by AJ Matthews
Winn nodded. “Okay.”
“Then we can meet to talk a little more about what goals you’d like to accomplish. What skills you’d like assistance with. Any sleep troubles? Is he a runner? Things like that.”
“Will do.”
“What brings you and Tyler to Darden?” He tore open a packet of sugar and stirred it into his coffee.
“Oh, my brother…” A line etched her forehead, and she fidgeted with her hands.
Eric waved his hand. He knew about the accident but she obviously didn’t want to discuss it. “Never mind. I’m being nosy. Just trying to make conversation.”
“No problem. My brother had been trying to get Tyler into Clark for awhile. We’re from Northern Virginia, and while the schools are good, the cost of living is outrageous.”
Yeah, Lizzie had often complained about how expensive the D.C. area could be.
Jaynie returned to the table with their plates before Winn answered. Eric reached for the ketchup. So did Winn.
Their fingers brushed, and Eric startled at the tingles the contact sent up his arm. Like when he grabbed her arms to keep her from falling at the school and when he took her hand to bring her closer for the Santa photo...
His attraction to her caught him off guard.
She was beautiful and soft and warm.
And completely off limits. He didn’t want a relationship, and in this town, you didn’t casually sleep around with anyone, let alone a near-stranger caring for a child.
It was no one else’s concern, but everyone would find out. That’s how things worked in Darden, a fact he’d come to accept a long time ago.
He quickly pulled his hand away, and Winn’s nervous laugh convinced Eric she’d recognized the jolt, too.
“I’d like to start as soon as possible.” Winn scooped up a bit of steaming egg. She swallowed and pointed at the application. “Can I drop this off to you tomorrow?”
“Mmmmm,” Eric hummed through the bite of warm, sweet pancake. “Can’t tomorrow. I’m transporting one of our dogs out to his new family a couple towns over. I’ll be gone for a few days. Why don’t you come with me?”
Winn’s eyes widened, in surprise he guessed. He hadn’t presented his idea in the best way possible.
“What I mean is, why don’t you follow me out—it’s less than two hours away—and observe as I help the family acclimate to Sadie, demonstrate techniques and commands, and show them how to work with her in public. That’ll give you an idea of what an assistance dog can help you with.”
“Oh, of course, that actually sounds like a good idea.”
“Cool. Let me call the family to make sure it’s okay with them, and I’ll get back to you.”
“Of course. My schedule is pretty flexible tomorrow. Tyler’s on the bus by 8:30, so anytime after works for me.”
Eric nodded, his heart threatening to crack his sternum at the idea of spending the day with her.
His true excitement sprung from the knowledge he would pair a deserving kid with a dog, and he could assist in making this family’s life better. Right?
Of course. It was a professional relationship. Nothing more.
It simply couldn’t be.
***
Winn pulled into the driveway of the cheery yellow home in Collinston, a tiny town about 75 miles west of Darden. She was thankful she hadn’t worn her heavy parka. Today was a bit warmer than yesterday, so she’d donned her nipped-waist wool coat.
It was lighter, and more figure-flattering.
Not that it mattered. This day trip was a fact-finding mission, to observe a trained dog in action with a family, to see what a dog could do for her and Tyler. That was it.
Keep it cool and businesslike.
That idea went straight down the toilet when Eric parked and jumped out of his truck, walking in the direction of her car. He’d left a message last night saying the family was fine with her joining them, and he would pull up in front of her house and she could follow him from there. Winn hadn’t seen him yet this morning.
The sight of a black leather jacket stretched across broad shoulders, and faded jeans encasing his legs, made her throat go dry and her mouth water simultaneously.
Deep breath, Garringer. You can do this. Winn opened the car door and climbed out onto the gravel driveway.
“Good morning!” Eric’s cheerful smile pushed dimples deep into his cheeks.
“And the same to you. Where’s Sadie?”
