Puppy Kisses

by Lucy Gilmore

  “Nope,” Zeke replied with a cheerful whistle. “Raising cattle and cheating at poker is all we know. You should try to get Bea to sell the land to us instead of them, Dawn. I bet she’d listen to you. People like you. Even Adam is in a good mood now that you’re here. That never happens.”

  It seemed suddenly imperative that Adam change the direction of the conversation. With more force than finesse, he slid the platter of spaghetti Bolognese onto the kitchen island and said, “Food’s ready.”

  If he’d hoped the promise of home cooking would divert their attention, he was sorely mistaken. They merely began dishing up and continued the conversation.

  “Maybe we can give you a commission if you succeed,” Zeke said. “Oh! I know. You can have my share of the ranch—and my share of the ranch work. How’s that for temptation?”

  “Thanks, but the only thing I want is Gigi. And I’ll get her in the end. See if I don’t.” A light hand touched Adam’s arm. “One piece of garlic bread or two?”

  “Two, thanks.” He replied without thinking, thereby losing any and all opportunity to defend his stake in the puppy. Since quibbling over an animal while balancing a plate of pasta was hardly ideal, he made his way over to the dining room table. Several voices trailed after him.

  “You’re really going over there, then?” Phoebe asked. “To Bea’s, I mean?”

  “I don’t have much of a choice, do I? I promised to help fix her garden. She’s counting on me.”

  “Yeah, but it doesn’t have anything to do with you. Not really. The cow is our problem, not yours. Shouldn’t you be focusing on your own stuff?”

  Adam hesitated before sitting down, fearful of missing Dawn’s answer. In truth, he had no right to ask her to do any of this—to track down rogue cows, to give him a puppy she clearly wanted to keep for herself, to toil in the garden of an irascible old woman for no particular reason whatsoever. Even this meal was way outside her jurisdiction. The check he’d written Puppy Promise covered one service animal and six weeks of in-home training, and that was all.

  But her answer, when it came, had nothing to do with either puppies or cows. “Holy crap,” she said around a mouthful of food. “This is really good. I had no idea you could cook like this.”

  Adam grunted a noncommittal reply and took his seat. There were a lot of things Dawn didn’t know about him. That was how he preferred it.

  “If you promise to feed me like this every day, I’ll be only too glad to become Bea’s drudge. Do you think she still has some of that cake she was talking about?”

  “What cake?” Zeke asked.

  “Oh, she said something about the Smithwoods bringing her cake to try and steal a march on the property. I admit I have a lively curiosity to meet these enemies of yours. They’re smart. They know that the way to any woman’s heart is through her stomach.” She paused and brushed her fingers lightly over the top of Adam’s hand. “Yes, Adam. That includes you. If you promise to feed me like this every day, I might just marry you.”

  His hand froze under hers. “I don’t recall asking.”

  “Well, it’s the only way you’re getting your hands on Gigi, so you’d better start planning the blessed event,” she replied cheerfully. “I’ve always wanted to elope in Vegas, if that helps.”

  If anything more had been needed to convince him what a terrible idea it would be to have Dawn in his life on a more permanent basis, it was that. She probably did love Las Vegas—the noise and the heat, the crowds and the clubs, all those people squeezed together under one roof. He almost shuddered just thinking about it. He could imagine few worse fates than to be plunged into such a morass of overwhelming sensations.

  He wasn’t one for big-city living. His existence was one of simple means and even simpler pleasures.

  In other words, he was the last man on earth who could make Dawn happy.

  “Duly noted,” he replied. “But not even a tempting offer like a runaway marriage with you is enough for me to give up Methuselah. Nothing you have to offer is worth that much.”

  Her chuckle was deep and rich. “We’ll see about that. You have no idea how persuasive I can be when I put my mind to it.”

