She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t lie on behalf of a client and—even ethics aside—do the job she was hired for, if her client wasn’t truthful with her. The net effect had been that Richard had left her.
Within days, her boss, the managing partner of Tyson, Myers and Smith, had told her about the elimination of her position. He’d tried to convince her that it wasn’t about her performance and it wasn’t personal. He’d said that it was about workload and a matter of having to cut costs. He’d said all the right things, but in her heart Emma knew better. The senator had pressured her boss to let her go.
In hindsight, Emma recognized that accepting the assignment had been the beginning of the end—with Richard and her career—and ultimately had precipitated her move to Sanctuary Cove.
Well, at least something good had come of it.
She was thankful that she hadn’t succumbed to Richard’s insistence while they were together that she sell it.
Finished with her tea, she took her mug back to the kitchen.
No, she didn’t feel up to working on the brand proposal, but she didn’t want to work in the yard, either, where she’d been restoring the gardens. She poured herself more tea and retrieved her laptop from her office.
She’d purposefully avoided checking the New York news feeds for a while. It had been almost an obsession to stay current with what was happening with the senator and the allegations when she’d first moved to Sanctuary Cove. For weeks after her arrival, she’d searched online and read snippets about the ongoing investigation, and the categorical denials of any wrongdoing from Morgan’s office. There had even been an interview with Richard, where he condemned the media’s attack on the senator. Each time she saw a new article, a painful knot formed in her stomach and hurtful memories resurfaced.
She’d ultimately forced herself to stop following the case and resolved to put it out of her mind. She’d been reasonably successful.
Until now.
She set her laptop on her dining room table and did a quick search of recent headlines. Months had passed since her fateful meeting with Daniel Leighton, and she still couldn’t find an article from him about Morgan and the kickbacks related to the AFM contract.
Strange, Emma thought. Daniel had all that information he’d shared with her, yet he hadn’t written anything about it. She’d been in the business long enough to know how it worked. If you had a story that big, you wanted to get it into print as soon as possible before someone scooped you. Yet Daniel hadn’t gone public with what he had.
An uncomfortable feeling crept into her belly.
Could those copies of the checks Daniel had shown her been fake, as Richard had suggested?
The discomfort in her stomach intensified.
Think. Think.
She tried to recollect everything she knew about Daniel. Senator Morgan and his chief of staff had portrayed him as unscrupulous, opportunistic. Nothing in her background check corroborated their view. In fact, everything she knew about Daniel pointed to just the opposite.
If she accepted the senator’s position that Daniel wanted to discredit him, why would a reporter who had built his career on a reputation of journalistic integrity and meticulous research choose to mount an unwarranted, unsubstantiated attack on a prominent politician?
Was there something more at stake for Daniel?
Emma watched a hummingbird dart around outside, then hover to feast on the nectar of a crimson bee balm.
Was it possible it was all about Daniel trying to reinvent himself as a political reporter, a position he’d been promoted to shortly before the allegations surfaced? Was he simply trying to advance his career?
Emma tapped a fingernail on the side of her mug.
The senator’s characterization of Daniel didn’t fit. Her research and her instincts both told her Daniel was not the type of reporter who would misrepresent the facts or fabricate a story. And why would Daniel have lied to her? Had he somehow seen her as a pawn to further his cause?
No. None of that rang true.
But if Daniel hadn’t lied to her, why was there no story?
Was it possible Richard had been right...about Daniel and about her? Could Daniel have misled her? And by misleading her, precipitated the events that caused her world to crumble?
“Oh, my God,” she whispered and squeezed her eyes shut.
It was unthinkable...
CHAPTER FOUR
EMMA HAD ANOTHER restless night. She woke exhausted and with a miniature construction crew gleefully hammering away in her head. But the insistent pounding hadn’t been enough to banish the nagging doubts about Daniel Leighton.
After swallowing two painkillers, eating breakfast and taking Max for his morning walk, she felt marginally better. She poured more coffee into her mug and took it to her office. Max followed her, stretched out next to the chair and was soon snoring softly.
If only her life was as tough as Max’s, Emma mused with a weak smile as she started up her laptop and opened the brand-proposal document. She sipped her coffee while she reviewed what she’d already done. Getting to the end of the document, she placed her mug on the coaster with more force than she’d intended, the smacking sound startling Max.
“Sorry, sorry,” she said to him and tried to tamp down her frustration.
The proposal was mediocre at best. It lacked originality and pizzazz. Thank goodness she didn’t have to have it complete until the end of the month.
Maybe Richard had been right, and she just wasn’t suited to work in her chosen field—even on a part-time basis and without final creative approval.
Had she ever been good at it? she wondered.
Yeah. Sure, she tried to bolster herself. She’d been in demand, had been promoted several times at Tyson, Myers and Smith until she’d reached the highest position she could without becoming a full partner. She’d been recognized with an award—communications professional of the year—twice!
But now...
She stared at the computer screen. She’d been insistent with the owner of Pinnacle Communications that she didn’t want her name associated with the work. She’d do it on a ghostwriting basis.
