Good God, was there anything subtle about her? No, nothing. Not a single thing about his new tenant could be ignored. Not her waves of corn-silk hair or eyes the color of his favorite cobalt vortex marble that he’d treasured as a kid. Certainly not the lean, shapely figure that moved with grace and attitude and…sex.
He tried to swallow and remember that swearing off women meant swearing off everything. Unless…no. Not with her. Not with her name on the lease for his apartment. Not with a face he could look at for days. Months, maybe. That would blow the rules to smithereens.
He watched the men and women buzz about like uninvited ants at a picnic table, industrious, organized, and having way too much fun. Their banter, laughter, and incessant teasing drifted in like someone else’s music he didn’t recognize or like. Did any family really act that way? Because the one he came from sure didn’t.
For one thing, the Buckings would never move themselves. They had staff for a job like that, paid professionals who preceded them from the mansion on the lake in Cornelius to the summer place in the Hamptons and the Christmas place in Aspen. Of course, no Bucking would holler a joke over a truck bed, high-five when a lamp got tossed—and caught—from one man to the next, or even think about driving a Jeep.
He turned away and went back into the formal dining room to work on the renovation plans spread out over the table. He had to have these to the subs by—
“Where do you want Kookie’s bed, Darce?”
He straightened from the plans as the question floated in from outside. Kookie? The dog? She was bringing a bed for a dog that wasn’t living there?
Damn it. Did she think he was an idiot?
Setting down his pencil, he walked to the window in time to see one of the men hoist a cradle out of a truck. What the hell? Her dog slept in a crib?
Darcy came darting around the Jeep, carrying a box. “Would you be quiet, Shane? I don’t want the landlord to know she’s here.”
Too late, sweetheart.
“The landlord Dad thinks you’re going to marry?” The man lifted the cradle over his head, showing off an impressive physique as he shook his shoulders and started singing “Another One Bites the Dust.”
An emotion Josh couldn’t identify rocked through him. Was that…envy? Because this moron was singing in the street?
Another guy swooped by, carrying a chandelier. He was tall, dark, and wearing a shirt with the face of a German shepherd and the words Ears Up, System Armed on the front. “Don’t listen to Shane, little sister.”
“Always good advice.” This from the Jeep driver, who carried a massive wardrobe box and wore a fedora or cowboy hat. Something that had seen better days. “And I really like that you’re back in the game to get Dad a date.”
Wait. Didn’t she say her dad was the matchmaker? Not the other way around? He shook his head. Why did he even care about this crew? Still, he lingered to listen to the exchange.
“Oh, I’m in,” Darcy said. “After trying to thrust me on some tool-toting, dog-hating, rule-obsessed Neanderthal? Dad’s going down.”
Neanderthal? And he told her he didn’t hate dogs. What the hell?
“Give Dad a break, you guys.” The auburn-haired woman, flanked by a man with tattoos all over his arms and the teenager dragging a rolling suitcase, cut into the conversation. “He can’t help himself now that Darcy is the last Kilcannon standing.”
That brought on a volley of inside jokes he’d never translate or laugh about.
For a long moment, Josh stood in the window, transported back in time, feeling the old sting of being an outsider looking into a family he didn’t fit into at all. Then the group dispersed with boxes and belongings, laughter, chatter, and one gaudy chandelier that she really shouldn’t be allowed to hang, but something told him Darcy Kilcannon was a force of nature who would do whatever she wanted and he’d be the one blown away.
She stood alone for one moment, hands on her hips, head tilted back, staring up at the building with the same smile he’d seen enough times to already have it memorized. A few stray strands of blond hair lifted with the summer breeze, and he could practically hear her sweet sigh of satisfaction.
A familiar, unwanted ache deepened in his gut. Okay. That was a little lower than his gut.
But how could he not respond to her?
Easily. By following his own rules. Flings only. One-night stands. Hookups. Whatever they called meaningless sex that didn’t lead to a heart that felt like a nine-pound hammer had whacked it. He hadn’t attempted anything like casual sex yet, but he wasn’t about to start with her.
