One Day in Apple Grove(10)

“Sorry,” she said, nuzzling her face in the soft fur of the little one she’d been neglecting. “Did you twist your ankle chasing after this little cutie?”

The dog chose that moment to lift his head and stare up at her. His head was cocked to the side, making his ears flop to the left, but it was his underbite and little black lips that had her forgetting all about Doc’s flinty-eyed stare. Melting into a warm puddle, she kissed the tip of the puppy’s nose.

“No.”

Startled by the hard edge in his reply, she looked up in time to see a mix of anger and anguish before Doc blinked and she was left to wonder if she’d imagined it. It was time to change the subject. “What are we going to do?”

***

It was telling that Caitlin used “we,” including him in the dilemma of what to do with the dog. “Now that he’s not running wild, let’s see if he has a collar.”

He let the dog sniff the back of his hand before stroking the soft fur on its neck. “Good boy,” he soothed. “We want to help you.”

“No collar,” she said. She tilted her head and looked up at him, and for a brief moment, he was lost in her pretty green eyes.

Wavy wisps of strawberry blonde hair escaped the braid hanging over her shoulder blades and curled against her cheek and neck. The sudden urge to tuck those wisps behind her ear had him reining in his wayward thoughts. Caitlin Mulcahy had grown up while he’d been away.

“We could call the sheriff and ask if there are any reports of a lost puppy.”

Distracted by the fullness of her bottom lip, her words didn’t register until she narrowed her eyes and reached into her pocket. Idiot, he told himself. She’s worried about the puppy.

The call had already gone through before he could think of a response. “Hi Cindy,” he heard her say. “It’s Cait. We just found a little puppy out on Eden Church Road. Any reports of a little black dog gone missing?”

His mind raced at warp speed, trying to come up with a way to keep her with him for just a little while longer.

She disconnected and looked up at him. “No one reported a missing dog.” She hesitated. “Grace is allergic to dogs…it’s why we don’t have one and why I can’t take him home.” She paused, then laid a hand on his arm. “What are we going to do? We can’t just leave him here.”

Now her question made perfect sense. She’d asked it of him before he realized the depth of her dilemma. “I can take him to my house,” he said slowly, pleased that she still held on to his forearm, whether it was intentional or not. “But with my long hours, he’ll be left alone all day. That’s not a good idea with a puppy—he could get into all kinds of trouble. Maybe you could check up on him in between your repair calls.”

A slight squeeze and then the warmth of her touch vanished. He missed the connection and sincerely hoped Cait would take him up on his suggestion. Feeling oddly energized, he wondered if it was because he hadn’t had a dog since before he’d left for the navy or because Caitlin would be forced to spend time with him, allowing him the luxury of exploring the confusing feelings bombarding him where the lady was concerned.

It was a win-win situation either way.

“Gracie usually gives me just enough time to get from one job to the next,” she said, settling the puppy more securely in her arms. “But we’ve had words over the fact that I can’t keep doing Meg’s jobs and my own.”

He nodded. “Is that why you scratched the truck?” The wave of red sweeping up her throat to her cheeks made him wonder if her temper would match her older sister’s. Instead of taking a step back and dropping the subject, he added, “I don’t think anyone’s ever had an accident with your grandfather’s truck.”

“I didn’t hit anyone.”

He fought against the urge to smile. He didn’t want her to think he was laughing at her—he was simply enjoying her display of temper. “Sorry,” he said, scratching the puppy’s head. “So are you going to tell me what happened?”

She started walking toward her car, puppy cuddled against her. When she was about to open the driver’s side door, he called out to her, “I thought Grace was allergic to dogs?”

She paused and her shoulders slumped. He was right behind her when she grumbled, “Damn it.”

The snort of laughter escaped. Before she could get her back up, he eased the puppy from her arms and walked to the passenger side of her car. Cradling the dog against his chest, he opened the door, settled the pup on the seat and locked him in. When she frowned at him, he told her, “Follow me,” as he opened his driver’s side door.