“Perfect.” I let my head rest back against his chest, enjoying the moment. Taylor giggled, and Hunter laughed gruffly like he was not used to doing it. It was sweet, and I realized how much I liked Chase’s friends, even his crazy sister. This whole place was different from what I was used to in the city. I couldn’t even recall which one of my supposed friends had called or texted me while I was up here during my forced exile from the land of skyscrapers and yellow cabs. There was no hustle and insanity to rush anywhere. Time slowed down, and I was forced to take it all in between the sweet smells and crisp air that left my feet cold in the morning while I waited for my aunt’s coffee maker to brew. No K-cups here or any other shortcuts. My parents probably thought I would have tucked tail and turned right around, but as I settled into a new routine, I didn’t mind these things as much, and I lacked for nothing.
Chase’s hand snaked around my middle and his sneaky finger strayed, rubbing against the soft part of my belly. He was not trying to go further south or north, he was just there, and I didn’t think he realized he was making the rhythmic movements. I was lulled into a relaxed state and snuggled deeper against him and the blanket.
“Don’t fall asleep, Winnie. The fireworks haven’t started yet.”
I snorted, automatically wondering if the innuendo was on purpose.
“Dirty girl.” He laughed and of course he did, squeezing my hip and going back to gently arousing me with that damn finger tracing over my abdomen.
“So tell me a bedtime story then.”
“Anything you’d like to know?” Now that was a million-dollar question. Hot sexy bachelor who administered aid to animals, yeah, why the hell wasn’t he in a relationship? Instead, I took the safe route, rolling over to look at him.
“Tell me what made you interested in becoming a vet?” Turnabout was fair play and this time I let my hands roam over his chest freely.
“Easy. I love animals.”
I rolled my eyes, making him smirk.
“All right, but then I get to ask you twenty questions, Miss Winsome Gray.”
“Fair enough. Now spill it, Doctor.”
He caged me in, not resting his weight on me like I wanted him to. He stayed there a moment before rolling to his back and looking at the night sky.
“I played football in high school and went to Cornell on a scholarship.”
“That’s a lot of ball playing.”
He didn’t speak for a bit, and I wondered if that was all until he started up again.
“It is. My dad, who you sort of met earlier, was my coach for as long as I can remember. Today was the first time he spoke to me in about a year.”
“Um…” Now I was confused. “That’s a long time without talking.”
“Yeah.” Chase cleared his throat, and now I regretted saying anything. I lay my hand over his heart, feeling the beats pressed against his chest reassuringly. “But this was about me becoming a vet,” he says.
“Right.” I nodded.
“I was being scouted by the NFL even though I wasn’t eligible unless I dropped out of college. We were playing a scrimmage game against our rival school. Bullshit really for a bunch of kids trying to have fun despite how serious it was for some of us. Scouts had been coming to my games for years, but this was the do or die year or so they said. It was raining that day, and we should have stopped, but we didn’t. I slipped on the turf, collided with a defensive player, and busted my shoulder and knee real good.”
“Oh, Chase.” I couldn’t imagine his big body in pain and broken in some way.
“Anyhow, I was a junior that year and it took me out for the season, messing my back up. Dad was pissed I’d ruined a perfectly good career because while I had plenty of time to rehab I realized I just didn’t want it the way he did.”
“So you changed your major?”
“Oh yeah.” He chuckled. “No more Rocks for Jocks classes for me. I had enough core classes to make the switch.”
“You must really like animals then.”
“When Kristen and I were kids we had a dog named Riley and he followed us everywhere. I think Mom let us have him because he wore us out better than a babysitter could.”
“Sounds like a ball of energy, just like Bailey.”
“He was a gorgeous brown lab who loved squirrels.”
I had a feeling this story wasn’t going to have a happy ending exactly.
“I remember it like yesterday…”
Yup, no happy ending here, so I squeezed Chase’s wandering hand under the blanket.