If that wasn’t an indication of lack of confidence in her abilities, what was?
The owner had agreed to her condition without much discussion. He’d said it was because he wanted her on board regardless. Staring at her screen, Emma decided to start fresh rather than fix the stale ideas in the existing document. She tried to immerse herself in it, but soon realized it was futile. Frankly, she had no idea how to differentiate the athletic wear manufacturer in an already crowded marketplace. Instead, she decided to work outside.
She mowed and weeded and pruned vigorously for hours, all the while thinking about Daniel Leighton, Morgan and, of course, Richard, and all that had happened. By the time she stopped midafternoon, she was exhausted but in a much better frame of mind.
She’d been jumping to conclusions. She couldn’t have been wrong about Daniel and what he’d shown her. She was positive that he was scrupulous.
There had to be another reason he hadn’t gone public with the information he had. With resolve, she pushed the matter out of her mind again.
She showered, and dressed in faded jeans and a yellow T-shirt. In deference to the heat, she bound her hair up in a high ponytail. Her stomach growled, reminding her she’d missed lunch. While she ate a sandwich, she thought about the injured dog...and the veterinarian.
She considered calling Josh at the clinic but rejected the idea. She wanted to see for herself how the dog was. She didn’t want to give Josh the opportunity to talk her out of it again.
The clinic closed at five and it was nearing that time when she parked her X5 in front of it next to a green Toyota. She was struck again by the size of the building. Granted, it was a
combination of Josh’s home and the clinic, but the clinic was a relatively small addition. The main house itself was large and rambling. While there was no obvious symmetry, the wood and stone of the façade complemented each other and the surrounding landscape.
Josh was behind the reception counter with his back to Emma when she walked quietly inside. He was preoccupied with a computer sitting on a side table. The only other person in the room was an elderly lady, cradling a white toy poodle.
Josh dragged his fingers through his already mussed hair, and continued to fidget with the mouse.
“I’m sorry to keep you waiting, Mrs. Fields,” he said, without glancing back. “I’ll have your invoice ready in a minute.”
“That’s all right, m’dear. Take your time. I don’t mind waiting,” Mrs. Fields replied. She stroked the poodle’s wiry fur and gave Emma a wide, toothy smile.
The computer finally prompted the printer, and Josh let out a sigh. As he grabbed the invoice he’d just printed, the telephone rang. He placed the invoice on the counter for Mrs. Fields to review, then snatched up the receiver and turned. His gaze collided with Emma’s, and a slow smile spread across his face.
Her heart rate quickened and she forced a smile in return. She waved to him, then at a loss with what to do with her hands, she tucked them in the front pockets of her jeans.
Josh greeted the caller, but his eyes remained steady on hers.
She met his stare with an odd mixture of discomfort and excitement. There was no denying Josh’s appeal, but appearance wasn’t everything. His personality probably left a lot to be desired, as he’d been temperamental and unpleasant the night they’d met.
Her smile faded, and she ran her tongue over her suddenly dry lips. She immediately regretted the gesture, when Josh’s gaze dipped down and his smile turned into a grin. And that grin alone made it difficult for her to breathe.
In what she hoped looked to be a casual move, she went to the display shelving at the far side of the room to examine the pet foods the clinic offered for sale.
She knew he was still watching her by the heat of his gaze on her shoulders and an itch along her spine. She lifted a can of dog food, pretending to examine its label, and listened to Josh conclude the phone call and turn his attention back to his client.
“Here’s your credit card, Mrs. Fields. Try not to worry about Muffy. She’s perfectly healthy and should stay that way for a long time.”
Emma marveled at the charm and warmth in his voice.
“Enjoy the rest of your day and please give my regards to your sister,” he said.
“I will, of course. Dottie should be in soon with her Ginger. Bye, now,” the gray-haired lady said as she walked out.
Josh flipped the hanging sign on the door to Closed.
By the time Emma turned to face him fully, he was leaning casually against the door watching her.
Her heart rate kicked up another notch, both surprising and annoying her. She struggled to not let it show. “I hope I’m not catching you at a bad time.”
“Not at all. Mrs. Fields’s Muffy was my last patient for the day. The clinic is now officially closed. Thankfully,” he added with a relieved smile.
“Bad day?” He looked tired and his clothes were just a little rumpled. She felt herself soften toward him.
“Not really. Just an exceptionally busy one. We were booked solid, and Sherri, my assistant and all-around miracle worker, was off today. That means I had to do all the paperwork, too—not my favorite task.”
“If you’re busy, I won’t keep you. I just came to see...” Emma hesitated, wishing she knew the dog’s name.
Josh stepped toward her. That lazy smile and those warm brown eyes sent her pulse skittering.
“No problem. Our patient’s doing much better today.” He motioned toward the recovery room. “Let’s go see him.”
As they entered, the large dog gazed at Emma with guarded eyes. She remembered Josh’s warning about the unpredictable behavior of injured animals and glanced back. “Is it okay to touch him?”