  On the contrary, Adam did have a good idea of what she was capable of, and he doubted there was much he could do if she decided to pull out all the stops. She’d take his puppy and his heart, leaving him to sort through whatever pieces remained once she was gone. As much as it pained him to admit it, it was part of the reason he was fighting so hard to keep Methuselah.

  He wanted the puppy. He also wanted the trainer attached to her.

  Fortunately, Zeke recalled a story about one of the guys he trained with, which served to change the topic of conversation and entertain the two women at the table. Adam was more than happy to sit back and let their light chatter flow over him.

  As he did, however, he became aware of a comforting presence on both sides of his chair. He dropped his hands and let his palms graze the soft fur of both puppies. To his right sat Uncle, obediently awaiting his next command. To his left, Gigi stood nervously awaiting events, no longer shaking, but unwilling to go too far from human hands for fear she might be left alone again.

  Me too, girl, he thought. Me too.

  That was the problem with being rescued—with being loved. Once you got used to things like soft touches and family gathered around the dinner table, it was hard to let go of them again.

  Which was why, he knew, it was so important not to get used them in the first place.

  Chapter 5

  Dawn made it through a whole week of puppy training before she noticed the truck following her home.

  The summer days were long this time of year, so the sun was still dangling above the horizon when she set out. That was part of the reason it took so long to notice the truck. The light of the setting sun shone directly in her rearview mirror, making it impossible to see much of anything in the background.

  The other part wasn’t so easily defined. If she had to choose, she’d say it had to do with her reluctance to leave Dearborn Ranch behind for the weekend. There had been no opportunity for she and Adam to do anything more than work with the puppies, and the amount of sexual tension between them was becoming downright painful, but it had been a strangely good week all the same.

  A great one, actually—the best she’d had in a long time. She’d been busy and active and, well, appreciated.

  Her sisters would say that it was the last of those things—the appreciation—she liked the most, but that was only because they’d never understood her need to always be going and doing, to throw herself wholeheartedly into whatever project came her way. She had the sinking suspicion that Adam didn’t understand it, either, but that was okay. No one ever had.

  Impulsive was the term her parents used. Tempestuous was the one coined by a high school English teacher.

  Too much was the one preferred by everyone else.

  In the mood of abstraction that followed such a profound revelation, it was no wonder she missed sight of the truck at first. Her car zipped down the highway toward Spokane without a care, taking the most direct route home without regard for the consequences.

  “Oh shit.” She touched the brakes as soon as she realized she was being followed, both her heart and her body giving a lurch. The truck slowed at the exact same rate before giving a warning flash of its lights.

  It was impossible for her to make out the shape of the body in the driver’s seat or the exact model of the truck, but she had no doubt it was No-Pants Shotgun. He’d probably been lying in wait for a sight of the getaway car that had stolen his puppy.

  Instinct warned her to flip a U-turn and hightail it back to the Dearborn Ranch, where Zeke and Adam were on hand to provide protection of the strong, male variety. Common sense, however, told her to do the exact opposite. Heading to Dearborn Ranch would only give Gigi’s location
away. No-Pants obviously had no idea where they were holding his animal, or he’d have done something about it already.

  Dawn wasn’t about to enlighten him. Not when Gigi had been curled up so happily in Uncle’s embrace. Not when the sores on her stomach were finally starting to heal.

  “You won’t have a chance to hurt that animal again,” she said.

  With her heart in her throat, she stepped on the gas, her speed rising accordingly. If Sheriff Jenkins happened by, he would probably take her license away this time, but that was a risk she was willing to take. Especially since the truck’s lights flashed again in an ominous warning.

  Oh, yeah. An officer of the law would come in handy right about now.

  At such high speeds, Dawn had to pay close attention to the road in front of her. It was impossible to follow the truck’s every movement in her rearview mirror. She knew he was there, though, weaving in and out of traffic, passing other cars like they were toys.

  Please don’t crash, she told herself.

  Please don’t shoot, she told the truck.

