She existed.
And right at this time when she was feeling like anything was possible, into her life walked Brandon Harris. Big, quiet, and hunky, he showed up on her doorstep to discuss dog-sitting for his Australian shepherd, since his gym didn’t allow therapy dogs.
For nearly a month since then, she’d been waiting for a chance to get closer to him, and that opportunity had come tonight. She wasn’t letting it slide through her fingers.
Catriona shoved away from the warm metal of the truck. “I’ll leave you to finish up calls to whomever you need to speak with to do whatever it is you’re going to do to handle Rachel’s problem with the stalker.” She rested a hand on his arm briefly, but it was enough. “Take your time. I have plenty to keep me busy securing all the dogs so we can go.”
“Go?” He looked up sharply. “Where?”
“To Rachel’s condo, of course. At least a drive-by to check on things.” She looked back over her shoulder, a lock of hair catching in the wind. “We can be there for support if she’s heard about the explosion and shows up. Make sure she’s not alone, if some creep is there waiting for her.”
His eyes held on her hair. On her mouth.
She lost her footing on… nothing really. The ground was flat. Her balance was just wonky.
God, she hated her lack of experience with men. Oh, she’d had sex plenty of times. Starting with blow jobs on guys at those horrid cotillion classes and moving on from there. She’d kept trying until she’d figured out she just wasn’t good at relationships. After a while, it just wasn’t worth the effort.
Until now.
Brandon placed his hand on her waist. The air snapped like lightning chasing across the ocean, looking for land.
Confusion shifted through his eyes. Then was gone.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Fine”—sorta, not really, damn it—“just tripped over a, uh, dog toy.”
“Good thing I was here to catch you.” His hand fell away. “But what about the burgers you wanted to grill? And if you’re coming along with me, who’ll watch the dogs?”
If she came along?
He wasn’t rejecting the idea outright.
“The hamburgers will keep just fine in the fridge and we can hit a drive-through on our way.” Did sharing a Big Mac in his truck count as a date? “And I have a list of college students who’re willing to sub at a moment’s notice for extra money.”
“We could get back late.”
“They’re college students. Late night is their specialty.”
“Right, all-night study sessions.” When he smiled, the cleft in his chin called to her finger to tap it. “I should make those calls before we go.”
Her skin tingled. They were really going to work together on this, hang out with each other beyond passing the time over dogs. She had exactly what she’d wanted since first meeting him.
Her gut twisted as she realized he was also everything her mother would have wanted for her. Handsome. Smart. He wasn’t a doctor, but he was a war hero, and her mom would have been thrilled at the notion of him in uniform on Catriona’s arm.
Except, ugh, her mother’s approval should be the kiss of death. Better to think about all the times she and Brandon had talked while their dogs played in the surf. He wasn’t just a guy who wore a uniform.
He was a man. An interesting, attractive man.
She refused to be like her mother, only looking at the surface. Brandon was more than a uniform. More than a “catch.”
And he was completely too David Beckham–hot to ever look at her that way.hen she’d seen the other three—dead—puppies. The biter had been protecting her siblings.
Catriona had picked up the scruffy puppy and tucked the fierce protector into her backpack—just to be safe. She didn’t blame the little one for the bite, but she wasn’t going to offer up her arm as a chew toy. She scooped up the other and held it close enough to see the fleas crawling around in its patchy fur. The little boy pup had trembled so hard, it peed on her. She’d taken them both home, names picked out before she hit the front stoop.
Freckles and Frisbee.
She’d expected her parents to argue about taking them to the veterinarian, but her mother had been strangely cooperative. It wasn’t until they reached the vet’s office that she realized her mom intended to have the puppies put to sleep.