Unstoppable (A Country Roads Novel)

by Richard, Shannon

  “Oh my gosh. He’s adorable. He is a he, right?” she asked holding the puppy up so she could see his belly. Yup, he was a boy all right.

  “Yeah,” Bennett laughed.

  Mel cuddled the puppy to her chest. He licked her again and then bumped his head up against her jaw.

  “Oh, aren’t you sweet?” She scratched him under his chin as she sat down on the porch steps. She pushed her legs together and laid the little guy tummy side up, scratching his round belly. His little body writhed in ecstasy.

  Bennett took a seat next to her and scratched the puppy’s head. “I got him for you.”

  Mel’s hands stilled and she turned to look at him. “You got me a dog?”

  “Yes,” he said a little bit nervously. “It was on your list to get a puppy. But look, if you don’t want him—”

  Mel didn’t let Bennett finish. She reached up and grabbed his chin, and kissed him, slowly, so he would get an idea of just how much she loved the gift.

  “I’m keeping him,” she said against his mouth before she let go and turned back to the puppy in her lap. The little thing had greenish-brown eyes that made her melt into a big old puddle when they were on her.

  Yeah, like there was a chance in hell she’d be able to give him up. Not in a million years.

  “Well, you sure are needy,” she said as the little puppy tried to climb up her chest and get in her face. He licked her cheek and barked. “Okay, enough of that.” She laughed as she wiped her mouth, set him down in her lap, and started scratching his back.

  “I went to pick one out two weeks ago. And when the breeder showed me the litter, this little guy”—Bennett rubbed his hand back and forth over the puppy’s head, making his ears flop—“came right up to me and sat on my boots.”

  “So, really, he picked you,” Mel said.

  “Yup.”

  “Well, he apparently has very good taste.” The puppy started to crawl up Mel’s front again, wanting to be in her face.

  “He looks like that teddy bear you got me.” Mel glanced at Bennett quickly before she turned back.

  The puppy barked and squirmed.

  “Teddy?” she asked him. “Do you like that?”

  He barked again.

  “How about Theodore and we call you Teddy?” she asked him.

  He lunged for her face and licked her from her chin all the way to her hairline.

  “Seems like he’s a pretty big fan of the name to me.”

  “Yeah,” Mel nodded, wiping her face. “So Teddy it is.”

  “I’m going to get the guy who trained Tripp’s firehouse dog to train him. That way he’ll be able to protect you when he’s bigger.”

  “You worried about me?” she asked, looking at him. He’d been looking at Teddy, but his eyes met hers with a fair amount of seriousness in them.

  “Always.” He leaned in and pressed his mouth to hers, sucking on her bottom lip for just a second. “I’m glad you like him.”

  “I love him.”

  There was something about saying that word while looking at Bennett that had Mel’s heart flying up into her throat. Yeah, this little dog wasn’t the only thing she loved. She was in love with the man, too.

  * * *

  They wound up ordering Chinese food for dinner. Mel went with Bennett to pick it up, letting Teddy snore in her lap while Bennett drove. She couldn’t believe Bennett had bought her a dog. And not only that, he’d also bought all of the other things that a new dog owner needed, and many other things that weren’t all that necessary.

  He’d pulled out multiple bags from the back seat of his truck. They were filled with a hunter green collar and matching leash, dog bowls, toys, food, treats, a brush, two doggy beds, a crate, and a gate.

  “So you really like him?” Bennett asked.

  “I told you, love at first sight,” she said, rubbing Teddy’s back. He snuggled further into her lap.

  “Well, he’s apparently a pretty big fan of you,” Bennett said as he came to a stoplight.

  “I can’t believe you did this, Bennett. He’s the best gift I’ve ever gotten.” She leaned across the seat and he met her in the middle.

  “You’re welcome,” he said against her mouth.

  When they got to the restaurant, Bennett left the truck running and ran inside. Teddy stirred when the door shut and stretched his tiny body.

  He wasn’t going to stay this small for long. He had big paws for such a little guy, and he was going to grow into them. Good thing she lived on a fairly big piece of land, so he was going to have plenty of space to run around.