  For the longest time, she wasn’t sure which catastrophe would be worse, so she focused on avoiding both. She barely acknowledged the scenery around her, her gaze fixed on the road ahead. It was so fixed, in fact, that she wasn’t sure when she lost the truck. All she knew was that when she drew closer to a gas station crowded with evening commuters, she allowed herself a moment to pause, breathe, and look around.

  The truck was nowhere to be seen.

  With a pounding heart, she pulled in to the nearest pump, her hands firmly clutching the steering wheel. She didn’t seem able to let go. The adrenaline that had carried her through the chase began to wane, leaving her feeling shaky and empty.

  It spiked again when an older gentleman knocked on her window, his face peering anxiously in.

  “Hey, lady…you okay?” he asked, his voice muted by the glass. “You tore in here pretty fast.”

  Dawn noticed his blue-collared shirt with the gas station logo and relaxed. Rolling down the window, she took a deep breath and said, “Sorry about that. I was in a bit of a hurry.”

  “Then why are you just sitting in your car?”

  There was no good answer for that, so she did what she usually did—told him the truth. “I was being chased by a crazed man in a rusty, dilapidated truck. He’s seeking vengeance for the puppy I stole.”

  “Uh, have you been drinking?”

  “Not yet,” she admitted with a shaky laugh. “But I may have to before the night is through. What do you sell in there that’ll take the edge off?”

  She’d meant it as a joke, a way to wipe the anxious look from the gas-station attendant’s face, but he only frowned deeper.

  Which was why she had to resort to the other—darker—truth. “I promise not to linger too long. I’m just not ready to go home yet, you know?”

  The frown on the man’s face shifted into a sympathetic smile. “Yeah, honey. I know.” He tapped his hand two times on the window frame. “You stay as long as you want. The name’s Mel, if you need anything.”

  He left before she could thank him, which was just as well, because she had no idea how to explain why home held so little appeal.

  She knew, down to the exact detail, what would be waiting there for her. Lila had been on puppy duty that afternoon, which meant the kennel would be in perfect order and all the puppies content. There would probably even be a dish of food waiting in the oven for her. None of the Vasquez sisters could cook—and none of them had ever seen the point of learning—so they’d long grown accustomed to takeout and eating at their favorite diner down the street.

  Ever since Lila’s marriage, though, those restaurant nights had dwindled from three times a week to one. Lila made up for it by regularly bringing by supplies and leftovers cooked by her husband.

  So you won’t starve, she’d say and then give Dawn a breezy kiss on the cheek. The sentiment was nice, but the underlying message wasn’t: Because you’re the last one left. Because you’re all alone.

  That was the bare bones of it—of everything, really. Lila would have left the front light on so Dawn wouldn’t have to return to a dark house. There might be a loving note or a quick message about tomorrow’s schedule. There might even be fresh flowers on the counter to cheer the place up a bit.

  But there wasn’t anyone who depended on Dawn for their life’s happiness. There wasn’t someone counting down the minutes until her return. It was a horrible thing to admit, but No-Pants Shotgun chasing her down the highway was going to end up being the high point of her night.

  At least he wanted to see her again…even if only to commit murder.

  These days, she had to take what she could get.

  * * *

  Since the idea of going home was depressing in the highest degree, Dawn turned back the way she’d come. After a ten-minute drive, she pulled in to the gravel path leading to a beautiful, old farmhouse currently undergoing repairs. Even though it still needed a lot of work, Dawn loved it, if only because it belonged to one of her favorite people in the entire world.

  “Dawn!” Sophie came trotting down the steps, a red bandanna tied around her head and splatters of white paint covering her oversized overalls. She was the smallest of the Vasquez sisters in terms of size, but her personality was more than big enough to make up for it. “Am I expecting you? I don’t think I’m expecting you. I’d have remembered if I was expecting you.”

  Dawn laughed and extended her arms for a hug.

  “Oh, I’m all painty,” Sophie protested, her nose wrinkled.

