by Diane Kelly
God, that feels good. “I’ll do it.”
Looked like I was a sucker, after all.
Chapter Seventeen: Puppy Tales
Jessica
Sunday morning at ten, I was lounging in bed with a mug of coffee and a cinnamon raisin bagel when my phone pinged with a text from Louie. My shift starts at noon. You up for a walk with Stinker beforehand?
He wanted to see me again? Already? I was both flattered and flustered. I wanted to see him again, too, but at the moment I had a major case of bedhead, my curls tangled up like a tumbleweed on my head. I sent a reply. Sure. Give me 30 minutes.
Fueled by my excitement, I hurriedly showered and dressed, finishing up just as my doorbell rang a half hour later. Louie stood on the threshold dressed in tennis shoes, shorts, and a T-shirt, Stinker frolicking at his feet. Shirazi, who’d followed me to the door, took one look at the puppy and proceeded to throw a hissy fit. He arched his back, fluffed his fur, and bared his teeth. Hisssss!
Apparently Stinker didn’t have much experience with cats. Instead of backing off, she whipped out her tongue and licked him from chin to ear, following up with a yap.
Shirazi turned his head to look up at me, his mouth still hanging open but no longer hissing. The expression in his eyes said it all. This puppy just doesn’t get it, does she? Fortunately, rather than biting or scratching Stinker, he took pity on the poor pup and simply scampered off back into my apartment.
After locking my door, I tucked the key into the pocket of my shorts and followed Louie and Stinker down to his Jeep.
“How’s Stinker doing?” I asked once we were all settled inside, the humans up front and Stinker in a special padded dog seat strapped in the back. “Is she eating well?”
“She eats like a horse,” Louie said. “I’ll bet she’s gained a pound or two already.”
“What about her sleep? Does she like the dog bed you got her?”
“Wouldn’t know,” Louie said. “At the station she’s always in someone’s lap or on the couch next to them. I tried to get her to use the dog bed at my house, but she whined and scratched on the side of my bed.”
“And?”
A sheepish grin took over his face. “And now she sleeps in my bed with me.”
In bed with Louie? Lucky pup. “She’s got you wrapped around her little paw,” I teased.
He shrugged. “I’d be lying if I denied it. But how can I say no to those sweet little brown eyes?” He turned to gaze adoringly back at her.
I looked back at Stinker, too. Yep, sweet little brown eyes. I couldn’t say no to them, either.
We headed out. A few minutes later, we parked at a trailhead just off S. University Drive and set off down the pathway that ran adjacent to the Trinity River. Still not fully accustomed to a leash, Stinker pranced and pulled and tied our ankles up in knots as she ran between and around us.
“If I didn’t know better,” Louie said when the pup had tripped us up for the third time, “I’d say she’s trying to kill us.”
She insisted on greeting every person and dog we passed, yipping excitedly whenever one came into sight. The similarities between the puppy and a small child were not lost on me. Both had a sense of wonder about their world and found each new discovery to be as thrilling as the last. It also dawned on me that the way Louie treated Stinker provided a glimpse into the kind of father he would be. Doting. Affectionate. Patient.
When Stinker spotted a pair of ducks resting on the riverbank, she bolted down the embankment toward them, dragging Louie behind her and yapping as loudly as her little lungs would allow. Yap-yap-yap! The ducks waddled toward the water, plunked in, and paddled off, expressing their displeasure with a series of recriminating quacks.
Plop! Stinker jumped into the water and attempted to dog-paddle after them, but found herself restrained by her leash. Louie bent down at the water’s edge and coaxed her back to dry land. “Come back, girl. No ducks for you today.”
The puppy paddled in a semicircle back to the bank, climbed out, and shook herself, sending up a spray of water all over me and Louie.
I laughed and wiped the droplets from my cheek. “She’s really living up to her name, isn’t she?”
“She sure is.” Louie looked at me, cocked his head, and reached out to cup my chin in his hand. “You missed one,” he said softly, running this thumb over my jawline to remove another drop.
