Whatever. Duke could be a spaz all he fucking wanted.
“Come on, buddy,” Tripp said as he scratched the dog under his collar. “Let’s go get you checked out.” He grabbed the leash that sat on the floor of the back seat, clipping it into place before he moved enough for the dog to jump out.
Duke led the way to the building, tail wagging and head held high as they mounted the steps. The second they walked into the office a loud squawk filled the room. There were two receptionists for the clinic: Janet Peterson and Gabby. Janet was an older lady who had been working there for thirty-plus years. Gabby was a white and yellow cockatoo that had been adopted by the practice when her owner died over ten years ago.
The bird sat on her perch by the desk, alerting everyone who worked in the building when anyone or anything walked in the door.
But there really wasn’t a need to alert anyone of Tripp and Duke’s presence that morning. Seven people—including all three who worked in the building—were standing in the reception area. Well, six of them were standing. The seventh person was of the teeny tiny variety. She was currently being held by her grandfather, a grandfather who was already wrapped around her teeny tiny little finger.
Sofia Lilian James wasn’t even a month old. She had violet eyes just like her mother’s and a full head of dark brown hair that matched her father’s. Her parents, Harper and Liam James, were among the group of people in the room.
Liam hadn’t become a fixture in Mirabelle until the summer before. He was a country musician whose career had skyrocketed, something that he attributed to the song he’d written about the woman standing next to him. A woman who’d become his wife last November.
Harper was beautiful, there was no doubt about it. She had long black hair that stretched down her back, killer curves that only a blind man would miss, and a sassy attitude. Tripp had met her shortly after he’d moved to Mirabelle three years ago, but they’d only ever been friends.
There were certain pools he didn’t play in when it came to dating or sex. Number one, he didn’t mess with married women. That was a hard and fast rule that he never bent in any way, shape, or form. Number two, he steered clear of anything professional. This hadn’t been much of a problem since he’d moved to Mirabelle as everyone who worked for the fire department—outside of dispatch—was a man. Number three, he didn’t date within his personal circle. So no friends, or friends of friends, or feisty blond neighbors, for that matter.
Not only was Beth in his personal circle, but her front door was about seventy feet away from his.
Though neither of those facts were helping deter Tripp at the moment. Beth hadn’t been too far from his thoughts since their conversation the other night…when she’d confided in him…when he’d had his hands on her body for just a moment…or when she’d placed that kiss on his cheek.
Somewhere in the chaos of everything that had happened that day, he’d gone from thinking she was a royal pain in his ass to…well…liking her. There was something about her. Something that had him rethinking a lot of things he’d thought about her in the last few months. She’d been so soft and sweet in his arms…and so thoroughly heartbroken.
He’d always hated seeing women cry; it made him want to fix whatever it was that had upset them. But with Beth? That desire to fix had been so much stronger.
And that wasn’t the only strong desire he’d had. It had taken everything in him not to turn into that kiss and claim her mouth. Something he’d been more than a little shocked by.
Tripp had never been a man who wanted what he couldn’t have, so it had nothing to do with her being off limits. And it wasn’t just because she was beautiful, either. Because she was. Oh, who the hell was he kidding? Beth Boone was fucking gorgeous. She was a tiny thing, but she made a case for not underestimating what could come in small packages.
He’d done a double take when he’d seen her in the front yard the day before. She’d been wearing a red T-shirt that had done a fantastic job of showing off just a hint of cleavage, along with the dip of her waist…a dip he’d had his hands on…had felt under his palms. Not that he’d thought about that multiple times in the last two days…nope.
Nor had he thought about the pair of jeans that looked like they’d been made for her. A pair of jeans that were beyond distracting as they showcased the curve of her hips…and her spectacular ass.
Yeah, he was full of shit. He’d thought about all of those damn things. A lot. He needed to get it together. Stat.
“Tripp!” Delilah Laurence clapped her hands together excitedly, the sharp slap echoing in the space and pulling him back to the present. “Have you met my granddaughter yet?”
“I have.” Tripp nodded, moving closer to Paul in an attempt to get a better look at Sofia.
The little girl was wrapped up in a purple blanket, her pretty eyes open as her grandfather held a bottle to her mouth.
“She gets more beautiful every time I see her,” Tripp said, glancing over at her parents.
Harper was leaning against Liam’s side, his arm wrapped around her waist and holding her close.
“That would be because she looks more and more like her mother every day.” Liam grinned as he pressed a kiss to his wife’s temple.
It was at that moment that the tap, tap, tap of claws could be heard coming down the hallway from the kitchen. Frankie’s massive white head emerged from the doorway before the rest of her body followed. She immediately headed over to her brother and gave him a big old lick across the face.
“I still can’t believe how massive they are,” Harper said as she pulled away from Liam and moved toward the dogs. “I remember when they were this big.” She held her hands about a foot apart in the air before she crouched down next to both dogs and started petting them.
“Yeah, they are considerably larger now,” Finn nodded before he took a sip from his mug of coffee.
“I hadn’t noticed.” Tripp looked at his friend, exaggerating a frown.
“Oh, don’t even get started with that.” Finn waved his hand in the air before he pushed his black plastic-framed glasses up the bridge of his nose.
