“Good. If your coworkers have had problems with dogs, your boss should be predisposed to understand.”
She kicked off her shoes and pushed erect. Standing one step up, she was almost at his eye level. At six five, he could be no more than seven inches taller. He thought her height was sexy, a woman he could kiss without getting a crick in his back.
Handing Rip the biscuit, he turned to leave. “Be seeing you, I guess. If you’re like Tuck, you shop online a lot.”
“Not really, and thank goodness. This order cost me two hundred and fifty dollars.”
“Whoa. What did you buy?”
“An invisible-fencing kit to keep Rip in the yard.” She gestured at the sprawling chain-link fence. “Tuck paid thousands for that blasted thing, but Rip always figures out a way under it or over it, whichever suits his purposes at the time.”
Tanner’s heart caught. The way she’d emphasized the price of her online purchase, he suspected the outlay had hurt her financially. He understood the difficulties of living from payday to payday. Well, he had the proceeds from the sale of his accounting firm and his former home and from Carolyn’s life insurance policy in the bank. But he tried never to touch that money. Someday his kids would need a large portion of it for their college educations.
“Can you upgrade the collar that comes with the kit?”
She frowned. “Why would I need to do that? The product description said the collar that comes with it will do the trick.”
“Rip isn’t just any dog.” Tanner could only hope she had spent enough to get a really good waterproof collar. “Just do a little research before you install it. Make sure the controller will work with any brand of collar. Otherwise return it and upgrade.”
He studied her face. She had gorgeous eyes, hazel that could look green or brown, depending on how the sunlight touched them. Carolyn’s had been a striking dark blue, but Crystal’s were no less captivating. A stab of guilt got him in the gut. He decided to pretend he hadn’t felt it. He’d been alone for a long time, and Carolyn wouldn’t have wanted him to ignore other women for the rest of his life.
“Do you know something I don’t?” Crystal asked. “About Rip and electronic collars, I mean.”
Tanner didn’t feel comfortable discussing Rip’s downfalls. If Tuck hadn’t told Crystal about the electronic-collar saga, he must have had his reasons. “Only that you may need a collar for a Great Dane or Saint Bernard that can’t swim. I noticed a pond out back.”
“A collar for dogs that huge would be too strong. Rip’s not even a full-fledged medium-size dog.”
Oh, boy. She was in for some unpleasant surprises. “Just make sure the controller will pair with all brands of collars. That’s my advice, anyway.” Tanner crossed the grass. When he’d almost reached the gate, Rip blocked him and growled. “Are you kidding me? I paid you to get off the porch earlier, and I just gave you the gate bribe.” He glanced over his shoulder. “Does he demand five biscuits now?”
Crystal walked barefoot across the grass to reach him. She held a bone up between her thumb and forefinger. “He probably lost count because so much time has passed. I can give you this one, but then I won’t have one to get inside the house.”
Tanner couldn’t help it; he started to laugh. When his amusement abated, he said, “He never loses count. He’s cheating!”
She smiled. “Maybe. But whether he’s just confused or deliberately cheating, I’ll have no bribe if I give you this biscuit. Will you please get me more out of the tree? Otherwise I’ll be stuck out here.”
“I’ve got a whole box of treats in the van.” He plucked the biscuit from her hand and gave it to Rip before leaving the yard. Then he got three more bones out of his vehicle and offered them to Crystal over the fence. “Extra ones, just in case he gets confused again.”
She took the cookies. “Thank you, Tanner.”
Once inside the van, Tanner leaned his head out the window. “Hey, Crystal! My boss told me you withdrew your complaint against me. Just want to say I appreciate that.”
She smiled, looking pleased. He wondered if she knew how lovely she was with her long red hair drifting like silk ribbons on the breeze and her bare feet gleaming like polished ivory against the grass.
“I hope you get your old route back!”
That wouldn’t happen, but Tanner didn’t want to tell her that. He believed she truly did regret his demotion. He had no wish to make her feel worse. Surprise tingled deep in his midsection. He wasn’t sure where his bitterness had gone, only that it had left him.
He went to the back of the vehicle to change into his extra uniform. What had happened today was a perfect example of why he carried spare clothing. A delivery person needed to be prepared for almost anything. Being stranded half naked on a porch had come at him from out of left field, for sure. Only, it had ended nicely. He’d encountered Tori’s beautiful lady with the long red hair again . . . and now he finally knew her name. That was even more exciting than grabbing the bottle of water he always carried with him and feeling the trickle of it going down his parched throat.
* * *
Mystified by Tanner’s warning about making sure the controller she’d ordered could pair with any collar, Crystal collected her parcel and purse, paid Rip his fee for allowing her to enter the house, and carefully opened the package. She didn’t want to damage the box, in case she had to return it.
To her delight, the item information said that other collars could be used with the controller. She put the pairing directions in a safe place and rested the new dog collar in its charging base. Then she went to her bedroom to change into clothes suitable for outdoor work—jeans, an old T-shirt, and scuffed riding boots she’d once worn on Tuck’s ranch. With her pants pockets filled with dog biscuits and her cell phone in a case clipped to her waistband, she fed the kitten and then took Rip outside with her.