“Right this way. I want you to meet her now, so once we’re inside you’re not a novel distraction. That way, she can focus on integrating with her new family and surroundings.”
Eric guided her to his truck, and he opened the door to the back seat to reveal another beautiful German shepherd. She was Tuck’s twin, save for her floppy ears.
“Winn, this is Sadie. Hold out your hand, so she can sniff it. Good. Now give her a little pet.”
The dog nosed Winn’s outstretched hand, and then Eric reached around to unhook Sadie’s harness from the seatbelt, his arm brushing against Winn’s back. Her skin caught fire, even through the barrier of her coat.
She hated how much this man affected her. This was a complication she didn’t need.
Breathe.
Eric appeared unaffected by the accidental touch. Winn stepped back, and Sadie hopped out of the truck. He closed the door, and they headed for the house.
They were greeted by a young couple and their daughter, who was probably no more than five. The little girl’s eyes lit up when Sadie walked in, and the dog seemed to relish the hug the girl bestowed on her.
After brief introductions—Winn learned the little girl’s name was Kayla—they all headed inside, and Winn hung back as Eric worked with Sadie and the family. When Kayla spun in circles, Sadie picked up a ball in her mouth and nudged the girl gently, redirecting her from the behavior and encouraging her to socialize instead of stimming.
Winn was in awe that it worked.
Eric instructed the family on a series of clicks and other audible cues to signal to Sadie what she should do, but the dog seemed to need little direction. Eric had trained her well. He was masterful, and the way he interacted with Kayla, so gentle and affectionate, warmed Winn.
If she didn’t step back soon, she would be in danger of losing her reserve, and throwing caution to the wind.
Taking more from him than she could give right now.
Winn re-focused, honing her attention on the interaction between dog and girl.
In little time, Sadie was following Kayla from room to room, monitoring her and redirecting when needed. Kayla’s parents exchanged glances of relief.
She wanted that with Tyler, and she’d need to work closely with Eric to secure a dog and make this all happen.
Her heart told her this was a good thing, spending so much time with this incredible man.
Her mind screamed “NO!”
“We’re going to take Kayla out for lunch to assess how they do in public settings together. Nothing fancy—a quick sit down. Would you like to join us?”
“No, I don’t want to intrude.”
“You must!” Kayla’s mom insisted. “Eric explained to us about you wanting a dog for your boy, so you should see Sadie out and about, too.”
Winn waffled, torn between wanting to go and wanting to escape Eric’s golden brown eyes, crinkled at the corners in a smile, drawing her in.
“Okay, that sounds good.” She nearly melted though, as Eric helped her with her coat, his hand brushing her neck as he straightened the collar.
Lunch was going to be hell.
She made a mental note to sit as far away from this irresistible man as she possibly could.
***
After enjoying lunch with Kayla and her family, Winn headed back to Darden on her own. It was a productive morning, and she was more convinced an assistance dog was a good idea. It would be a substantial investment of time and money, but one that would be worth it in the long run.
This w
ould mean spending more time with Eric. He was an incredibly generous person, giving so much of his time to his community, to the school. He truly was a catch. At least he would be, for anyone but Winn.
She didn’t want to catch anyone, or be caught right now. Family first. And she was not a “wham-bam” girl either.
Now though, she was being drawn into a tornado, with Eric’s good looks and apparent nice-guy personality creating a perfect storm of lustful opportunity that could make her defy all logic.
She pulled into her drive, and as she put the car in park, her cell phone buzzed, indicating she’d received a text message. Worried it might be Tyler’s school, she retrieved her phone quickly and pulled up the message.
Her stomach tightened in response.
The message was from Eric. She read it twice and still wasn’t sure how to respond.
Reviewed your application. Will be back in town Friday. Dinner at my place to hang out with a few dogs? I’ll cook.
Dinner? His house? Sounded less like business and more like a personal engagement.
Which was silly. She may have been terribly attracted to him, but she was not sure if the pull was mutual.