“Get started with what?”
“The whole ‘it’s my fault that you adopted the dog’ thing that you like to do.”
“It is your fault that I adopted the dog.”
“And you don’t regret it at all, do you?” Harper grinned up at Tripp as she scratched Duke’s chest while simultaneously rubbing the spot between Frankie’s ears.
“Nope, I don’t.”
“Well, we should go get him checked out,” Finn nodded to Duke. “That way you can get back to, well, whatever it is that you do.”
“Why, Finn Shepherd, are you mocking one of our good public servants?” Janet asked, her steely gray eyebrows furrowing in disapproval.
Janet hadn’t seen anything. Finn and Tripp busted each other’s balls on a regular basis. If they weren’t in a room with this particular audience there wouldn’t be holding back of any kind.
“I sure am.” Finn grinned. “What are you guys marathon watching on Netflix now? Pretty Little Liars?”
“Nah, all caught up on that. We’ve moved onto Gilmore Girls now.”
“See, Mrs. Peterson, those are your taxpayer dollars hard at work.” Finn shook his head in mock disapproval.
“You mean when he isn’t rescuing children from getting struck by lightning on a lake?” Harper asked as she stood, folding her arms across her chest and giving Tripp what could only be described as a penetrating gaze.
The room fell silent and as Tripp held Harper’s gaze he felt all the eyes in the room go from her to him in an instant.
“You did what?” Paul asked.
“Yeah,” Finn echoed. “You did what?”
Tripp cleared his throat, still trying to hold his ground with Harper, as he scratched the back of his neck with his free hand. “It was nothing.”
“That’s not the way Beth told it.” She pursed her lips together as one of her
eyebrows climbed high.
And Harper had every reason to be skeptical.
Okay, so he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t just a little bit curious about Harper’s statement. But the curiosity had nothing to do with wanting to hear what he’d done. He’d been there. He knew what had happened. No, it had everything to do with wanting to hear the way Beth had told it.
And that desire? Well, he wasn’t exactly sure how he felt about it. Another thing that he could just add to the list.
Before Tripp could stop himself he opened his mouth and the question fell out. “And how was that?”
He hadn’t thought it was possible for Harper’s gaze to narrow further…but it most definitely did. And not only that, but the move was accompanied by her mouth forming a bit of a smirk.
Chapter Five
Thank You Cookies
The sun was sitting low in the sky, sunset about twenty minutes away, as Beth walked across the lawn and over to Tripp’s house. She wasn’t exactly sure why she was so nervous as she headed up the walkway and to his front door…but she was.
It was Saturday, three days since the lake incident, and though she’d seen him a couple of times in passing, she hadn’t talked to him since he’d comforted her…and she’d cried all over him.
But she wanted to get past that; she had to get past that. They were neighbors and apparently friends now, too. She’d told him so right before she’d kissed his cheek…right before she’d felt his beard rasp against her lips. Not that she’d thought about that multiple times a day or anything.
Good Lord, what the hell had happened? She’d gone from despising him to…well, what exactly was this, anyway? A crush? No…no, she didn’t get crushes. That was…ridiculous. Wasn’t it? She couldn’t be too sure…but the still warm plate of cookies she was currently carrying over to him didn’t bode well for her.
Not at all.
Maybe she could just leave them on the mat. Just ring the doorbell and run.
Really? You’re going to play ding-dong-ditch?
No. No, she wasn’t. Because Beth didn’t run from anything…or anyone, for that matter. She dealt with it, and she’d damn well deal with this. And besides, this feeling was probably just lingering appreciation for what Tripp had done for Grant. Yeah, that’s what it was.
Had to be, and once she addressed it head on she’d be able to move on. Her resolve was firm, which was probably the only reason she was able to lift her hand and press her finger to the doorbell.
A few seconds went by before a shadow moved behind the frosted glass that surrounded the frame. The deadbolt was flipped a moment later and the door pulled open, revealing Tripp Black. He stood there in day-old scruff, khaki shorts, and a hunter green T-shirt. The shirt in question was fit at the top, showcasing his arms and muscled chest but hanging loose around his waist.
“Hey.” His mouth split into a grin as his chocolate eyes focused on her.
A small swoop kicked up low in her belly and her mouth went dry.
Shit.
“Hi.” That one word was more difficult to get out of her mouth than it should’ve been. She swallowed hard before she attempted to speak again. “I hadn’t talked to you since the other night, or thanked you properly. So I made you thank you cookies.” She finished more than somewhat lamely as she stuck out her hands, holding the plate for him to grab.
“Thank you cookies?” His eyes went to the cookies and then back up to her face, and that smile of his seemed to grow.
How the hell had she never noticed what a great smile he had? Maybe because until recently he’d always been scowling at her. Which made sense, as she’d usually been yelling at him.
“It isn’t much. I know nothing will be enough for what you did…but I wanted to do something.”
“I don’t think you’re aware of my love of sweets. This is a pretty good thank you if I do say so myself.” He grabbed the plate from her hands, his eyes not leaving hers. “You need to be anywhere? Sun’s about to set; you want to have a beer with me?”
