’s lies would have been uncovered long before Piper allowed herself to fall in love with the jerk. “It’s a small town and people like to talk.”
Okay, so back to my original question. Is he hot?”
“Don’t you have anything better to do than harass your sister?”
“You’re avoiding my question, which means you do think he’s hot.”
“Whatever.” Wanting to move onto another subject, she turned the tables and asked about her sister’s love life. “So, how are you and Troy doing?”
“Oh, Piper.” Tomi
sighed dramatically. “When will you learn that diversion never works on me?”
Obviously she hadn’t learned. “I just realized how late it is and I need to let Anastasia outside for a potty break. I’ll talk to you later.” Piper ended the call before her sister could protest any further.
Not fifteen seconds had passed when her phone dinged with a text from her sister. I think you’re attracted to your neighbor, but you just don’t want to admit it.
Seconds later, another text came through, making Piper roll her eyes.
The definition of attraction: the action or power of evoking interest, pleasure, or liking for someone or something.
Piper was so tempted to respond, but didn’t want to engage in a text war. She did laugh when a final text appeared on the screen.
You’re welcome :)
Still smiling at her sister’s antics, she put on her coat and called for Anastasia. Since the sun hadn’t set yet, it was earlier than her usual time to let the dog out, but she was already committed and her sweet dog probably needed a break.
The puppies all whimpered as their mother got to her feet and jumped out of the box. Piper opened the door to the backyard and let Anastasia out.
Suddenly Anastasia started barking and bounded toward the fence separating her property from Gabe’s. She continued to bark excitedly, and Piper could hear a very enthusiastic answering bark from Rascal.
“Anastasia, quiet,” Piper said in a firm voice. Her dog immediately obeyed the command. Rascal, on the other hand, continued to bark wildly, sounding like he would jump the fence if given the chance. Anastasia glanced over at Piper and then looked back at the fence. She barked again, and Piper reissued the command. Once more, Anastasia immediately ceased her barking. Knowing it was too much of a temptation for her dog, Piper patted the front of her leg. “Come, Anastasia. Come here, girl.”
Piper had long since stopped carrying doggie treats in her coat pocket so she was very proud of Anastasia for following the command. The dog bounded toward her, hopping effortlessly through the deep snow. Piper got down and greeted Anastasia, giving her praise and affection. “You’re such a good girl.” She got a doggy kiss on her cheek.
“How did you do that?” a male voice asked from the other side of the fence.
She glanced up and saw Gabe resting his arms across the top of the six-foot fence. Since he was easily six two, she guessed it wasn’t that hard to do, but for someone who only reached five foot five with three-inch heels on, she was impressed.
“Do what?”
“Get your dog to listen to you.” Rascal kept barking, and Gabe turned to hush the dog. It didn’t work. He looked at Piper with a helpless expression on his handsome face. “How do I get him to listen to me? I can’t ground him from the computer or TV, and sending him to his room for a timeout doesn’t work either.”
Straightening up, she smiled. “You could send him to obedience school.”
“Sounds good. How long is he gone for?”
That made her laugh. “Sorry, but it usually doesn’t work that way.”
“Too bad.” He gave her a smile that let her know he was teasing her. “I guess I’ll have to look into that.”
She heard the resignation in his voice. Obedience school would add another brick to his burdens. “I could help you,” she said before really thinking about what she was saying. At the look of surprise on his face, she quickly added, “I mean, if you can’t find anyone else. I’ll bet Ian Davies would be able to recommend someone. I can even—”
“Would you really be willing to help us with Rascal?” he asked, interrupting her rambling. His look of surprise had now transformed into hope. How could she say no?
“Of course.”
The dog continued to bark, and Gabe tried again to quiet him. He shot Piper a skeptical look. “And you think he’s teachable?”
“Yes,” she said with a smile. “You’d be surprised how quickly he can learn.”
“When can you start?”
She pressed her lips together, barely stopping herself from blurting out she could start right now. She didn’t want to come across as too eager.
Gabe obviously took her hesitation the wrong way. “I know you’re busy so whenever you can do it is fine with me. And I want to pay you for your time.”
“That’s—”
“I know what you’re going to say, so before you argue with me and tell me that’s not necessary, you should know that I won’t take no for an answer. If I enrolled the dog in an obedience class I’d have to pay, plus I’d more than likely have to travel somewhere. So I’m paying you.”
Piper knew it wouldn’t be much money, but anything would help right now. “If you insist, then I agree to your terms.”
