Woman of Midnight (Wardens of Midnight)

by Helen Scott

  “Can I take her outside?”

  “Sure. Just try not to startle her too much. She’s a bit skittish to begin with, but she’ll warm up to you if you give her time. Let me go grab a leash. I’ll be right back.”

  Domino strode off, allowing his legs to lengthen under him as he took full advantage of his height. The dog seemed to spark something within Harper, and he hoped they got along since they seemed like a good match on the surface.

  “Hey, D, can you help this lady out with her application?” Liana’s voice called to him from across the atrium.

  He glanced over at the other woman. “Yeah, I’ll be right back.”

  Harper was still waiting by Daisy’s kennel when he came back, but now she was sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of it.

  “Here we go,” he said as he approached, trying not to startle either the woman or the dog. Once she was standing, he opened the door and scooted inside with Daisy, clipping the leash to her collar and opening the door wide to hand it to Harper. “You can go through the green door at the end of the hall, and that will take you to our garden space. There are benches and toys and doggie bags for you to use. Take all the time you want. I’ll come check on you soon.” He smiled at her and watched as she and Daisy walked off together before he took off back toward the atrium.

  Chapter 3

  Harper could barely breathe, barely look at the dogs when she’d been standing there with Domino. No one wanted them. The thought echoed in her head, and it was almost too much for her to take in her current mindset. The small brown eyes had looked out at her from room after room, while pink tongues hung from excited, hopeful mouths. Her heart broke for each and every animal.

  The shelter was unlike any other she’d been in. Instead of metal barred cages, all the animals had their own rooms with glass doors, or they shared a room, like the puppies and a pair of spaniels. Each room came with its own bed and some toys, as well as a large water bowl. Even on her way in, it was different. She’d passed a large room full of cats, that had different levels, beds, and toys all over the place, plus a big chair that a volunteer or employee was sitting in with a cat on her lap. Part of her questioned whether she would actually be able to provide a dog she adopted from there with a better life since the rooms looked so cushy, but then she thought about how lonely they must get at night once all the staff and volunteers had gone home.

  Daisy walked alongside her as they headed outside, and part of her had already fallen in love with the little dog. She was damaged, and it showed, much like how Harper had felt the last few days. The pink tongue that Domino had mentioned flopped out of her mouth as she bounded up the steps to the green door, and Harper couldn’t help but wonder what the rest of the little girl’s story was. According to the information that hung on the door to her room, Daisy was a seven-year-old Jack Russell mix and needed to be in an adult-only home. That last part was easy for Harper. She wasn’t about to have kids anytime soon, and she was an only child, so there were no nieces or nephews to worry about.

  Once they were outside, Daisy began to tug on the leash a little, and since they were the only ones in the garden area, she unclipped the leash. The little dog took off like a rocket, running around and grabbing different toys, only to throw them up into the air and chase after them as though she was playing fetch with herself. Harper sat on a bench and watched, feeling a smile on her face for the first time in days. The small fenced-in area was beautifully decorated with benches all over and planters scattered around the edges of a big pergola that provided shade for the area.

  When Daisy ran around a corner and didn’t immediately return, Harper’s heart clenched in her chest. She got up and quickly followed. After she came around the corner, she found a set of stairs going up with a sign that said “Rooftop Garden” and an arrow pointing up the stairs. Quickly, she made her way up the stairs while visions of Daisy launching herself off the roof swam in her mind. When the elegant green space came into view, she stopped worrying. Daisy was sprawled out in a sunbeam with a tennis ball by her head. Her eyes snapped toward Harper as she heard her approach.

  The ground felt real under her as she walked, not like it was something that rested on top of concrete or whatever the roof was made of. The grass was springy under her feet, and as she sat on the ground next to the dog, she realized that she was quickly losing her heart to the little dog. She clipped the leash back on. She wasn’t up for scaring herself any further. Daisy’s brown eye watched her skeptically, and, moving slowly, Harper reached out and gave her a belly rub. She stretched and seemed to genuinely enjoy the attention she was getting. When Harper stopped the belly rubs, the small blonde dog flipped over and climbed into her lap, licking at her fingers as though she was asking for more pets.

  “There you two are,” Domino’s voice called low and quiet so he didn’t startle either of them.

  “Hey,” Harper said, looking up at the man who not only seemed to be finding his way into her thoughts more than she’d expected, but her life as well. She’d never thought she’d see him again after careening into him outside her apartment, and part of her was extremely happy she had found him.

  “How are you two doing?” he asked, coming to sit with them on the grass.

  “She’s wonderful,” Harper said with a genuine smile showing on her face. This was exactly what she’d needed to get out of the slump of the last few days.

  “Happy to hear it. Do you want to fill out an application to adopt her?”

  Harper bit her lip for a moment before nodding as one brown eye peered up at her while a pink tongue dangled from the side of her mouth. Sure, she was a little goofy looking, but Daisy clearly loved life and was excited to spend time with someone, which was exactly what Harper needed.

  “Come on, then, let’s head inside and Daisy can relax while we talk.”

