by K. C. Crowne
A rescue owned by a dog trainer. Talk about two birds with one stone. I quickly google her name, looking for any reviews.
“Danielle is a life-saver. My little boy has seizures, and she not only found us the perfect rescue, but she also trained him to alert us whenever he’s about to have a seizure. It’s allowed our son to have the freedom to be a kid again.”
“We’d heard about Danielle’s stellar reviews, so we drove all the way from Colorado to utilize her services. She really is the best in the industry as all the other reviews say!”
One of the best in the industry, right in our own backyard. I took note of the address and decided it would be worth stopping by, just to see what she had to say.
A sound pulled me away from my research, and I looked up to find Calvin fast asleep on the couch, snoring loudly. I draped a blanket over him and made sure to close the window in the living room before I left.
There was still light in the sky, so I decided to make the most of the day and drove to the address I’d found on the internet for the rescue. As soon as I turned down the road leading to the place, however, my stomach dropped. I knew the spot well because just a couple months prior, the entire area had been flooded due to some of the worst rain we’d ever seen coupled with a broken dam.
Homes were left in ruins along the road. Trees were washed away. Debris still littered some of the properties along the road. It was the same area that Calvin had once lived before the flood took his trailer and destroyed almost everything he’d owned. He had been forced to live on the streets until I talked to him one day outside the diner and realized I couldn’t just give him a dollar and walk away. His social security and military disability didn’t cover much, so I helped him into his new home - made sure it was furnished and everything. But I didn’t know where everyone else had landed. Hopefully they had homes too.
I also feared the worst for the rescue. The site had mentioned that it was closed, but it was hard to believe it was salvaged.
My GPS chimed, “Destination is on the right in half a mile.”
“I guess I’ll find out if it’s still operating,” I told myself.
There was a sign alongside the road, damaged and barely hanging on. I pulled into the driveway and drove up a steep hill, and I thought maybe the hill had saved the property - but all hope was squashed as soon as I saw the place.
The building was in piss poor shape, with only part of it still standing and extensive water damage to most of it. I had a feeling she was no longer operating and closed for business. In the distance, on the same property, I saw a house. I assumed the owner of the rescue lived there. It was even further up the hill and seemed to be in one piece, looking solid and standing, which was good.
I hesitated inside my truck, wondering if I should even bother. I heard a voice coming from near the building, however, and decided if Danielle was there, I could at least introduce myself. Perhaps she was still working.
I got out of the truck and walked toward the wreckage.
“Who’s there?” a voice called out a second before its owner came out from behind the damaged building.
I stopped in place, feeling like my heart had stopped along with my feet.
“Who are you?” she asked, her deep, sapphire blue eyes giving me a once over.
She was petite - only 5’4” or so, but she had curves that would give these mountain roads a run for their money. Even in her jeans and flannel jacket, I could tell she had a body many women would have killed for. A perfect hourglass, if I’d ever seen one. Her dark blonde hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail, tendrils of hair falling around her soft, feminine face.
Her hands on her hips, she lifted an eyebrow at me.
“Uhh, sorry, are you Danielle?”
“Maybe. I asked who you were, and you’ve still not answered me,” she retorted.
“Oh, right,” I said, at a loss for words - a first for me. I reached out my hand. “Sorry, I’m Mason Harvey. I saw that you trained emotional support dogs online - one of the best in the business, according to your reviews.”
And I wouldn’t mind taking you out for dinner sometime, I thought to myself. It had been a while since anyone had captured my attention the way Danielle had. I didn’t typically date, but I was having second thoughts on that philosophy, thanks to one look at her.
“I do,” she said, her face softening a bit. “I’m sorry if I was a bit harsh. It’s just, well, not many people stop by without calling first, especially considering the mess and all. One second, please?” She turned and called, “Skyler, don’t wander off too far, ya hear?”
I don’t know how I missed it, but behind her, not far at all, was a little girl with blonde pigtails. I must have been so distracted by the beauty of Danielle that I hadn’t noticed the child. She looked up when she heard her name, and her blue eyes rivaled those of her mother’s in intensity. In her arms was a little black kitten.
“I found him, Mama,” the little girl said as she bounced toward Danielle. She held up the kitten as if to show him off.
“I told you she couldn’t have gone far,” Danielle said, kneeling to pat the fluffy kitten on the head. “Did you decide on a name for her yet?”
Skyler shook her head, pigtails bouncing around her head.
“I’m sure we’ll come up with something good soon,” Danielle said softly. She looked at her daughter with such love in her eyes. “You always come up with the best names.”
Skyler turned and looked at me, her eyes widening as she stayed closer to her mother’s side.
“This is Mason,” Danielle said, rising and glancing at me. “Mason, this is my daughter, Skyler, and her as-of-now unnamed kitten.”
She was a mom. Likely a wife too. How damned stupid was I to assume a catch like her wasn’t already taken? Figures, the first woman I’d seriously considered taking out on a date in years would be unavailable.
“What a cute kitten,” I said, finally finding my words again. “You know, I had a black cat growing up. Her name was Cinder.”
“Like Cinderella?” The girl’s eyes lit up as if that was the most brilliant idea on the planet.