“September, lots of leaves were still on the trees and Riley was barking like crazy, driving my mom nuts. She was working on a legal brief for work and told me to take Riley outside because he was annoying her. I opened the door and let him outside, but I called him back because I forgot his stupid collar for the electric fence.”
“Chase…” I didn’t think I wanted to hear more, but he kept plowing ahead.
“He went full tilt through the yard, ignoring the squirrels and going for a groundhog that was across the street. Poor Riley got hit by a truck, and I don’t think I’ll ever forget the look on my sister’s face and how helpless I felt when I put his head in my lap for the last time that day.”
“How awful.” My face and neck felt wet from the tears and drawing air into my chest was difficult at best.
“Yeah, so when football didn’t pan out, being a vet was the next logical choice.” Chase’s voice cracked, and he cleared his throat. I didn’t know if he was nearly as choked up as I was, after all, he’d had years to deal with the loss of a beloved pet, but the story broke my heart. It didn’t explain why his dad hadn’t spoken to him, but I knew a story about feeling like a disappointment to one’s parents when I read through the lines.
Cracks and repeated booms filled the air with flashes of color and powder that pulled us from the heavy moment. “Hey, look at that, the fireworks have started.” Indeed, they had because I felt myself falling for Chase Calloway as the sparkling, sputtering flames fell to Earth with no respite in sight. Just like the fireworks, I felt a little unstable and ready to blow up over this guy I just met.
Twelve
CHASE
I hadn’t seen Winnie since I dropped her off at her aunt’s house with nothing more than a chaste kiss. The terrible trio was inside, ready to attack, barking up the neighborhood when Winnie kissed me lightly on the mouth, slipping inside to shut the door, effectively shutting me out. It didn’t feel like a goodbye or a sendoff, but I was surprised I found myself missing her each day. Maybe my story about football, my dad, and becoming a veterinarian was more than she wanted to hear. Hell, the girl with the apple-bottom was as much a mystery to me. I wondered if Roswell was tormenting her and if Pumpkin was eating his new dog chow. Checking with Sharon, I knew she was due to bring Pumpkin in for another acupuncture treatment soon, but I wondered if my big mouth or my family had scared her off. I had her number in the file, I could call, her but something made me hesitate.
Speaking of which, my sister was here sitting on my work desk, rearranging papers and generally being a nuisance. “Chase, you still haven’t answered my question.” Kristen swung her flipped flopped feet back and forth over the edge of my desk.
“KC, I don’t recall you asking me anything, and stop moving things. I gotta find that stuff later and there’s a permit in there somewhere I have to give Hunter so he can pull the shed down this weekend.”
“Ugh! I’m helping to plan the animal shelter fundraiser, and I need to know what time you plan on coming?”
“Is this another poor charity you’ve sucked the family into again?” My patience was low and Kristen was still here.
“You say that like I’m always up to something.” Kristen paused, and I continued to ignore her, looking for the permit. “Well, what time are you gracing us with your presence?” I picked her up and moved her over to the chair, shuffling the papers.
“For the mee
ting or the fundraiser? Ah! Found it!” I held up the permit, excited to get the shed worked on.
“Both, but mainly the fundraiser.” Kristen plucked the paper from me, reading the county clerks notes before I plucked it back, tucking it into my pocket. “I don’t need you for the meeting,” she said, arms crossed and glowering. Stomping her foot was probably next.
“Eight o’clock and I have no idea how you talked me into this.”
“Oh come on, we’re auctioning the hottest dogs in town for the dogs at the shelter.”
Cringing was the only response I could give her. “No, you’re auctioning all the bachelors in town with jobs to the single women in the community.”
“I know, it’s brilliant!” If my sister thought calling the event Bitches and Bros was a good idea, I shuddered to think about her boss’s integrity. It wasn’t even a clever play on the name for female dogs, and frankly if I hadn’t been roped into this several weeks ago before I met Winnie, I wouldn’t have been doing it at all.
