More Than a Rescue(2)

 

"None at the moment. The animal rescue on the other side of town just took in eight hound pups. The poor things looked awfully thin. I figured Kate would probably appreciate the food."

"That Katie MacDonald sure has a soft spot for her critters. They'll be in good hands, that's for sure."

"Yeah. I'm just glad she had space for them. I'll talk to you later, Bill." He tipped his head and climbed in his truck, thankful he'd finally extricated himself from the older man's clutches. Not that he had anywhere he needed to be on a Saturday afternoon. Nothing waited for him at home except a few quick chores and dinner. A twinge of guilt pinched him for not visiting longer with Mr. Peterman. Then he reminded himself he'd stayed almost fifteen minutes after he'd paid for his purchase. He'd nodded his head and listened dutifully as Bill rambled from one topic to another.

But even a patient man had his limits.

Debating his dinner choices, he pulled out onto the county road. Thanks to all the upheaval at the Sheriff's department where he worked, he'd been busy. He'd gotten stuck in a rut. The same fast food and frozen dinners had gotten old quick.

Is it the food or something more? He changed the radio station and admitted to himself that far more than his diet had gotten boring over the past few months. How did a single man with little free time on his hands change up his life? Other than when he'd attended college, he'd lived in Riley Creek all his life and had no desire to move away. He liked his job and had no desire to look for another.

Maybe he should talk to Kate about helping at the Riley Creek Animal Rescue a few hours a week? It wasn't much, but it might be a good place to start. Something told him that wouldn't be enough.

Entering a long curve shaded by trees, he slowed his truck. When the road straightened, he saw a car stopped as close to the edge as it could get without going over into the creek. The emergency flashers blinked. He parked behind the little red four-door.

Stepping out of his truck, he paused when a pretty brunette exited her car. Curious, he walked through the grass and took in her odd appearance as she answered her phone. She leaned her backside against the side of the car and bent one knee, pressing the sole of her blue canvas shoe against the tire. She wore cutoff jean shorts and a plaid short-sleeve blouse. Cute and casual, yet her hair had been fixed in some sort of fancy updo. It was piled on top of her head with sexy little tendrils that he'd bet money had been intentionally planned.

The combination of formal and comfortable should have looked ridiculous, but something about it struck him as utterly beautiful. Still, there was something familiar about her that he couldn't quite put his finger on.

With her phone pressed to her ear with her shoulder, she waved her hands in the air as she spoke. As he neared the car's bumper, her anxiety became more apparent. Her voice sounded achingly familiar. "I don't understand why he's not answering his phone. Babe, I'm beyond thankful for everything you've done, but you shouldn't have to be my only source of help. This entire day has been one catastrophe after another." When he neared the car's bumper, she turned to greet him. Damp, sky blue eyes looked up, making his gut tighten. He knew that lovely face.

When her expression lit with hope, he felt ten feet tall. There was a time when he would have done anything to dry those tears. "Olivia? Hey. I haven't seen you in forever. What's wrong?"

"Caleb! Thank goodness." Instant relief brightened her expression. He heard someone call her name through the tiny speaker in the phone. Then she answered the squawk. "Michelle? It's Caleb Phillips. I know him from a long time ago. Yes, he's a good guy, one of the very best. I'll call you back if I can't make it." She disconnected and looked up with those heart-stopping eyes.

"Did your car break down?" He thought he should probably look under the hood but couldn't pull himself away from a face he hadn't seen in years.

"I think I ran out of gas. I feel so stupid. It's been a terrible day and I'm running late." She bent over and reached back into her car, gifting him with a view of her curvy backside. The frayed denim hems of her shorts rose up the back of her smooth thighs and stopped just an inch shy of her cheeks.

He swallowed and closed his eyes. When he heard rustling sounds, his eyelids popped open in time to see her heft a large tote over her shoulder, and a garment bag over her arm. "I need a huge favor. Can I bother you for a ride?"

"Sure. Where are we going?"

"Riley Creek Chapel. I was supposed to be there almost an hour ago. I need a ride. Desperately."   





