He wasn’t sure how things had gone bad so quickly. Not that they’d ever been particularly good between them, but he’d thought they’d reached an understanding. Then he’d seen her take that phone call, shock and misery evident on her face. He’d known it was a mistake to follow her back to his office, but he’d had to make sure she was okay. She wasn’t, and after minutes spent kissing her, neither was he. Holding a woman in his arms had never affected him the way being with Lexi had.
When she’d made the offer of an affair, parts of his body had literally jumped to attention. But he couldn’t agree to it. He had a track record of hurting the people he cared about, and although he’d known her only a short time, he felt an undeniable connection to Lexi. Whether it was his mother or Sam or his late partner at the Marshals, Derek, Scott’s need and desire to protect them turned to poison.
It had become easier to keep people at arm’s length. He’d also become an expert at avoiding the pain of rejection or having someone he cared about not believing him. Lexi was a good person, pure of heart in a way he could never hope to be. For once he was going to do the right thing, even if it killed him.
It just might, he thought as the door opened to reveal Lexi asleep on the couch in nothing but a tank top and boxer shorts. Her legs curled under her, the skin creamy all the way down to her bright red toenail polish. Legs he could well imagine wrapped around him.
A low sound coming from the other side of the couch distracted him. A moment later there was a flash of brown fur accompanied by several high, yippy barks, and a small dog sunk its teeth into the toe of Scott’s work boot.
“What the—” He shook his foot but the tiny dog had clamped on tight.
Lexi sat up, rubbing her eyes. “What’s going on? What time is it?”
She wiped a hand across her mouth and Scott was momentarily distracted from the dog attack by the fact that Lexi wasn’t wearing a bra. Was she trying to kill him?
The small animal holding tight to his boot was certainly intent on the job.
Lexi’s sleepy gaze met Scott’s, then dropped to his leg. “Oh, no. Freddy, no. Come here, sweetheart.” She moved around the side of the sofa, then dropped to her knees on the carpet. “Come, Freddy,” she said, and with one last growl, the small pup jumped into her arms.
Scott closed the door behind him and contemplated the picture of Lexi on her knees in front of him. The couch in his office at the bar was suddenly looking more appealing.
“What is that thing?” he asked, dropping his keys on the table next to the door. He went to take a step into the apartment, but the dog turned and barked.
“It’s not a thing. It’s a dog. He’s my dog.” She picked him up as she stood, the small animal licking her chin with its pink tongue. “His name is Freddy.”
Scott shook his head. “That’s not a dog. You could make a case for an overgrown rat, or a football with legs, but it’s definitely not a dog.”
Lexi cradled the animal close to her chest, covering its ears at the same time. “Don’t say things like that. He has a bit of a Napoleon complex. You’re going to make it worse.”
Scott couldn’t imagine this night getting much worse.
“Where did he come from?”
“The Morgans’ animal shelter, of course. Julia helped me pick him out. Freddy and I bonded right away. He’s a Chihuahua mix.”
“Mixed with rodent I’d bet.” All Scott wanted was to go to sleep, and now he couldn’t get past the apartment’s entrance without mini-Cujo gunning for him.
“Scott, please. My father never let me have a pet, not even a goldfish. I love Freddy. He needs me.” Lexi’s voice was a plea. “He’s obviously a good watchdog. That’s important when you’re a single woman living alone.”
“You don’t live alone. I live here, too.”
She tilted her head. “You never know what I might need protection from.”
That was the truth if he’d ever heard it, especially with one thin strap of her tank top sliding down the smooth skin of her upper arm. He refocused his attention on the dog. “He’s going to have to get used to me.”
“Come sit down on the couch with us.”
Areas low in Scott’s body tightened. The last thing he needed was to be sitting close to Lexi on the soft couch. “I’m tired. I want to go to sleep.”
“In a minute,” she argued and reached for his hand, lacing her fingers through his. “I want you to see how sweet Freddy is.”