“You have your tux, right?”
“Already back from the dry cleaners. Now can you leave? I’m kind of busy.” The phone’s intercom buzzed. “Sharon?”
“Dr. Calloway, Winnie Gray is here to see you.”
“Thanks.” I clicked the button off, silencing my nosey receptionist.
“Oooh…it’s that girl.”
I hated my sister sometimes and couldn’t believe we were delivered from the same womb.
“Yes, and you need to leave, right now.” I stood up, and Kristen popped herself out of the chair, taking a stack of alphabetized files next to her to the floor.
“Oops.”
Waving my arms, I sent her off. “Ugh, get out, Kristen.”
“Oh hey, if this is a bad idea I can come back another time.” Winnie stood in the doorway wearing a short sundress that clung in several places. The orange-pink color of the dress made her eyes look bigger in her beautiful face and gave her skin a honey glow. I wanted to lick her bare shoulder to see if she would taste as sweet. Corny, I know.
“No.”
“Nope, but if you’re looking for something to do, come to the auction.” Kristen handed Winnie a flyer and raced out of the office faster than her trying to impress the boys’ track team with her laps around the track.
“Auction?” Winnie read the flyer, and I plucked it out of her hands, dropping it on my desk.
“It’s not important.”
Winnie rolled her eyes and turned the flyer over, pointing to the schedule of events. “Oh, but I think it is, Dr. Calloway. It says here you’re going to be auctioned off for a date.”
The whole idea made me grumpy because I didn’t want to do it, but it was for a good cause, and I couldn’t turn it down given the limited community resources. “My sister talked me into it.”
“Oh, I’m sure she did. I bet you have quite the following here.” Winnie’s compliment made me embarrassed to be up on stage for some reason.
“True, but I’d never make you pay.”
“Pfft. Who said I was planning on paying? Besides, I’m busy that day.”
“You are?” My chest deflated, wondering what she had going on that was better than me in a tux with a dozen barking dogs vying for my attention.
“Yeah, my parents are venturing north to visit, so I need to shuffle them around town.”
“Oh, so you’re busy then.”
“A little, but mostly I came by because I’m wondering if you know of anyone who needs a dog walker.”
“Branching out?”
She shrugged. “I guess you could say I’ve had some recent experience I can put on my resume.”
Kristen popped her head back in the office, giggling. “I know a great animal shelter that needs volunteers!”
“Get out!” I yelled.
“Gone!” Kristen slammed the door behind her, leaving me alone with Winnie. Before I could utter a single word a small knock on the door drew our attention away from each other again.
“Doctor…” Sharon peered around the corner with another chart. I took it from her and smiled before speaking. My family had a way of capsizing my boat on the calmest of days.
“Sharon, I’m going out. Call Dr. Peterson to come in.”
She didn’t ask any questions even though I felt the censure in her look. I never left the office, but I already knew my schedule for the rest of the day involved giving distemper shots to a pair of Siamese cats and squeezing Cosimo’s blocked anal glands. I was pretty sure Dr. Peterson could do me a solid favor as I shrugged my coat off and rolled up my sleeves.
“Can you do that?” whispered Winnie, who stopped me with her gentle hand touching my forearm. It nearly made me groan right there in the office.
“Let’s go for a walk.” I slipped my hand down between us and wrapped my fingers up in her palm, pulling her along with me. I could feel the calluses on her skin under my fingertips, and she squeezed her hand in mine, making me focus on walking instead of looking for a stoop I could back her into and kiss her in.
We walked down the block to a vegan café I liked to visit at least once a week. I opened the door, and with my hand on Winnie’s back, I ushered her inside.
“I haven’t been here before,” she murmured, looking up at the menu behind the register and brightly dreadlock haired college student.
“They have great grilled veggie kabobs and quinoa,” I whispered against her neck, dipping in close to her.