 

"All right, let's go." He wanted to get her car off the shoulder and parked somewhere safer, but Olivia was near panicked. The sight of her tears gutted him. He'd get her to the chapel, get the keys, then call someone to help take care of her car. He held out a hand to help carry her things, but she was so focused on getting to his truck she didn't notice. He hurried and just beat her to the passenger door. Opening it, he readied to give her a hand up.

When she looked up, shooting him a brilliant smile, he felt like he could move mountains. "Thank you so much. I owe you." She threw her things over into the truck's extended cab.

"It's really not a big deal. I don't have anything waiting on me except another frozen dinner." He held the door, ready to close it after she climbed in only to frown in confusion when she ran back to her car. She opened the back door and reached inside. When a scruffy mutt with a red collar and matching leash hopped down onto the grass, he paused.

She gave the leash a little tug, but the dog stopped and ignored her urging. When he squatted to relieve himself, she visibly took a deep breath. She put her hands on her hips and looked to the sky. When the dog finished, she led him over, his nose sampling scents all along the way. When they finally made it back to the door, he continued to hold it open. She bent, wrapped her arms around the dog's middle, and hefted it into his ride. She climbed up after the dog and quickly fastened her seatbelt.

He shut the door and hurried around to get in behind the wheel. "You said you need to get to Riley Creek Chapel?" He started the truck and got them on their way.

"Yes. I can't thank you enough." She started to run her hand through her hair but when she remembered it was styled, she placed her hand on the dog's back. It lay between them on the bench seat, happily taking in his surroundings. "This has been a terrible day. I'm so sorry to have troubled you."

"It's nothing." His gaze wandered to the dog between them before looking back to the road. "So … you're taking your dog to the wedding?"

Her shoulders raised and fell on a heavy breath. "Yes. My fiancé won't be happy with me, but I didn't have much choice. If I leave him loose at home, I won't have much of a house left to come home to. He destroyed the gate that I used to contain him to the laundry room, and I don't have anywhere else to put him. My landlord will strangle me if he tears up anything else. He's already dug three holes in the backyard and chewed on two of the fence panels. I'm worried he'll get out if I leave him alone. I don't even want to talk about the inside of the house."

"Have you thought about crate training him? Or obedience lessons?"

She turned her head, tilting it as if pondering his words, but she answered as if the idea wasn't a new topic. "That's next on the list as soon as I get this wedding over with. I actually had classes scheduled to start, but I couldn't make them this week." She ruffled the dog's fur before defending him. "He really is a pretty good dog. He's still young, and we've got a couple of kinks to work out, but truly, he's a good boy."

"Sure. You don't have to defend him to me. It takes a while to get the puppy out of them. You just have to be patient and consistent."

Again, she looked at him with that considering gaze. Then her face clouded, and she turned to look out the window. What did I say to steal her smile? It was such a lovely sight, he hated to see it go. He remembered a time when one of his favorite pastimes had been making her laugh.

"So, it's your wedding?" He'd assumed she was one of the bridesmaids or something.

"Yes. Thanks to a little family pressure, I had to plan everything at the last minute. To say it's been frustrating would be an understatement. I'm surprised I had any hair left for Betty to style."

"I thought weddings are supposed to be about happily ever afters. The bride's dream come true and all that?"

"Well, I thought so, too. Lucky me," she said dryly. "This one has been anything but." When her lovely features dimmed further, his frustration sparked. Her fiancé was a dumbass.

On a hunch, he changed the subject. "What's your boy's name?"

"He came with the name Boomer. It seems to have stuck." And the smile was back.

"How long have you had him?" He turned on his blinker and made a turn onto the road that would lead them to the chapel.

"Just a few months. I saw his picture online, and those big brown eyes were my undoing. Two days later, I found myself out at the animal rescue. It was love at first sight."   





 

He thought about the hounds that they found out on Route Eighty-two. "Happens quickly, doesn't it?"

"It really does. Do you have any pets?" Genuine interest made her already pretty features even more so. He found the few scattered freckles on her bare face adorable and had to rein in the sudden urge to pull her closer for a kiss. He remembered the feel of her mouth beneath his like it had been yesterday and not almost a decade. Heaven knew that in the time they'd dated, they'd packed enough kisses for an entire year into those few short weeks. They'd spent enough time together in the summer before they'd gone to different colleges to last most couples a year.