Good Guys Love Dogs

by Inglath Cooper

  “All right, all right,” Phoebe grumbled. “Several. But that doesn’t mean they’re all like that.”

  “I wish you would just accept the fact that I’m not going to kiss a thousand toads on the minute chance that I might eventually find a prince.”

  “If you call this one a toad, I will officially resign from all matchmaking duties.”

  “Is that a promise?” Colby asked hopefully.

  “Only if you give him a real chance. The problem is, you’re looking for faults from the first moment you meet a man.”

  “I hate to disillusion you, but when they’re as obvious as the San Andreas, they’re not that hard to spot.”

  The doorbell sounded from the hallway. Colby heard Frank’s voice and then another male voice that sounded somehow familiar.

  “Oh good, he’s here,” Phoebe said, wiping her hands on a kitchen towel.

  Biting back a resigned sigh, Colby leaned against the counter and yearned for the evening to be over.

  Frank appeared in the doorway. “Hello, ladies,” he said, stepping aside while the man behind him moved into the kitchen. Surprise and a tidal wave of embarrassment washed over Colby. Ian McKinley. What was he doing here? She glanced at Phoebe who looked extraordinarily pleased with herself.

  “Colby?”

  She realized that Frank was speaking to her. “I—yes. I’m sorry,” she said.

  “This is our new neighbor, Ian McKinley. Ian, this is Colby Williams, our local veterinarian and Phoebe’s best friend.”

  “Former best friend,” Colby said in a voice only Phoebe could hear.

  The new neighbor moved across the floor and shook Colby’s hand. He smiled down at her, something in his expression indicating that he had been caught off guard by this as much as she had. “Hello again, Dr. Williams. We’ve already met,” he said to Phoebe and Frank. “She fixed up my son’s dog for me.”

  “Please, call me Colby.”

  “Only if you call me Ian,” he said.

  “Ian it is. How is Smidge?” she asked, forcing her gaze to remain level with his and trying not to look as thrown by this as she felt.

  “Playing it up for all it’s worth.”

  She smiled in spite of her discomfort. “Good. She deserves a little extra pampering.”

  “How about a drink?” Frank suggested. “We can go into the den.”

  A few minutes later, Colby sat in a chair with a glass of red wine in her hand, plotting an appropriate payback for Phoebe. Nothing horrible enough came to mind. Of all people for her friend to have fixed her up with. To think she’d met him earlier today and hadn’t known. . . .

  Of course, he probably thought she had known. This was getting more amusing by the moment.

  “Isn’t that right, Colby?” Phoebe asked.

  “I’m sorry?” Colby had no idea where the conversation had gone.

  “I was just telling Ian that you’d been interested in Oak Hill for years.”

  “Oh. So you’re the one who bought it? It’s a beautiful farm, Ian.”

  “It is. Needs some work, but I hope to get it in shape. Virginia’s a beautiful state. It’s a full one-eighty from New York City.”

  “I’m sure. What are you planning to do with Oak Hill?”

  “Right now my main objective is to get the place in presentable condition. I’m afraid I don’t know very much about farming.”

  “Oh, that’s too bad,” she said, thinking it an injustice for some New York City tycoon who wouldn’t know an alfalfa field from a turnip patch to get the farm she’d dreamed about buying herself someday.

  “I need to check on dinner,” Phoebe said, getting up and heading for the kitchen. “You stay put and enjoy your wine, Colby. I’ll be right back.”

  Colby got up from her chair and forced a smile at the two men. “I’ll go give her a hand. She’s far too thoughtful to ask for help.”

  In the kitchen, Colby thumped her glass down on the counter. “Phoebe, this may be grounds for breaking up.”

  Phoebe looked up from the vegetable lasagna she was removing from the oven. “Don’t tell me he’s not drop-dead gorgeous.”

  “I was too embarrassed to notice.”

  “Why on earth are you embarrassed?”

  “Because!” she said, throwing up her hands in exasperation. “He was in my office with his dog earlier this week. He probably thinks I knew about this then.”