At his warm touch, my heart performed backflips in my chest. He gazed at me for a long moment and I gazed back, finding myself leaning reflexively into the manly hand that still held my face. His touch was both soft and strong at the same time, casual yet intimate.
A trio on bicycles rounded the bend, interrupting our special moment. Louie released me and we continued on our way, Stinker leaving a trail of water drops on the asphalt behind her.
All too soon, we had to head back to the car so that Louie could get ready for his shift at the station. When he dropped me back at my apartment, he leaned in and gave me a soft, warm kiss, affectionate yet not overtly sensual. It was just as well. There was no time for the kiss to go anywhere, and nothing had changed between last night and today. I wasn’t ready to take things further. Not yet. I was enjoying Louie’s company too much. I didn’t want to risk losing it.
* * *
On lunch duty again Monday in the cafeteria, I gave Tasha the details of my Saturday night date with Louie, including the spectacular goodnight kiss.
She wagged her brows. “Sounds like Lieutenant DeLuca knows how to light a girl’s fire.”
Boy, did he ever!
“You going to see him again?” she asked.
“I hope so.”
He’d texted me several pics of Stinker at the fire station. One of her playing tug-of-war with Blast, a rope toy stretched between their mouths. Another of her sprawled on her back on the couch, happily snoozing. Another of her with a too-big red fire helmet on her head. Too cute. The puppy served as a connection between us, our mutual concern for her welfare giving us a reason to stay in touch without the usual concerns about whether things were moving too fast or too slow.
On Tuesday evening, Louie swung by my apartment with Stinker. We took the dog for a long walk around my neighborhood, strolling at a leisurely pace, enjoying the fresh evening air. Stinker was beginning to comprehend the concept of a leash. While she still pulled on it and tried to run, bit by bit she was getting better. We stopped every few feet so she could check out the environment. She sniffed a flower here, chased a bug there, pawed at a tuft of crabgrass along the curb, surprised to see it bounce back.
I felt much like her, discovering the new world Louie had opened for me, so many new thoughts and feelings to explore. He was so different from the other guys I’d dated. He sparked a four-alarm desire in me that I was having a hard time tamping down. But he also gave me a feeling of comfort and contentment, as if I’d found my way to a home I hadn’t known before. Louie was undeniably handsome, but his personality was entirely down to earth. I felt like I could be myself with him. But could I share everything with him? I didn’t feel quite ready for that. But I knew the time would come. And it might be sooner rather than later.
Chapter Eighteen: Round and Round
Louie
I ended up having a surprisingly good time on the field trip to the Museum of Science and History. The kids were excited but reasonably well behaved, and I was even able to lean over and sneak a quick kiss from Jessica while the lights were out in the planetarium.
“Louie!” she scolded, but even in the meager imitation starlight I could see her gleaming smile. She hadn’t minded that kiss one bit.
“Yuck.” This came from Bethany, who was sitting in her wheelchair in the handicapped space on the other side of Jessica. Looked like I might not have been as discreet as I’d thought. “Kissing’s gross,” the little girl said. “You can catch each other’s germs.”
I shrugged. “Maybe I like Miss Bellingham’s germs.”
This earned me another s
mile from Jessica and another “yuck” from Bethany.
Even the bumpy bus ride back to the school wasn’t all that bad. I sang along with the teachers and children, at least thirty verses of “The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round,” followed by “John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt” sung at varying speeds and decibel levels. When the latter song wrapped up, I started in with, “A hundred bottles of beer on the wall,” but Jessica’s laugh and shaking head told me the song would be inappropriate for kindergarteners.
By the time the kids went home from school, I could tell Jessica was exhausted. Wrangling the children and the chaperones and keeping everyone on schedule had worn her out. As I walked her to her car in the staff parking lot, I said, “You look like you could use a glass of wine and some good food. Let me take you to an early dinner.”
She leaned over and put her head on my shoulder. “You always know the perfect thing to say.”
“Dinner?”
“Wine,” she said with a grin.
I suggested she choose the restaurant, and she picked an Italian place. We started with glasses of cabernet while we perused the menus.
