Chase heard his phone go off as he was walking into the clinic. He stopped and pulled it out, looked at his email and noticed it was from Noelle. He felt the smile fill his face, then looked around like a guilty kid with his hand in a cookie jar to see if he was being watched.
He’s doing great, he read. That’s it. Nothing more. Nothing less. Not how is your morning? Thanks for the help. Nothing. Geez.
Guess he was the only one feeling what he was last night. No shocker there.
“Hi, Chase.” He looked up to see Brianna in the back by the door he’d entered, balancing boxes in her hands.
“Hey. Let me get them for you,” he said, reaching for the boxes before they toppled over.
She was forever carrying more than she should in one trip. He liked that she was eager and on the ball, wonderful with the clients and the owners, but sometimes she was just so young and... silly.
“Thanks,” she said back, grabbing one of the boxes and trailing behind him as he made his way to the front.
“You shouldn’t try to do it all in one trip,” he said once again, like he did pretty much daily.
“I know. I just wanted to get it all up front so I could start putting it away between appointments. How is Snacks doing?” she asked.
Brianna had a soft spot for his Frenchie and though the dog wanted to come in with him today, he couldn’t leave his sister’s little terrors in the house alone. Two more days and they’d be back home where they belonged.
“He’s doing good. Has his nose out of joint with my sister’s dogs, but I need him and Bruno to protect the domain for me in my absence.”
She giggled, that annoying little twenty-something sound he hated. The one that wanted his attention when he was trying so hard to avoid it at all costs.
He set the boxes down behind the counter for her and then made his way to his office wondering if he should respond back to Noelle, then decided not to bother. He obviously didn’t make that much of an impression on her.
By the afternoon, Noelle had gotten nothing done. She wanted to go in the yard and snap some pictures, but that was out of the question. She even tried to take pictures of Calvin running around, but found without a fence, she spent more time chasing him in the woods.
She never realized how fast a puppy could be, but that was lesson number three. After researching electric fences, she decided against that. The thought of a little shock if he went past his boundaries wasn’t right in her eyes.
Everything she’d read on boxers told her they were protective to a fault, so if she was ever in danger, she wanted her dog to do what was ingrained in his blood to help her.
Then she laughed hysterically. What kind of danger would she be in here? She wasn’t even in danger traveling the world. Still, she wanted him to be free. Now she just had to figure out this training thing.
She couldn’t even get simple chores done around the house. When she was putting laundry in the washer, Calvin grabbed one of her socks out of the hamper and took off in a mad dash. She was thinking the lazy part of the bulldog wasn’t present in her puppy. Bummer.
But when the puppy recycled his breakfast outside her bathroom door while she was in there cleaning and had shut the door to keep his nose out of the chemicals, she knew she was in trouble.
Who knew so much whining was going to cause the dog to puke?
With nothing else left to do, she pulled out her phone and composed an email.
Hi, Chase. I realized how rude I was by not thanking you for everything yesterday or even offering you a drink, let alone dinner. All I can say is that I was so excited to have my little guy last night.
That was only a white lie. She was excited, but she was more overwhelmed than anything.
I was wondering, if you didn’t have any plans in the next few days, if you wouldn’t mind coming over for a thank you dinner. Maybe bring your dogs with you to socialize.
There, that didn’t sound desperate...like she was feeling.
When she looked down, she saw Calvin had finally fallen asleep, so she took that opportunity to lie down and try to doze herself. When he jumped up on the couch next to her, she knew she was doomed, but gave in to it.
Several hours later, she was opening her door to Chase. Boy was he a sight for sore eyes. And a tired body, a frazzled mind, and raging hormones. More like neglected hormones.
“Where are your dogs?” she asked.
“Home,” he said, reaching down and petting Calvin, who’d come running full force. At least Chase knew how to brace himself so he wasn’t knocked over like she’d been so many times today. Her butt was going to be bruised, but she wouldn’t give it up for the fun she’d had wrestling with the pup.
“I thought you said they needed to socialize?” she asked.
“They do. Maybe this weekend if you don’t have plans. I’ve got my sister’s two dogs right now with my own and they’re little...divas. That’s the best word for them. I’m afraid they’d scar your puppy for life. Did you name him yet?”
She looked down to see her new baby on his back while Chase gave him massive belly rubs. Talk about adorable. The dog, not the vet. Oh, who was she kidding? Chase was freaking adorable, and hot...smoking, like her grill in the back. So hot she was afraid to touch the grates without getting third-degree burns.
And she was wondering where all these thoughts were coming from when she’d told herself she didn’t need or want a man in her life right now. Or at all.
Yet here she was with a male pup and his savior.
“I did. Meet Calvin.”
“That’s a good strong name. Did it just come to you, or did you research it?”
“It seemed to fit him,” she said, not wanting to say that for her first dog, she wanted to tie it to her first solid modeling contract. Calvin Klein had given her a taste of what real fashion money felt like at the young age of twelve.
“So things are going well?” he asked, looking at her. She had a feeling he could see right through that lie.
“Hits and misses,” she said. “We’re trying to learn about each other some more.”
“It’s like that. He’s probably more afraid of upsetting you than you are with upsetting him.”
She snorted. “I doubt that. He seems to be getting everything he wants. I never thought I could cave so easily.”
“While you aren’t getting a moment of peace?” he asked, laughing.
Yep, he’d seen right through her failings. “Exactly. I feel like I’m in over my head, but then I look at his face and I think, how can something so cute make me want to rip my hair out?”
“Please don’t do that,” he said. “It’s too nice on your head.”
Okay then, he was flirting back. Should she do anything about that? She invited him here to ask for help with Calvin, right?
“Thanks. Calvin seems to like it too. He woke me up with it in his mouth this morning.”
“You let him on the bed?” he asked. She wasn’t sure if that was humor or disapproval in his tone, so she pretended she didn’t hear him.
“Can I get you a drink?” she asked instead, walking toward the kitchen.
“Sure.”
“I’ve got some beer, wine, water, tea, and sports drinks.”
“I haven’t had wine in a while, so I’ll grab a beer, if you don’t mind.”
She pulled out the bottle of imported beer that she indulged in once in a while. She was more of a wine drinker when she drank at all, which wasn’t often. After the past few days, she felt she deserved the splurge and grabbed one for herself too. It’s not like she had to really watch every little thing that went in her mouth anymore.
That teenager metabolism had lasted into her early twenties. Those last few years, she had to watch her food intake more. No dieting, not over-exercising, just not splurging as much when she had work lined up.
After placing both bottles on the table, she turned and retrieved some glasses and a bottle opener. She didn’t need to. He’d already had them both opened with just a turn of his hand. So much for thinking he had soft hands. They were pretty tough to open those bottles up.
“Thanks,” he said, pouring his, then waiting while she did the same. He held his glass up and said, “To a fresh start for you and Calvin.”
She started to cough. She wondered if he was thinking of the fresh start she’d been dreaming of last night and hoped the hell not. Maybe she wasn’t so good at hiding things like she used to.