THE NEXT MORNING, Sage kept checking Trey’s outer office. Usually he arrived early, but not today. She checked the time. He still had another fifteen minutes. Why did he have to pick today of all days to sleep late? She had big news to share with him.
After speaking with Louise, she decided that between the exhaustion and the stress, she’d blown that hand-touching episode out of proportion. After all, he arrived at work every day and was never late. He got his work done. What more did she want?
She knew what else was bothering her. This attraction that was arcing just beneath the surface could be a problem when it was just the two of them on the very romantic French Riviera. And this upcoming business trip couldn’t be canceled. The future of QTR Magazine was riding on it.
She’d just learned that her request for passes to the Cannes Film Festival had been approved. The committee had honored the magazine’s long-standing attendance and granted them three passes. One for the photographer and two for people to cover it with interviews.
She would need Trey’s help on this trip. The thought of covering the Cannes Film Festival on her own seemed, well, quite overwhelming.
Sage was hoping to make inroads with more stars and perhaps cover more than just their appearance at the festival. She had learned quickly that turning this magazine around was all about making contacts, whether it was a distributor, vendor or A-list actor. It was all about who you knew. And quite frankly, she’d exhausted her very short list of famous acquaintances.
She had just taken a seat at her desk to respond to some emails when she heard a noise. It sounded like Trey. Anxious to finalize the plans, she headed for the door.
“I’ve been waiting for you. I have news.” She stopped in her tracks. A ball of white fur was sticking out from under Trey’s arm. “What is that?”
He turned to her. His hair was scattered. His shirt was unbuttoned at the collar and his tie was stuffed in his pocket. “It’s more like who is this?”
She frowned at him. “I’m not playing games. Is that a dog?”
Trey nodded. “I can explain—”
“You can’t have a dog in here.”
“I didn’t have a choice.”
“You should have left him at home.” She glanced around, hoping no one else was nearby. She didn’t need everyone thinking that it was all right to bring their pet to work. “Come in my office.”
Once they were both...er...all three in the office, she closed the door. This was not the smooth start to the day that she’d been hoping for. And after Louise had soothed her worries about keeping Trey on staff, he pulled this stunt.
“Listen, I know this is awkward.” The dog began to wiggle in his arms. “Do you mind if I put him down?”
Sage shook her head. It probably wasn’t a wise decision. What if it peed on the carpet? Or worse?
Trey set the white dog on the carpet. She was relieved to see that the dog had a collar and leash. He began to sniff around, taking in his new surroundings. Sage kept an eye on it. She told herself that it was to make sure it didn’t make a mess and not because it was the most adorable ball of fluff. When it stopped in front of her and turned those big brown eyes on her, she longed to pick it up and cuddle him. But she just couldn’t give in to that temptation. She was the boss. She had to set an example.
She forced her gaze away from the cute pup and back to her assistant. “I don’t know what you were thinking by bringing him here, but he has to go. Now. And preferably without anyone seeing you.”
“But that’s the problem. I don’t have anywhere to take him.”
“I’d think taking him home would be an ideal solution.”
“But he’s not mine.”
Before she could speak, she felt something cold and wet against her leg. She glanced down to find the dog sniffing her. Her instinct was to kneel down and make friends, but she didn’t want Trey to think that whatever he was trying to pull here was acceptable. This was one of those moments when she didn’t like being management.
Sage turned her attention back to Trey. “Do you normally bring other people’s animals to work with you?”
“I must admit that it’s a first.”
“And your last.”
“If you would let me finish. I can explain this. It’s really kind of a funny story.” He hesitated. “Actually, it’s not funny ha-ha. It’s funny as in strange and a bit sad.”
She should be upset, but when the puppy looked at her with those big innocent eyes, her irritation melted away. The little white dog with long fur was so cute. No wonder Trey had taken it in.
Unable to resist any longer, she asked, “Can I pet him?”
“Um, sure.” Trey’s face filled with confusion soon followed with relief. “He’s a very friendly little guy.”
“Hi.” She knelt down and pet him. His white fur was soft, but it was long and gnarled. “You are such a sweet thing. That’s great that you adopted a dog—”
“I didn’t adopt him. It’s more like he adopted me.”
