Darcy might never believe her father didn’t set them up, but Josh believed him. Right there was a man who wasn’t ready to hand over his last child to anyone.
“Oh, look.” Darcy pointed over his shoulder, making them turn toward the drive, where a late-model sedan was rolling in with one big brown boxer’s head sticking out of the backseat window.
“Ruff!” Aidan and Beck exclaimed the word in perfect unison, both of them starting to rush forward to greet the newcomers and the dog that Josh had learned at dinner had brought them together, but now was a therapy dog for Beck’s uncle.
Beck got ahead, but only because Aidan slowed his step when he reached his father. “Come on over, Dad. Aunt Sarah’s friend from Boston is here. Her name’s Una Duval, and she’s a professional dog handler.”
The older man had to work to keep from rolling his eyes.
“I know,” Aidan said. “You’re not the biggest fan of dog shows, but she’s had one win at Westminster. You’ll like her. C’mon.”
Dr. K managed a nod as he put his hand on his youngest son’s sizable shoulder and gave him a nudge. “You greet the guests, and I’ll be over in a minute.”
When Aidan left, he turned to Darcy. “When is it going to stop?” he asked on an amused sigh.
“When you get beaten at your own game, Dad.”
He looked from Darcy to Josh and shook his head slowly. “You know, I think I have been.”
Neither one of them said a word as Dr. K finished the conversation with one last rub of Stella’s head. “Excuse me, little one. I need to go meet Una, yet another woman I swear I’m not going to fall in love with.”
As he left, Josh turned to Darcy and held her gaze, trying to repeat the same promise in his head. He failed.
Chapter Seventeen
“All right, kid. This is it. Big day for you.” Josh reached over the console of his truck to take Stella out of Darcy’s arms. “I’m sorry you had to leave your pal Kookie.”
Darcy handed her over with one last kiss on her head. “Not as sorry as Kookie. I’ve never heard her actually cry like that when I closed the apartment door.” She still wished she could have taken Kookie to Waterford Farm before they left for Vestal Valley College, but there hadn’t been time. “I should have expected it, though. They were glued together all night. I never dreamed Kookie would actually share the cradle with another dog, but when I woke up, they were spooning.”
“As soon as Stella’s settled and we say goodbye to her, we’ll go back and get Kookie,” Josh assured her. “I need to pop into the job site anyway to check on the crew that’s doing bathroom demo, then…” He blew out a breath. “I honestly don’t think I can work until we have her back.”
Darcy laughed. “I feel the same way. I’m so nervous for her, Josh.”
He met her gaze over Stella’s head, his chocolate eyes shifting from concern to something softer. “I’m so glad we’re in this together.”
“Friends with dogs,” she teased, reaching over to tap his chin. “Blind dogs that need to see. Let’s go.”
He nodded, but didn’t move for a moment. “What are you doing today?”
“Fretting until we’re able to pick her up, but that could be much later this afternoon.” They’d already been warned that the vet team wanted to do the measurements and make sure Stella didn’t have any negative response to the immunoglobulin shot.
“Let’s stay together.”
Her heart flipped, more because of the way he said it—low and certain and warm—than the idea that he wanted to spend another day with her. “I don’t have appointments, but I was going to go to the new space and start planning the salon,” she said.
“Without me?” He sounded genuinely hurt.
She opened her mouth, ready to pounce on that. Of course she could go alone. It was her space and her plan and her new life. But it would be so much better with him. Damn it.
“I figured you were working,” she said, trying to keep any emotion out of the response.
“Let’s go draw up plans, and I’ll make a schedule for the build-out.” He inched back, searching her face. “You do want me to help, right?”
“Of course. I’d be a fool not to.”
“But you’re worried.”
“That’s one way of putting it. Terrified would be another.”
He nodded. “Because it goes beyond friends with dogs, infringes on your independence, tests your resolve, and makes you feel like you’re giving up control to yet another man who might not be your brother or father, but still threatens what you want.”
