by Dylann Crush
Finally, she caught sight of him. He’d fallen on top of a pile of baby mattresses that had been donated to the shelter to use as beds for the larger dogs. The breath she’d been holding slowly dissipated. Maybe he wasn’t dead. Please don’t let him be dead.
“Are you all right?” She leaned over him, searching for broken bones.
“Wow, did that look as uncool as I think it did?” He struggled to prop himself up on an elbow.
“Are you hurt?” Her hand closed around his and she helped him come to a seated position.
He patted his hand over his torso, his legs, and his head. “I think I’m okay. How far did I fall?”
They both looked up at where a man-sized hole let the afternoon light in through the roof.
“I think it’s about eighteen feet,” Zina said. “Are you sure you’re not hurt? Do you need to go to the hospital? See a doctor? Are you going to sue me?”
“Sue you?” He scowled. “I’m the dumbass who offered to take a look at your roof. You should probably sue me for making the damage worse.”
She sighed, the tension flooding from her system, leaving her shaky and a little unsteady on her feet.
“But don’t sue me, please?” Alex gave her hand a squeeze. “I’m pretty sure I’m not insured for that kind of thing. And I promise I’ll help you fix it.”
She shook her head. “I think I’ll wait for the professionals to handle this. You’ve kind of done enough.”
“I can at least get a tarp up there to tide you over until your repair guy comes through.”
“Did you hit your head?”
“No, I don’t think so.” For a moment his forehead creased and he patted his hands over his head. Finding no reason for concern, he shook his head slightly.
“Well, you must have if you think I’m going to let you go back up there. I’ll get someone out here tomorrow if I have to drag him here myself.”
Alex shifted on the stack of mattresses and put his feet on the floor. “If you change your mind . . .”
“I won’t. But I do appreciate the offer.” Zina leaned over to brush some slivers of wood from his shirt. “You’ve got stuff on your back.”
“I’m just glad those mattresses broke my fall. Thank God they were there.”
Thank God, thank her lucky stars, thank everything in the universe for making sure Alex had a soft space to land. She couldn’t afford the claim on her insurance, not to mention what Lacey would do to her if the biggest wedding in the history of Ido fell through because she’d taken out the penguin guy.
Alex got to his feet and wiped the remaining bits of insulation from his jeans. He took a few steps toward the door leading to the front office, when a loud cracking noise exploded from the ceiling.
Zina looked up in time to see a whole section of the ceiling collapse. She yelled, her feet frozen in place. Then something crashed into her, sending her sailing across the room.
Alex covered her with his body, his broad chest pinning her to the ground. A cloud of dust rose around them and she coughed, more from his crushing weight than from the aftermath of the ceiling falling.
“Are you hurt?” He pushed up onto a hand.
Her lungs filled with air, making her chest rise and fall. His gaze settled on her face. She could tell by the heat flooding her system that her cheeks were red, and she flip-flopped back and forth from wanting to push him off her completely and pulling him into her to take advantage of that pouty bottom lip she’d been admiring.
“Zina?” He pushed up on the other hand, hovering over her. “You’re not hurt, are you?”
“I’m fine.” Flustered at exactly how flustered he made her feel, she willed herself to pull it together. Her roof had just collapsed, and all she could think about was how his tongue might feel sliding against hers.
“I’m sorry. Here, let me help you up.” He staggered to his feet and held out a hand.
She hesitated, not wanting to expose herself to more contact. His touch, his heated gaze, his voice . . . the combination made her want to throw caution to the wind and dive headfirst into the attraction.
Shaking her head, she scrambled to her feet, sending all inappropriate thoughts about Alex scattering like the pieces of her roof that now blew around the concrete floor. “What am I going to do now?”
A shrill ring came from Alex’s pocket, and he pulled out his phone. “It’s Lacey.”
“Don’t answer it.” That’s all she needed was Lacey to remind her she should have had the roof repaired last time it leaked.
“What do you mean don’t answer it? I have to.” His brow crinkled as he held the phone to his ear. “Hello?”
Zina dusted off her pants. It was no use. At least the pups were okay. The section of roof had collapsed over the supply area. But she’d need to find a place to move them where they’d be safe until she could get the roof repaired. The only place she could think of that had space had just been leased out to the man pacing across the concrete floor on the other side of the room.
By the time he hung up, Zina had a plan. A good plan.
“Sounds like Lacey wants to meet with us at her office in the morning. Are you available around ten?” Alex asked.
“Did she say what it’s about?”
“The wedding, I guess. Now what are you going to do about these dogs?”
“About that.” Zina braced herself for a bit of a battle. “I have an idea.”
“Okay, let’s hear it.” Alex gave her a smile.
She wondered how long that would last when he heard the details of her proposal. “So it looks like I’m in need of a space to hold the dogs until my roof gets fixed.”
“I think we’ve already agreed on that.” He leaned against a tall shelving unit that held extra bags of dog food that had been donated.
“And you happen to have some empty space that you won’t be using for a few months.” Zina summoned her biggest, brightest smile. “Win-win, right?”
“Whoa, wait a minute. I need to get a penguin habitat built if we’re going to have a shot at pulling off this wedding.”
