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The night had turned cold. Riley pulled his hoodie closer and huddled on the porch while Dane Cooper fiddled with his keys. “Could you be any slower?” The key turned in the lock and Riley shouldered in front of the older man and pushed his way through the door. “I’m freezing.”
“Umm...Riley...”
That was all he heard before he was knocked to the floor of the dark room. Whatever was on top of him bounced, scratched, and wiggled. Riley managed to roll to his side and shield his face with his arms. He grimaced as something sharp pierced his clothing in several places. He’d become a human pincushion.
“Bosco!”
At the sound of Dane’s voice, the movement stopped.
Riley rolled to his back, and the breath swished from his lungs when a hundred pounds of something settled on his chest and stomach.
Light flooded the room, and Riley opened an eye to see a mountainous black animal sitting on his belly, staring up at Dane. A huge tail swished across the floor like a whip, drool dripped from its mouth and stained Riley’s hoodie. “Get this thing off me,” he croaked.
“Bosco, get off the boy.” Dane’s voice was amused. The dog didn’t budge.
The animal’s eyes cut to Riley as if noticing him for the first time. He shifted his weight and explored his captive with a wet nose.
Riley flinched as an even wetter tongue lapped at the side of his face. “I can’t breathe.”
“Bosco, come here.”
The beast finally stood, and Riley gulped in a deep breath before he scrambled to his feet. “What is that thing?”
“It’s a dog. A Lab.”
Riley narrowed his eyes. “Dude, that is not a dog.” He rubbed his chest and took a step back as the dog advanced and continued his sniffing inspection. “What you have is a four hundred pound, dog-horse mutant.”
“Bosco.” Dane snapped his fingers and pointed to the floor next to his feet.
The dog moved to the space and sat next to his master.
“You’ll get used to him.” Dane reached down to scratch the spot between the dog’s eyes. “He has run of the house and the yard, and other than days when I’m late with his dinner, he’s a pussy cat. Except...” The older man’s eyes came up, and Riley’s breath caught when Dane pinned him with a cold, hard stare. “Except with a thief. Bosco is very territorial. Guy came through here a few months ago. Snuck into the back yard, and tried to make off with some of my yard tools. He’s still adjusting to his prosthetic leg.”
Riley swallowed hard. Truth or dare? A glance at the dog convinced Riley that he didn’t really want to know.
“Not that I expect you to steal from me or anything,” Dane reassured him with a wide smile.
Any notion of using this time with Dane Cooper to satisfy Rafe Landry’s demands fled from Riley’s mind when the dog gave him a toothy grin to match that of his owner.
* * *
DANE LEANED AGAINST the doorframe of his spare room Tuesday morning, a steaming mug of coffee cradled between his hands. He looked at the sleeping teenager then noted the alarm clock lying face down on the carpet next to the bed. That explained why the kid wasn’t up and dressed. Let the games begin.
“Riley.” The single word, delivered in a raised but pleasant tone, produced no signs of life from the mattress. Dane smirked. The perfect stillness of the form beneath the covers was a dead giveaway that the boy was awake. Kid, I’ve got more plays in this book than you have time to learn. He moved into the room, grasped a corner of the bedclothes, and whipped them onto the floor.
Riley’s skinny form, clad in boxers and a T-shirt, folded into a fetal position as he turned his back and pulled a pillow over his head. “Dude, get out of my face.” A corner lifted, and a single eye studied the window. “It’s still dark outside.”
Dane raised his cup and slurped his coffee, smacking his lips loudly in the process. “Ahh...” The second drawn out performance got a reaction from the bed.
The pillow flew across the room, and Riley propped himself up on an elbow. “What are you doing?”
Dane took a third noisy swallow. “Enjoying my chug points. Well, actually, I’m enjoying subtracting yours.” He eyed the cup. “Every drink I take while your lazy butt is still in bed is a point I don’t have to pay you. But, hey, if you want to start your first day in the negative column, that works for me. Saves me money in the long run.”
“Seriously?”
Dane raised the cup for the fourth time.
Riley scrambled out of bed before it touched his lips. “I’m up, I’m up. What time...?” He stooped and grabbed the clock. “Five freakin’ thirty! Are you kidding me?” Riley turned back to the bed. “School doesn’t start ‘til eight. I’ll talk to you at seven.”
“You won’t like me very much if you crawl back into that bed. I’ve got work, which means you’ve got work. I’ll meet you in the van in thirty. Clean clothes, teeth brushed, everything you need for school in your backpack. If you want breakfast, there are some microwave sausage biscuits in the freezer. Your lunch is in the fridge. Better grab it, because we won’t be coming back here before I take you to school, and I don’t deliver.” He locked eyes with the militant teenager. “Do I need to repeat any of that?”
“I think I got it.”