  Phoebe lit up with delight. “Haven’t you always said good guys love their dogs? What more perfect way for you two to meet.”

  “I don’t want to meet anyone!”

  “Well, I know you think you don’t. . . .”

  “This is the last time, Phoebe Walker! I’m not ever coming to your house for dinner again unless you sign a legally binding statement that there will be no potential husbands sitting on the other side of the table.”

  Phoebe placed the lasagna on the stovetop with a frustrated look on her face. “Once the single women in this county get wind of this man, they’ll be knocking the door down. I was just trying to get you in the starting gate a little ahead of the others.”

  “Do I look that desperate?” Colby said, thinking of Cindy Stoneway’s flat tire.

  “No,” Phoebe protested. “I hate to see you alone.”

  “I’m not alone. I have my daughter.”

  “That’s not the same.”

  Frank appeared in the doorway, interrupting them. “Dinner ready?”

  “We were just about to bring the food out,” Phoebe said with a bright smile.

  Colby grabbed a couple of bowls and followed Frank out of the kitchen, feeling every bit like an old racehorse.

  10

  Colby ended up seated beside Ian at dinner, with Phoebe and Frank directly across from them. Once they all filled their plates, Phoebe dimmed the chandelier above the dining room table. Although the ambience hinted a little too strongly at romance, Colby was grateful that she didn’t have to look directly at Ian for the entire night.

  By this point, she accepted the humor in the situation. It was kind of funny that she’d met the man on Monday without any idea that he would be the main ingredient in Phoebe’s matchmaker soup.

  Their seats were close enough that they kept bumping shoulders. Every time his jacket sleeve brushed her bare arm, she felt as though she’d encountered a force field of electricity. She ended up sitting poker straight in her chair, keeping her elbows tucked tightly at her side.

  Phoebe smiled at her every now and then, imploring her with her eyes to loosen up.

  If it had been anyone else beside her, maybe she would have after a few sips of wine. But there had been something about meeting Ian McKinley the first time that stayed with her, brought up thoughts of Doug and the past. Handsome in the same too-good-to-be-true way, he drove an expensive car and obviously had enough money to buy the farm she hoped eventually to buy. He simply wasn’t her type. Why didn’t Phoebe realize that?

  To his credit, he made every attempt to make the meal as painless as possible, asking about her practice, mentioning that Mabel Atkins told him she was the first female vet the town ever had.

  “From kindergarten on,” Phoebe chimed in, “Colby had the career aspirations. I never understood what was so wrong with Betty Crocker.”

  They all laughed.

  “Frank told me that you’re the one who keeps this place running while he practices law. With two children, I would think that takes quite a bit of effort,” Ian said graciously.

  “Well, I don’t have much time for bonbons,” Phoebe admitted, obviously pleased by the compliment.

  “How do you know Mabel?” Colby asked Ian, taking a sip of her wine.

  “She came to my rescue when I mistakenly thought I could do my own housekeeping. Luke and I were nearly drowning in laundry when she agreed to take over.”

  Colby smiled, doubting that a man like him would be able to locate the On button of a washing machine, much less wash his own clothes. “You’re in good hands with Mabel.
”

  “I’ve already gained five pounds since we moved here,” he said, patting his stomach. “She claims the two of us need fattening up. I’m trying to outsmart her by adding a couple miles to my run every day, but I think she’s on to me.”

  “Mabel’s known for her fried chicken at church dinners, so you’re right. You are in trouble,” Colby said.

  Again, they all laughed, and Colby found herself reluctantly wanting to know more about him. “Are you a big runner?”

  “I try to do six miles a day.”

  “You must be in good shape,” she said.

  “Not sure I could run six yards right now,” Frank said with a chagrined smile.

  “I’m not that fast,” Ian said modestly. “But I enjoy it. I started running as a stress reliever during the day. It was a good way to clear my head.”

  “What kind of work do you do?” Colby asked.

  “I’m a stockbroker for a company called CCI in Manhattan.”