“We?” Zina scrunched her nose. “There’s no ‘we’ here. That deal is between you and Lacey. What ‘we’ need to figure out is where we’re going to move the dogs since you single-handedly ruined their shelter.”
“Wow, single-handedly? From the looks of it, your roof was in pretty bad shape before I stepped foot on it.”
Zina rolled her eyes. “Fine, you’re right. But you’ve got space and I have a need. A huge need. Can’t we work something out?”
“How long do you think it will take to fix the roof?”
“Not long. Insurance should cover it. Shouldn’t take more than a few weeks at most. The dogs and I would be long gone before your penguins move in.”
Alex glanced to his feet. “I do feel partly responsible for ruining your shelter.”
Zina held back a grin. He was going to go for it; she could tell by the way his mouth screwed up in that cute angsty scowl.
“But we have to run it by Lacey first. I haven’t even signed any paperwork. Technically the space is still hers.”
He was right, of course he was right. But Zina feared Lacey wouldn’t be as easy to convince. With a sense of trepidation, she dialed Lacey’s number.
Less than five minutes later Zina disconnected the call—the shortest, most accommodating call she’d ever had with her childhood best friend. She was up to something. She’d been way too easygoing, way too quick to agree.
“I guess it’s settled then.” Alex glanced at his watch. “I’ve got a few hours before I need to get back to my sister’s. You want some help moving those dogs?”
“That would be great.” Something was off but she didn’t have time to ponder it. Not now when they were losing daylight and she had two dozen dogs to move before dark. Who was she to look a
gift horse in the mouth? Even when that mouth usually couldn’t stop yapping at her? Maybe Lacey was in such a good mood about the big wedding that she didn’t care what Alex did with the warehouse.
For the first time in a long time she’d found herself in a bind she hadn’t been able to work her way out of on her own. She hated having to ask people for help. Although she never minded providing it and was the first to step up when someone else was in need, it never sat right with her when she was forced to accept help from others. Lacey joked that being too self-sufficient was her greatest weakness. Zina preferred to think of it as a strength. That was just the tip of the iceberg when it came to the differences between them.
She let her gaze drift over Alex as he hefted a couple of bags of dog food onto his shoulders to carry out to the truck. Maybe she’d finally found someone to help champion her cause. Either way, she’d taken care of the problem at hand. Tomorrow would bring a whole set of new ones, so she ought to be grateful for Alex’s help while it lasted.
An hour later she’d retrieved her truck from Lacey and pulled up next to where Alex stood, leaning against the side door to the warehouse.
He met her as she walked around to the tailgate. “Where do we need to put everyone?”
“I figure I can put the pups in the back third of the warehouse while you and your penguins take over the front. Does that sound okay?”
He shrugged. “As long as they don’t get in the way of building out the penguin habitat.”
“I’m going to schedule a huge adoption event to try to find some of them homes.” Zina lowered the back of her truck. “If I can get the numbers down, maybe I can move them to my place temporarily if the roof isn’t fixed in time.”
“Don’t you need zoning permits or something?”
“Thankfully she’s got some connections at the sheriff’s department and city hall.” Bodie stepped close, joining the conversation. “Hey, long time no see.”
Alex took Bodie’s hands and Zina stepped back, not wanting to get in the way of the testosterone surging between the two men.
“Yeah, it’s been a few years.”
Bodie let go first. “So you’re the reason my wife ended up in the hospital?”
Alex bristled and Zina wanted to laugh. She was familiar with Bodie’s sense of humor but obviously Alex didn’t have a clue the other man was joking.
“Um, how do you figure?”
Bodie shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “You came into town and told her you were delivering some fancy wedding planner on a plate. Chyna somebody? I’m surprised she didn’t have a heart attack on the spot.”
“Oh.” His shoulders visibly relaxed as he realized Bodie wasn’t about to knock him out of his boots. “Yeah, what a coup, huh?”
Bodie scratched his chin. “Hope it all goes well. I wouldn’t want Lacey to get all worked up and put the baby at risk.”
Zina stepped in. “Bodie, stop issuing idle threats. You’re going to scare him off before we even get the penguins’ swimming pool built.”
“I ever tell you that you suck the fun out of everything?” Bodie grinned. “How about you help me get these dogs inside?” He gestured to Alex, who followed him over to his truck.
Zina huffed out a sigh. The last thing she needed was two men fighting over alpha dog status as she tried to hold things together. She had more to worry about than whether Alex got his feelings hurt. Like how she was going to provide an outdoor space for the dogs to get exercise since there wasn’t any kind of fencing around the warehouse. It would take forever to let them out a few at a time. She’d have to see if she could rustle together some extra volunteers or put up some sort of temporary enclosure.
With a list of to-dos forming in her head, she gathered the next crate and carried it into the warehouse. Alex and Bodie had sectioned off the back third of the space and set the kennels up in long lines. She didn’t have crates for all of the dogs, so she’d have to rig some makeshift pens for the better-behaved pups. Her temples began to throb at the sheer undertaking it would be. All of this work for something temporary.