“Good.” Dane took the clock out of Riley’s hands, placed it back on the nightstand, and reached for the door. “Don’t make me late. Late will be a serious point penalty.”
* * *
RILEY SAT IN THE PASSENGER seat of the van, shoulders slumped, eyes scrunched shut and watery from the latest face stretching yawn. Work before school? Who does that? His eyes snapped open as the van jerked to a stop. He recognized the neighborhood. His house was just a few streets over and a couple of blocks south. Even at this early hour, most of the widely spaced homes had open doors. Cars were pulling out of driveways, and kids congregated on the curb, waiting for the bus. In contrast, the big blue house in front of them seemed empty and lifeless. He glanced across the seat. “Looks like they aren’t home.”
Dane reached for the door handle. “This is not a social call.”
Riley settled into the corner of the seat, crossed his arms, and leaned back against the headrest. “I’ll watch the van while you’re gone.” The door closed, and Riley smiled. I’ll just catch a little nap. He jerked upright when the door he was leaning against opened, leaving him grasping at the dash to keep from landing on the concrete. “What the...?”
Dane grabbed the collar of Riley’s shirt and hauled him out of the vehicle. “Workie, workie, not sleepy, sleepy. And FYI, the next time you ride in my van, you fasten your seatbelt.”
“Hey.” Riley yanked away and straightened his shirt. “Anyone ever tell you that you bear a striking resemblance to Simon Legree?”
Dane’s answer was a smug smile. “I do believe he was my great, great grand-daddy.” He clamped a hand on Riley’s shoulder and turned him to face the house. “This is the Evans’s house. Steve and Terri are on vacation. We’re here to care for the dogs, clean up the back yard, and set out some items for the Goodwill pick up today.” He placed an arm around Riley’s shoulder and walked him to the side door of the garage. “I’ll get you started on the yard while I haul stuff out of the garage.”
Riley watched while Dane lined a plastic bucket with a trash bag and then handed him a rake and a shovel.
“Here you go.”
Riley took a step back and clasped his hands behind his back. “And I’m supposed to...?”
Dane returned his frown. “Seriously?”
Riley met his sarcasm with a stare.
Dane took the rake and the shovel and made a scooping movement. “Then you dump it in the bucket.”
“Dump what in the bucket?”
Dane’s expression carried a fair amount of disbelief. “Haven’t you ever had a dog?”
Riley shook his head.
Dane leaned the tools against the wall. “OK, let me introduce you to Angel. She’s a big sweetie, just like Bosco—”
Riley reached for the knob of the garage door. “No way, man.”
“Oh chillax, would you?” Dane grabbed Riley’s sleeve and dragged him back into the room. “I’m sorry you and Bosco got off on the wrong foot, but you’ll love Angel. We’ll feed her before you get started. That way, they’ll stay out of your way.”
Riley had just a second to question the word they before Dane opened the door into the back yard and a flood of black and white fur, cold noses, and curious tongues surged into the garage. He couldn’t think for all the barking. Dane corralled the largest of the animals with a sharp command to sit, but the pups—Riley thought he counted seven—danced around their feet.
Dane laid a hand on the head of a huge blond dog. “This is Angel. I guess you could say she’s Bosco’s wife.” He made a motion to the puppies. “And this is their family.” He squatted down in front of Angel and rubbed her ears in both hands. “Did you miss me?”
Riley smirked at the baby talk. The smirk died when he looked out into the large back yard and saw the green grass dotted with mound after mound of... “You’re joking, right? I’ll clean out the garage.”
The older man followed his gaze. “I haven’t had nearly enough caffeine to make jokes. Let me remind you how this works.” He stuck a thumb into his own chest. “Boss.” A finger jabbed in Riley’s direction. “Employee.” The thumb went back to Dane. “Delegator.” And back to Riley. “Delegatee.” He motioned to the poop-speckled yard. “Consider yourself delegated.”
He stepped outside the door and called to Angel. “Let’s get your breakfast girl, so you can feed your babies.”
All of the dogs but one barreled out the door. The one remaining wasn’t a solid color like the others. This one had large black patches along one side, a black ear, and a single black sock decorating its white fur. Instead of running out for breakfast, it plopped down in front of Riley.
He made a shooing motion. “Go on, go eat.” The puppy cocked its head. “Shoo. I’ve got to get busy cleaning up your mess.” The pup gave a mighty yawn, stretched out on the floor, laid its head on Riley’s tennis shoe, and refused to budge.
“Riley, you’ve got forty-five minutes before your first class,” Dane called from the yard. “You better get a move on.”
“Yeah, coming.” Riley looked down at the pup. Blue eyes stared up at him in complete adoration. He shook his head. He...she...Riley stooped, scooped up the butter ball pup, turned it over in his arms, and checked out its plumping. She was a cutie. He tucked her under his arm, grabbed the shovel and the rake, and stepped into the back yard.