  Phoebe looked impressed. “From Wall Street to Keeling Creek. That’s quite a leap. So how did you end up—”

  Colby’s beeper went off, interrupting Phoebe’s question.

  “Oops. Sorry about that. I’d better call and see what’s up.” Colby stood up. Ian stood, too. She headed for the kitchen phone, telling herself that just because a man had the good manners to stand when a woman left the room in an age when most men had forgotten how didn’t mean he was without character flaws.

  She called her answering service, then came back into the dining room and said, “There’s a problem with one of the cows at Pasley’s Dairy. I have to go.”

  “What!” Phoebe looked positively stricken by the assertion.

  “I’m sorry to leave so early,” Colby said. “It was nice to see you again, Ian. Say hello to Smidge and Mabel for me.”

  “I’ll do that,” he said. “If you don’t mind, I’ll change clothes in the bath off your garage, Phoebe.”

  “Sure,” Phoebe said, clearly miffed.

  “Thanks for the dinner.” Colby let herself out the front door, feeling strangely regretful that she had to go.

  11

  The horrible noise coming from the driveway told Ian that as glad as she must have been to leave, Dr. Colby Williams wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. They’d heard her engine grind for the third time when he stood up from the table and said, “I’ll go see if I can give her a hand.”

  Frank started to get up as well. “I’ll go with—”

  “That’s all right, Frank,” Phoebe said. “Ian probably knows all about cars. You can help me with the dishes.”

  Frank sat down, while Ian tried to appear oblivious to Phoebe’s not-so-subtle matchmaking tactics.

  It had been apparent to him from the moment he arrived tonight what was going on. When the Walkers called a few days ago and invited him for dinner, he’d accepted, thinking he should make an effort to get to know his neighbors. If he’d known what they had in mind, he’d have saved both Dr. Williams and himself the discomfort of the attempted fix-up. Once he’d arrived, he hadn’t wanted to embarrass them or their friend by telling them that he was engaged. He knew Phoebe talked to Mabel earlier in the week about inviting him to dinner, and he had a feeling his not-so-innocent housekeeper conveniently neglected to mention that he had a fiancée.

  He stepped out into the Indian summer night, the air warm and fresh smelling. He still hadn’t tired of the simple pleasure to be found in breathing it in.

  From the driveway came the sound of the engine grinding again. He crossed the driveway, and at the truck door, bent down and tapped on the window.

  Colby’s head shot up, sheer frustration etched on her face.

  The window lowered with a slight squeak. “I know that was awkward, but was I that bad?” he said.

  She sat back in her seat, failing in her attempt to look surprised by the question. “No. I just—” she began, then stopped, looking chagrined.

  “Their intentions were good. They obviously think the world of you.”

  She shook her head. “What’s that old saying? ‘With friends like that, who needs enemies?”

  He laughed then. She did, too, and he found he liked the sound of it. The awkwardness hanging between them eased, and he realized how good laughter felt. He didn’t laugh that often. “If you’ll pop the hood, I’ll take a look. I don’t know much about engines, but it sounds like your starter’s bad. Got a flashlight?”

  She rummaged through the glove compartment, then handed him the light. She popped the latch, and he said, “Give it another try.”

  She did, and he spotted the problem. “Yeah, that’s it. You’re going to need a new one,” he called out.

  “Great,” he heard her say. She got out of the truck and came around to the front.

  He straightened and lowered the hood, pressing it closed. He noticed then that a pair of blue coveralls had replaced her dress. “I’ll be glad to give you a ride.”

  “I can’t ask that of you,” she said, not quite meeting his eyes.

  “I don’t mind. Let me just go thank the Walkers. Be right back.”

  Ian went inside and explained what happened to Phoebe and Frank. Phoebe was anything but disappointed by his departure. She looked so happy that he wondered if she’d ruined the starter herself. He said goodnight and headed back outside, where the other victim of Phoebe’s matchmaking stood unloading some things from her truck.

  “Would you like to put that stuff in the trunk?”