Her smile, both excited and tentative, did Scott in. There was nothing he could do to resist her.
She led him to the sofa, Freddy still nestled in her arms, and they sat side by side, the length of her bare leg pressed against his thigh. Even with his jeans between them, he could sense how soft her skin was. Knew it would feel like silk against his hands, his mouth. With a shake of his head, he looked at her holding the dog. “What do you want me to do?”
“Don’t move,” she answered. “I’m going to let him go so he can check you out. Don’t make eye contact with him.”
“Seriously?”
“Julia’s mom told me that’s how you start when a dog is nervous.” Lexi smiled at Scott again. “Just close your eyes.”
“Can I fall asleep?”
“No, but close your eyes.”
He sighed and did as she asked, letting his head fall back. Despite how tired he was, there was no chance of him falling asleep sitting this close to Lexi. She smelled like heaven, and as she spoke softly to the dog, Scott imagined her soothing words were for him. That was until she let go of the animal, who promptly stepped into the middle of his lap. Scott let out a grunt of pain and the dog growled.
“Don’t move,” Lexi commanded, using her hand to push Scott against the cushions once more. “You’ll spook him.”
“If he bites me, all bets are off.”
“He’s not going to bite you, but don’t open your eyes yet.”
Her arm pressed into his shoulder as she spoke to the dog. “Good boy, Freddy. You make friends.”
Scott felt a wet dog nose press against his neck. “That tickles,” he whispered.
“Don’t be a baby,” Lexi answered.
“Me or the dog?”
“You, of course. Oh, look at that.”
He opened his eyes just as the dog curled into a ball on his lap. Scott’s gaze lifted to Lexi, her head tipped forward so close all he had to do was move the tiniest inch to taste her again. He craved her more than he’d ever wanted a drink. More than he could remember wanting anything.
“They say dogs are a good judge of character,” she whispered. “Freddy likes you.”
“I still think Freddy is more rat than dog.”
“Don’t be mean. I love him.”
“You’ve had him less than a day.”
“It only takes a moment to fall in love.”
Scott’s mouth went dry. He could say with certainty he’d never been in love. After his mother’s death, he hadn’t wanted to feel the pain of losing someone he loved again. Sitting here on the couch with Lexi, he could imagine what it would feel like to be in love, to truly let another person in. The crazy part was he’d bet it would feel a lot like the pitch in his heart right now.
Needing to bring the conversation back to a safer subject, he said, “I saw you talking to a few different guys tonight at the bar.”
He’d wanted to engage her temper, but she smiled at him instead. “I know. I flirted a ton.”
Scott tried not to groan. “Do you think that’s a good idea? You don’t want to give them the wrong impression.”
“I do, though.” Her smile grew wider. “Not give the wrong impression,” she added quickly. “I want to meet new people, try new things. Flirting is one of them.”
“Heaven help the men of Brevia.”
; She swatted his arm. “One of them asked me out, you know.”
The hand Scott was using to pet Freddy clenched into a fist. “Who asked you out?”
“I doubt you know him. His name’s Mark. He’s a teacher at the high school.” Lexi’s eyes dropped to Scott’s mouth and awareness traced a long path down his spine. “He seemed nice enough.”
Nice. Lexi deserved nice, a word that had never been in Scott’s vocabulary. He thought of her pressed against him in his office earlier, how open and responsive she’d been and how much it had affected him. Would she melt against Mark the same way?
The thought made Scott crazy. He wanted to pull her to him now, brand her as his so she was ruined for anyone else.
But that wasn’t his right, because he had nothing to offer her and they both knew it.
The dog stirred on his lap, a welcome distraction. “Do you have a leash?” Scott asked.
“On the counter.”
“Go to bed, Lexi. I’ll take the rat out one more time to do his business.” He lifted Freddy off his lap, tucking him under one arm. He grabbed the leash from the kitchen.