When the waiter arrived at our table, Jessica handed him her menu. “I’ll have the lasagna, please.” I opted for the linguini. As the server left, she returned her attention to me. “I’ve been craving lasagna since we used it to lure Stinker that day. It looked delicious.”
“It is,” I said. “It was my family’s recipe, all the way from Italy.” Seeing an opportunity here, I seized it. “Are you free Saturday night?”
She smiled and gave me a nod. “Yes, I am.”
“Great! I’ll make lasagna at my place. We can watch a movie, too, or something.” It was the or something I was really hoping for. Jessica hadn’t let me into her apartment on our first date, which was understandable. But she hadn’t invited me in after we’d walked Stinker last night, either. I was ready to take things to the next level physically. “Bring your bathing suit,” I told her. “I’ve got a hot tub in the backyard.”
Was it my imagination, or had she just stiffened?
She picked up her wine and took a big gulp, as if steeling herself. “Okay,” she said softly, her eyes on her plate.
Her reaction concerned me. She seemed less than enthusiastic at the thought of being alone with me, reluctant even. What the hell? Had I been reading too much into things? Was she not as into me as I believed? She certainly smiled and laughed a lot when we were together. But was it more about the puppy than it was about me? Or was she simply unsure about where things were headed between the two of us? I’d been certain we were on track, that things were moving along nicely. But maybe I was wrong.
My worry was short-lived, thankfully. Jessica looked up, offered me a warm smile, and turned the subject to her class. “Thanks for helping Bethany today.”
The little girl had had some trouble reaching the higher buttons and knobs on the exhibits from her wheelchair. I’d lifted her up so that she could try them. I’d also helped her in and out of her wheelchair so that she could sit in the sand with the other children and dig for fossils in the outside area designed to replicate a paleontology dig.
“She’s your favorite, isn’t she?” I asked.
“Uh-oh.” Jessica cringed. “Is it that obvious?”
“Only to someone who’s paying really close attention.” Like me. I could hardly take my eyes off Jessica today. My gaze had taken in every bounce of her curls, every turn of her head, and especially every time she bent over to speak with one of her students, her tight, perky behind in the air. But beyond the physical, I noticed how incredibly in tune she was with her students, despite having only taught these particular children for a few short weeks. She knew that Bethany would especially enjoy learning about astronomy in the planetarium. She knew that a couple of the boys would be intrigued by the exhibits featuring cowboy life on the cattle ranges. Another girl had a keen interest in dinosaurs and Jessica allowed her extra time at the display featuring dinosaurs that had once roamed Texas, including those that left their tracks in the mucky bottom of the nearby Paluxy River to be discovered by humans millions of years later. Yep, Jessica had clearly found her calling.
Though the restaurant’s food was not quite as good as my DeLuca family recipes, we enjoyed the meal, including the tiramisu we shared for dessert. But what I especially enjoyed was tasting Jessica when I kissed her at her door. She was sweeter than any dessert could ever be.
When I leaned into her this time, pressing her back against her door, she crooked her knee, just a little, just enough to let me know that she felt it, too, this undeniable need. Except that she was willing to deny herself the pleasures I could give her.
She broke off the kiss and put her hands on my chest, gently pushing me back. “I think we should call it a night.”
I nuzzled her neck. “Do we have to?”
“I have to work tomorrow.”
“So do I,” I said. “That’s not stopping me.”
She laughed softly but pushed me back more forcefully. “I’ll see you Saturday.”
Saturday can’t come soon enough.
* * *
Jessica and I texted over the next two days. I sent her more pictures of Stinker, including one of the pup in the bathtub with shampoo bubbles on her head. I’d had to bathe the dog after she’d rolled in something smelly and disgusting in the park.
Jessica had deemed that particular picture Absolutely adorable!
Finally, Saturday arrived. I had the day off and had brought Stinker home with me again from the station. She ran around the house, getting herself into all kinds of trouble while I cleaned up. She chased the broom and vacuum cleaner, attacking them with a vengeance. She leapt into the air, trying in vain to grab the feather duster in her teeth as I dusted the furniture. She lay across my feet, chewing on my shoelaces as I made the lasagna and cleaned up the prep dishes.
