by Kate Kinsley
Chloe had been very sweet when they'd met, assuring him Roscoe was in good hands and Garth could check up on him whenever he wanted. The website for Pepper's Playhouse had live streaming videos of the play areas and kennels, and Garth had been given the access code for them. Unfortunately, since he was on the other side of the world with a huge time zone difference, he could only catch Roscoe playing when it was late at night or very early in the morning in Afghanistan.
Chloe had also been sending him photos and videos of Roscoe playing with Pepper in her home. While their emails had been mostly about the dogs and their antics in the beginning, he felt he and Chloe had developed a friendship of sorts over time. At first, he'd been thrilled to see an email from her because it meant he'd be getting updates on Roscoe, but then he found himself asking questions about her and telling her more about himself. The emails seemed to get longer and longer over the months, and he’d begun looking forward to them for more than just seeing Roscoe having fun. He'd discovered he loved when Chloe was with the dogs in the photos and videos she sent him, and more than once he’d fantasized about her being his girlfriend.
Chloe Baxter was a pretty woman in a girl-next-door kind of way. One where you didn't realize what was right in front of your face until you got to know her better. If Garth were honest, he was looking forward to seeing her again almost as much as he was Roscoe. Especially since he’d ended up in the hospital.
The Army chaplain had stopped in a few days after Garth's hip surgery to let him know that Chloe had promised someone from the base that Roscoe could stay with her past his owner’s demobilization date. The chaplain had also given him a donated tablet and charger so Garth could check his emails and sign into the Pepper's Playhouse website for the live videos. Over the last few weeks, he'd actually been able to Skype with Chloe—late at night for him and around dinner time for her. It’d been a way of connecting him with Roscoe, but Garth had also started to look forward to simply talking with Chloe. When he got home, he wanted to ask her out to dinner as both a thank you for taking care of Roscoe and to see if their budding friendship could turn into something more. He really liked her, and hoped she felt the same, but was afraid to ask until they met again in person. Until then, Roscoe and Chloe would be the reasons he did everything he could to get well and get home again.
Chapter Three
“Today’s the big day, Roscoe,” Chloe announced to the dog lying at her feet under her kitchen table. The pit bull’s tail slapped against the tile floor as he lifted his head and tilted it to the side.
After rechecking the text message she’d received from Garth around five a.m., Chloe peered down and smiled at the dog. “Yup. Your daddy’s going to be here in a few hours.” Roscoe’s ears perked up, and his eyes brightened, as if he were hoping she meant what he thought she meant. “Yes, he is. He got on the plane without a problem a few hours ago and should be at the Playhouse by one this afternoon. That’s about six and a half hours from now, but I have no idea what that is in canine time.”
If Chloe were honest with herself, she was just as excited as Roscoe to see Garth. Their Skype sessions had gotten longer and longer over the past few weeks, and she’d found herself counting down the minutes until their next one. She’d learned so much more about Staff Sergeant Andrews, on a personal level, and she’d developed . . . well, a crush on him.
Jeez, here she was, thirty-four years old, and she was crushing on a guy who she’d only met in person twice. The first time was the day he’d stopped by to check out Pepper’s Playhouse and introduce himself and Roscoe. Then a few days later, they’d seen each other again when he’d dropped his faithful companion off with a few tears in his eyes. From the moment Garth had walked into her business, Chloe had been attracted to him, with his soft mocha eyes, short, dirty-blond hair, honed physique, and sexy grin that brought out his dimples. But it had been neither the time nor the place to be ogling or flirting with the man. She’d needed to be professional, and he’d needed to know he could trust the person who’d be looking after Roscoe, so he could focus on his job while deployed and not worry about the health and safety of his dog.
Over the last few weeks though, Garth and Chloe’s conversations had often veered away from the everyday types of questions such as how Roscoe was doing, how business was, what the weather was like, and how Garth’s recovery was going. They’d talked about their families and friends, likes and dislikes, things on their bucket lists, and so on. Chloe was even more attracted to the man by the time each Skype session ended and wondered if the feelings were mutual. She knew Garth would be retiring soon after returning to the States—he’d been planning that since before he’d been injured—and wanted to open a coffee café in the area.
Yesterday, Chloe had discovered the independent bookstore at the other end of the small strip mall Pepper’s Playhouse was located in was going out of business soon. The elderly owner, Mr. Palmer, had recently had a mild heart attack and decided it was time to retire and move to Florida to live near his daughter. While Chloe was going to miss the sweet, old man, she’d gotten the idea last night that the shop might be the perfect size, setup, and location for Garth’s café. There was plenty of traffic in the area and not another coffee shop for at least five blocks in any direction, unless you counted the stale brew you could get in most convenience stores. Garth had said he’d wanted a place with a few living-room-style seating areas, and Mr. Palmer had a couple of those already in the shop. After removing most of the bookcases that made up the store’s aisles, there would be plenty of room for more seating, plus whatever else Garth needed for his setup. The more she’d thought about it this morning, the more excited she’d gotten for him and couldn’t wait to share the idea with him. If it worked out, and with her place so close to his, he could drop off Roscoe each day to play with his friends while he worked a few doors down. She’d be thrilled to see her foster pup as much as possible—and his owner.