She actually laughed because he was so utterly correct. “Did you sneak in and read my diary?” she joked.
“You keep one?”
“No, but if I did, that might have been last night’s entry.”
He reached around Stella and cupped her cheek, his hand rough and callused, making desire snake its way through her. She ached for him. Right here, on a Monday morning, in a parking lot at Vestal Valley College, with a blind dog shaking between them. What was wrong with her?
“If anyone should be terrified, it’s me,” he whispered. “I’m trusting you, something I swore I’d never do again. And I busted more than a few rules to get this dog here. And I don’t want to spend one minute without you today or maybe tomorrow or maybe for the whole three weeks until Stella can see again.”
She bit her lip. “How did this happen?”
“Quickly.” He leaned forward and punctuated that with a light kiss. “Let’s just go with the flow.”
“Until one of us drowns.”
He broke into a slow, endearing smile. “But what a way to go.”
“Josh.”
“Shhh. Nothing is happening, Darcy. It’s…for the dogs. We didn’t spoon in a cradle last night, did we?”
“But we thought about it.”
“All night.” His admission did nothing to cool down the inside of the truck, which was getting warmer by the second. “And I’ll think about it tonight.”
“Me, too,” she admitted. “What are we going to do about that?”
He lifted one shoulder and half his mouth in a sly smile. But before he could answer, Stella raised her head and barked, done with being a doggie sandwich between two sex-starved humans.
“Let’s go,” he whispered. “We’ll figure it out.”
Darcy doubted that, but climbed out of the truck anyway. A few minutes later, they entered Farrow Hall, where Vestal Valley College’s Department of Veterinary Medicine was located, then headed upstairs to the labs to see Dr. Walker and her team.
Inside the cool, clean room, the comfortingly familiar sound of barking dogs in a pen soothed Darcy, but had the opposite effect on Stella. She immediately started barking, wrestling to get out of Josh’s strong hold, then finally giving up and smashing her face against his chest to shake in fear.
“I feel ya, sister,” Darcy murmured as she stroked her head.
A moment later, Dr. Walker greeted them, introduced them to some fellow vets and student techs, and put her capable hands around Stella to take her away for a few minutes. Someone else whisked Josh away to sign some additional papers before the procedure, and suddenly Darcy was all alone in the middle of the lab.
She wandered over to a penned-off area where four other dogs, all similar mid-sized as Stella, but different breeds, were being held for the same study. One Maltese turned in circles, hit the plastic wall, barked, and backed away in surprise. Another brown mix lay on the floor, madly licking his front paw to the point that Darcy knew it could bleed before long. A terrier in a nervous stance barked without ceasing. And the last one, a little dachshund with a milk chocolate coat and giant brown eyes, was pressed into a corner, quivering.
“Oh.” She could literally feel her heart breaking as she looked at each little victim of SARDS and realized how many dogs could be saved if this worked.
“We’re doing the right thing.” Josh’s voice and large hand on her back was like a thick layer of balm
on her wounded heart.
“I was just thinking that,” she said, looking up at him, knowing there were tears in her eyes. “I want to help them all.”
He nodded. “I do, too. So much so that I signed a piece of paper that says I will not remove Stella from this study until it’s complete. If Savannah comes back and wants to take her out of it—”
“Why would she?”
“I don’t know, Darcy. I don’t know where she is or why she did all the things she’s accused of or what’s going through her mind. I don’t know, and honestly, I don’t care. Except where Stella’s concerned.”
“Well, she can’t have her back.” Darcy straightened as she made the statement. “We won’t allow it. She’ll have to fight me for her.”
“Us,” he corrected. “She’ll have to fight us.”
They stared at each other for a long time, and with each passing second, Darcy could actually feel herself getting closer, needing more, wanting him. Not physically—she hadn’t moved an inch, and neither had he. But emotionally, which was so much scarier.
Us.
“You can say goodbye to her now.” One of the vet techs broke the moment, coming closer with Stella in her arms.
