Pregnant by the Texan(11)
Her phone dinged and she took it out. “Excuse me,” she said as she read the text message and answered it.
Their dinner came and they talked about the houses that were being rebuilt by his company and the families who would eventually occupy them. With Aaron she had a bubbling excitement that took away her appetite. She didn’t want him to notice, so she kept eating small bites slowly. Before she was half-through, she got a call on her phone.
“Aaron—” She shrugged.
“Take the call. I don’t mind.”
She talked briefly and then ended the call. “That’s Mildred Payne. She’s elderly and lives alone. Her family lives in Waco. Her best friend was one of the casualties of the storm. She just called me because her little dog got out and is lost. Mildred’s crying and phoned me because I’ve helped her before. I’m sorry, Aaron, but I have to go help her find her dog.”
He smiled. “Come on. I’ll get the waiter and then I’ll take you and we’ll find the dog.”
“You don’t have to.”
“I know I don’t have to. I want to be with you and maybe I can help.”
“I need to run to my suite and get my coat.”
“I’ll meet you in the lobby near the front door in five minutes.”
“Thanks.”
“Wouldn’t miss a dog hunt with you for anything,” he said as they parted.
She laughed and rushed to get her coat. When she came back to the lobby, Aaron was standing by the door. He had on a black leather bomber jacket and once again just the sight of him made her breathless.
His car was waiting outside and a doorman held the door for her as Aaron went around to slide behind the wheel. She told him the address and gave him directions. “You’re turning out to be a reliable guy,” she said. “I appreciate this.”
“You don’t know the half about me,” he said in an exaggerated drawl, and she smiled.
“To be truthful, I’m glad I don’t have to hunt for the dog by myself. I do know the dog. It’s a Jack Russell terrier named Dobbin. If you’ll stop at a grocery I’ll run in and get a bag of treats because he’ll come for a doggie treat.”
“I’ll stop, but if we were home and I was in my own car, we wouldn’t have to. My brother has a dog and I keep a bag of treats in the trunk of my car. That dog loves me.”
“Well, so do I,” she said playfully. “You’re willing to hunt for Dobbin.”
“When we find Dobbin, we’ll go back to the Cozy Inn and I’ll show you treats for someone with big blue eyes and long brown hair—”
“Whoa. You just find Dobbin and we’ll all be happy,” she said, laughing. “Seriously, Aaron, I appreciate you volunteering to help. It’s cold and it’s dark out. I don’t relish hunting for a dog, and Dobbin is playful.”
“So am I if you’ll give me half a chance,” he said. She shook her head.
“I’m not giving you a chance at all. Just concentrate on Dobbin.”
“I’ll only be a minute,” he said, pulling into the brightly lit parking lot of a convenience store. He left the engine running with the heater on while he hurried inside. She watched him come out with a bag of treats.