Damn, I’ve got it bad.
Trying to push Garth from her mind for a few minutes, she returned to her bedroom to get dressed for the day. Unfortunately, the man she’d been obsessing over popped into her head again as she tried to decide what to wear. Usually, she threw on an older pair of jeans, her well-worn sneakers, and one of the many T-shirts in assorted colors she had with the Pepper’s Playhouse logo on them. By the end of the workday, her clothes were usually covered in dog hair, so she rarely wore anything nicer than that. But, today, she selected a blue, V-neck shirt, her best jeans, and a pair of black flats that were stylish but still comfortable to work in. She spent about fifteen minutes blowing out her hair, instead of letting it dry naturally up in a ponytail, and then another ten minutes on applying more makeup than she usually wore to work. Once done, she eyed the finished product in the mirror and decided that was as good as she was going to get before putting on a dab of her favorite perfume. While some people may not notice her looking different today, her employees certainly would, but she didn’t care. As long as the one person she wanted to notice her did, then it would be worth the extra time she’d spent getting ready.
Heading back into the kitchen, she gathered up her purse, keys, and cell phone, placing them all on the counter. She then grabbed Pepper’s and Roscoe’s leashes from a hook by the backdoor and didn’t even have to call them over to her. They were already sitting behind her, waiting for her to attach the leashes to their collars. “Such a good girl and boy. Yes, you are.”
After making certain she had everything, she led the dogs outside and then locked the door behind them. It was a ten-minute drive to her business, and as she pulled into the parking lot, she eyed the little bookstore. “Yup. I think your daddy is going love the location, Roscoe. Don’t you?”
As if the dog had understood her, he let out a sharp bark. If she didn’t know any better, Chloe would think the dog knew his owner was coming home today. He seemed happier today than he had the entire time he’d stayed with her. Dogs were smart, though, so she wouldn’t put it pas
t him that he knew a big reunion would happen in a few hours.
An idea popped into Chloe’s head. Once the morning rush was over, and her employees could handle things without her for a little bit, she was going to run out and pick a few things up to give Staff Sergeant Andrews a proper homecoming. In the meantime, she was going to call a friend of hers who owned a sign business and owed her a favor.
With a smile on her face, she parked her SUV. “Okay, boys and girls, here we are, and we’ve got lots of work to do.”
Chapter Four
Sitting in the passenger seat of his buddy’s car, Garth gave him directions to Pepper’s Playhouse. He was a little anxious about seeing Roscoe, hoping his dog hadn’t forgotten him over the past eight-and-a-half months. It would break Garth’s heart if Roscoe didn’t recognize him right away. At least they had all the time in the world to get reacquainted because, aside from the occasional vacation, Garth had no intention of ever being away from his canine companion for longer than a day ever again. Many members of the military had a spouse and kids to come home to—Garth had Roscoe. Wanting to see that dog again was what had gotten him through some of the worst days of his last deployment. Some people might think that was kind of sad, that he only had a dog to go home to, but, to Garth, Roscoe was his entire world. He was like the human kid Garth didn’t have and meant everything to him.
“Make the next left, and it’s the first strip mall on your right,” he said to Sergeant Mike Powell, who’d picked him up after his plane had landed at the base less than an hour ago. The day of his deployment, Garth had caught a ride with a buddy, so Mrs. Schofield could use his truck if she needed it or, at least, turn over the engine for him every week or two. After checking in with his commander and filling out some paperwork, Garth was finally able to climb into Mike’s car and let him drive them off base.
The Army combat medic and Garth had been in the same platoon, and it was Mike who’d attended to the badly injured staff sergeant in the aftermath of the explosion, not that Garth had remembered any of that. The two of them had been good friends for a few years now, and Mike was the one who’d encouraged Garth to open the café when he retired. He’d even helped name the place, coming up with a list of options for Garth to choose from.
“So, who’re you going to hug first? The mutt or the lady?” Mike asked.
“Fuck you.” His response hadn’t been said with any heat or annoyance, but only because he’d expected it from the guy and had been surprised he’d waited so long to ask the question in the first place.
“Come on—you talked about Chloe as much as you did Roscoe for the last few months. You going to ask her out? Brenda’s dying to meet her. Said to tell you we can double date some night if you want.”
He snorted. “Your wife is just tired of me showing up with my dog as my date for all the barbecues and parties you two throw.”
“Well, there is that, yes. But you know Roscoe is always welcome at our place. The kids love him—we all do.”
Garth knew Aaron and Sara missed seeing his dog. They’d wanted to watch Roscoe for him, but Brenda worked long hours as a nurse at the local hospital, and the kids had after-school activities on top of homework and classes. It would’ve been too much for Garth to ask Brenda to take on Roscoe while her husband was deployed with him.
“And he loves—” The rest of his words caught in his throat as Mike pulled into the parking lot of Pepper’s Playhouse and came to a stop at what they saw. Across the front of Chloe’s shop, just below her sign, was a huge banner with red, white, and blue balloons attached.
Welcome Home, Troops! We Missed You!