  “You know,” Mel said, scratching Teddy behind the ears, “you’re not the only one who I’m in love with.”

  He sat up and looked at her, his head tilting to the side.

  “Yeah,” Mel sighed. “I’m in love with that man who bought you, but he doesn’t know it yet. I don’t think he’s all that ready to know.”

  He still wasn’t ready to talk to her about certain things, so he sure as hell wasn’t ready to hear that she was in love with him.

  Teddy got up on his hind legs, putting his paws on Mel’s chest and getting in her face.

  “I know you’d like to think it wouldn’t be this complicated. That when you love someone you could just tell them. This is not the case,” Mel said, looking into his adorable little-puppy face.

  Teddy leaned up and licked her nose.

  “I know, it’s much simpler for you.”

  He licked her again.

  Bennett opened the door and climbed in the truck, he put the bag of food on the floor of the backseat. Teddy attempted to sneak under Mel’s arm and go for the food.

  “I don’t think so, little man.” Bennett put his hand out to block the great escape. “That’s not for you.”

  “Nope, that sweet-and-sour chicken is mine.” Mel grabbed Teddy and held him up in the air. He wriggled in her hands and licked her face again. He apparently loved the kisses, too. “All right,” she said, holding him to her chest and snuggling him under her chin. “I’m willing to share a piece.”

  * * *

  Bennett and Mel pretty much spent the entire weekend puppy-proofing Mel’s house and getting Teddy acclimated to his new environment. He followed them everywhere, tripping over his big feet while he did it. He also cried at night, a lot. He might’ve been across the house, but he had a set of lungs on him that managed to travel the distance and get through two doors.

  Teddy really didn’t like being by himself. And Bennett knew just how much the constant crying was upsetting Mel.

  “Ugh, I hate this,” she said as she rolled over for about the hundredth time on Sunday night.

  “I know.” He pulled her to him, her back up against his front and buried his face in her hair.

  “You’re sure this is what they said you should do?”

  “Yes, puppies are supposed to sleep on their own. They have to cry it out. He’ll stop in a little bit, just like he has for the last two nights.”

  “It’s a stupid rule,” she said pouting just a little bit. She started running her fingers up and down his forearms. Her soft touch on his skin never failed to make his entire body start tingling.

  “I know.” He smiled in her hair. “But would you rather he be crying in the room with us?”

  “No. I’d rather he was sleeping in the bed with us.”

  “What happens when he gets to be seventy-five pounds? All three of us going to still fit?”

  Her hands stilled and she didn’t say anything.

  “Mel?”

  “I…uh, I guess not.” Her voice was soft, just barely above a whisper.

  “Mel?” he repeated her name. “There’s something else going on up there.” He pressed his mouth to the back of her head.

  She rolled around in his arms and looked up at him. There was a dim glow coming from her alarm clock and he was just able to make out the smile turning up her mouth. “You just made a valid point is all.”

  “And me making a valid p
oint is so shocking?”

  “Well…”

  Bennett just raised his eyebrows.

  “I’m kidding.” She stretched up and placed a kiss on his mouth. “’Night, Benny Boo,” she whispered as she snuggled against his chest.

  Bennett let out a small laugh as he wrapped his arms around her and closed his eyes to blessed silence.

  * * *

  Teddy slowly began to adjust to life in his new home. He was most definitely a little ball of energy. Bennett and Mel started getting up even earlier so they could play with him for a good while before they were out the door to work. It was the Tuesday before the Thanksgiving holidays, and fall had come in full force. The chilly weather had been consistent over the last couple of weeks, and it was there to stay for a little while.

  Every morning, Mel would sit on the porch wearing sweats, wrapped in a blanket, and clutching a cup of coffee. She’d watch Bennett as he ran around the yard with Teddy. He bounded through the leaves and pounced at Bennett’s feet, leaning on his front paws with his little brown butt in the air as he searched for what Bennett had just thrown.