* * *
DANE LOOKED UP AND grinned. “There she is. I was afraid we’d lost one.”
“Nope.” Riley set her down next to her squirming siblings. “How come she’s colored differently than the others?”
“It’s a genetic flaw. These are Labradors. Over the generations, they’ve been bred down to solid colors, but every once in a while, Mother Nature throws a cog in the works, and you get a multicolored one. She’ll be the one no one wants.”
“Just because she’s different?” Riley asked. “That’s not fair. She’s the cutest, and I’ll bet she’s the smartest.” He bent down to scratch behind the two-toned ears. “She can’t help being what she is.”
Dane heard a hint of something sad in Riley’s voice. Is that your problem, kid? You can’t help being who you are? It all comes down to training, I guess, for puppies and boys. He put a hand on Riley’s shoulder and turned him back to the yard. “Times wasting, and if you want that driving lesson I had planned—”
“What?”
“I thought that might get your attention.”
“You’re gonna let me drive your van?”
“I promised you driving lessons. You get this wrapped up, and you can drive the van to school. It’s only five miles, but you gotta start somewhere.”
“I’m not a complete newbie. Mom did let me drive the car a couple of times before she grounded me.”
“Well, now you’re ungrounded, if we have the time.”
A properly motivated Riley grabbed the bucket and raced into the yard, the pup yapping at his heels.
Fresh ideas swirled in Dane’s head as he returned to the garage, lifted the overhead door, and started stacking the designated items on the curb.
* * *
MAC ARRANGED FOUR PLACE settings on the table. Spaghetti sauce simmered on the stove and filled the kitchen with the smell of tomatoes and spices. The scent of thick garlic bread toasting in the oven added to the aroma. Her stomach growled, and she looked at the clock. Riley and Dane would be here any minute. She considered the box of cookbooks in the corner of the garage, still unpacked after almost a year. If she was going to cook for Dane several times a week...
Wait. Dane?
Mac shook herself. You’re cooking for Riley, not Dane. Dane is only a...what? She searched for a word to describe the good-looking handy man. Nothing suitable presented itself. She stirred the pasta as it began to boil, peeked at the bread, and started down the hall to let her mother know that dinner was just about ready.
Mac hadn’t seen her mother since last night right after Dane left. With a disapproving scowl, Mom had retreated to her room, refusing to discuss the arrangement. Her displeasure continued to be evident in her rejection of breakfast this morning. Mac would have been worried except for the mess in the kitchen when she’d returned. The house was either harboring the biggest mouse she’d ever imagined, or her mother had eaten breakfast and lunch in her absence.
Mac paused outside the closed door and knocked. “Dinner is almost ready. Riley will be here soon.” She heard the toilet flush in the bedroom’s adjoining bath, but her summons went unanswered otherwise. “Mom?” The light coming through the crack at the bottom of the door shifted as something moved past it. Stubborn, cantankerous old woman! Mac knocked a second time. “You can’t hibernate in there forever.”
The door jerked open. “I can and I will. I will do whatever it takes to make you see the folly of the path you are on. You’ve forsaken your upbringing, you’ve ripped me away from the only life I ever knew, and now you’ve given the care of your child over to a stranger who knows nothing of our ways. This will not end well for you, Mackenzie. I refuse to be a party to it.” The door snapped shut.
Mac stared at the closed door, hands fisted at her sides, jaw clenched. She worked her mouth open to tell the older woman what she thought, but she pressed her lips together instead. She took a deep breath and turned away. One battle at a time. Her mother was old enough to make her own decisions, even if those decisions included hanging onto a toxic lifestyle.
But Riley...her baby had so much of his life in front of him. Life that held opportunities he’d never see while trapped in The Body. If Dane could help him see those possibilities, help him figure out how to take advantage of them...well, Mom could deal with it or pout in her room.
Mac heard an engine in the drive and rushed to the front door. She drew in a deep breath when she saw Riley. It had only been a day, but she missed him. He looked fine. Did I expect him not to? They came up the porch steps and Mac opened the door. “You guys are just in time. I’ll have dinner on the table in five minutes.”
Dane lifted his nose. “It smells wonderful.” He nudged Riley’s shoulder.
“Hey, Mom.”
Mac smiled. Two little words, but they were delivered without hostility. She’d take ‘em.”
An hour later, Dane sat back in his chair and clasped his hands over his belt buckle. “I can’t eat another bite. That was an amazing meal. Thank you, Mac.”
Dane’s praise washed over Mackenzie like warm honey. No one had ever thanked her for a meal, much less praised her cooking. As good as Kevin had tried to be, he considered cooking a part of her job. She felt her cheeks heat as she fumbled for words. “You’re welcome. I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
Dane looked at Riley. “Your mother fixed an awesome dinner. Do you have something you’d like to say?”