I chuckled. “Something like that, I guess.”
“I love it. Mommy, can we name her Cinder?”
“Of course, sweetie,” Danielle laughed. “Whatever you want.” She looked at me and mouthed the words thank you, her perfect, naturally pink lips becoming the focus of my attention and making my knees go weak.
I wished I had something clever to say, but I had to settle for a simple, “You’re welcome.”
“I’m not usually the type to ask strange men back to my place, but we sadly don’t have an office anymore, so…”
“I promise I don’t bite.”
“Probably a good thing since we have some very large dogs that wouldn’t take too well to you laying your hands on us.” She smiled to take the edge off that threat, but it was still there. A warning. Just in case I had any funny ideas. “Come on, follow me up the hill.”
She turned and began walking toward her house, her daughter by her side. I was frozen in place at first, watching as Danielle’s blonde ponytail fluttered behind her. My eyes scrolled down her body and landed on a perfect ass.
Dammit, Mason. Stop being a perv. She’s likely married. And even if she’s not, it sounds like you’re not getting anywhere near that fine ass.
Not without a literal dogfight.
Danielle
When I laid my eyes on the handsome stranger, I was blown away. First of all, due to his sheer size - he was easily one of the largest men I’d ever seen in real life. He was well over six feet tall and all muscle. His face was chiseled and masculine, with a jawline that looked carved of stone. His brown beard was short and trimmed, not obscuring that perfect face at all. And those eyes…steely, grey eyes that looked both serious and sincere. It had been a long time since my heart fluttered upon laying eyes on anyone, but Mason Harvey had caused quite the reaction in my panties, I was ashamed to
say. Which was why inviting him back to my home was a little more awkward than with a usual client.
“Don’t mind the mess,” I said as we stepped inside the house. “I’ve had to run my business from my home, and as you can see, there’s not a lot of room.”
I bit my lip as I watched for Mason’s reaction. We’d started off on a bad foot, mostly because I didn’t trust any man who just waltzed on to my property. But I’d heard the Harvey name around town. In small towns, word traveled fast. I knew a little about Mason Harvey already - like how he helped with the flooding efforts even though he was new in town. He and his brothers worked tirelessly to rebuild the town and care for the sick after a weird illness plagued Liberty.
Even though the dogs were trained to not jump on us when we entered, they did rush into the room as soon as the door had opened. Grizzly’s bark was bigger than his bite, but as a gentle giant, he was intimidating as hell. Mason didn’t know that in reality he was just a big teddy bear that often let Skyler curl up with him at night. He was a massive Tibetan Mastiff mix, and his thick, dark hair made him look even bigger than he was.
Then there was Oscar, the Great Dane. Again, a big dog, but absolutely no bite in him. In fact, Oscar rushed over to Mason and was already making friends with him as he often did when he met anyone knew.
The one that Mason really had to worry about was Zeus, our rat terrier. The smallest dog of the bunch who was missing an eye, but he didn’t let his size or his disability stop him. His bark was high-pitched and caused Skyler to cover her ears and yell, “Quiet!”
The dog stopped barking and sat down in front of her, as if he could protect Skyler from danger. He growled under his breath as Mason got a little too close to her.
“Sorry, I’m working with him still. He only came to live with us last month,” I said, putting an arm out to stop Mason from taking another step closer. He was still half a room away from Skyler, but Zeus required her to have a very large bubble when it came to strangers. He had taken to her instantly, probably because the little girl doted on him and snuck him food when she thought I wasn’t looking.
“Wow, you have quite the herd here,” Mason said with a low chuckle.
“Yeah, and these are only the dogs,” I told him with a chuckle.
“Only the dogs? What else do you have?”
“Well…currently, we share our home with three dogs, three cats, including the newest kitten, a bird, two guinea pigs, and a rabbit. Not all of them were intended to be kept, but things happen and…” I finished with a shrug.
“We love animals,” Skyler said proudly.
“I can see that,” Mason replied with a laugh.
“We used to have some rats too, but they didn’t live very long,” she said, her voice suddenly sad.
“Yeah, I learned my lesson there. Their life spans are too short for a child as sensitive as Skyler,” I whispered.
“Let me show you Jellybean,” Skyler said, inching toward me.
Zeus let out a low growl at Mason, but a stern no from me and that was enough for Zeus to quiet down. Skyler walked past the dog and took the man’s hand in hers. Her tiny little fingers wrapped around one of his.
“Skyler, sweetie, I don’t think Mr. Harvey has any interest in—”
“Oh, it’s fine,” he said. “I’m happy to meet anyone named Jellybean. How can they not be adorable?”
I flashed a friendly smile and mouthed sorry to him as I followed the two of them into the sunroom. We walked past a large pen, and Skyler pointed out the two guinea pigs. “That one is Peaches, and that one is Peanut,” she said proudly.
“Very cute,” Mason said, likely wondering which one was Peaches and which one was Peanut since they looked almost identical. He smiled, and it felt like a genuine smile, so at least he was humoring Skyler - which was sweet. He wasn’t just hot as hell, but apparently good with kids too. Almost too good to be true.
She led him over to another pen and reached inside.