  Teddy’s mouth wasn’t quite big enough for the tennis ball that Bennett had bought, so they played fetch with one of the squeaky toys. More often than not, he would lie on the dog pillow in whatever room they were in and chew, and chew, and chew. The constant squeaks could be heard throughout the house.

  The dog sure did like to make noise, but Mel loved that her house wasn’t silent anymore. It hadn’t been for a little while now with Bennett constantly being around, but the addition of Teddy was a good one. He quickly became part of her life, and she couldn’t imagine going back to how it had been before him.

  He’d done okay by himself during the day. He hadn’t gotten up to too many hijinks in the laundry room. Though he’d somehow gotten a hold of one of Bennett’s socks and made a meal of it.

  This morning, she sat on the porch steps and watched as Bennett threw the little toy off in the distance, and Teddy sprinted off after it, stumbling through the yard as he went. Bennett came up behind Mel and sat down, putting his legs on either side of her body. She pressed back into him and sighed contentedly as he wrapped his arms around her.

  “You a functioning human yet?” he asked as he buried his face in her neck.

  “Mmm-hmm.”

  “Good. Time to share the wealth.” He grabbed the cup of coffee from her hands and brought it to his mouth.

  Mel looked over her shoulder at him with raised eyebrows. “You’re lucky I like you, pal.”

  “Come on Melanie, sharing is caring.”

  “Not when it comes to my coffee.”

  “I’ll make it up to you,” he said as he leaned in, his lips hovering right above hers.

  “You better.”

  He covered her mouth with his and dipped his tongue inside. He tasted like coffee: warm, delicious. They hadn’t been kissing for that long when a loud squeak came from somewhere around Mel’s feet. She pulled back from Bennett and turned to find Teddy. He came up on his back paws and stretched, trying to climb up Mel’s leg.

  “Hey buddy,” Mel said, reaching down and picking him up. She held him as much as possible. He was growing at a steady rate, and pretty soon she wouldn’t be able to hold him anymore.

  Teddy got up in Mel’s face and licked her cheek.

  “I can’t believe how big he’s getting,” Mel said as she flipped Teddy onto his back and scratched his belly. As usual he writhed around, one of his back legs kicking up and thumping against her thigh.

  “Well, enjoy it while you can, because he won’t be sitting in your lap much longer.”

  “I know,” she said, more than somewhat sadly. “He’s just so cute at this size.”

  Bennett chuckled as he reached around her and scratched Teddy’s belly, too. “I’m sure he’ll still be plenty cute when he’s full grown. And he’ll be way more useful. Bigger is better when it comes to being a guard dog.”

  Mel looked over her shoulder at him, her eyebrows raised. “What exactly is happening that I need protecting from?”

  “I don’t know. But we should cover all our bases.”

  She grinned. “You know all about covering bases, don’t you?”

  “Sure do.” He put his lips to hers again, working her mouth with his before he pulled back. “We should go back inside and get ready.”

  “But I don’t want to. I’d much rather stay right here in your arms all day. I don’t want to go to work.”

  “In about ten hours you’ll be free for five whole days.”

  “Mmm. True.”

  “And we can spend an entire day in each other’s arms.”

  “Promise?”

  “Promise,” he said, kissing the tip of her nose.

  Mel put Teddy on the ground before she stood up. Bennett was on his feet a second later, and the three of them walked inside. Mel headed toward the shower while Bennett put Teddy away in the laundry room. Just as she was lathering up her hair under the steady stream of hot water, Bennett entered the shower behind her. He pressed his naked body to hers as he pulled her hands away and finished washing her hair.

  * * *

  Bennett’s commanding officer, Danny Provo, and his family were coming down to Mirabelle on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. They were spending the holiday with Bennett, Mel, and their families. Danny lived in Georgia with his wife and three kids, and on Friday they were continuing their journey south to Disney World.

  Danny was the only other survivor of the helicopter crash that claimed the lives of the other eight soldiers. He’d left the air force at the same time Bennett had. After the crash, neither of them could go back, not after everything they’d seen, and especially not after everything they’d lost. But Danny’s outlook on life was a lot different than Bennett’s. Bennett just wanted to escape. Danny, on the other hand, wanted to get back to his life, to his wife and two sons.