There was nothing casual about Darcy Kilcannon, and he’d do well to remember that.
All of a sudden, Darcy let out a little squeal that might be annoying on another woman but sounded like a song on her lips, pointing down the street. “What an adorable pupper! Is that a Chinese crested? I love that dog!” She crouched down as a little white dog came trotting closer, on a leash, but turning in circles. No, not any little white dog. That was…
“Stella.” Josh barely breathed the name, letting his gaze shift to the other end of the leash.
A few white lights popped in his head. The sour taste returned, his frozen heart burned, and his fists formed with the urge to punch a wall as he stared in shock.
What the hell was she doing here?
Chapter Five
“Hello, little love.” Darcy leaned over to get closer to the fluffy little doggo, surprised when it continued trotting right by her.
“Sorry.” The owner, an attractive brunette who looked to be about Darcy’s age, tugged gently on the leash. “She’s blind.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.” At the sound of Darcy’s voice, the dog stepped back, growled, and turned toward a bed of flowers for a quick, nervous pee. “Diabetes?” Darcy asked.
The other woman shook her head. “No, she was fine, and then, wham. It happened a few weeks ago. She started bumping into things and acting really strange, then I had her at a client’s house, and she walked right to the stairs and fell down.”
“Oh no!” Darcy put her hands in front of her mouth and moaned in sympathy.
“She was fine, but shaken up. So was I. The vet said it happens and she’s blind for life now.”
“She has SARDS?” Darcy asked. The acronym was for a blindness that was fairly common in dogs, especially females this size.
“Yes, that’s it,” the woman said with a nod. “Sudden…”
“Acquired Retinal Degeneration Syndrome,” Darcy finished. At the woman’s surprised look, she said, “I’m a dog groomer. Dad and sister are vets. Brothers all train.”
She smiled. “Then you understand that Stella’s really struggling.”
“Stella.” Darcy eyed the little doll, who kept turning in circles and growling at nothing. “Don’t tell me. You’re a fan of the Marlon Brando movie?”
“Nope. Stella McCartney designs.”
Darcy smiled, glancing at the woman’s impeccable outfit and deciding that made sense. But the snazzy outfit couldn’t hide the sadness in her eyes.
“I bet you’re struggling, too,” Darcy said, inching closer to the dog and reaching in her pocket, certain she’d stuffed a treat or two in there for Kookie. “Can she have a treat?”
“Oh, sure. Come on, Stella. Treat!”
The dog turned at the word, her head moving back and forth as she navigated her way to the treats she smelled in Darcy’s hand.
“Aww, she’s a sweet little nug.” Once she ate the treats, Darcy slowly petted her head, careful not to scare her. “Blind dogs need special training,” Darcy told her. “You should bring her to Waterford Farm. We have—”
“Savannah.”
Both women turned at the man’s voice, but the dog barked at the sound of it.
“Hello, Josh.”
Darcy inched back, looking from one to the other. So Hot Landlord had a name—Josh—and, from the way Stella was barking at the sound of his voice, at least one fan.
/> His gaze was straight-up ice as he looked at the woman, but after a second, it dropped to the dog and melted. “Hey, kid. I’ve missed you.” He crouched for a second, petting the dog, who sat on the sidewalk, tongue out, face up, begging for more like any female would in front of him.
After a moment, he stood slowly, and all the ice came back. “What are you doing here, Savannah?” He asked the question in the same tone one might use on a mortal enemy or possibly the devil incarnate. Ouch.
“I thought you’d like to see…Stella.” The woman, Savannah, had plenty of hesitation in her response, Darcy noticed, and crossed her arms in a way that said she was no more comfortable with this than he was.
So this was private drama, and Darcy wanted out.
“Well, I better get back to moving in,” Darcy said quickly. “You want these?” She held the treats out to the woman, anxious to get out of the way of whatever confrontation was going down.