Lexi stood next to the sofa, arms crossed over her chest. “You’re okay with me going on a date?” Her voice was strained.
“It’s your life, sweetheart,” he answered, not adding how much he wanted to be a part of it. He clipped the dog’s collar to the leash and headed out the door.
* * *
Lexi walked along the path around the park, Freddy trotting ahead of her. She’d taken to morning walks during the past week to make sure she had as little to do with Scott as possible. Of course, she still saw him every night at the bar, but other than putting in orders, she had almost no contact with him.
She hated to admit how embarrassed she was about her behavior, practically begging him to sleep with her, only to have him reject her. And when she’d told him she was going on a date with another guy, the stupid, girlie part of her had hoped to make Scott jealous. Relieved was more like it, she realized now.
She was so busy wallowing in self-pity she didn’t notice someone walk up behind her until she felt a tap on her shoulder.
“You look a million miles away,” Julia said, handing Lexi a steaming to-go mug.
“Kind of.... What’s this for?” Lexi took the cup, watching as Julia bent down to scratch between Freddy’s perky ears.
“I’ve seen you the past couple of mornings, walking around the park like the hounds of hell are nipping your heels. I thought you could use someone to talk to.”
Lexi made a face. “It’s supposed to look like I’m out for exercise.”
“Sam told me you let Scott move into the apartment.”
“It’s hard to believe anyone has the power to let that man do anything.” Lexi took a sip of the hot tea and sighed. “But, yes, he’s there with me. I didn’t think you’d mind. It’s okay, isn’t it?”
“Of course. How’s that going?”
“I’ve been in the park every morning. Do I need to say more?”
“I’ll take a lap with you.” Julia began walking in the same direction as Lexi. “I also heard you were at Cowboys last night.”
“Word travels fast,” Lexi muttered.
“Welcome to a small town.” Julia sighed.
“It was my night off.”
“And you decided to spend it in the only other bar in town? That doesn’t seem like you.”
“You don’t know me very well.”
Lexi tried to make her tone sound dismissive, but Julia only laughed. “I also heard you were putting the moves on several different guys.”
“What the...? Are you having me followed now? As thankful as I am for your help, it’s none of your business what I do with my time, Julia.” Lexi looked down at the ground, cursing the blush she felt rising to her cheeks.
“I know. And I know you’re here to taste freedom, have a grand adventure, whatever. But I can tell you from personal experience that once you get a reputation, it can stick for a long time.”
Lexi stopped to untangle Freddy’s leash. The dog nuzzled against her legs and tears sprang to her eyes. “It’s a lot of work, being totally on your own.” She wiped at her cheek and looked at Julia. “I really admire you for taking care of yourself the way you did.”
As part of the custody suit, it had been Lexi’s job to delve into Julia’s past, trying to dig up dirt that could be used against her. There had been a fair bit of it, mostly stemming from bad decisions Julia had made while trying to hide the learning disability that plagued her most of her life. But Julia was strong and kept fighting. In the process of her investigation, Lexi had come to respect her and understand that there were choices in life beyond doing what people expected of you. Once Julia had started living life on her terms, things had worked out for her. Lexi only hoped she could have an ounce of the woman’s personal success.
“You’re doing a fine job of taking care of yourself, Lexi.” Julia smiled at her. “But you can’t hold your alcohol.”
Lexi snorted. “I know. But I don’t have friends other than the girls at the bar. I didn’t want to be alone in the apartment on my night off. That seemed too pathetic.”
“There’s nothing wrong with being alone if the alternative is hanging out with the wrong people.”
They started walking again when Freddy tugged on the leash. “My stylist, Nancy, said you were a big help to her with her divorce case.”
“It’s not my area of expertise,” Lexi said with a shrug, “but her case is pretty cut-and-dried. I’m not sure why Frank Davis couldn’t be of more help to her.”