Sage straightened. “Say again.”
The dog moved and sat at Trey’s feet. Its little tail swished back and forth. “I found him hiding in a bush when I was out running last night. He was shaking with fear.”
“Aw...poor baby?”
Trey nodded. “He didn’t have a collar or any way to identify him. And from the looks of him, no one has cared for him in quite a while. I took him home, fed him and cleaned him up the best I could.”
“There’s one thing I don’t understand. Why did you bring him to work?”
“I didn’t mean to. I thought the animal shelter would be open early, but it opens late today. If I could just keep him here until they open—”
“You aren’t keeping him?” She glanced down at the little dog that was now leaning up against Trey’s leg as though they belonged together. “He seems to have really bonded with you.”
“I... I’m not a dog person.”
She arched a brow. “Really? Because you certainly seem like it to me and...what do you call him?”
“I didn’t name him because I’m not keeping him.”
“You can’t keep calling him puppy or dog.” She turned her attention back to the white puppy. “Come here.”
Surprisingly, the dog came right to her. It’s little tail swished back and forth. “You certainly are a friendly little guy.”
“He’s certainly that. Even when he woke me up at 4:00 a.m. to take him outside. He was as happy as could be. Me not so much. I was half-asleep and almost walked into the wall.”
She scooped the dog up in her arms. “Is that true? Are you a happy little guy?”
Arf!
Sage couldn’t help but smile at the dog’s cheery personality.
“Maybe you should keep him,” Trey suggested.
“Me? I don’t think so. I spend all of my time here at the office.” She couldn’t resist running her hand over the dog. It was when she touched his front leg that it whimpered. “Is it hurt?”
Trey frowned. “Not that I know of. But he was so dirty last night that I might have missed something when I was cleaning him up.”
Sage moved to her desk and set the dog down. “He whimpered when I touched his front right leg.”
They worked together until they uncovered a nasty, oozing cut beneath some knotted fur. Sage scooped the dog back in her arms, careful not to touch the wounded area. Through it all, the pup continued to wag its tail.
Trey reached out to pet him. “You certainly are one happy guy.”
“That’s it.”
“What’s it?” Trey looked utterly confused.
“His name. We’ll call him Happy.”
“Really?” Trey’s gaze moved from Sage to the dog, whose tail picked up speed. “I guess it fits.” Staring at the dog, he asked, “Would you like the name Happy?”
Arf! Arf!
Sage laughed. “I think he agrees.”
“I’ll take him over to the shelter. I’m sure they’ll know what to do with him.”
Sage looked into Happy’s eyes and she just couldn’t let him go to some shelter where he would get lost in the crowd and possibly forgotten about. She had to be sure that he was well taken care of.
“Call the Smith Veterinarian Clinic. Tell them you found a stray and its injured. If they give you any problems, you can mention my name. It might help.”
He sent her a puzzled look. “I thought you said you didn’t have time for pets.”
Busted. “I don’t have any pets. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t have roommates with pets.”
Trey’s eyes widened and he smiled as though his problems were solved.
“Don’t,” she warned. “I’m not keeping him. But I want to make sure that he’s taken care of. Besides, as I recall, you’re the one that found him.”
“Okay. Okay. I’ll call.”
Knock. Knock.
The door opened and Louise stuck her head inside. “Good morning. I...” Louise’s voice faded away as she took in the sight of Trey’s disheveled look. “Sorry. I just wanted to tell you about some new coffee I picked up last night. But it can wait.”
Arf! Arf-arf!
Louise’s gaze lowered to the floor. “Well, who are you?”
Arf! Arf!
Everyone chuckled at the dog’s response.
“And you’re a chatty one, too.” Louise walked farther into the room.
Sage turned to Trey. “I’ve got the dog. Go make the call. Tell them it’s an emergency and we’re on our way.”
“We?”
“Yes. Now hurry up.”
Her father always told her that if you wanted something done right to do it yourself. It was a philosophy that she’d taken to heart, much like her approach to fixing QTR. And she wouldn’t get any work done until she was certain Happy was on the mend.
* * *
She impressed him.