Beth wasn’t exactly sure why she was so surprised by Tripp’s invitation, but she was.
“Yes.” The answer came out of her mouth before she could really think about it.
And why shouldn’t she enjoy a beer with him? It wasn’t like the kids would be alone. Her father had come over for dinner that night and was currently watching Frozen. Penny had conned him into it.
Maybe it was the prospect of not having to listen to Elsa sing “Let It Go” for the five thousandth time that had prompted her to say yes so quickly. Because really, the next rendition was going to end with her shoving a fork into her ears.
Yeah, that had to be it…and not because he was smiling at her. Nope, it had absolutely nothing to do with that smile.
Liar.
Tripp stepped back from the doorway, making space for her to walk by. Beth moved slightly down the hallway and turned as he shut the front door.
“After you.” He looked behind her and she spun back around. She headed down the rest of the hallway that opened up into a big, grand space comprising the living room, kitchen, and dining room.
Beth hadn’t had a chance to take in the house when she’d been there the other day…She’d been just slightly distracted. It had probably been about ten years since she’d been inside the house that now belonged to Tripp, and absolutely nothing was the same as she remembered.
She knew it from the days that the Schaffers had lived there, and it had been a dark cave with thick velvet curtains hanging from the windows. There’d been floral sofas covered in plastic and they squeaked when anyone sat down. The closed-in kitchen had been filled with dilapidated cabinets and appliances. Every room sported a different wallpaper in some pattern of birds. And Beth’s favorite? The mustard yellow carpet that had plastic runners indicating exactly where guests could walk.
The neighborhood had been built in the seventies. When her sister and brother-in-law had bought the house next door it had been in much the same shape, but they’d remodeled each room, one at a time. And now Tripp’s house had been remodeled as well.
A chocolate brown leather sectional sat in the middle of the living room. It was strategically positioned so that the big screen TV mounted on the wall could be seen from any and all angles. A plush red and tan rug was stretched out across the cherrywood floors and a coffee table with a stone top and ironwork base sat in the middle. The back wall of the living room had more windows than there used to be, and the sliding glass doors had been replaced with French doors that opened up to the backyard. Light streamed in, making the cream-colored walls appear to glow.
Beth’s gaze moved beyond the living room and to the entirely remodeled kitchen. The divider wall had been knocked down and replaced with a breakfast bar. Brand-new wooden cabinets stained a light blond went all the way up to the ceiling and the countertops were made of black granite. A mosaic of white, gray, and black tiles made up the backsplash and shiny black appliances gleamed.
A table for six—which was interesting as he lived alone—sat in the far left corner, where massive windows made up the majority of the ninety-degree angle and stretched up to just a few inches below the ceiling. All of the venetian blinds in the space were open, the exposed windows giving a clear view of the backyard.
A deep, masculine moan filled the room behind Beth and it had her spinning around in an instant. The sight before her had her breath catching in her throat, while a riot of flutters overtook her stomach.
Tripp was taking another bite of the half-devoured cookie in his hand, his eyes closed as he made a second moan of bliss.
This time the flutters flowing through Beth’s body were much, much lower than before. It had been a long time since a man had inspired her to feel anything south of the border. Well, any man besides Henry Cavill, but she had old episodes of The Tudors to help out with that.
But good Lord, there was something about hearing the sound of pure male satisfaction that had her brain short-circuiting. And t
his particular man? Well, he was her sexy-as-all-hell neighbor. Her sexy-as-all-hell neighbor who’d been at the forefront of her thoughts the last couple of days. Not that that was a problem or anything, except she shouldn’t be thinking romantically about any man at the moment.
No relationships…she needed to remember that…even if he was sexy as all hell.
And okay, Beth would be the biggest liar on the face of the planet if she said she hadn’t been fully aware of Tripp and his sexiness long before. Because: scruff…and chocolate brown eyes…and strong sturdy hands…and well, everything else.
Yeah, her saying yes to a beer had absolutely nothing to do with her Elsa aversion and everything to do with wanting to spend a few moments alone with a man…a man she hadn’t been able to stand until about a week ago.
Oh, how the tides had turned.
Though, they hadn’t always been at odds. He’d been an acquaintance of hers for years now. Hell, they’d both been in Mel and Bennett’s wedding two years ago. But Beth had been with Mick then, so there’d been nothing more than appreciation at how Tripp filled out a tux…a sight she remembered vividly.
There were also the countless group beach excursions with their friends last summer where she’d seen him wearing nothing more than a pair of swim trunks. But that had been right after Beth had moved back. She’d been grieving and focusing on settling into her new job description of caregiver to three children. There’d also been the part about getting over her horrendous breakup with her ex.
But circumstances being what they were, she would’ve been blind not to notice him before…and Beth had twenty-twenty vision. Her excellent eyesight meant she didn’t miss a moment of Tripp opening his somewhat dazed eyes as he licked his lips.
Her knees were about two-point-five seconds from buckling.
“Damn. These are incredible, Beth.” He pointed to the plate, not taking his gaze from hers. “Best thank you you could’ve given me.”
“That’s your assessment after just one? Well, aren’t you easy?” The words had slipped out before she even realized it.
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