“Thank you.” She took them. “Where did you say this dog should go?”
She glanced at Josh, who stopped glaring long enough to pet the dog. “Waterford Farm,” Darcy said. “It’s an excellent canine training center about fifteen minutes out of town. Like I said, we can treat—”
“What’s wrong with her?” Josh interjected. “Why is she acting so strange?”
“Stella’s gone blind, Josh,” the woman said.
“What?” His eyes flashed with anger that instantly shifted to something deeper and more personal. “When did that happen? How?”
The other woman glanced at Darcy, then at him with a plea in her eyes. “Um, Josh, can we talk?”
Darcy got the message, backing up with one hand raised. “Let me know if you need the number for Waterford,” she said quickly. “Good luck, Stella.” She gave the dog a quick rub on the head, but that made her scoot back and cower in fear.
“Stella,” Josh whispered. “You poor baby.”
Okay, so that big old chest wasn’t hollow. Good to know. She hustled toward the apartment building entrance.
“Is she moving in with you?” The woman’s question came right as Darcy disappeared inside, but the door hadn’t closed.
Darcy couldn’t help it. She had to listen. She had to know how vehemently he denied that possibility.
For a long moment, he didn’t respond, making Darcy wonder if he was shaking his head and giving the other woman a look like she was insane.
“Yeah,” he said. “She’s moving in right now.”
Darcy froze. Did he…was he trying to imply that…
“Oh, Josh. I’m glad you found someone,” the woman cooed. “And so fast.”
Very slowly, without making a sound, Darcy let the door close. So Hot Landlord had used her as a revenge girlfriend. Normally, it would tick her off to no end. But this time? Well, that ought to buy her at least a month of having Kookie live here with no repercussions.
With a hoot, she charged up to her new apartment, feeling oddly victorious and excited.
* * *
“She’s really blind?” Josh’s question came out as a croak, but the news hit hard and he couldn’t hide it. “How is that possible? She was fine when I…when you…before.”
“I figured out she was blind a few weeks ago. Your, um, girlfriend knew exactly what caused it.”
“Girlfriend?” He looked up from the dog, frowning, then suddenly realized that she’d misunderstood him and when she said he’d found someone, he thought she meant a tenant. “No, she’s renting one of the units,” he explained. “How did she go blind, Savannah?”
“She got something called SARDS, they say.”
“Is that why you’re here? You wanted to tell me in person?” Because if she thought for one minute he’d take her back because of this, she was out of her mind.
“No.” She shook her head, studying Stella as she turned in a circle, walked into a small wrought-iron rail, and backed away with a sudden bark of fear, making Josh’s heart twist for her. “I came to ask you a huge favor, Josh. So, can we talk?” Once more, she glanced at the apartment building.
“Let’s take a walk,” he said, not wanting to settle in for a long conversation. The sooner Savannah left, the better. He watched Stella walk right up to a light post, tap her nose, and work her way around it, the whole process breaking his heart.
She’d been a lively, spirited, trusting little dog afraid of nothing but thunder. But not now. “How did this happen to her?”
Savannah gave Stella’s leash a gentle tug. “I don’t know.” There was real pain in her voice. “Maybe God was punishing me.” Pain and guilt.
“I don’t think it works quite like that,” he said. “Was it sudden? She’s awfully young for some kind of senior-dog thing, right? They told me at the shelter she was under five years old.” He remembered the day he’d gone to an animal refuge to find a rescue for a six-month anniversary present. The high-strung dog hadn’t been able to find an owner, but she’d calmed down around Josh, enough that he picked her for Savannah, who’d loved her.
But then, he thought she’d loved him, too.
“It’s not an age thing. It just happens. And it’s awful,” Savannah said. “She’s scared of everyone and everything. Doesn’t even trust people she knows. She hides under tables and chairs and has to be coaxed out with treats, and when she’s out, she pees on the floor and won’t stop shaking.”