  Alex and Blake had been seven and four years old when Danny had gone home for good. He wanted his sons to know who he was, wanted to watch them grow up for more than a few months out of the year. For Danny it just wasn’t good enough, and almost losing his life made him see his priorities differently. He’d been home exactly one month when his wife, Cindy, told them that they were going to have another child.

  June Provo was now a happy and healthy two-year-old with a set of lungs on her that could rival an air horn when she got worked up. But she was incredibly sweet, and she had the tendency to curl up in whichever adult’s lap was free and fall asleep, her head on their shoulder. She had soft blonde curls and the biggest blue eyes framed by blonde lashes. Everyone was putty in her hands.

  It took June about three seconds to become entirely fascinated with Mel. Bennett wasn’t at all surprised; Mel was pretty damn fascinating, if he did say so himself.

  “You got hair like mine,” June said to Mel. June was currently in Cindy’s arms, but she was squirming to get to Mel.

  “I do,” Mel laughed.

  “Wanna play,” June said excitedly.

  “Careful, Peachtree,” Cindy said as she passed June to Mel.

  Cindy was from Georgia, and she had a thick Southern accent that made her fit right into Mirabelle. She had blonde hair and blue eyes just like her daughter, but June’s curls hadn’t come from either of her parents. Not that anyone would be able to tell what Danny’s hair looked like, as he kept his shaved short just like Bennett. Another thing that Danny hadn’t passed off to this daughter was his thick, muscular frame.

  No, sweet little June was tiny like her mother, and June was pretty much destined to be short, since Cindy was five foot three and Danny was about five foot nine. Even though Danny had been smaller than all the soldiers he’d commanded, no one had ever messed with him. When he talked, everybody listened. It was because of Danny that Bennett had survived that crash. Bennett owed the man his life.

  “Pweeeeetty,” June said as she bunched Mel’s curls up in her teeny-tiny fists.

 
; “Yours are very pretty, too.” Mel smiled.

  “What’s your name?”

  “Mel.”

  “I’m Juuuune.” She looked over her shoulder at her mother. “Mommy, I like Mel. Can she stay and play?”

  “I see she’s just as shy as ever.” Bennett laughed as he watched Mel bouncing and talking to the little ball of energy.

  “Yup,” Danny said, looking over his shoulder where Alex and Blake were currently playing with Teddy on Bennett’s tiny front porch. The boys were Danny in miniature form, except they had their mother’s blonde hair.

  As Bennett was sharing a bed with Mel every night, they were going to stay at her house, and the Provo family was going to have free rein of Bennett’s house for the next two nights.

  It had been a couple of months since Bennett had seen Danny. Danny had come down to Mirabelle last May to go fishing. Bennett normally went up to Georgia at the beginning of hunting season to spend a few days up in a tree, but this year he’d passed on the trip. He hadn’t been able to pull himself away from Mel for even a day.

  “Well, Miss June, are you hungry?” Mel asked the toddler in her arms.

  “Yes, ma’am.” She nodded vigorously and her curls bounced up and down around her temples.

  “Lunch is ready,” Bennett said, waving toward the house. “We can unload everything after we eat.”

  “Sounds good to me. Lead the way,” Danny said.

  * * *

  On Thanksgiving morning, Bennett woke up wrapped around Mel. Her perfect little butt was pressed against a very critical part of his anatomy. And said part was very up and ready to go.

  The curtains on the window were closed, but he could see just a hint of light around the edges. He peeked over Mel’s shoulder to get a look at the alarm clock on the nightstand. It was just before eight. The Provos weren’t coming over until ten. So they had plenty of time.

  Bennett almost always woke up before Mel, like 99 percent of the time, so he knew when her stirring got to the point where she was on the brink of consciousness. He moved his hand from where it was wrapped around her waist and slid it up her side to her back, and then to her shoulder. He brushed her hair away and kissed her neck.