“Oh, baby.” Darcy reached for her little head, kissing her right on the snout and getting her nose licked. “Good luck, you little love bunny.”
Her tail wagged wildly as Josh stroked her head and murmured into her ear. “Hang in there, kid. And we’ll see you soon.” He kissed her head and added, “And you’ll see us, because this is going to work.”
After a second, the tech backed away. “She’ll do great, I promise. Let’s put her with her fellow patients.”
The woman walked to the enclosed pen and reached over, but Stella clung and clawed, her back legs kicking wildly in fear.
“Oh, Josh.” Darcy grabbed him to keep herself from running over and smothering Stella with reassuring hugs.
“It’s okay,” he said, but his voice sounded as shaky as Stella’s legs.
“She’s fine,” the tech assured them, easing Stella to the floor.
But she didn’t look fine. She turned in circles, barked frantically, and panted when she finally found a spot not far from the dachshund. That dog looked up and around, slowly inching closer to the scent of a newcomer.
“That’s right, Riley. You say hi to Stella.”
Riley nudged Stella, making her bark once, then they sniffed each other, and finally both settled to the floor, side by side, shaking in perfect, terrified unison.
“If that wasn’t so cute, I’d be crying right now,” Darcy admitted.
“Come on,” Josh said, putting his arm around her, something in his voice and touch telling her he knew exactly what she was feeling. “They’ll call us when we can come and get her. Let’s go pick up Kookie and spend the day designing your salon.” He guided her toward the door, but she took one more look over her shoulder at the two new buddies.
“Come on, Darce,” he said again, adding a little pressure on her shoulder. “Let’s get our minds off this for a while.” But she didn’t move. “Kookie’s waiting for you. She needs you, too.”
That almost worked, but her feet were like lead, immovable, keeping her where she could see Stella and all the dogs who were scared, hurting, and in their dark, dark worlds.
“I need you, too,” he whispered, pulling her very close. “I don’t think I could handle this alone.”
Of course, he knew exactly what to say to get her out of there.
* * *
By the time they got back to Ambrose Acres, Darcy and Josh had talked and teased each other out of their funk. They agreed to not worry about Stella, but to spend all their time and energy on the grooming salon project that Josh couldn’t wait to start.
“What did you say it was called?” he asked her as they crossed the street to the apartment. “The Dog’s Paw or Spa?”
“Spaw—s-p-a-w. It’s a play on words. Get it?”
He threw her a quizzical look. “Yeah. Kind of.”
“You think it’s dumb?”
“No, it’s clever, but aren’t you worried about people typing it properly into a search engine or maps program?”
“Ohhh.” She drew the sound out. “I hadn’t thought about that.”
“Maybe we can come up with a new name.”
Next to him, her step slowed a bit.
“Or you can,” he added with a laugh.
“No, no, it’s fine. Ella and I have been brainstorming for a while, and it was The Dog Spaw or Bitter Bark Bow WOW, with the wow in all caps.”
He really tried not to react. “Okay.”
“You hate it.”
He draped his arm around her as they headed up the stairs. “I think you can do better.”
“Or we can.” She jammed her shoulder into his body playfully.
They were still laughing as they climbed the stairs to the second floor of the building, but it was drowned out by the sound of a saw, a clunk of a sledgehammer, some tinny rap music, and the desperate, repeated bark of a dog.
“Is Kookie in there?” Darcy shot forward with panic in her voice, reaching the top of the stairs seconds before Josh did. The door to Unit 3 was wide open, propped by a toolbox. The remnants of the bathroom that was being removed today were strewn in the hall and visible living room, including a sink and busted-up cabinet.
But the barking was coming from behind the door to Darcy’s apartment, thank God.
“Oh, that scared me,” Darcy said, rooting through her bag for keys. “Why is she still so worked up?”
“The construction noise,” he suggested. “Let me go check on those guys. They should be finished with the demo soon, or at least can the music.”
