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“Hey, man.” I laughed and clapped his shoulder. “Yeah, I gotta make a quick pickup before I head to the first job site.”
He scratched Kona’s head and then slipped his hands in his pockets, rocking back on his heels. “The first job site? Damn, do you ever sleep?”
“Not nearly enough.” And I wasn’t exaggerating. I’d always suffered from insomnia, so working out until I was physically exhausted was usually the best way to ensure some rest. But until I had this studio finished and knew Billy was in a safe space, I didn’t expect to get in many workouts or much rest. “But one job is almost finished, so then I can focus on the other. Anyway…” I glanced around the store, looking for the home goods section. “I’m looking for a sofa bed I can take with me today.”
“Sure thing. We have several to choose from.” Roland turned back the way he had been coming from and started walking. “You got some unexpected guests coming to stay with you?”
If he were staying with me, it wouldn’t be in a separate bed. What? Where did that come from? I shook my head. “No, setting up a break room/crash pad for one of my clients. They need it sooner rather than later, so I want to get the basics in there today.”
“Cool. We also have linens if you want to pick up sheets and pillows here so you don’t have to buy those separately.”
I hadn’t even thought about those. “Good idea. Might as well get everything they’ll need, just in case.”
Roland showed me several sofa-bed models, including one that was on clearance because there was a grease mark on the back, so they couldn’t sell it as new. It was one of the higher-rated brands, and he’d heard great reviews from customers that owned it. “A little bit of grease-out will probably take care of the mark.”
I agreed. And where we planned to put it, no one would ever see it. “Yeah, this is good. Can I pick it up after work so it’s not in the back of my truck all day?”
“Sure thing.” He glanced at his watch. “Actually, the delivery truck hasn’t left for the day yet. If you want us to just drop it off at the site for you, we can do that. It’ll arrive anytime between noon and four today.”
“That would be perfect. I should be getting off work sometime around then, so that works out.”
I was sure I could finish the sheet rock that needed to be hung early if I worked through lunch. That would give me enough time to set up the sofa bed and maybe even see Billy’s reaction when the guys told him it was immediately available for his use.
In case he didn’t want to go home tonight.
FOUR
BILLY
The day went like most other days.
I had the water bowls filled and the agility toys set up in the yard before Jesse and Jason showed up. I usually opened up in the morning so they didn’t have to rush in. But they had no idea how early I arrived. I didn’t bill them for the extra time, but I tried to get out of my house before the sun came up and the chances of my dad waking up increased.
I almost ran into Dad on my way out the door, but I managed to slip out the back before he noticed I was awake.
It was a good thing I did because I had been carrying a bag of trash that I couldn’t allow him to see. My sleep problem wasn’t getting better, but the diaper did its job and contained the mess so my sheets stayed dry. And that allowed me to sleep longer than usual. I almost snoozed my alarm before realizing the cool material on my skin meant I needed to get cleaned up immediately.
But as I set out the last batch of dog treats I’d baked over the weekend, the front door opened and Axel walked in with his little dog Kona. He was the perfect specimen of a man. Axel was tall and buff with shoulders twice as wide as mine but made of solid muscle. He worked in construction and was helping the guys make some renovations to the building, but I didn’t pay too much attention to the project they had brewing. I had a feeling it had something to do with me being able to stay overnight when we boarded dogs, but I wasn’t sure.
And I didn’t want to get my hopes up, so I tried not to pry whenever it was brought up. What my attention was completely focused on was Axel. He always seemed to seek me out whenever he came into the room. Even better, he always had a ready smile for me.
A few times, he’d tried to engage me in small talk, but I always panicked and found a reason to run outside. He probably thought I was completely socially inept. He wouldn’t actually be wrong about that, but since I was in the middle of a task right then, I couldn’t exactly find a reason to leave everything sitting out while I ran away.
And that was why he was able to approach me. When he did, I couldn’t help but notice he wasn’t as cheery as usual. “Hey there, Billy. How’s it going?”
“I’m good.” Not sure what else to say, I reached for Kona. “I can take her for you. I’m sure you need to get to work.”
He handed over his dog after dropping a quick kiss on her head. “Thanks.” He waved a finger at Kona. “And you’d be good for Billy and the boys. They don’t want to deal with your drama today.”
Something about the way he said boys made my tummy flutter, and I couldn’t help but smile. “She’s always good for us. A little hyper sometimes but always good.”
When I met his gaze again, Axel was staring right at me. “I hope so. And I’ll see you around three or four today. I’ll be working in the storage room, and there will be a delivery for me somewhere around that time.”
I just nodded. “Okay. I’ll let Jason and Jesse know.”
Axel stood there for another moment before finally stepping back and then walking out of the building. He seemed to be lingering for a reason, but it was obviously not meant for my ears. Probably something he needed to discuss with Jason and Jesse. As the owners of Doggone Doggy Daycare, they made the decisions. I was just the hired help. The hired help that snuck over to the window and watched Axel’s every step until he climbed up into his truck and drove away.
“Someone has a crush.” Jason came up beside me, holding Peaches in his arms. “Or should I say someones…?”
