“He’s a nice dog. What’s his name?”
“Rolf.”
“Good German name.”
“He came that way from Germany.”
“An import?”
“Yeah. A friend of mine had his aunt flown in from Hamburg. Sweetest dog I’ve ever met. I never knew a German Shepherd could be that good. I fell in love with Lana and wanted one just like her.” She caressed the dog’s pointy ear, and he leaned against her leg, still panting. “It just so happened that her littermate was bred that summer. I got lucky.”
He opened his mouth to ask another question when the doorbell chimed, and Rolf immediately went off.
“OK!” Jannie said.
And, just like that, the barking stopped.
Nick shook his head in awe.
Squinting, she looked through the glass doors to the front, where a shadow lurked at the main door.
“That would be Uber Eats,” Nick said.
“Uber Eats?”
“Yeah.” He gave her a half-smile. “I was hungry. Thought you might be too, so I got us something.”
“Presumptuous of you.”
“Yeah, well, I thought I’d take a risk and apologize after the fact.” She started to head inside, but he motioned to the high-top barstools. “Enjoy this beautiful lake for a few. I’ll be right back.”
“This is my house.”
“And that’s the food I ordered.”
She stiffened.
He caught her rebellious gaze. “Please, Jannie. Let me do this for you.”
“I didn’t ask—”
The doorbell rang again.
With a huff, she yanked a chair back and dropped into it, her mouth tight.
His gaze slid to her rapidly rising and falling breasts above the sky-blue ribbed tank top she wore. He forced himself to look up at her face.
Her fiery eyes were so dark blue, he thought he could drown in them and die a happy man.
His heart squeezed at her severe expression, every muscle taut, including the one at her jaw.
This was going to be a tough task, but damned if he didn’t welcome the challenge.
Because what she made him feel was worth it.
Jannie
The only reason she didn’t throw him out was that she had to dry his clothes.
