Read Online The Wedding Gift by Sandra Steffen - Free Book Online Page A

said a little more gruffly than he’d intended, “fine. But I’m not keeping this dog.”
    She must have heard the steel in his voice, because she said, “Why?”
    He didn’t have to explain himself to her, but it hadto do with the pills he swallowed every day, and the reality always lurking. Rejection. Graft-versus-host disease, it was called. It was always possible and always ugly. The second scenario was slightly better, although the side effects to the drugs would eventually take their toll. It wasn’t something he liked to think about and he sure as hell didn’t talk about it, especially when there was something so much more invigorating happening right here in this very room.
    â€œMaybe I should put up signs,” he said. “Maybe place an ad online and in the paper, too, if you think it’ll do any good.”
    â€œYou’re serious?” she asked.
    Her disappointment was palpable. She went to the table with obvious reluctance and began rummaging through her big shoulder bag again. This time she brought out a camera.
    â€œWhat are you doing?” he asked.
    She snapped three pictures in quick succession. “I’m taking pictures for the ad. If you must know, I think you’re making a huge mistake.”
    â€œNo,” he said.
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œNo photographs.”
    â€œWhy on earth not?” she asked.
    â€œLook at him. Why spoil his chances?”
    Madeline looked at the dog and then at thepictures of him in the digital camera’s memory. Granted, he wasn’t small and cute or sleek and beautiful, but most dog lovers didn’t care what a dog looked like. Everything they needed to know could be seen in a creature’s eyes. And this dog’s eyes were serious and wise.
    No matter what Riley said, he didn’t want to include a photo because he didn’t want anyone else to claim his dog. She didn’t know why he wouldn’t admit it, but she knew better than anybody that not everything had a simple explanation. Sometimes reasons were hidden, sometimes circumstances were extenuating.
    He liked this dog. There was no doubt about that.
    She practically ran across the room and didn’t stop until her bare toes were almost touching the tips of his shoes. “I’m onto you, Riley Merrick.” Reaching up on tiptoe, she kissed his cheek.
    He turned his head at the last second, so that her lips grazed his mouth. Her breath caught and her eyelashes flew up. His pupils were dilated in the shadowy room, so that his eyes looked darker. His jaw was set, the shallow cleft in his chin made more pronounced by the shadow of a day old beard.
    She drew away slowly, her heart beating too fast and her breathing almost nonexistent. “I don’t want to start something,” she whispered.
    â€œI know,” he said, still holding her gaze. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
    Riley opened the door but waited to leave until he heard the scrape of the dead bolt. The dog sniffed the air on the way back to their side of the hedge. He took care of business then joined Riley on the covered porch.
    Once inside, he and the dog followed their usual routine. The dog turned around three times before laying down on the pillow by the stove. Riley stopped in the main bathroom as he did twice every day. He opened the lids on the pill bottles and shook out the proper dosage of each. He swallowed the entire fistful at once. After washing them down with tap water, he wiped his mouth on the back of his hand. All the while he stared at his reflection.
    He could still feel the whisper of Madeline’s lips against his, could still smell the scent of her shampoo, and still remembered the surprise in her eyes. I don’t want to start something, she’d said.
    It was too late. Something already had.

Chapter Five
    T he weatherman promised a sunny day.
    Madeline scanned the dome of clouds overhead. Tugging the edges of her