They stared at each other and she found it so strange that they’d been neighbors for over two months, yet they hadn’t once spoken to each other. It was sad to say that if Gabe’s dog hadn’t done what he’d done, she was certain she still wouldn’t have talked to her neighbor.
“When is a good time for you?” Gabe asked.
“I’m pretty open right now, so whatever works for you is good. It will be helpful if we are consistent, so I’d recommend at least four days a week to start off.” When Gabe’s brow furrowed, she hurried to clarify, “If all you want is for him to learn some basic commands, I’m guessing a week or two is all we’ll need.”
“Seriously? You can train him to listen to me in that short of time?”
“Like I said, you’ll be surprised by how quickly he’ll learn.”
“I don’t suppose those techniques will work on my kids?”
The teasing grin on his face made her laugh softly. “Probably not. But your children are angels.”
“They are good kids, but believe me when I say they can try my patience.” He sighed, and his breath fogged the cold air. “Right now they’re both in timeout for pitching a fit about staying home for dinner.”
“They don’t like your cooking, huh?”
“I wouldn’t exactly call frozen pizza or hotdogs cooking. My nanny/housekeeper/cook had to quit due to health reasons. We’ve all been going through withdrawals. Either I need to learn how to cook palatable meals or I need to hire someone to do it for me.” He grimaced. “I really can’t bring myself to eat one more night at Big C’s. That’s where the kids wanted to go tonight.”
She thought about the chicken enchiladas she planned to make for dinner and wondered if it was too much to volunteer to bring them dinner. Truthfully, there was always enough food so it wouldn’t be an extra burden. She just wouldn’t have any leftovers the next night. Clamping her lips together, she refrained from blurting out an invitation. Goodness, the poor guy would probably think she was stalking him or something.
Piper felt Anastasia bump up against her leg, and she started to whine softly. She was ready to get back to her babies. It was the perfect reason to go inside before she volunteered to cook for the family every night.
“Well, good luck tonight.”
“Thanks.”
She waved before turning around and opening the door. Before she could go inside, Gabe called out to her.
“So, should I text you about setting up a schedule to turn Rascal into a gentleman?”
Despite the cold temperatures, she warmed inside at the thought of him texting her. “Sounds good.”
Their eyes held for a moment, and she felt that connection again. Attraction— according to the definition her sister had sent her. But Piper wasn’t ready to name her emotion as attraction. To admit she was attracted to him could lead to falling in love with him, which could lead to having her heart crushed by another man.
Forcing her mouth into another smile, she lifted a hand and waved. Once she was back inside the house, she tried to vanquish any notion about being more than just a friendly neighbor to Gabe, but it was difficult to do.
What a dangerous path her thoughts had taken her. Dangerous, because if she let herself think about the possibilities, and th
en if it didn’t work out, it would be another loss. She wasn’t sure her heart could take another loss.
Chapter 6
Gabe finished loading the last plate into the dishwasher and quickly added the soap before closing the door and starting the machine. He glanced around the kitchen, grateful he’d gotten home a little early so he could clean up the mess. Unfortunately, his nanny didn’t do dishes either.
Satisfied the kitchen no longer resembled a disaster area, he made his way into the family room to see if his children had obeyed him. Despite how good they usually were, the past couple of days they’d been a little obstinate.
Glancing at his watch, he felt his gut tighten with apprehension. Piper would be here any moment. He was both excited to see and terrified of that pretty neighbor of his. Although he’d vowed to never get into another relationship with a woman again, he’d forgotten about chemistry. And there was plenty of chemistry whenever he was around her.
“We did it, Daddy,” Lindsey said, pulling him from his thoughts. “See how good I did putting my Barbie stuff away?”
“You did great, Princess.” He accepted an exuberant hug from his daughter. “Thank you for listening to me.”
He glanced over at Shane, who was cleaning up the last of his Legos. “Looks good, Shane.”
“I don’t see why we have to clean up our toys,” he said sullenly. “I’m just gonna get them out again tomorrow.”
Gabe tried not to smile. His son had a point, which was usually why Gabe never insisted on them cleaning up every night. “I know, buddy, but thanks for obeying me.”
Shane rolled his eyes. “I don’t see why Rascal needs obedience lessons. He’s already a good dog and hasn’t gotten into anyone’s trash for a while now.”
“He’s gotten into ours twice this week and barks at anything that moves or makes a noise.”
“Isn’t that what dogs do?” Shane asked with just enough sarcasm to give Gabe a preview of what it might be like to have a teenager someday.
“Yes, but even you told me how annoying it is that Rascal won’t stop barking whenever you go outside to play with him.”
Destiny Came Knocking: A Snow Valley Romance Page 5