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But the dog barked again. Baffled by the dog’s behavior, Amanda went to him.
“Why are you being so weird? Come on. I have banana cream pie. I’ll share if you behave.”
The front door opened.
Amanda yelped and jumped in shock, almost dropping the pie box, but a set of hands reached out and caught it in time.
“Banana cream pie, my favorite. Is it for me?” asked Gene Rowland, smiling innocently at her.
Gene watched Amanda’s green eyes darken as her initial confusion cleared up. Though her eyes betrayed her, she neutralized her expression, as if seeing him hadn’t affected her. He, on the other hand, felt a calm he’d never experience before wash over him. And all he wanted to do was to pull her into his arms and kiss her silly.
“What are you doing there?” Amanda gestured into the duplex unit.
“Unpacking,” he answered, bending down to give Loki a scratch. “Hey, bud. I miss you.”
The dog bounced on his hind legs and barked happily.
“Wanna come in?” Gene said as he retreated back inside, bringing the pie box with him.
Loki followed him without question, while Amanda hesitated at the threshold but stepped in as curiosity won.
“What do you mean unpacking?” Amanda looked around the front room, where a few boxes were still sealed.
“What else does unpacking mean?”
Gene put down the pie box on the kitchen counter and took out a dog treat for Loki from the box he’d just bought.
Amanda watched her dog munch on the treat, then lay down on the floor contentedly.
Gene could’ve sworn he heard her mutter, “Traitor.”
“I know Mr. Delaney had his handyman and painter working here all week, but he didn’t say anyone was moving in,” Amanda said, standing in the middle of the still-messy living room.
He was in the middle of shelving books when he’d heard her car pull up.
“My parents and Patrick helped me moved my stuff from storage today,” Gene said. “Between the four of us, I think we did a pretty fast job.”
“I just saw your parents at the store. They didn’t mention anything about—” She frowned. “Wait. Why did you take your stuff out of storage?”
Gene frowned back at her. “Why would I pay for a storage when I can put them here?”
“And move them out again in a few weeks?”
He went to her. “I’m not going anywhere. I signed a year lease.”
“A year? But you’re only working here for—”
“I talked Dr. Bloom into letting me buy into the practice,” Gene interrupted.
“You’re buying into Dr. Bloom’s Clinic?” Her voice went high in disbelief.
“With the option to buy the Blooms’ shares when they retire.”
Amanda didn’t bother to mask her shock anymore. She stared at him with big, round green eyes.
“Why? What happened to going back to Atlanta or going abroad?”
“I’ve put in my resignation at the hospital,” Gene said.