I set the table as my mother had shown me, using the cloth napkins and lace placements she had bought me years ago for Christmas. When I’d unwrapped the box and scoffed at its contents, she’d said, “Someday you’ll want to impress a lady. Now you’ll be ready.” Looked like that time had come.
I added a flower arrangement I’d picked up earlier, as well as single taper candle in a brass candlestick. The effect was intimate and romantic. I’d waited long enough. So had Jessica. Tonight, I’m going to romance the pants off her. Or the bikini bottoms.
“Come on, girl,” I said, gesturing for Stinker to follow me. “Let’s get this party started.”
I loaded the puppy in my Jeep and we drove over to Jessica’s place to pick her up. She opened her door wearing a pair of sandals, nicely fitting jeans, and a blue bohemian blouse. She’d pulled her curls up again, exposing that long, soft neck of hers. Forget the lasagna. This woman looks good enough to eat! She had a striped tote bag over her shoulder and what I hoped would be a very skimpy bathing suit inside.
She bent down and ruffled Stinker’s ears. “Hey, there! How’s my little girl?”
The puppy wagged her tail in reply and Jessica gave her a kiss on the head, leaving a pink smooch mark behind.
I looked down at the two. “You greet Stinker first? I see where I rank. Thanks a lot.”
Jessica laughed and stood. “Coming in second to a puppy isn’t so bad.”
“Yes, it is,” I said, eyeing her mouth. “Now I have to kiss a woman with dog hair stuck in her lipstick.”
She laughed again as I reached out and plucked a white fur from her lip. Of course I wasn’t going to let a little dog hair stop me. I leaned in and gave Jessica a warm kiss, dog germs be damned.
We made our way out to my car and climbed in.
As we pulled up to my place a few minutes later, she gave the outside of my single-story brick house the once-over. “Nice,” she said. “I like the landscaping.”
“I can’t take much credit,” I told her. “All of the bushes and trees were already planted when I bought the place. But I’ve manage
d to keep them alive and trimmed.” That had to count for something, right?
We climbed out of the car to head inside. Jessica stopped on the porch, reached into her bag, and held up a bottle of wine in each hand. “I couldn’t decide between the Malbec and the Merlot, so I brought them both.”
I reached out and took the bottles from her. “One for me and one for you,” I teased.
“If I drank an entire bottle of wine I’d end up on the floor.”
Was it wrong of me to hope she’d end up on the floor anyway? Rolling around on the fluffy rug with me?
“Let’s drink the Malbec,” I suggested, giving her a sly smile. “We can play spin the bottle with the Merlot.”
She treated me to one of her sexy giggles.
We stepped inside and I led her to the kitchen, where I opened the bottle to let the wine breathe. “Want to take the grand tour?”
“Of course,” she replied.
Stinker trotted along with us as I led Jessica around my modest home. I showed her the two smaller bedrooms, one of which I used as a home office and the other as an exercise room. At the back was the master. My king-size bed sported a brand-new sheet and comforter set. The salesclerk had convinced me to buy sheets with a high thread count, insisting they were softer. Only the best for this girl. But while the sheets were soft, I’d bet Jessica’s body would feel even softer. I couldn’t wait to find out. I hoped my purchase hadn’t been overly optimistic.
After I poured us each a glass of wine, we returned to the living room to wait for the lasagna to finish baking. Jessica looked right at home on my couch, sitting sideways with her legs curled up under her. Stinker hopped up onto the couch and insinuated herself between us, flopping onto her back, wriggling around, and yapping insistently until she had both of us rubbing her belly.
Jessica looked adoringly down at the pup. “She knows what she wants, doesn’t she?”
“She sure does,” I agreed. I knew what I wanted, too. Jessica. The fact that she’d agreed to a stay-home date told me she just might want me, too. And what better way to convince her of that fact than to suggest that we attend a Broadway show together? After all, she said she loved live theater. “Something Rotten! is playing at Bass Hall next weekend. Why don’t we go?”