  “Yes, please.” He stuck the key in the lock and opened it. She dropped her bag inside. He started to close it just as she reached in again. He grabbed her arm and jerked it back, barely in time to prevent the lid from slamming on it.

  They both stood in shock for a second or two while his hand still gripped her arm. She took a hasty step backwards. “Thanks. I forgot to put my keys in the bag.”

  “No problem. But I’d hate to be the person responsible for putting the town’s only vet out of commission.”

  She smiled, rubbing her skin where his fingers had just been.

  He opened her door, and she slid inside the car. To his surprise, he found himself noticing that she had a very nice shape beneath the faded coveralls. Wondering if it had been a mistake to offer his taxi services, he went around and got in on his side. “You’ll have to tell me where to go.”

  “Take a right out of the driveway. It’s about ten miles from here.”

  Ian backed up and headed away from the house. They’d just reached the main road when she said, “I’m really sorry for Phoebe’s lack of tact.”

  “It’s all right.” From the sound of it, Phoebe Walker was in a lot of trouble with her friend. Strangely enough, he hadn’t minded the evening, setup or not. The Walkers were nice people. “If it makes you feel any better, I won’t be pestering you. I knew as soon as I saw your face tonight that you had nothing to do with it.”

  “I didn’t mean to be rude,” she said quickly. “Now I’m embarrassed.”

  “There’s no reason to be,” he said, glancing at her with another unexpected jolt of appreciation. She was undeniably pretty. He started to tell her about his engagement. The moment felt right, but the words somehow wouldn’t come, and he couldn’t say why. Except that he didn’t remember ever meeting a woman quite like Colby Williams. And he was intrigued. “It was a nice dinner. And I’m glad to have the chance to get to know my neighbors better.”

  Silence lingered between them for a few moments, and then she said, “What made you move here from New York?”

  “My son needed a change of pace. We’ll just be here for his senior year,” he said, not wanting to elaborate further. The last thing he wanted to do was put a black mark on the boy in the eyes of the community before he’d had a chance to prove himself.

  “Oh,” she said. “My daughter mentioned him. He’s made quite an impression on the girls at Jefferson High.”

  Glad to hear that maybe things weren’t as awful as Luke wanted him to beli
eve, Ian said, “How old is your daughter?”

  “Fifteen going on thirty.”

  Ian smiled.

  “She’s a sophomore, but young for her class. It seems like yesterday that she just learned how to walk and—” She stopped, her expression troubled.

  Wondering if her relationship with her daughter might have problems of its own, he said, “It’s a tough age. They grow up before we know it.”

  “Yes, they do,” she said, sounding resigned. “I’m just not ready to admit it.”

  He drove for a few minutes, then flipped on his signal light when she directed him to take the next left-hand turnoff. “Go on down to the barn. The lights should be on.”

  He stopped just outside the open door. A man in overalls and a red-checkered flannel shirt trotted out to greet them. “Hurry, Doc. She’s having a lot of trouble.”

  Colby got out of the car, grabbed her bag and ran after the man who had disappeared inside the barn. Ian sat there for a minute, thinking about her. He found her easy to talk to, intelligent. And apparently able to handle with grace and good humor what turned out to be an uncomfortable situation for both of them.

  He’d nearly slammed her arm in the trunk. That would have topped the evening off nicely. He thought about those few moments when his fingers encircled her wrist. The contact shocked him every bit as much as it apparently had her. He recalled now that she had very small wrists and hands. She was petite, probably not more than five-three. But somehow he hadn’t noticed it initially. Something about her exuded strength and self-sufficiency.

  He got out of the Mercedes and made his way toward the barn. A single light hung above the door, making it hard to see where he stepped. Farm smells permeated the air, a combination of hay and manure and a fresh country breeze. Cows mooed in the fields. A stretch of mud lay between the gravel-covered driveway and the entrance to the barn. With no way to go around it, he waded through, his leather shoes squishing in the mire. He knew then how the city mouse must have felt visiting the country mouse.