  “Come on, girl,” Harper said as Domino pushed to his feet. His hand extended to her as she went to get up. She looked at it, and a flash of emotion ran through her at the change that had occurred within her in just a few days. When he’d helped her up off the street, it had been embarrassing and she could barely even look at him while she was drowning in her own pain and self-pity. Now she was starting to feel some of that fade away as she took a page from Daisy’s book and embraced life. She took his hand, and he had her on her feet almost instantaneously. His hand was hot in her own once again, and his skin was rough and dry. It felt like the sun was shining just for her as she watched him smile at her and then at the dog excitedly prancing between them.

  When they put Daisy back in her kennel, she whined and scratched at the door, making Harper feel guilty, as if she hadn’t explained to the dog that she was going to try to take her home. It took everything she had to follow Domino and not turn back to the dog. As she sat at his desk, she watched him type away at the computer, his long fingers nimble on the keys. He slid a sheet of paper toward her and asked for her driver’s license in return, and she filled in the paperwork while he entered her information into the computer.

  Her eyes kept flicking toward him, betraying her self-control. He had strong hands and muscular forearms that made him look capable of doing just about anything. His tawny skin danced as his fingers moved over the keyboard. She tried to focus on answering the questions but kept getting distracted by the small movements he would make. When he blinked, she realized that the birthmark she’d noticed before covered not only his lower eyelid but a good portion of his upper lid, making it look like he had a giant freckle covering his eye. Thoughts that she hadn’t had in just about a year were invading her brain, and she had to shake her head to clear them while she redirected her attention back to the application.

  She reread the questions, answering them as best she could. Did she have a fenced-in yard? No. Did she have enough money to pay for vet bills? Yes. Who would be the primary caregiver in the household? Her. Did she want to adopt a puppy or an adult dog? Adult. How much time was she willing to spend training the dog? As
much as it took.

  “Well, Harper Lola, do you have your landlord’s number for me?”

  A flush crept up her neck at the use of her middle name. She always felt it sounded awkward, and would have much preferred to be a Harper Grace or a Harper Aubrey, anything but Lola. Ignoring the usage as best she could, she jotted down her landlord’s number on the application and slid it over to him.

  It was over an hour later when she finally signed the paperwork and paid the adoption fee. Domino had been flirting with her the whole time, nothing super overt, but subtle comments here and there. It was to the point that she was starting to feel flustered, something that hadn’t happened in a long time. While they talked about Daisy, she felt as though she was constantly answering questions about herself at the same time, which was something she hadn’t expected, but all the questions made sense when he phrased them as being related to caring for an animal, especially one like her little Daisy. She couldn’t resist the temptation anymore; she had to know something about him, anything, just so she didn’t feel so exposed.

  “So where does the name Domino come from?”

  He paused, and his eyes assessed her, as though trying to figure out if the question were a dig or genuine. “From this,” he said, pointing to his birthmark. “My real name is Dominic, after my grandfather, but my family thought I looked like a Domino with this mark, so it just kind of stuck. Some people, like Liana over there”—he nodded to the blonde supermodel who looked effortlessly put together—“call me D, others Dom. My least favorite is Nic.”

  She filed that information away in her head for later analysis, and said, “Lola was my grandmother’s name.” The woman had been amazing. Strong. Beautiful. Brave. Everything Harper struggled with; at least, what she had been fighting for in the last year or so. A cool chill washed over her at the thought of her mother, the link between her and her grandmother. They hadn’t spoken in almost a year, and that was okay for both of them. Harper was the family disappointment, and she didn’t want to have to play the role her mother had designed for her at family functions, so she just sent her regrets every time, instead. And, yes, they were formal invitations. Sent in the mail and everything.

  When she looked up, Domino was watching her, something soft in his eyes, something she couldn’t name but wanted to see more of. That idea made her thoughts freeze. Did she want to see more of him? It would be the first time since Aaren had left her that she’d wanted to see a guy more than once. She didn’t know what to do with that information, so she said, “Am I all set?”

  Disappointment flitted across his face before he replaced it with a megawatt smile. “Yep. I hope you and my girl have an amazing life together.”

  “Me too.”

  “Do you want me to get her?”

  Harper shook her head. “I’ll get her and tell her the good news.”

  He grinned at that and stood, handing her the leash included in the adoption fee to take Daisy home.

  Chapter 4

  The cold hand of panic gripped Harper’s chest and squeezed until it felt like she couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t believe what had happened. She’d only had Daisy home for a week, and the dog had run away. They had been getting along so well, going on walks every day and snuggling at night. The pup’s personality was exactly what she needed in her life and had brought her back to herself in ways she hadn’t expected. They had gone to the dog beach that wasn’t too far from her apartment, maybe a fifteen-minute walk, if that. The sand on the beach was slightly more rocky than normal, but it was pleasant, and Daisy loved splashing in the water.

  They’d played for almost an hour, and when they went to leave, something spooked Daisy and she pulled out of her collar. Harper was standing there holding an empty collar and leash while frantically calling for her dog. She took off running in the direction Daisy had gone, but the dog’s blonde fur was nowhere to be seen.

