one made. Walking slowly, carefully, she approached the wounded dog. As she neared he stood up on shaky legs, his hackles rose and he bared his teeth. She waited patiently, letting the dog get her scent. She’d avoided a muzzle this morning, and she wanted to again now. While she gave the dog time to calm down, she thought about Alex’s comment. Was it true?
“Hey, Dani?”
She nodded.
“Forget it. I’m sorry. I don’t know you well enough to be spouting off like that.”
“No, you don’t. But it’s okay. Who knows. Maybe there’s even some truth to it.”
“Aw, what do I know?”
She turned to meet his gaze. “Too much, I think.”
He looked at her for a long while. “I know one other thing.”
“What’s that?”
“It would be a damn shame.”
“What?”
“For you to stay in that cage.”
DANI LOCKED THE DOOR behind them. She’d finished checking all the animals, including Pete, who was indeed doing a lot better, and now she wanted to get home. Things had certainly shifted on this innocent little trip. Suddenly Alex wasn’t just some rich stranger she felt vaguely annoyed about. And vaguely turned on by. Now he was a person, flesh and blood and three dimensional, which was a much more serious problem.
Who would have thought this man would have been so insightful? Could have seen her so clearly? Not that he was a hundred percent accurate about her, but there was some truth to his words. He’d given her something to think about. But she wasn’t going to do that now. Not with him. He’d leave in a day or so, and then she’d take some time and think it over.
She pocketed her key and they headed home. The street was quieter now. A few places were still open. The ice-cream parlor, the drugstore. But by nine, the town would be bedded down for the night.
As they neared the ice-cream shop, she felt Alex’s hand touch her gently on the small of the back. His hand only made contact with her jacket, and still it was enough to shake her out of her reverie. This was something entirely new. Even Randy’s touch hadn’t made her so physically aware. But Alex... All he had to do was brush her gently, and sparks flew.
“How about some ice cream?” he asked.
She debated for a moment. But only a moment. “Sure, I’d like that.”
“Great.” He walked a little quicker, and his tentative touch on her back grew stronger. She felt the heat through her jacket, and wondered if he noticed it.
At the parlor, Alex took his hand away, and opened the door for her. She walked in, suddenly very thirsty for something very cold.
Janet Colby, a local high school senior, was behind the counter. Dani almost laughed at the girl’s reaction to Alex. Her face, normally very pale, got quite red. Her hand went immediately to her hair, and the little white paper hat she wore. Her gaze swung wildly, but always came back to Alex.
Dani could relate. He did have a way of flustering a person.
“Dr. Jacobson,” the girl said, finally. “Um...”
“Hi, Janet. This is Mr. Bradley. We’d like to get some ice cream.”
“Uh-huh,” Janet said, nodding, staring now.
“Nice to meet you, Janet,” Alex said.
Dani was struck by the gentleness of his tone. The interest behind it. She doubted very much that he wanted to become friends with the girl behind the counter, but he made it sound as if it was a real possibility.
“Can you excuse me for a second?” Janet said.
Before Dani could answer, the girl was gone, ducked into the back room.
“I’ll bet that happens a lot.”
Alex smiled. “More than I’d like.”
“It’s kinda sweet.”
“No, it’s kind of embarrassing. I am not cut out for this sort of thing.”
“On the contrary,” she said as she examined the flavors in the freezer case, “you are remarkably adept at it.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Damn, they don’t have mint chocolate chip.”
“Don’t change the subject.”
“I meant,” she said, “that you handle
“Hey, Dani?”
She nodded.
“Forget it. I’m sorry. I don’t know you well enough to be spouting off like that.”
“No, you don’t. But it’s okay. Who knows. Maybe there’s even some truth to it.”
“Aw, what do I know?”
She turned to meet his gaze. “Too much, I think.”
He looked at her for a long while. “I know one other thing.”
“What’s that?”
“It would be a damn shame.”
“What?”
“For you to stay in that cage.”
DANI LOCKED THE DOOR behind them. She’d finished checking all the animals, including Pete, who was indeed doing a lot better, and now she wanted to get home. Things had certainly shifted on this innocent little trip. Suddenly Alex wasn’t just some rich stranger she felt vaguely annoyed about. And vaguely turned on by. Now he was a person, flesh and blood and three dimensional, which was a much more serious problem.
Who would have thought this man would have been so insightful? Could have seen her so clearly? Not that he was a hundred percent accurate about her, but there was some truth to his words. He’d given her something to think about. But she wasn’t going to do that now. Not with him. He’d leave in a day or so, and then she’d take some time and think it over.
She pocketed her key and they headed home. The street was quieter now. A few places were still open. The ice-cream parlor, the drugstore. But by nine, the town would be bedded down for the night.
As they neared the ice-cream shop, she felt Alex’s hand touch her gently on the small of the back. His hand only made contact with her jacket, and still it was enough to shake her out of her reverie. This was something entirely new. Even Randy’s touch hadn’t made her so physically aware. But Alex... All he had to do was brush her gently, and sparks flew.
“How about some ice cream?” he asked.
She debated for a moment. But only a moment. “Sure, I’d like that.”
“Great.” He walked a little quicker, and his tentative touch on her back grew stronger. She felt the heat through her jacket, and wondered if he noticed it.
At the parlor, Alex took his hand away, and opened the door for her. She walked in, suddenly very thirsty for something very cold.
Janet Colby, a local high school senior, was behind the counter. Dani almost laughed at the girl’s reaction to Alex. Her face, normally very pale, got quite red. Her hand went immediately to her hair, and the little white paper hat she wore. Her gaze swung wildly, but always came back to Alex.
Dani could relate. He did have a way of flustering a person.
“Dr. Jacobson,” the girl said, finally. “Um...”
“Hi, Janet. This is Mr. Bradley. We’d like to get some ice cream.”
“Uh-huh,” Janet said, nodding, staring now.
“Nice to meet you, Janet,” Alex said.
Dani was struck by the gentleness of his tone. The interest behind it. She doubted very much that he wanted to become friends with the girl behind the counter, but he made it sound as if it was a real possibility.
“Can you excuse me for a second?” Janet said.
Before Dani could answer, the girl was gone, ducked into the back room.
“I’ll bet that happens a lot.”
Alex smiled. “More than I’d like.”
“It’s kinda sweet.”
“No, it’s kind of embarrassing. I am not cut out for this sort of thing.”
“On the contrary,” she said as she examined the flavors in the freezer case, “you are remarkably adept at it.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Damn, they don’t have mint chocolate chip.”
“Don’t change the subject.”
“I meant,” she said, “that you handle
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