“Go ahead. Our boy seems to have good manners.” To prove his point, he crouched down and let the dog sniff his hand before Josh stroked him. He checked the dog’s pupils and gums, then moved to the side to make room for Emma.
She knelt beside Josh and held out her hand. The dog raised his head, sniffed obligingly and his tail thumped against the side of the cage, causing a metallic clang. “He looks good...considering what he’s been through.” She smiled up at Josh. He was so close, she could smell the clean, fresh fragrance of his soap, see amber specs in his brown eyes and the faint stubble on his face. Hurriedly, she turned her attention back to the dog. “So he’s going to be fine?”
“There’s no reason he shouldn’t be. His condition is stable. He’s healthy other than for his injuries, and I’m no longer overly concerned about the possibility of infection.”
Emma nodded, but kept her gaze averted. “Have you been able to find his owner?”
“No. I’ve asked around, contacted other veterinary practices in the area, put a posting online. No one seems to recognize him, and he’s fairly distinctive.”
Through lowered lashes, she looked at Josh again. He’d shifted to his other knee and was even closer, their faces only inches apart. “If, ah...” She struggled to remember what she’d wanted to say. She transferred her weight to her other side, putting more distance between them. “I meant what I said before,” she replied. “I’ll take him if you can’t find his owner.”
Before Emma realized what his intention was, he tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. She jerked back as if singed.
“Sorry,” she murmured although she had no idea why she was apologizing.
* * *
SURPRISED BY HIS own action, Josh tried not to think of how smooth Emma’s skin had felt. Yeah, it had been impulsive of him, but she’d overreacted to his touch, as evidenced by the way she’d pulled away and the shocked expression on her face.
He straightened the dog’s bedding and refocused his thoughts. He, too, was concerned about what would happen to the dog. He couldn’t keep him at the clinic indefinitely. Once healed, the dog would need exercise and room to roam. He needed a loving home.
He’d dismissed Emma’s offer to adopt the dog when she’d first made it, considering it a knee-jerk reaction, perhaps driven by guilt, when he’d believed her to be responsible for his injuries. Clearly, she’d been serious.
“He’s a large dog, Emma. He’ll require space and considerable exercise. He might also need some training. If he’s part wolf, there might be a degree of unpredictability about him as well, and he might have an instinctive prey drive that could make it challenging around other, smaller animals.”
Watching her, Josh was struck by the many shades of gray her eyes could be, as they transformed from the color of storm clouds to a luminous silver. He felt the powerful pull of attraction again, and it brought Crystal and her antics to mind. Even so, he couldn’t keep his gaze from lowering to Emma’s lips as the corners curved up, and all thoughts of Crystal receded.
“Oh, I’m aware of the space and time demands of a large dog,” she said with a chuckle. “I already have a large one. Max, an Alaskan malamute. I suspect Max would enjoy the company.”
Josh had been so absorbed wondering how her lips would taste, he’d nearly forgotten what he’d said to her. Something about big dogs. Oh, right... “Okay. We’ll see how things go. We should let our patient get some sleep now.” He rose and held out a hand to help Emma up.
There was a slight hesitation before she placed her hand into his. He noted the skittishness in her eyes before she withdrew her hand and took a step back.
There was a shyness about her—an uncertainty—that seemed inconsistent with how beautiful and, by all indications, intelligent she was.
She made him think of a delicate bird, injured in some way. He’d never been able to ignore a wounded creature, but it wasn’t just that with Emma.
“Thanks again for taking such good care of him,” she said, interrupting his musings.
When she glanced down at the dog and his tail wagged again, Josh could just about see her unease dissipate.
“Is it okay if I come back to see him?” Her smile lit up her entire face.
Stunning, he thought. The dog could make her smile with a simple flick of his tail and he made her nervous. “Anytime you like.”
She studied the dog thoughtfully. “He needs a name. Even if you find his owner, we need to call him something for the time being.”
“What do you suggest?”
She narrowed her eyes. “How about Theodore? Theo for short.”
Looking down at his patient, Josh considered. “Meaning God’s gift? From the Greek, right?”
“I have no idea. It just came to me.”
“Okay. Theo it is... Emma, you know if we can find his owner, the best place for him is his home. I don’t want you getting too attached.”
She nodded, but he could see the mixed emotions play across her face. It was probably already too late for that caution.
Josh saw her out, and noted the efficiency and confidence of her stride as she walked away. That confidence seemed to be at odds with how ill-at-ease she was with him. Those contradictions made her that much more interesting.
Intrigued, he would look forward to seeing Emma again and hopefully would have the opportunity to do so on a more personal basis... Crystal be damned.
CHAPTER FIVE
THE GARDENS AND forest were ablaze with color as summer neared its end. Emma had finished the brand proposal and accepted two more assignments from Pinnacle Communications. With each assignment she completed, she got more of her self-confidence back. She was working on a media strategy for an initial public offering for a toy company. This was the first time since she’d been let go that she could say she was enjoying her work. If at times she still lamented how her life had unraveled, turning her mind to her assignments encouraged her. Each day she spent several hours working in her office, with Max sprawled on the rug next to her desk, more often than not sound asleep.