“What does her vet say to do?”
She shrugged. “Live with it.”
She was quiet for a long time, letting Stella set a slow and careful pace as they walked along the street.
“So, Gideon and I are taking a trip and will be gone for a while. We’re going completely off the grid, just the two of us, no phones, no Internet, no family.”
He waited for the sucker punch of pain, but felt nothing except a little relief. “That’s nice,” he said.
“Mmm.” The response was noncommittal and a little strange.
“You sound less than enthused,” he noted.
“There’s a problem.”
With Gideon, there always was.
She pointed at Stella. “We can’t take her.”
He threw her a look, but waited to hear the rest, even though he already sensed where this was going. And not to “a kennel.”
“He’s pretty upset about her being blind.”
“Upset that she’s blind or upset that she’s a more difficult dog?” A rhetorical question, though, since he knew Gideon “I’ll Take the Easy Way” Bucking well enough to know the answer.
She didn’t reply, but he heard her swallow. “She’s complicating an already complicated situation.”
A situation of Savannah’s making. He didn’t say a word, though.
“So, will you?” she asked.
“Will I what?”
“Take her while I’m gone? I absolutely cannot bear to leave her in a kennel or with a stranger. No one can handle her because she’s so…erratic.”
She wanted him to take Stella while she went on vacation with his stepbrother? Ire shot up his spine. “Why don’t you ask Brea?” he said, knowing his stepsister had watched the dog on more than one occasion for Savannah.
She shook her head. “Brea and I aren’t…” She huffed out a breath. “We’re not really as close these days.”
Surprise, surprise. His stepsister must have taken his side when she found out what Savannah had done. He’d have to thank her next time he saw her. Which could be a long time, because he had zero plans to go back to the Land of Buckings anytime soon.
“Josh, remember when you gave Stella to me? You said if I ever needed backup…”
“We were dating,” he said. “I’m sorry, Savannah, but I work on a construction site all day, and you can’t leave her alone all day. I can see that in five minutes with her.”
“But you’re in your own building, right? You could check on her every hour or so.” At his look, she tipped her head to acknowledge how difficult that would be. “And your girlfriend is a dog perso
n who knows all about training.”
“She’s not my girlfriend.”
She gave a knowing smile. “She’s really pretty, and she’s a dog groomer.”
She was? How did Savannah find that out in two minutes and he had no idea what Darcy did for a living? Because he’d sworn off women. “That’s not a solution,” he said simply.
She stopped walking and turned to him. “Please, Josh. I know you love Stella like I do. She’s not stable enough to be anywhere else but with you.”
And, truth be told, he didn’t want her anywhere else but with him. “It could be dangerous. It’s a construction zone upstairs.” And he’d already told one tenant there were no pets allowed because of it.
“Oh, she can’t climb stairs. And she loves you. Look at her, Josh.” She gestured toward Stella who, when they stopped, came right to Josh and started sniffing his sneaker.
Just then, another dog came trotting by on a leash, looking straight ahead, not even aware of them. But as they got closer, Stella danced backward, her gaze darting helplessly from one side to the other as she growled and spun in circles and then barked violently in warning to the other dog.
“And she hates the smell of another dog, which is why I can’t even think about boarding her,” she added, as if that was going to help her case. “I mean, no one wants her.”
“I do,” he said softly. It was a mistake, a challenge he didn’t need, a rule he had to bend. But for Stella? He’d bend the rules until they broke in two.
As if she read his mind, Stella got her teeth into his shoelace and started to whip her head from side to side, untying his shoe. Savannah smiled as if she knew she was victorious, until her phone buzzed and she pulled it out, cringing when she looked at the screen.
“Don’t tell me. Gid’s ready to leave and you need to run.”
She looked up at him, something in her eyes he never remembered seeing before. Fear? Worry? Something…not good.
“Savannah, is everything okay?”
“Here’s my car,” she said, pointing to her SUV parked on the street. “Let me give you her stuff.”