“Honey, you know I have to help you,” I said, rushing to my daughter’s side. I knelt and picked up a black and white rabbit.
“This is Jellybean,” Skyler said. “Since he’s a bunny, and the Easter bunny brings jellybeans.”
I grinned proudly. “She came up with that all on her own,” I said, holding the rabbit while Skyler stroked his fur.
“We keep the door closed so the cats can’t get in here,” Skyler said. “But I spend time with them.”
“She really does,” I said with a laugh. “Every day, she brings her dolls in here and talks to them. She doesn't want them to get lonely.”
“Sounds like you really do love the animals.”
“I do! They’re the best,” Skyler said.
“Honey, Mr. Harvey and I need to talk about some dog training, so we need to put Jellybean back in his pen for now, okay?”
Skyler sighed dramatically. “Okay. I’ll go play with Cinder and Marshmallow,” she said. “Chewie just wants to sleep.”
“Chewie is old, honey. He likes his naps,” I said softly, putting the bunny back into the pen.
“I know,” Skyler said with a sigh. “I don’t get it, but I know.”
Mason stifled a chuckle, covering his mouth and pretending to cough.
With the bunny secured, we exited the sunroom, and I made sure to check the door before walking back into the living room. Skyler picked up Cinder and ran off, calling out, “Marshmallow, where are you?”
“She’s adorable,” Mason complimented.
“Thanks. She can be a handful sometimes, but she has a good heart.”
“She’s clearly being raised well,” he said.
I felt my cheeks flushing. “Thank you. I do my best. You know, she doesn’t usually talk to strangers as easily as she did you, so I’m impressed.”
“What can I say. I’m a natural with children,” he said, spreading his arms wide. He laughed dryly and added, “Actually, I’m not. I’ve never really been around kids much.”
We walked into the dining room and I motioned for him to take a seat at my makeshift office.
“Oh yeah? No kids of your own?”
“No, I—” he cut himself off, and frowned for a moment before continuing. “Well, two of my brothers are expecting babies, so I’ll have some nieces and nephews at least.”
“Congrats. From the looks of it, you’ll make a good uncle.”
“I hope so,” he said, his voice a bit distant. His eyes met mine and he smiled, and I felt a pitter-patter in my heart.
“Well, I don’t want to waste any more of your time, so let’s get down to business,” I said. “What can I help you with?”
“I have this friend, a Vietnam vet, who had an emotional support dog in the past, and I’m looking into options to get him another one. He struggles with PTSD and has some mobility issues. Plus, I hate that he lives alone, and I think he could use the company.”
“Have you asked him if he’d like a dog?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. “Because while I appreciate good intentions, I want to make sure my dogs go to homes where they’re wanted.”
“Oh yeah, he would love it. He’s had dogs before, and he’s always been very close with them. And I’ll be around to help him, make sure the dog gets the care it needs.”
“Sounds like you’re a good friend.”
“Well, I hate to see people slipping through the cracks, and that’s what happened to him.”
I smiled at him. From the sound of it, this guy was a saint. Surely, though, no man could be this perfect.
“I’d love to help you, but—” Before I could finish what I was saying, my phone buzzed on the table. I frowned as the name Greg popped up on the screen. “Sorry, I have to take this. Just one second, okay?”
I picked up the phone and slipped out of the room and into the hallway. I could hear Skyler in her room, singing a made-up song about the two cats she was playing with. I smiled even though I knew as soon as I answered the call, that smile would be wiped right off my face.
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I also knew I had to answer, or I’d pay for it later.
With a sigh, I took the call. “I’m in the middle of meeting with a client,” I said, my voice barely a whisper. “Please make this quick.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, am I being a burden to you? After everything I’ve done for you, you’re going to tell me to be quick.” My ex-husband scoffed from the other end of the phone. “In fact, I’ve clearly been too kind to you. I got another call from the bank, and they said you’re two months behind on the mortgage. As I told you, I didn’t sell the place as a favor to you, but you’re responsible for it now. I agreed to this in the divorce hearing even though it’s unconventional because I wanted to do what was best for our daughter, but if you don’t keep up with the mortgage, I will sell the place in a heartbeat to recoup my losses.”
“I only fell behind because the flood affected my business, Greg,” I replied, my irritation clear in my tone. “I’m still waiting on the insurance check to pay for the repairs and everything, but because of the number of claims in Liberty, it’s taking longer than usual for them to pay out. But rest assured, I’m taking care of it.”
“You better be,” he growled. “You know, you brought this all on yourself when you left me. We could have worked this out together.”
I closed my eyes, my eyelids pressing down hard. My jaw was clenched tightly as well. “Greg…”
“You know, there’s an easy way to solve all your problems.”
“No,” I snapped, my eyes opening. “Nope. There’s no way in hell I’d ever get back together with you.”
“Well then, be prepared to suffer the consequences. If you lose the place, Danielle, and from where I’m standing, it looks inevitable, you will be homeless. There’s no way a court of law wouldn’t see that as a problem when it comes to custody.”
“Stop using our daughter to threaten me,” I said, my back straightening. “Come after me, not Skyler. Don’t use her as a pawn in your games, Greg.”