Riley looked up from his plate. “What’s for dessert?”
Mac scrambled to her feet. “I’ll get it right away.” She stopped when Dane grabbed her arm and held her in place. “Riley, look up here.”
When Riley raised his eyes, Dane continued. “The correct response is a thank you. There won’t be any dessert until you express some gratitude to your mother.”
“It’s OK, he—”
“Shhh,” Dane told her. He kept his gaze on her son.
Riley put his fork down and shifted his gaze to Mac. “Thank you for dinner.”
Coerced or not, Mac felt tears press against the back of her eyes. She squeezed them closed and allowed her son’s words to burrow into her heart. When she opened her eyes, she mouthed a silent thank you to Dane and gave her son a smile. “You’re welcome, Riley. I’ll get your dessert now.”
* * *
MAC DELIVERED SLICES of peach pie topped with a scoop of ice cream to the guys, and Dane groaned, his voice full of mock horror. “Why didn’t you warn me? I didn’t save room for this.”
Mac frowned. “I’m sorry...I didn’t think...” She sat back in her chair and dropped her hands into her lap.
Dane saw sincere dismay in her expression. He ran a hand down his face. He wasn’t used to a woman who didn’t understand sarcasm or teasing. He held up a hand. “Mac, that wasn’t a complaint. I was joking.”
“Oh, of course. I just...”
Dane stopped her with a raised had. “It’s OK, I get it.” And he did. The servant doesn’t joke with the master. The tiny insight into the life she’d lived infuriated him. The knowledge also shed a new light on the silence around the table during dinner. These two had no idea how to interact with each other. Looks like Riley isn’t the only one who needs help adjusting to the real world. He dug into his bowl, determined to bring some twenty-first century normal to the situation.
Dane cut into his pie. “Riley, why don’t you tell your mother about your day?”
He raised his brows when Mac’s expression lit at the suggestion. The happiness on her face tugged at something in his heart. He didn’t have time to explore what he was feeling before Riley’s response dulled her glow.
Riley lifted a shoulder, his full attention on his dessert. “It was OK.”
“Oh, come on,” Dane prompted. “You can do better than that. You met a puppy who adored you, and you had a driving lesson. I think you can scrounge up more than three words.”
Riley laid his fork aside with a heavy sigh. “OK.” His first words were stilted and forced, but by the time he got to actually climbing behind the wheel of the van for the first time, he’d relaxed, questions and answers flowing freely between mother and son.
“Dane said I did good, and I can drive to school every morning.”
“Riley, I’m so proud of you.”
Dane scraped his plate clean and pushed it aside. He stood, dug in his pocket, and shook his keys. “And because you did so well, I’ll let you drive us home.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
“Awesome!” Riley downed his last bite, pushed his chair back, and bolted for the door.
“I guess we’re leaving,” Dane said
Mac led the way to the front door. “Same time Thursday night?”
“Sounds good to me,” Dane answered. He turned to Riley. “Say goodbye to your mother.”
The boy’s shoe scuffed at the floor. “Umm...Bye.”
Dane rolled his eyes. “Buddy, you have a lot to learn.” He reached out, took Mac’s hand, and pulled her lightly into his arms. He felt her stiffen, and he whispered into her ear. “Teaching by example.” She nodded and settled into the embrace. A subtle fragrance of vanilla teased his nose, and he struggled to keep from pulling her closer. Still, it was hard to miss the way she fit against him, like the spot had been saved, just waiting for her. He shoved the thought aside. Just showing the boy how to say goodbye to his mother. Dane swallowed as something unwanted tied his insides in knots. Yeah, you keep telling yourself that.
* * *
MAC STOOD IN THE CIRCLE of light spilling from the open door. She wrapped her arms around herself and watched with a smile as Dane handed the van keys to Riley. Her son looked happier than she’d seen him in months. Her gaze went back to Dane. His profile was barely visible through the tinted window of the van. His compliments, the feel of his arms around her... Stop it!
She nearly jerked at the internal reprimand. He isn’t interested in you, he’s helping your son. She could accept that. But still...the warmth of his breath in her ear, the brief feel of his bare cheek against hers... She shivered in the early evening chill. Snap out of it, Mac. Despite Kevin’s kindness during their marriage, there’d been nothing in that experience to encourage her to enslave herself to the cold desires of another man. But as she watched the taillights fade, something foreign warmed her from the inside out.
What would it be like to kiss a man other than Kevin?
She twisted her fingers at the completely inappropriate thought, which stained her face with shame. She tried to push it away, but another thought took its place. What would it feel like to kiss Dane Cooper?