“I can’t believe you just made quinoa sound sexual.” Winnie’s smirk brightened up her face, and I realized how much I wanted her beneath me so I could demonstrate something sexual. It must have been Kristen’s interruption and pervy behavior, prompting my own downward spiral. I regretted leaving the office and wondered if making out on my desk would have been a better option instead.
“We could start with the gluten free blueberry muffin.” I slipped a lock of her hair behind the shell of her ear and watched her eyes flutter shut.
“Doctor Doolittle, you’re making my muffin wet.” The unexpected dirty talk was going to get me arrested when I saw Evan, my sister’s fuck buddy step inside the café behind us.
Clearing my throat, I said, “You’re not allergic to nuts, are you?”
“Is that a trick question?”
I didn’t think Winnie was so I decided to order and get us the hell out of there as quick as possible before I really did get myself arrested for something like indecent exposure.
“We’ll have two organic fair trade Gold Beach coffees with steamed almond milk.”
The kid behind the counter with the flashy name tag identifying him as Jacques gave cups to his co-worker, a blue-haired girl named Monet, and we shuffled to the end to wait. Evan ordered a sandwich and some bakery items to go before leaving.
Monet placed the coffees in front of us, and I took them both to a velvet loveseat in the back of the shop. I waited for Winnie to sit before boxing her in on the seat built for two.
“Cozy,” she murmured, taking the coffee I held out to her, sipping it cautiously.
“I like their coffee here.”
“Yeah, this is definitely better than the other place I first tried. Although I had the dogs and they spilled half of it all over me. That was the day I met you.” She nudged me with her shoulder playfully.
Jacques put a plate down in front of us. “Try it, on the house.”
“Flourless chocolate cake.” The layers of cake looked dusted with milk and dark chocolate, and we both looked at each other and the single fork Jacques left us with.
“Trying to seduce me?” Winnie quipped.
“Is it working?” I held out the single fork to her as an offering, letting her have the first bite. She took the cake between her lips, licking around her mouth slowly.
“It’s a start.” She dipped the fork back into the cake before feeding me a piece of it. Flavor deep and rich mixed with my sip of the coffee infused plenty of inappropr
iate thoughts in my mind. “You’ve got a…” She took her finger and rubbed a piece of cake from my mouth. I let my tongue sneak out to touch her finger.
“Hmm, come closer.” I pulled her to me, taking her coffee to place it on the table.
“Chase.” It was a husky whisper. Half whimper and groan from Winnie when she said my name. My hand traveled back to her neck, tracing the line of her spine into the messy bun of hair on her head.
“I’m kissing you.” My eyes darted between her clear almond ones and her parted lips with sweet chocolate breath.
“Asking or telling?” I shouldn’t have paused. I should have gone for it, but lesson learned.
“How’s the cake?” Jacques the little shit was standing there grinning. I leaned my forehead into Winnie’s, feeling my frustration on edge.
“Delicious, but I need another taste to fully decide.” Winnie grabbed my face, devouring my lips and my open eyes watched Jacques’ demeanor go from smartass to shock and maybe a little embarrassment by Winnie’s bold move. I let my eyes close, savoring her softness melt into me. Kissing Winnie was tasting a mocha latte for the first time, infused with caffeine and chocolate, a sugary rush that pushed you dangerously over the edge. The hunger for more didn’t stop with the tease of coffee or her sweet lips under mine.
“I’ll, uh, get you more cake.” Jacques scurried away, and I pulled Winnie onto my lap, letting everything outside of us melt into the background. I heard the jingle of the store bell and watched Evan from my periphery leave, stepping inside his patrol car. Thankfully, he wouldn’t be asking me about my sister today.
Thirteen
WINNIE
“Come on, Winsome Gray, I’m taking you home.” Chase cupped his hands around my flushed face and dumped me off his lap onto the mini sofa that looked older than me with its well-worn velvet fabric and shiny threadbare spots along the armrests. Chipped vintage gold gilding on the edges left smooth and obviously well-loved wood underneath.
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