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‘You okay?’
It took a couple of seconds before Maya found the breath to reply. Her heart was still pounding like a hammer inside her chest. ‘I’m fine…I think…’
‘She was just excited to see you…weren’t you, girl?’
He stooped to ruffle the hound behind the ears, and she responded by rolling on the ground in apparent ecstasy.
Maya sensed her heartbeat slowly return to normal, but she was still disturbingly emotional at the raw childhood memory that had suddenly flooded back to her. The incident had occurred at one of her father’s infamous parties. The Alsatian had belonged to a worldfamous rock star that Alistair Devereaux hadn’t wanted to offend because he’d just spent a ‘shed-load’ of money buying one of his paintings, and he’d made no effort whatsoever to comfort his shocked and sobbing daughter other than to tell her to ‘stop making a fuss about nothing and go to bed’.
‘All animals are basically wild and unpredictable.’ Standing tall again, Blaise was studying Maya with a direct look that left her with nowhere to hide. ‘But I’m fairly certain Sheba wouldn’t have hurt you. She was just excited to meet someone new.’
‘Why do owners of dogs always assume that those without dogs don’t mind if they jump up at them or practically knock them down?’ Maya snapped, shocked at her own lack of control over her temper, and her failure to keep her voice at all steady.
‘There’s been an incident in the past when that happened to you? I mean when somebody’s dog knocked you down and hurt you, perhaps?’
CHAPTER FIVE
HOW did he guess? Was it so obvious she was scared out of her wits because a similar thing had happened before? ‘Yes, a large dog did knock me down. It happened when I was about ten years old, and when it slammed into me I couldn’t get my breath. I really thought I was going to die.’
‘Come over here.’
‘What?’
A genuine expression of concern was written on the handsome face that gazed back at her over the car bonnet, and Maya felt as though she were still that frightened ten-year-old girl, badly shaken and in need of reassurance. There was a movement to the side of her and she noticed a much older man with neatly combed silver hair dressed in navy overalls standing watching them.
‘I said come over here.’
Still nervous of the Wolfhound that now lolled at Blaise’s feet as though she was some playful kitten, rather than the huge, potentially threatening beast she actually was, Maya sucked in a shaky breath and walked forward.
‘Give me your hand,’ Blaise directed.
For reasons unknown to her right at that moment, she obeyed. The most delicious warmth spread through her entire being as he guided her palm gently to Sheba’s head and helped her stroke it over the trimmed thick slate-grey fur that covered the dog’s skull. The animal turned trusting brown eyes towards her, letting Maya know she was enjoying her touch and was not remotely hostile. Breathing was suddenly easier and she relaxed.
‘See?’ Blaise grinned, eyes sparkling like dazzling twin lakes shot through with sunlight as he observed her, causing a miniature firework display to be ignited in the pit of her stomach. ‘She likes you. Given time, she’ll become your friend and want to protect you.’
‘Will I need protecting?’ she quipped, her own gaze falling into his as if she was falling into the sky. He disconcerted her by saying nothing and intensifying his glance. Then, still holding onto her hand, he straightened to his full height and turned towards the elderly man in overalls.
‘Come and meet Tom. He and his wife Lottie used to look after the house for my parents, and now they do the same for me.’
‘Sorry about Sheba running at your lady-friend, Mr Walker,’ Tom apologised, inclining his head deferentially towards Maya. ‘She always knows when it’s your car coming up the drive, no matter what vehicle you’re driving, and I couldn’t hold onto her.’
‘That’s okay. No harm done, I think?’
‘No,’ Maya agreed, smiling tentatively. To her secret disappointment, Blaise let go of her hand to clap Tom on the shoulder.
‘I know she misses me when I’m away…as I miss her. Well, Tom, this is Maya Hayward and, as I explained to Lottie on the phone yesterday, she’ll be staying at the house and working with me over the next few weeks. Is her room ready?’
‘Lottie’s got it all in hand, Mr Walker. But first I think she’s getting a cup of tea ready for you both in the kitchen.’
‘Then we’ll go and find her. Will you bring our bags in? Thanks, Tom.’
