She smiled at him, then Jessie. “Thank you. I promise you I would never hurt her.”
As Sherry leaned over to fill out the form, Jessie reached her hand to the dog.
“Hey, Lola. You forget about me, baby?”
She turned and wagged, but clearly her interest had waned.#p#分页标题#e#
“Jessie kept your dog from starving herself to death,” Garrett said, making Sherry look up from the form.
“Really?”
“Oh, it was…” No, it was not nothing, Jessie thought. It was a tiny bit life-changing. “My pleasure,” she added. “I fell hard for her.”
That made Sherry smile. “She’s special like that. I appreciate you loving her for me.”
“I did. I do.” A lump formed in her throat, unexpected but real. “Hey, Lola. Do you want to show your new trick to your mom? Let’s go outside and practice while they finish this business.” Jessie stood, anxious to get out of the room so this stranger didn’t see her emotions. “Do you mind?” she asked Sherry.
“No, of course. I’ll be right out.”
“Come, Lola.” She snapped her fingers, but Lola looked at her owner for permission first.
Outside, Jessie blinked back some tears and walked Lola to the grass for the last time, hugging her with both arms around her neck. “I’m going to miss you, you know that?”
A wave of emotion rolled up and threatened more tears, so Jessie closed her eyes and let Lola lick her face. “It was fun being your number one,” she whispered. “Even if it was only for a little bit.”
Lola barked and pulled away, instantly darting toward her real number one as Sherry and Garrett came closer.
“Let’s see this trick,” Sherry said, much friendlier now than when she arrived.
“All right. Lola, come.” Jessie got on one knee. “High five!”
Lola lifted her paw and tapped Jessie’s.
“That’s awesome,” Sherry said, leaning over to pet the dog. “Now tell me you love me, Trisket.”
Lola barked three times.
“I love you, too,” Sherry said.
Three more barks.
“That’s…I love you?” Jessie asked on a whisper.
“Her first trick,” Sherry said. “Three times, always, when she sees me. I-love-you.”
Lola did it again, as if to agree with her owner.
Jessie sighed and looked up at Garrett. “All this time, she’s been saying I love you, and I didn’t even know.”
“She showed you,” he whispered. “You didn’t have to know she was thinking it.”
The words rolled over her, easing the pain in her chest.
“I’m so happy she was here,” Sherry said as she started to walk away and Lola went with her. “Come on, Trissie. We have a long ride ahead.” She reached out and shook Garrett’s hand and added a quick hug to Jessie. “Thank you so much.”
They walked out of the training area, around the fence, and headed to an SUV parked in the driveway.
“Bye, Lola,” Jessie called, tears rolling now.
Lola stopped, turned, and barked three times.
“I love you, too,” she whispered, turning to Garrett, who pulled her closer. Everything in her wanted to say the same thing to him, but something stopped her. Probably the great big black hole of hurt in her chest.
Chapter Twenty-one
He could bark three times.
Chopping some vegetables for the romantic dinner at home he’d planned while he waited for Jessie that night, Garrett mulled over how to tell Jessie how he felt about her. And that he wanted her to stay, but if she didn’t, he understood and could do long distance if he had to.
Because she wasn’t going to give up that anchor job, and he’d known that from the beginning. So how had he let himself fall so damn hard for her?#p#分页标题#e#
He didn’t know, but it happened. All the walls were gone—with her, at least—and all he wanted was to keep her as close to him as possible. How did you tell a woman she should change her life, leave her big-time job, and work on a dog farm?
You don’t, fool.
So he’d have to make the most of their few nights left. He shouldn’t muddy the waters by telling her he loved her. Maybe someday. Maybe things would change. But not tonight.
A few minutes later, a light tap on the door had him smiling before he even opened it. When he did, his whole heart melted, and every other organ did the opposite.
Who was he kidding? He’d never last the night without confessing his true feelings.
“Wow,” he whispered, checking out the waves she’d added to her hair, giving it a tousled, sexy look. She wore something sparkly on her eyes, her mouth glistened with lip gloss he couldn’t wait to taste, and she’d dressed in a slinky black top over skin-tight white jeans and high heels that should be sold with condoms in the shoe box.