And if wasn’t mutual, where was the harm in going? It was all for Tyler’s sake. Winn accepted the invitation and offered to bring dessert.
She confirmed the time and headed inside, humming an old love song to herself.
This was going to work out fine.
Get Tyler a dog. Bring Gus home and help him acclimate to living in a new town, a new house. Living with a wheelchair.
She wanted to give them both a fulfilling life.
And avoid losing her heart to the first man she’d considered giving it to.
Which might prove to be the most difficult task of all.
Chapter 3
Eric hummed softly to himself as he pulled the lasagna out of the oven, savoring the aromas that always reminded him of Lizzie. His heart squeezed a bit, missing his sister all over again. Though he no longer had her, he did have her recipes, and he'd grown to love cooking almost as much as she had. He felt close to her when he was mixing and chopping and straining, and he usually listened to the music of his childhood to remind him of the good times he’d had growing up in this house.
Tonight, he cued up the 1990s playlist and grinned when the Backstreet Boys played. Lizzie had tried to hide her love of boy bands from her college friends, but he’d caught her more than once singing “I Want It That Way” into her hairbrush when she was home on break.
The doorbell interrupted Eric’s memories, and Tuck rose from his bed in the corner of the family room to nudge insistently at Eric's hand.
“I heard it, boy.” Eric laughed. “Let's go get 'em.”
The pair crossed the kitchen and circled back through the family room to the foyer, Tuck's nails click-clacking on the knotty-pine hardwood floors.
Eric opened the door, speechless at the breathtaking sight.
Winn, pink-cheeked and shivering, held a bottle of wine, while Tyler carried a cake from Wellman's and sported an excited grin.
“Hi!” She waved.
He stood there dumbfounded. She waved again.
“Sorry, come in.” He held the door and motioned for them to come inside.
“Thanks.” She unbuttoned her coat and laid it over Eric’s outstretched arm. “It smells fantastic. Italian?”
“Yes. Lasagna. How did you guess?”
“The garlic. And I’m a sucker for the extra-browned cheese. I can sniff it out a mile away. Not saying you burned it, of course, but I love the crusty layer that forms on the top.” She handed him the bottle of Merlot. “I would’ve brought Chianti if I'd known we were doing Italian.”
He scoffed. “I'm a firm believer in drinking the wine you like—there is no 'perfect' wine to have with any meal. Of course, chocolate cake goes with everything.”
He winked at Tyler and took the cake from the boy’s outstretched arms.
Tuck licked Tyler’s hand, and the boy giggled as he bent to hug the brown and black shepherd. Winn and Eric both laughed at the sweet sight. Maggie and Jock, the retriever and lab, awoke from their nap in the den and wandered out to join the group.
“I’m amazed at the change the dogs seem to bring out in him. He has always been rather stand-offish with me, and most other people except my brother. In the past couple months, he's become much more affectionate.” She touched Eric's arm. “Thank you. I’m looking forward to working with you.”
“Of course. I love doing this. My sister Lizzie was transitioning into a career in special education before…” How much should he share with her? Was he ready to go there? He’d only met Winn two weeks ago, but felt like he’d known her forever. “Before she died, and I feel like I’m honoring her life in my work.”
She tilted her head at his words, her eyebrows drawn together, but didn’t ask about his dead sister. He’d had enough pity over the past fourteen years to span several lifetimes, so he looked away from Winn.
He pulled out a corkscrew and a couple of wine glasses from a cabinet over the sink. “Speaking of work, you never told me how you fill the days when Tyler’s at school.”
“Oh, um, tutoring for a university’s online writing center.” Winn slid on to one of the worn leather stools lining the kitchen island. “And I’m writing a book. It’s a pet project I started before we moved here.”
“What's the book about?”
“Actually, it's part-memoir, part-essay. It's about healing after trauma. I don't have a publisher, so this is more of a cathartic project than one I hope to make money from. I wouldn’t reject the money, but it's not my primary goal.”