“Frank’s been Brevia’s main attorney for decades now. I think he might be slipping a bit. People are waiting for him to retire or at least bring in a junior associate, but he hasn’t done it yet.”
“I know from my dad there can be a lot of pride of ownership in having your own practice.”
“People still need lawyers. Good ones.” Julia pointed her coffee cup toward Lexi. “Like you.”
“I’m not practicing law in Brevia.”
“But you’re certified in North Carolina?”
Lexi hesitated, then said, “I’m taking a break.”
“Right. For the grand adventure.” They’d done a full turn of the park and Julia stopped at the same place she’d met up with Lexi. “I have another friend who could use some legal counsel. Or at least a second opinion.”
Lexi shook her head. “Grand adventure, remember?”
“She’s a longtime client and needs help with an estate inheritance.”
“Not my area of expertise, either.”
“Please. It’s a bad situation. She needs someone she can trust. We both know how that feels.” Julia raised her eyebrows. “Don’t make me beg, Lexi. It’s not in my nature.”
Lexi threw her cup into a nearby trash can. “Fine. Give her my cell number, but I’d like to go to that attorney’s office and give him a piece of my mind.”
“I’d like to see that.” Julia tipped her cup in Lexi’s direction. “By the way, I’m having a girls’ night in the salon tomorrow night. Are you off?”
“I can get off.” Lexi fiddled with the leash, trying not to show too obviously her excitement at being included. “Are you sure? You don’t have to ask me just to be nice.”
Julia threw her head back and laughed. “Everyone knows I don’t do anything to be nice. Some nice girls work at the salon, though. A couple of them are new to town. It would be a better place than a meat-market country bar to make friends.”
“Great, then,” Lexi said with a grin. “Thank you.” She paused, then added, “I have a date.”
“With Scott?”
Lexi ignored the wave of disappointment that rushed over her. “No. His name is Mark Childs. He’s a teacher at the high scho
ol. He moved up from Charlotte last year. He’s nice, too.” She took a breath. “Sorry, I’m babbling.”
“I’m glad for you. That sounds like a good addition to the adventure.” To her surprise, Julia leaned forward and gave her a quick hug. “See you tomorrow, then.”
“Okay, I’ll see you.” Lexi turned away quickly, surprised as well that her throat was suddenly a bit scratchy. But she felt better about her life. Funny how one quick conversation could do that. She leaned forward to pet Freddy, who flopped onto his back, always glad to have more attention. After a minute, when she had her emotions in check once more, she headed down the path and toward home.
* * *
“Don’t even think about taking advantage of that girl.”
Scott looked up from the new bar menu at the woman standing, hands on hips, just inside the front door.
Jon Riley stood quickly. “I’ll be in the back, boss. Call me when you’re through here.” In a quieter voice he added, “Or when she’s through with you.”
“Chicken,” Scott muttered as Jon made his escape, clucking over his shoulder.
“To what do I owe the honor, Mrs. Callahan?” Scott stood, rubbing his palms down the front of his jeans. “Or should I call you sis?”
Julia rolled her eyes. “You know who I’m talking about. She’s fragile right now.”
“You don’t give her enough credit.”
“She gives you too much.”
Scott’s jaw tightened because Julia was right. Even though Lexi had avoided him the past week, he’d seen her watching him when she thought he wasn’t looking. Sometimes she’d catch him watching her. Either way, instead of the wariness she should have for him, her gaze showed nothing but trust. That was dangerous for both of them. He wasn’t someone she could trust, and he didn’t trust himself around her. Which made working and living with her a form of torture. But he couldn’t walk away.
Not willing to admit any of this to Julia, he shrugged. “In case it matters, your little ray of sunshine propositioned me. I said no.”
Julia’s eyes narrowed. “Bull.”
“It’s true, ask her. Despite the fact that you and my big brother think I’m the bad seed of the Callahan clan, I don’t want trouble in Brevia.”
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