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“I did—as did you, I might add—but here we are now. I’d like to have my dog back so I can get him medical attention after whatever you did to him.”
“I didn’t do a damn thing to him besides come to his rescue. He was in the road. Back legs all caught up in some cable.”
Yeah. That sounded like something Blaze would do. Shit.
“Well, I’ll take care of him from here. Hand him over.” Again, she made a move to take her dog and again, Jackson stepped back. His dark hair was slicked back and he had a short beard framing his mouth. A mouth Isabel knew first hand was capable of amazing things. Things that had left her a quivering ball of goo on many occasions.
But that was years and years ago. Before he left her behind. Left her alone.
“He shouldn’t be moved too much,” Jackson said, looking down at Blaze. “The vet cut him free of the cable, but she had to stitch a couple of deep gashes on his back legs. Show me where you want him and I’ll set him down.” He took a step toward her as if to follow wherever she led, but Isabel didn’t move.
She’d be an idiot to let this guy into her grandfather’s cottage—her cottage—for the time she was in Maplehaven. She didn’t even want to be out in the same rainy night with him.
“I know how to handle my own dog. Let me have him.” She held out her arms, ready to receive.
“If you allowed your dog out in this weather so he could get into trouble then I’d say you don’t know how to handle your own dog.” Jackson turned slightly as if to shield the dog from her reach.
Seriously? This guy was going to keep her from her dog? Not happening.
“Jackson, that is my dog. You will give him to me right now or I’m calling the police.”
He let out a short laugh that instantly got on her nerves. “Go ahead. I’m sure my detective brother will find it hysterical you thought me guilty of some dog-hating crime here.”
Figures. She’d forgotten about the three brothers Jackson had. Of course one of them had grown up to be a cop.
“You’re not some hero, Jackson. I need my dog and to get out of this rain.” She stepped right up to him now, ignoring the way his wet T-shirt was plastered to shoulders she didn’t recall being so broad when she’d last seen him.
Taking a forklift approach with her arms, she managed to get them under Blaze. Her hands raked along Jackson’s forearms and she refused to acknowledge the flutters in her belly that skin-to-skin contact caused. She had one objective right now.
Get. Her. Dog.
Jackson helped by tilting forward a bit so Blaze’s weight shifted toward her. “Support his legs.”
“I’ve got him.” She kept her gaze focused on her dog, not daring to look Jackson in the eye as his head neared hers and he released his hold on Blaze. Once she had a good grip on the dog, she turned around and headed for her grandfather’s cottage.
“You’re welcome!” Rain didn’t overshadow Jackson’s deep voice now, but she didn’t reply.
Isabel didn’t owe him any thanks. The only thing he’d ever done for her was break her heart.