  “Daisy! Here, girl!” Harper called over and over again.

  She didn’t know what to do. Her heart beat unevenly in her chest, and she couldn’t catch her breath.

  “You okay?” a woman’s voice sounded behind her while she fell to her knees.

  Suddenly, there was a face in front of her. “Slow your breathing or you’re going to completely hyperventilate.” A warm hand began rubbing circles on her back, and she couldn’t stop the sob from escaping when her breathing finally eased into something that didn’t make her feel faint.

  “My dog . . . got loose,” Harper said between sobs as she jiggled the leash.

  “It can’t have gotten far. What’s her name?”

  “Daisy.”

  The woman stood, her blonde ponytail swinging behind her as she began calling for the dog. Harper couldn’t take this. She’d adopted a dog for companionship, not to be left, again. The only thought that seemed to clunk around in her head was getting help from the shelter, from the people who had cared for her for longer than a few days. Maybe they could help track down her Houdini puppy.

  “Thanks for your help. I need to get to the shelter, see if they can help me,” she said to the woman still circling around, calling for her dog.

  “Want a ride?”

  Her heart leaped at the opportunity to get there faster. “If you don’t mind, that would be amazing.”

  “My car’s just over there,” she said, pointing to the parking area just past the decorative lake that had been built within the park, before taking off at a run.

  Harper followed her. She wasn’t much of a runner, unlike the woman she trailed after, who was all decked out in running gear, tiny running shorts, a tank top clearly designed for working out, an arm band that held her phone, and running shoes. By the time they made it to her car, Harper was wheezing and had a cramp in her side, while the other woman wasn’t even winded. She could walk for miles, go hiking, swimming, anything other than running. It had never been her strong suit.

  As the doors to the shiny silver car clicked open, they both got in.

  “Which shelter?”

  “Wardens of the Heart.”

  “Oh, I know exactly where that is! I got my cat from them. Best decision I ever made,” the woman said as she pulled out of her parking spot and headed toward the shelter before adding, “I’m Nat, by the way.”

  “Harper.”

  “I’m sorry this happened. I’m sure you’ll find Daisy. You just need some extra eyes.”

  “Thanks.”

  An awkward stilted conversation followed as the minutes passed on their journey to the shelter. Finally, once they could see it, Harper said, “Thanks so much for your help. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t been there. You can just pause by the front door. I’ll jump out, if you want.”

  “No worries, I’m happy to help. Here, take my card in case you need more help later.”

  “It was nice to meet you, Nat.” Harper took the card that Nat had retrieved from the center console, and jumped out before hurtling through the glass doors of the shelter. Her eyes frantically shifted from person to person as she looked for an employee.

  “Harper?” Domino’s voice called. “What’s wrong?”

  “Daisy, she got away from me at the park. I don’t know how to find her or what to do. Where do I look? How do I get her to come back to me?”

  “Hey, slow down. She got away from you?”

  “There was a weird noise and she just backed up and her collar gave way and slipped over her head. Once it was off, she just took off like a bullet.”

  “Okay, can you take me to the park?”

  The question startled her. Take him? That hadn’t been what she’d expected him to say, but it was exactly what she needed.

  “You can come? Don’t you have to work?”

  “Day off. I’m just here helping out with a transfer I helped organize.” He grabbed the keys sitting on the desk and called out to the same woman who’d been there before. “I’m heading out. See you tomorrow, Liana.”

  A muffled acknowledgment ca
me from inside the room with all the cats.

  “Can you drive? A woman who was helping me look just dropped me off.”

  “If you’re okay getting in a car with me?”

  Harper nodded. She’d get in the car with just about anyone in that moment if they could get her to Daisy. The thought surprised her; she hadn’t expected to become so attached so quickly. Domino stalked off, snaking through the halls and into what could only be the staff area before heading out the back door to the employee parking. The lot was small, barely big enough for six cars, but at least it kept them off the street and gave them an easily accessible place to park.

  His car was sleek and black with a slight shimmer to it that only the paint used on cars seemed to have. She couldn’t tell the make or model without circling the car, and she didn’t really care, knowing nothing of cars herself. There were no leather seats or matching fancy interior with more electronics than her apartment, as she’d expected. Instead, what she found was smooth fabric and an intuitive streamlined control panel. The car felt strangely homey. They quickly merged into the traffic that had started to accumulate thanks to rush hour, and Domino expertly weaved his way through to get to the side street that would take them to the parking area for the park.

  When they stopped and got out, Harper was still clutching the useless leash and collar as she said, “She took off in that direction, but I couldn’t keep up with her.”

  “Okay,” he said as they started walking in the direction she’d gestured to a moment ago. “How were you two getting along?”

  Guilt knotted her stomach. Did he think that she just wasn’t taking good care of Daisy? “We were good. Going on walks every day. She watched TV with me at night, or curled up in her bed. Everything was perfect. I thought the collar fit, I swear. I even did the two fingers check like the guy at the pet store told me. It just came over her head when she backed up, and then she was gone.”