“Sounds intense.” Eric poured a generous serving of the dark wine into each glass and handed one to her. After going through his own traumatic experiences, he wasn’t sure he could share them with such a wide audience.
“It is, but knowing I'm not alone, how others have experienced greater loss than I have—and survived—helps.”
Eric nodded, unable to give words to his own feelings of intense grief he’d stuffed away since returning from Afghanistan years ago. The stench of blood, mixed with the scent of burning flesh, haunted his dreams. The screams of the fallen—his friends and the civilians, men, women, and children—often woke him from the nightmares, his body covered in a cold sweat.
“Do you need us to do anything?”
“What?” Eric pushed away the unpleasant memories. “Oh, no. All under control here.”
To his own ears, he seemed to be reassuring himself as much as Winn.
“Are you sure? Tyler sets a mean table.” She grinned. “He may actually like to do it.”
“In that case, let's put the boy to work.” He pulled a stack of plates out of a cabinet and cutlery from the drawer below before motioning to Tyler.
“You’ve been playing with the dogs.” Winn kneeled next to Tyler and held her hands up, rubbing one over the other in a circular motion.
Eric didn’t know sign language, but this one was easy to decipher. He showed Tyler the way to the bathroom.
Tyler washed up without any direction, and then the pair moved on to set the table, laying out forks and knives and cloth napkins for three. Eric ruffled Tyler's hair and warmed at the grin the boy rewarded him with. Now Eric understood why Lizzie wanted to leave the Pentagon and be a special education teacher. The little things—a smile, the excitement of accomplishing a new task, the unexpected hug—made the work worthwhile. But it was different with Tyler. He felt pride at the boy’s growth since he’d first met him at the Clark School, like a father would feel for his son.
As soon as they finished with the table, Eric found Winn in the kitchen tossing the salad with olive oil and herbs. She looked so at home in his kitchen. He cleared his throat, startling her. She shot him a sheepish smile. “You told me not to do anything, but I felt so useless with you boys working hard to set a beautiful table.”
“You're forgiven this time, but don't try i
t again.” He laughed to let her know he was teasing.
Winn pushed her hair behind her ears, and Eric's groin tightened in response as her tongue darted out and licked her soft pink lips.
Attempting to ignore his growing need, he nearly shouted, “Okay, come on, let's eat!”
Winn picked up the salad bowl and basket of bread while Eric picked up the lasagna with a couple potholders from beside the oven.
Setting the pan on the dining table, he returned to the kitchen for their wine glasses and a glass of milk for Tyler.
As he made his way back into the dining room, he spied Winn spreading the cloth napkin across Tyler's lap, then gently smoothing the boy’s blond hair out of his face. His breath hitched in his chest, and for the first time in an incredibly long while, this house truly felt like a home.
***
Winn took a bite of lasagna, and a burst of tomato and sausage and ricotta danced across her tongue. “Oh my goodness. So good!”
She swore Eric’s chest puffed out at her compliment.
“Thanks. That's the first time I've ever cooked lasagna. Since it's only me, I usually go for the quicker spaghetti and meatballs.”
“Shut up!” She lightly punched him on the arm, surprised at the sense of intimacy the playful touch invoked. “This can’t be the first time you've cooked this. It’s absolute perfection. Right down to the crispy cheese top.”
“No, it's the first time I've made it. I have Lizzie's recipe collection, and she is… was an amazing cook. She probably wouldn't have cooked the top to a crisp. I'll have to remember how you like it, though, so I make it right the next time.”
The next time. Winn’s body thrummed at the notion of Eric cooking for them again. She tempered her giddiness with a note of caution.
This all seemed too good to be true.
But she wasn't ready to let it go, the fantasy he could be the one. Eric, she was sure, was giving off an interested “vibe” and she was so thankful Tyler had taken to him.