Page 40 of Bailey

A growl started down in the dog’s throat, and he lowered himself further to the ground, just as Bailey saw Sir come galloping around the front of the house. Pansy streaked by him a moment later, and Boots jumped to his feet, barking, barking, barking.

Bailey’s heartbeat jumped up into the back of her throat, as she didn’t know what Boots would do with Reeves’s two friendly dogs. Pansy barked too, and because Bailey had never heard her do that, she wasn’t sure if it signaled to Boots that she was friendly or on the attack.

Sir barked, and his whole body seemed full of joy as he tried to keep up with Pansy and failed. Boots darted over behind Bailey, where he flattened himself to the ground, bared his teeth, and barked again.

“Hey, you’re okay,” Bailey said. “You’re all right.”

She crouched down next to the dog and held out one hand as Pansy neared. Thankfully, the blue heeler had been trained well, and she slowed and came to a stop in front of Bailey, just out of arm’s reach.

“Hey, come on, girl,” she said. “Come meet Boots. He’s just staying with me for a little bit, and he’s really nice.”

He’d also had flea bites all over him, and Bailey had shaved his hair down close to the skin to get at the more infected ones and make sure she could treat them with her antibiotic cream. Sir arrived in a much less graceful fashion, and he ran in a full circle around Bailey, while Boots tracked his every movement. She laughed as Sir finally cuddled into her chest and rubbed himself along her shoulders like he had part feline DNA.

“This is Boots,” she told him, as if the dogs would exchange pleasantries.

She glanced up and saw Reeves walking down her dirt road, unsurprised to find a pink pastry box in one hand and to-go coffee cups in the other. The man loved to bring her food and drinks and make sure she was comfortable. Bailey certainly wasn’t going to complain, because it had been a long time—too long—since someone had been obviously thinking about her the way he did.

Pansy lowered herself into her herding stance and approached Boots. A sniff-fest started, but Bailey didn’t think a fight would break out. She rose to a standing position and started back toward Reeves.

“You’re not at work today,” he called, not really asking a question.

She shook her head and paused in the shade of a tree. “I had some morning appointments out at a couple of small farms,” she said, reaching for the coffee cups he carried as he neared. He’d been down to the Sip and Stay near the vet clinic, and a slip of guilt pulled through Bailey. “You made a long drive for nothing.”

“I should probably text you instead of trying to surprise you.” He smiled at her and then leaned in for a kiss.

She received his touch, enjoying the way the world turned slower with his mouth against hers. It didn’t matter that four of her five acres needed a major clean-up, or that hundreds of people would see them together at the wedding on Saturday, or that Bailey needed another front desk secretary to handle the workload and two more pet daycare attendants.

All that mattered was making sure Reeves knew how she felt, and being as close as possible to him.

He pulled away and lifted the pink pastry box. “I brought chocolate croissants,” he said. “And lemon blueberry muffins.”

“Both of those sound amazing.”

He opened the box and held it on display for her while she peered inside. He glanced around her farm, and Bailey knew he’d have opinions on it, which didn’t bother her so much. She lifted a chocolate croissant out of the box. “How’s Frosting?” she asked.

“He’s doing real well,” he said. “Matilda took to him immediately, and she seems to have enough milk for both babies.”

Bailey nodded. “I’m real glad.” She took a bite of her chocolate croissant, and pure happiness flowed through her. “You don’t have to keep him forever. I’m sure we can adopt him out once he’s weaned.”

“I’d like to keep him,” Reeves said. “He might be a good stud for my does next year.”

Bailey grinned at him, and he reached out and wiped his thumb down the side of her mouth. “You got some chocolate there,” he murmured, and Bailey only smiled wider.

“You need a picnic table or something out here,” he said, immediately pulling in a breath and looking away from her. She noted the way a slight flush crawled into his face, and that only sent a thrill right down to her toes.

“There’s one down by the stream.” She turned back the way she’d been walking before Boots had started growling. “My place needs a lot more work than yours,” she said. “And I’ve been thinking of hiring someone to come till me a garden this spring.”

“I can till you a garden this spring,” Reeves said, raising his eyebrows.

She leaned into his chest and placed one hand right over his heart. “Would you?”

“Sure,” he said. “You show me where you want it, and I’ll start prepping the land.”

“We don’t have to plant for probably another month, at least.”

“I’ve been burned before and lost my peas and beans in a late freeze,” he said. “I don’t plant until at least Memorial Day.”

Bailey nodded in agreement. “Maybe we can come back here tomorrow after the wedding and find a spot closer to the house.”