Read Online Wildly (Crimson Romance) by Debra Kayn - Free Book Online Page B

room. She groaned. The pink and white bedspread on her twin bed, the stuffed animals piled in the beanbag chair in the corner, and the daisies her dad had painted in a string around her window were not a symbol of a single woman on the prowl. No way would she appear sexy and desirable with a Hello Kitty lampshade lighting the room.
    “Okay, change of plans.” She backed out of the room and shut the door.
    She wasn’t sure exactly when she’d decided to throw everything she had into building a relationship with John. It might’ve been between the time Grayson accused her of sleeping with John and when he’d stubbornly refused to accept her for the woman she was today. She was tired of waiting for him and, after some serious soul searching, was beginning to think that maybe she’d been wrong all these long years. Maybe it was true, and she didn’t stand a chance in hell of Grayson ever loving her back.
    The doorbell rang. Shauna hurried to the front of the house, and opened the door. Her smile came naturally. “Hi.”
    John held a brown paper sack up in front of him. “Hello back. I hope you’re hungry.”
    “Starving.” She stepped back and let him inside the house.
    Dressed in faded Levi’s and a buttoned chambray shirt rolled to the elbows, John appeared relaxed and happy to see her. She took the food from him and motioned him to come in the house.
    She inhaled deeply on her stroll to the kitchen. “Is that chow mein I smell?”
    “Yep, and I grabbed authentic wooden chopsticks.” He pulled two wrapped packages out of his back pocket. “If you don’t use them, I’ll be disappointed.”
    “Oh heck yeah.” She grabbed two plates from the cupboard. “Everyone knows the food tastes better when it takes all night to eat a half a cup of rice.”
    He laughed. “Exactly.”
    “Of course, we’ll probably collapse from starvation before we actually succeed in eating, but it’ll be good for a laugh.”
    “I brought extra food. I didn’t know if your dad would be joining us or not.” John sat down at the table.
    “That was sweet of you. I stopped in the garage before I came in the house, and he said he was working late.” She opened the boxes and set them in the middle of the table before sitting across from John. “I’ll save him some for later. I’m sure he’ll be thankful.”
    Shauna opened her chopsticks, and after several seconds successfully brought one small noodle to her lips. She slurped, letting the long strand slither into her mouth.
    “Good?” John asked.
    “Wonderful.” She grinned, before setting out to capture more food. “So, how was your day?”
    “Excellent.” He wiped his mouth with a napkin. “Two of the dogs were placed in their new homes, and that’s always a good feeling. One of them went to a young girl who’s only seven … you should have seen the way she announced to her mom and dad that she didn’t have to hold their hand anymore. The parents had tears in their eyes, and I believe it was the first sign of independence from their daughter that she was growing up and they could let her do things on her own. It amazes me what the dogs give back to their caregivers.”
    Shauna sat back in wonder. John’s whole face lit up as he talked, and she could see how deeply his job affected him. Caught up in the story, she struggled with words. “That is amazing. What you do for people, through your dogs, is a miracle. You give them freedom and a new, better way to enjoy life. You’re a good man, John. You should be very proud of yourself.”
    “It’s the dogs. What I do is simple. It’s the animals that rise to the occasion and show me how dedicated and special they are.” He shrugged. “What about you? How do you like your new job?”
    She finished chewing, swallowed, and pointed her chopsticks at him. “I’m really enjoying it. I adore educating tourists about our community, and the support from the businesses has surprised me. I’m working on a secret project