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“It’s no trouble.”
“I’ve got some things to do and then I’ll go. But uh, thanks for today,” she added reluctantly.
He puffed up with pride from her appreciative words. “Sure thing, same time tomorrow?”
She met his stare, her dark eyes narrowed slightly, then he watched as they dipped to his mouth like she had done earlier.
“If you would like to come back, then that would be fine.”
He smiled again, eager for another chance to spend more time with her. “Great, see you in the morning.”
He waited for her to turn her back and leave but she didn’t, she was waiting him out. “If you don’t like coffee, what can I bring you in the morning?”
She pursed her lips. “Nothing. I don’t want anything from you,” she said, the unfriendly back in her tone. He had pushed her too far again and he wasn’t even sure how. He was slowly learning her boundaries though. He’d get around them, he’d lower her defenses and she would let him in, he had time.
“Goodbye, Rebelle.”
That night, he slept like the dead and when he got up in the morning, muscles that he didn’t even know he had ached. He had done a hard day’s work yesterday and his body was screaming in pain but his soul felt rejuvenated. He hadn’t thought about the mess his life seemed to be or the responsibility weighing heavy on his shoulders. How he was almost ready to throw his entire career away. Or what was waiting for him when he got home and he hadn’t felt that knot constrict his chest recently.
He washappy.
Will stopped by Ruby’s Diner, grabbed a coffee for him and a hot cocoa for Rebelle, figuring maybe she liked that instead. He was determined to find out what she liked. He grabbed a couple more donuts and drove over to the shelter.
Rebelle was waiting for him again, her pale skin shining in the sunlight but this time he noticed dark circles under her eyes.
“Hot cocoa fan?” he asked as he made his way over to her, holding a cup out to her.
“No. I told you not to get me anything,” she grumbled.
“You said you didn’twantanything from me,” he replied, and her plump lips pursed at his words.
Rebelle might not want something from him but he was starting to want many things from her and it was looking more and more likely he wasn’t going to get any of them. He was used to getting what he wanted, and call him a brat, but it only made him try harder.
She turned away and headed inside the shelter and he trailed after her. He looked in each of the kennels and stroked the heads of the dogs waiting for him, their tails wagging, tongues lolling out of their mouths. Except for the Irish Wolfhound who was already out of his kennel and trotting after Rebelle.
“Looks like someone has a crush on you,” Will commented.
Rebelle looked down at the hound who gazed up at her lovingly and Will thought he saw a flicker of a smile. She stroked over the dog’s head and cupped his jowl. “Hurt recognizes hurt,” Rebelle murmured and then jolted, like she realized she said it out loud.
Questions flooded Will’s mind and he wanted to pull her into his arms and rid her of the misery that cloaked her expression. Although he didn’t know her that well, he already knew she wouldn’t want any of that.
“You can clean the kennels again today. Betty and Veronica are feeling particularly grumpy so maybe stay out of their way,” she said.
“Betty and Veronica?” His lips quirked up at the names.
“The cats, they’re sisters.”
“Did you name them?”
“No, they came like that from their owner.”
He cocked his head, assessing her. “Do you name any of them?”
“Let me know once you’ve finished the kennels,” she said by way of an answer and he felt the dismissal like a kick to the gut. But he wouldn’t be discouraged, he was resilient, he had to be in his life. He watched her walk away, the soles of her shoes flapping where they had come unstuck, and he couldn’t fight the frown that pinched his brows.
*
Rebelle walked away from him, feeling the slide of his cool eyes across her back, prickling her skin. She had spent half of yesterday caught between begging him to leave and feeling grateful he’d stayed. She hadn’t gotten so much done in one day the entire time she’d had the shelter and it had been so satisfying.
