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She shakes her head and offers a small smile. “Not this time. See, I was wondering if you might be interested in doing a small favor for me.” She glances at Oakley and then back at me. “You know my dog, Bambi?”
I nod. “The Airedale Terrier?”
Stella nods excitedly. “She’s been the best dog. Well, except for one thing.” Stella cringes. “Hold on a minute. I’ll bring in Exhibit A, okay?”
She hurries out to her car. While she’s gone, Oakley gives a little laugh and sits back down on the sofa. I both appreciate and hate that she keeps her distance. “Your aunt is a force of nature. I love her.”
“I do, too. She helped us through some tough times as kids. She’s always been there.” I sit opposite Oakley. “It’s because of her that Sebastian decided to build a resort here in Longdale. We’re all pretty nostalgic for this place.”
Stella reappears in the doorway, a small, curly-haired ball, blinking its big brown eyes. “Bambi had another litter of puppies.” Stella lifts the ball higher and eyes it with mischief. “Not my choice! It’s not like I bred her. She escaped. I have too many dogs, and I didn’t realize she was in heat.”
She slumps down on the sofa I’m sitting on. “Anyway. I do feel responsible for what happened.” Grunting, she squeezes her eyes shut. “She had three and I’ve given away two of them. They’re mutts and we can’t know for sure what mix they are. Not that that matters because they’re absolutely adorable.” She plants a kiss on top of the puppy’s head. “But we have one last one, a boy. And he’s house trained already.” She nuzzles her nose into the puppy’s neck. “I’m sure I’ll be able to find someone to adopt him. But in the meantime, I’m looking for someone to foster him. For a few weeks is all.”
Oakley coos and runs over to them. “Can I?” she asks, reaching for the puffball.
“Of course,” Stella says, eyeing me as she places the puppy in Oakley’s arms.
“And you’re sure you’ll be able to find a permanent family for him?” I ask. I can’t do this right now. I’ve got to figure out how to be successful at a career I never wanted.
“Of course! Look at him! I wish I could keep him, but he’s twelve weeks already and my dog food bill is through the roof. I have four other dogs, including Bambi, and it’s just not possible for me to keep feeding the little rugrat.”
Oakley’s already got him pressed against her shoulder and neck, and Stella reaches out to pet him. The look on Oakley’s face tells me I’m not going to be able to get out of this.
“I’ve always wanted a dog,” Oakley says. “But I used to work such long hours and I traveled with the team, so it was never possible.” Oakley’s rubbing her cheek along the top of the dog’s head. “What’s his name?”
“I haven’t come up with a name yet. You can name him if you’d like.”
“What do you think, honey?” Oakley says, her southern drawl coming out thick as she turns away from me so I can see the dog’s head. “Want to add a baby so we can grow our little family?” She rotates back around to face me, her eyes squeezing as she pleads.
Stella takes in a sharp breath. “Well!” she says, dragging the word out. “Is this an announcement? You two are a family?” Her mouth drops open and her gaze zips back and forth between us.
Well. This was not how I saw my day turning out.
Chapter 23
Oakley
Now Alec and I are actually playing house. Our little fantasy that we have going on here has accelerated and now it involves a real, live puppy to boot.
Still no touching. But I’m blaming Jerry—Jerry Rice—for that. If there was ever a reason I wasn’t kissing the incredibly sexy Alec Tate, our own rules and the adorable, chubby-puppy-footed Jerry would be the only acceptable things.
He’s so soft, squishy, and cuddly and prefers being held over anything else. And, unfortunately, I’m not talking about Alec.
He and I took turns heading back to the house during the day to take Jerry out of the crate for a potty break and to feed him. I know we weren’t prepared for this, and it wasn’t the plan, but I can’t help but be super excited about it. We had dogs growing up and I’ve missed having one. I’ve missed that feeling of having a purpose beyond myself.
I am afraid I’m going to get really attached and then when I find a job with a new team, it will break my heart to leave him.
And no, I’m not just talking about Jerry.
This is exactly what I was hoping to avoid, the swirly excitement in my gut whenever Alec walks in the room, the palpitations I experience when he cooks for me and when he grabs my hand for a brief moment at the part of the walking trail that has the big tree root that I tripped on that first night.
At this point, this is the only touching that is acceptable because it’s done to avoid bodily harm.
“Look at these feet.” I’m holding Jerry on the couch in the great room, and I grab his front paws and dangle them in the air.
Alec is across from me on the other sofa. His blank expression tells me he’s at a loss. “They’re…dog paws?”
“Chubby puppy feet, Alec! The best kind of feet.” I bury my nose in the soft fur.