And that wasn’t an easy thing to do.
Trey couldn’t believe how Sage had set aside her work and worried over the pup until it had a proper bath, trim, stitches and antibiotics. Not necessarily in that order. During the examination, the vet had revealed that the dog was chipped. And all of his shots were up to date.
And now as they sat in the car, an awkward silence enveloped them. Trey needed a distraction from thinking about what they were attempting to do—return Happy to the owner that had lost him. And as far as he could tell, the owner hadn’t searched for him—at least, not for long.
As he slowed for a stop sign, he chanced a quick glance at Sage. She was fussing over the dog. The dog looked perfectly contented and none the worse for wear after his veterinarian appointment. Either that dog was the most laid-back animal or Sage had a magical touch.
“Did you have pets growing up?” Trey returned his attention to the road.
“I did. All sorts of pets. My father enjoyed indulging me.”
“What sort of pets?”
“I had a white-and-black cat named Mittens. And I had a couple of birds—”
“Wait.” He slowed for another stop sign. “Are you saying you had a cat and birds at the same time?”
She smiled and nodded.
“But how? Aren’t cats supposed to hunt birds?”
“Not Mittens. She found them interesting for about five minutes but then she went on her way.”
“Amazing.” He shook his head in disbelief. “I take it you’re good with animals.”
She shrugged. “I had a rat. He didn’t like me much. He bit me and hid in his cage.”
Trey laughed. “You had a pet rat?”
“What’s so funny about that?” she asked with a perfectly straight face.
He subdued his amusement. “Nothing. It’s just that you never cease to surprise me.”
“I also had fish, a bunny—” she paused as though to think about it “—a hamster and a guinea pig.”
“You had a very interesting childhood.”
He didn’t want to stop driving. This was the first time Sage had let down her guard with him and he liked it. She was a lot different outside the office—more relaxed and much more approachable.
“It was amazing.” There was lightness to her voice as she drew upon her memories. “For my birthday, my father didn’t get me presents. He said that I got enough throughout the year. Instead he would take me on an adventure. We would visit a different part of the world each year. Those are some of my very best memories. We would explore new cultures and the food—it was amazing. My father told me I didn’t have to eat it all, but I did have to sample a little of everything. I was surprised by some of the cuisine that I enjoyed—especially my first experience with sushi.”
“Your father sounds like he was a really great guy. You must have loved him a lot.” A stab of jealousy dug into Trey. He’d never had a relationship like that with his father.
“I did. My father was the best. He did everything he could to give me a great childhood. The only thing that would have made it better is if my mother had been able to share those experiences with us. But she...she died when I was just a baby.”
“I’m sorry you lost her. But I’m sure she’s smiling down on you.”
“Me, too.” Sage lowered her voice. “Sometimes I talk to her. Do you think that’s silly?”
Without hesitation, he shook his head. “Everyone needs to talk to their mum now and then.”
Sage nodded. “Between my father and my pets, I felt truly loved.”
Trey envied her childhood. His was quite different. His mother might have been there physically, but she was quiet and withdrawn after his father left. Trey always wondered if a part of her had died when his father abandoned them.
“You don’t want to do this, do you?” Sage asked, interrupting his thoughts.
“Do what? Take Happy back to his owner? The same owner that let him loose and didn’t even put up posters for his return or post any sort of notice online—”
“How do you know that they didn’t? Did you look?”
He could feel her intense stare as he maneuvered the car down the street. “I might have done a quick search last night while Happy was getting adjusted to his new surroundings.”
“I bet you did more than a quick search.”
Was she able to read him that easily? He wondered what she made of him. He was tempted to ask, to see how much she got right. The question hovered on the tip of his tongue.
“Stop!”
There was nothing in front of them. He checked the rearview mirror as he jammed the breaks. “What’s the matter?”
“This is it.”
“What is?”
She pointed out the window at the older home with the front door hanging open and a moving truck in the driveway. Beside the driveway was a wrought-iron post with the street number. Sage was right. This was the place. He’d been so caught up in his thoughts that he’d almost passed it by.