Especially Staff Sgt. Andrews!
Mike chuckled as he eased up on the brake and let the car roll further into the parking lot. “Um . . . it looks like she’s a keeper, man.”
A smile spread across Garth’s face as his eyes welled up. He definitely hadn’t expected this today, and it was a wonderful thing to see. The people and businesses of Fayetteville were supportive of the Army personnel from Fort Bragg, and it was appreciated when they did stuff like this.
After Mike parked the car in front of Chloe’s business, Garth opened the passenger door and gingerly got out. He’d been thrilled when his physical therapist had approved him ditching the walker for a cane upon his discharge yesterday. At least he wasn’t as self-conscious about the cane, which he now used to steady himself on his feet before following Mike to the door of the shop.
When his friend opened the door for him, Garth hobbled inside and was met by a round of applause from Chloe and her employees. His cheeks flushed, but he didn’t let on that their greeting was a little embarrassing, since it was clear they’d put a lot of effort into it. Like outside, the customer waiting area had been decorated in patriotic colors, with streamers and more balloons.
Chloe looked better than ever, and the huge smile she gave him had his heart thumping harder in his chest. He’d thought of her as pretty, but, today, she was gorgeous. Her chestnut colored hair had been blown out into soft waves and subtle makeup lit up her face.
“You’re finally here!” she exclaimed. “How are you? How was your flight?”
When she stepped over to him, with her arms outstretched, he lifted his left arm to pull her into a warm embrace. God, she even smelled incredible. He tried to ignore how good she felt pressed against him. A few inches shorter than his own five feet eleven inches, she was a perfect fit in his arms.
With a final squeeze, he reluctantly let her go, and she took a step back, beaming at him. He shrugged. “I’m doing okay, but the flight wasn’t that great. Flying home in a cargo plane isn’t exactly comfortable.”
As Mike introduced himself to Chloe, Garth glanced around, looking for Roscoe, but his dog wasn’t there—in fact, there were no dogs in sight, but he could hear barking from the back rooms. When his gaze fell on Chloe’s employees standing in front of the reception counter, he waved to them. “Hi, everyone. Thanks for the welcome home.”
Chloe gestured to a chair by the front window that looked out over the parking lot. “Garth, why don’t you have a seat while I go get Roscoe. He’s going to be bouncing off the walls when he sees you, and I don’t want him knocking you down.”
As much as he hated to admit it, she was right. The last thing he needed was for the big pit bull to send him crashing to the floor in his excitement. Taking the seat, he waited impatiently as Chloe crossed the lobby and disappeared behind the door next to the reception counter, while her employees went back to their jobs.
Mike stood next to the chair, stared down at Garth, and lowered. “She’s hot, loves your dog, and only has eyes for you. Either she’s a stalker or, like I said earlier, she’s a keeper.”
“Shut up.”
Since Garth had a broad smile on his face from his friend’s words, he couldn’t deny he’d been thinking almost the same thing. Instead, he stared at the door, waiting for it to open again. When it did, he sat up straighter as Chloe came out with Roscoe on a leash. The dog was a welcome sight. There was a pep in his step as he darted around, smelling everything that caught his attention. He looked healthy and happy, for which Garth was grateful.
Scooting further to the edge of the seat, Garth was anxious to get his canine friend back. “Hey, there, buddy.”
Roscoe froze and turned his head toward the sound of his owner’s voice. He hesitated, one, two seconds, then whined and lunged in Garth’s direction, his tail wagging so fast, it was a wonder it didn’t lift the dog into the air like a helicopter rotor. When Chloe held onto the leash to keep Roscoe from jumping onto Garth, he said, “Let him go. He won’t hurt me.”
She dropped the leash, and, in an instant, Roscoe was at Garth’s feet, dancing, sniffing, licking, wriggling, and barking, as he ran his hands over the furry, muscular body. “Hey, boy. How’re you doing? Yeah, it’s me. It’s me. Yeah, buddy, I missed you so much.”
It took a good five or ten minutes of Garth petting him and talking to him for Roscoe to ca
lm down. It was clear he hadn’t needed to worry about the dog not recognizing him. Finally, Garth looked up at Chloe, who’d stayed to watch the reunion. “Thanks so much for everything. He looks great.”
As Mike squatted to get a hello from Roscoe who’d finally realized someone else he knew was there, Chloe grinned. “He should smell great too. We gave him a bath this morning for you.”
“Bet he loved that.” Roscoe loved water and never turned down a chance to get wet—even if it involved shampoo.
“That he did.” She pointed to the door next to the counter. “Let me go get his things. I washed his blanket, bed, and stuffed toys this morning too.”
As she turned her back on them, Garth tried to keep his gaze off her shapely ass but was unsuccessful. Once she was behind the closed door again, Mike murmured, “If you don’t ask her out, you’re an idiot.”
He wasn’t about to tell his friend he planned to do that, just not in Mike’s presence. “Let it go.”
When Chloe returned, she was carrying a large bag and a dog bed that wasn’t the one Garth had dropped off with her. She noticed his confusion. “I got him a new bed last week. The old one was pretty beat up after eight months.”