But who else would fight for the pups? If it hadn’t been for rescue dogs like the ones from For Pitties’ Sake, her own brother would never have recovered as well as he did. With a renewed sense of purpose, she headed back outside to pick up another crate.
six
The next morning Zina arrived at the warehouse just after dawn. She needed to check on the dogs and make sure they’d all survived the night. By the time she’d taken them out a few at a time and filled everyone’s bowl with breakfast, she didn’t have time to run home and change before her meeting with Lacey. It wouldn’t be the first time she showed up at the mayor’s office looking like a hot mess.
As she slid the key under the flowerpot, tires crunched on the gravel. What was Alex doing there? He got out of the truck looking like he’d just hopped out of a magazine spread. His hair curled up at the edges, still damp from his shower. Faded jeans molded themselves to his thighs and he’d pushed the sleeves of his shirt up, giving her a chance to appreciate his strong forearms.
She patted at her hair and tried to adjust the topknot that had shifted to more of a side knot and sat lopsided on her head.
“Good morning.” Alex headed her way, two cups of coffee in his hands. “I figured I’d find you here.”
“I had to check on the dogs.” Zina longingly glanced over her shoulder, wondering if she had enough time to duck back into the warehouse and try to freshen up. Or at least shove a stick of gum in her mouth. She’d barely even had time to brush her teeth.
“Coffee?” He held a cup out.
“Yes, please.” Grateful, she took it, letting the scent of the strong brew bolster her spirits. “I hoped I’d have time to run home and get cleaned up before our meeting with Lacey, but . . .”
“I think you look great.” One side of his mouth quirked up in the most adorable way.
“I think you knocked your head harder than you thought yesterday.” She might joke, but inside she glowed at the compliment. Zina shook off the shivers running up and down her spine. The only thing she wanted from Alex was for him to come through on the wedding plans. That was all. She just needed to keep reminding herself of that. It was too easy to get caught up in his smile.
“As long as we’re both here, do you want to ride over to the mayor’s office together?” Alex gestured to his truck. “The cab’s still warm.”
“I’ve got to pick up some dog food from the feed store on my way back.”
“I don’t mind. I’m meeting with a contractor out here this afternoon, so I’ve got time.”
“Who did you decide to go with?”
“Toby Townsend. Lacey recommended him. You know him?” Alex asked.
“I know everyone around here. One of the joys of living in a small town.” She pulled her jacket tighter around her shoulders and walked around to the passenger side door.
He did a good job of making small talk and by the time they turned in to the parking lot at city hall, they’d discussed the weather, the unfair misconceptions about pit bulls, and whether Alex should look to South America or Latin America for his next job when he left Ido.
As they reached the door to the mayor’s office, Lacey’s assistant stepped out, her eyes rimmed red.
“Chelsea, what’s going on?” Zina immediately went to comfort her while Alex looked on.
“I’m just running to get some tissues. We’re all out.” She swiped at her eyes with the back of her hand.
“What happened? Why are you so upset?” Zina asked. Chelsea wasn’t the kind to wear her heart on her sleeve. Something or someone had to have upset her.
“It’s that wedding planner Lacey’s talking to on the phone. I accidentally dropped the call and she wasn’t happy about it.”
Zina put an arm around the younger woman’s shou
lder. “I’m sure Lacey knows you didn’t mean to. Things like that happen all the time.” She glanced at Alex, hoping for confirmation.
“Yeah, all the time.” He nodded.
“I’ll be okay. But y’all might want to get in there with Mayor Cherish. She’s got that woman on speaker and it sounds like she wants to climb right through the phone and wring her neck.”
Alex passed through the doorway into the reception area. Zina gave Chelsea one more pat on the shoulder before she followed him. A loud voice came from behind the closed door of Lacey’s office.
“Should we go in?” Alex asked as he stepped toward the door.
Zina pressed her ear against the thick slab of wood and held up a finger. Lacey said something about working together. Her voice was calm, even toned. That’s right, rein her in. Don’t let her get the best of you. She smiled, nodding as she pulled her head away from the door. “Sounds like Lacey’s got it under control.”
Alex reached for the handle. “But we should still go in, right? I think we’re supposed to be on this call.”
Zina stepped back. “Go for it.”
He turned the knob and pushed the door inward.
As he did, a screech came from the speakerphone. “You’ve got to make this happen. If you won’t work with us, we’ll find someone else.”
Zina tried to peer around Alex as he filled the doorway. Lacey sat behind the desk, her hands clasped together, the whites of her knuckles showing. “I can assure you, we’re doing everything we can to accommodate you. In fact, our penguin handler just came in to join us on the call.” Lacey gestured to the chair opposite her desk.
Alex sat down, relaxing against the back of the seat.
“Alex Sanders, meet Chyna Daniels, Ms. Munyon’s wedding planner.” As she made the introduction, she rolled her eyes. Zina recognized that look. It meant Lacey was holding on by a thread. A thread that might unravel soon.
“Hi, it’s nice to have a chance to talk to you.” Alex glanced to Zina and nudged his chin toward the chair next to him.
“So you’re the man in charge of the penguins?” The screechy tone shifted and came through the phone like honey sliding over a piece of warm corn bread just out of the oven.