“It’s okay,” she said, unlocking the door. “We’ll take her with us today.” She disappeared inside, cooing reassurances to Kookie before he could answer.
Climbing over the toolbox, he glanced around the unit, bypassed the now missing linoleum floor in the kitchen, and headed to the master bath where Carlos Juarez, the subcontractor who’d been here almost every day for the other two renovations, was on his knees in the bathtub, popping out the old yellow tile.
“Greetings, Mr. R.” Carlos gave a warm smile. “Wanna carry a bathtub downstairs?”
Not particularly. Josh glanced around, certain he’d paid for two men to demolish this bathroom in one day. “You alone, Carlos?”
“No, I actually have a new guy with me who just started, but he ran down to the truck to get some plumbing tools.” He tipped his head to the exposed pipes from behind the sink. “That em-effer’s been on since the seventies, I swear. And we can do the heavy lifting when I get this tub out. But I know you like to get your hands dirty.”
Not today. “I’m actually going to run over to another job site.”
Carlos lowered the chisel and raised a brow. “You buying another building, Mr. R?”
“Not yet, but doing a favor for a friend. It’s the lady who lives next door, actually.”
Carlos frowned. “The one with the dog?”
“Guilty.” Josh leaned against the doorjamb and crossed his arms. “She usually takes the dog to work, if the barking’s been bothering you.”
“Not at all.” He wiped the palm of his hand on his unshaven face, looking a little unsure. “She was fine until your lady friend showed up and wanted to get in.”
His lady friend? “Who was here?”
“I don’t know her name, but some woman was here and said you were supposed to be here to let her in to that apartment.”
Who could that have been? “Did you get her name?”
“Sorry, no. Bill talked to her more than I did. He should be back any second.”
Josh pushed off the wall, hoping Darcy would know who it might have been. “Thanks, Carlos.”
“Sure thing. And don’t worry about the tub. Billy’s a beast, and he could carry it himself if he had to.”
“Call me if you need anything.” He st
arted out, then turned. “Call me if that woman comes back, too.”
Josh headed through the apartment and rounded a corner, damn near slamming into a wall of man and muscle, both of them jerking back.
“Whoa!”
“Sorry, I…” Josh blinked up at the face of the other man, who was not much taller than he was, but who was wide and tanned and familiar. “Bill Bainbridge?” The name of the tradesman he’d used on many jobs for Bucking easily popped into his head.
“Hey, Mr. Ranier.” He extended a meaty hand, glanced at it, then wiped it on his workpants before offering it again. “Good to see you, sir.”
Stunned to see someone from his old job, Josh shook his hand. “What brings you up here?”
His chunky cheeks reddened. “You, sir.”
“Me?”
“Gotta be real, Mr. R. Lot of subs can’t stand working on Bucking jobs anymore. Pay’s fine, and the bennies are good, but…” He shook his head. “I don’t like cuttin’ corners, sir. You know how that company builds now.”
To squeeze every drop from a dollar. But Josh was too smart to say that, giving the other man a confused frown.
“I talked to a couple of guys who said your subs were hiring, and I figured you were a known quantity. Hope that’s okay, sir.”
“Of course,” Josh said, zipping through what he knew about the guy. Punctual, strong, and enough of a perfectionist that he was happy to have him here. “I’m glad you found me.”
Lifting a wrench, Bill stepped by. “I’ll get back to work, then.”
“Sure. But before you do, Carlos said a woman was up here trying to get in the other unit. Did you get her name?”
He huffed out a breath. “The queen of England? I mean, she acted like she owned the place and you promised her you’d let her in that apartment.” He lifted his brows. “She wanted me to get her in. Wanted it bad. Like…she mighta paid good for the favor.”
Holy hell. Savannah? Did she hear Kookie bark, and assume it was Stella? She’d never been inside the building and didn’t know which unit was his. A slow, cold fear snaked through him. Could that lawyer have reached her and told her what he’d signed with her power of attorney? Would she be that selfish to take the dog and deny her a chance to see again?