  “What you mean is, I’m all dirty.” Dawn laughed again. “Life on a ranch is a lot messier than anyone warned me. Would you mind if I showered here before heading back to town? I really need to start bringing a change of clothes.”

  It was only partially a lie. Life on a ranch was pretty messy, and a shower wouldn’t go amiss, but she mostly wanted the company.

  “Of course,” Sophie replied, seeing right through her. “In fact, you should stay the night. Harrison left for Chelan yesterday, so I’m all alone for the next two weeks.”

  This bit of news wasn’t the least bit surprising. Sophie’s boyfriend, Harrison, was a wildland firefighter. Most of his summers were spent in the wilderness, where he and his valiant service dog—a Pomeranian named Bubbles—did their part to save both human and animal lives. Sophie took it in stride, busying herself restoring the farmhouse while they were away.

  “Thanks, but I have to get back to the puppies before too long,” Dawn replied. “They grow antsy if there isn’t someone in the house when it gets dark.”

  A flicker of a frown crossed Sophie’s face, though she tried to hide it by weaving her arm through Dawn’s and leading her to the house. The porch appeared to be the current focus of all that white paint, with only a narrow path leading from the steps to the screen door left unpainted.

  “I can only paint things on the ground when Bubbles and Harrison are out of town,” Sophie explained. “Otherwise, we get tiny paw prints all over everything.”

  Dawn paused on the threshold for a moment, allowing her eyes to adjust to the change in light. Sophie must have misunderstood the silence that accompanied this because the frown came back.

  “It’s not fair to you, having to be home every night before dark for the sake of the puppies.”

  Dawn laughed, though it felt a little forced around the edges. “You mean, it’s not like me, having to be home every night before dark for the sake of the puppies.”

  “Well, yes. That too.”

  “You’ve been gossiping with Lila.” Dawn stated it as a fact rather than a question, and one with no emotions attached whatsoever. “Did she order you to talk me out of adding a pet on top of everything else?”

  Sophie shifted from one foot to the other. “Well, it wasn’t an order, exactly…”r />
  Dawn’s laugh was much more natural this time. Nothing Lila said was an order, exactly. It was usually a reasonably couched argument that was impossible to deny. “Don’t worry—Gigi isn’t mine yet. I have to earn her first.”

  “Earn her?” Sophie echoed.

  “Yeah. I’m starting to get the feeling that Dearborn Ranch is the sort of place where you have to prove yourself the hard way before anyone takes you seriously.” She toyed with the long feather of one of her dangling earrings. “Unfortunately for them, I plan on doing just that. They obviously have no idea what kind of beast they awakened when they issued me a challenge. I’ve done a lot of regrettable things in my life, but giving up easily isn’t one of them.”

  Sophie smiled and dropped to the couch. Despite the fact that she was covered in paint and Dawn had mud clinging to her shoes, she patted for her sister to take the seat next to her. Doing that at Lila’s house was unthinkable, but this farmhouse had such a warm, lived-in air that a few extra specks of dirt wouldn’t bother anyone.

  “Is this about that friend of yours who lives at the ranch?” Sophie asked. “Zeke, right?”

  Dawn nodded, allowing the fall of her hair to cover her face so Sophie wouldn’t be able to tell she was hiding something. She wasn’t sure yet what had driven her to keep Adam a secret from her sisters, since they knew about almost all her sexual exploits and had never once judged her for them, but she’d never mentioned him—not even in passing. Which was weird, because if anyone would get a kick out of Dawn knocking cowboy boots with a tall, handsome rancher, it would be her sisters. The only other time she’d gone anywhere near cowboy boots was when she went through a line-dancing phase a few years ago.

  “Partly, yeah. His brother’s the one I’m training the Great Dane for.” Whether because she liked living dangerously or because she simply wanted to say his name out loud, she added, “Adam Dearborn. He runs the ranch for the family.”