He wheeled the car into a parking spot on the street. He glanced out Sage’s window at the stately home. Not too big, but not small either. The outside was stone and the front door was red and arched. The hedges were trimmed. And a for-sale sign was in the front yard.
Arf! Arf!
“Sounds like Happy knows he’s home.” Sage didn’t smile.
So all it took was a cute dog to win her over. He was beginning to wonder if Sage was having second thoughts about returning the dog. All he had to say was the owner better have an explanation for letting the dog loose and not searching for him. It better be a really good excuse.
“Okay. Let’s get this over with.” Trey exited the car and quickly made his way around to open Sage’s door.
Happy was so excited and wiggly that Sage let him down. With his leash on, he led them across the road and up the walk to the open front door. Trey wasn’t happy about this. He didn’t want to see anything else happen to Happy. The little dog could have died out on the streets. And where was his owner? Moving away without their dog?
Trey was about to ring the buzzer when an older man with gray hair entered the foyer with a big box in his hands. His eyes widened when he saw them standing on the landing. “If you came to look at the house, it’s by appointment only.”
Didn’t the man see the dog? Didn’t he care? Trey struggled to keep his temper in check. “We didn’t come to look at the house.”
As though Sage could tell that Trey wasn’t at all pleased with any of this, she said, “We came because we...er...rather he—” she gestured to Trey “—found your dog.”
“My dog? I don’t have one.”
Sage bent over and scooped up Happy. “You mean, this isn’t your dog?”
Happy licked her cheek and wagged his tail. Trey wondered what it was like to be that happy, even after the one person who was supposed to love and protect you disappears from your life. Trey was not the least bit happy.
“That’s my mother’s dog.” The man set the box down and came closer. “I didn’t know what had happened to him. I thought the people who were supposed to be taking care of him for her had taken him home.”
“No.” Trey wasn’t happy with the man’s lack of concern. “He’s been wandering the streets half-starved and injured.”
The man’s hesitant gaze met his before it turned back to the dog. He reached out to pet Happy and a low growl filled the air. Both Trey and Sage turned surprised gazes at the dog. He seemed to like everyone except this man.
“Is your mother home?” Sage asked.
The man shook his head, making his comb-over slide down on his forehead. With a swipe of his hand, it moved back over the bald spot. “She passed on last week.”
“Oh. I’m so sorry.” Sage looked a bit awkward as though not sure what to say next.
“Will you be taking care of the dog?” Trey asked, not sure the man would do any better than the dog-sitter who originally lost Happy.
The man’s brows drew together. “I can’t. My apartment doesn’t allow pets. And...and as you can see, that dog has never liked me.”
Trey trusted Happy’s judgment of people. After all, the dog was crazy about Sage. But how could he not be with the way she fussed over him?
“Are you sure?” Sage asked. “He’s a really well-trained dog.”
“Trust me. He wouldn’t be happy with me.”
Trey didn’t need any reassurances from the man. It was obvious Happy didn’t belong with him. “We’re sorry for your loss. We’ll be going.”
Trey placed a hand on Sage’s elbow and turned back toward the car.
“What about the dog?” the man asked.
“We’ll take care of him,” Sage replied with certainty. “Don’t worry. He’ll have a good home.”
And with that they made their way back to the car.
Once they were both inside and driving away, Trey glanced at Happy contentedly lying in Sage’s lap with his chin resting on her knee. “Did you really mean that? You know, about us taking care of Happy?”
She shrugged. “It wasn’t like we could leave him with that man. Did you hear the way Happy growled at him?”
“Yeah. He sure didn’t like the guy. Wonder what he did to the dog.”
“I don’t want to know. I just want to make sure that Happy is safe.”
“Should we take him to the shelter?”
“We can’t do that,” she said quickly. “You know, because of his stitches. We need to keep an eye on him and make sure it doesn’t get infected.”
Trey nodded as though he understood, but he didn’t. Not really. He was certain there were skilled people at the shelter that could care for Happy, but he didn’t say anything. It appeared Happy had won Sage’s heart.
Sage had a way of casting a magical spell over the males in her orbit. If Trey wasn’t careful, he was going to forget about his real reason for working at QTR. And he just might give in to his desire to kiss her.