It was a gorgeous spring evening with a cool breeze blowing down from the surrounding mountains. She set herself to the task of digging, pleased to find that the soil, recently loosened by the fence builder, was easy to turn.
At around eight, she had almost finished trenching the fence perimeter. She couldn’t believe how quickly she’d done the work. If she’d had to break hard ground, it would have taken her at least two evenings. Admiring the straight lines that she’d created, she frowned when her phone rang. Glancing at the screen, she saw that it was Tuck calling again. Her stomach clenched with dread. She needed more time to think before she talked to him. And while she’d been digging, she’d gotten an idea, which she couldn’t explain to her grandfather over the phone. Besides, it needed to be a surprise. She returned the device to its case.
Just keep digging, she told herself. Work out all the details for tomorrow so you can charm his socks off. A moment later she regretted her decision to ponder her plan, because her thoughts drifted to Tanner Richards, a person she’d believed she would never see again. If anything, he was even handsomer than she remembered from their first encounter. And kind. Not in a suave, flirtatious way, but genuine and warm, which she found attractive. Refreshing, too. She didn’t normally find it easy to talk with good-looking men, at least not at first.
As she turned the last shovelful of dirt, she sighed. “Tomorrow I’ll lay the wire,” she told Rip, who reclined behind her. “And you’ll finally have a fence that keeps you at home. Won’t that be lovely?”
The dog growled and put a paw over his eyes.
“Okay. So it’s the worst news you’ve heard in forever,” she said with a laugh. “But I think it’s wonderful. Now it’s time to go inside and have dinner. I’m going to celebrate with heated soup and a crusty chunk of sourdough bread. Maybe, as a special treat, you can have some of the kitten’s tuna over your food. Does that sound good?”
Rip unveiled his eyes and barked with excitement.
* * *
The local Italia
n place was a favorite with Tanner’s family. The ambience was nice enough for a special night out, and the menu prices were easy on the wallet. Tanner always ordered the seven-layer lasagna. Tori, princess for an evening, loved the beef ravioli. His mom, Libby, enjoyed the chicken piccata over angel-hair pasta, and Michael could shovel down an extra-large serving of spaghetti and meatballs with amazing speed. The establishment also served fresh bread and specially seasoned dunking oil, which was delicious. Even Tori, still finicky about her food at eight, liked the bread-dunking activity.
Tanner smiled as he watched the videos Libby had taken of Tori’s performance. The little girl looked darling in her wolf costume, and Tanner could hear adults in the audience laughing when she growled, barked, and snarled. A credible wolf howl was the finale.
“Was I good, Daddy?”
“You were phenomenal!” Tanner returned his mother’s phone and hugged his daughter. “The best wolf ever.”
Tori beamed with pleasure. “I didn’t forget my words, either. My teacher was proud of me.”
Over the top of the child’s head, Tanner met his mom’s gaze and winked. “I’m very proud of you, too. I’m sorry I couldn’t be there.”
Libby looked weary as she wound pasta around her fork. Tanner worried about the workload he had thrust upon her since Carolyn’s death, and he often mentioned hiring a sitter for the kids. But his mom insisted that she didn’t want her grandchildren left with a stranger. She felt it was important for them to be with someone who loved them. Tanner suspected she secretly yearned for the freedom she had envisioned for herself when she left southern Oregon and moved to Crystal Falls after his dad died. But life had dealt her this hand of cards instead. Unless he hired a sitter, she wouldn’t be able to pursue her own interests until Tori turned twelve and was mature enough to be alone.
“I’m so sorry I missed the play, Mom. Have I thanked you for getting there early and everything?”
Libby smiled. “Only about ten times. And you’re welcome. I enjoyed myself.”
“Tell me the dog story again!” Tori demanded around a cheekful of ravioli. “About how he ripped your pant leg off and how you tried to trick him with your uniform.”
“No talking with your mouth full,” Tanner reminded her. “Are you sure you want to hear about the dog again?” The child had giggled so hard during the first telling that she’d almost wet her pants. “Okay,” he relented. “But only if you eat while I tell the story. It’s way past your bedtime.”
“Especially the part about you on the steps in only your puppy boxers when the beautiful lady got home!”
Tanner began the tale again, only to be interrupted multiple times with questions, mostly about Rip. What kind of dog is he? What does he look like? How long did you have to stay on the porch? He used his phone to look up images of blue heelers and showed Tori a picture of a dog that greatly resembled Rip.
“Oh, Daddy, he’s so pretty. When I get a puppy of my own, I want one just like him!”
Tanner, recalling how beautiful Crystal had looked, was jerked back to the moment by his daughter’s observation. Never a blue heeler, he thought. Maybe all of them weren’t quirky like Rip, but Tanner didn’t want to take the gamble. Rip was smart, but he used his intelligence only for his own benefit. Tanner had learned one thing. He’d never try distracting the dog again. Rip had a one-track mind.
Then an evil thought occurred to him. Crystal was an incredibly gorgeous woman. If Tanner wanted to get better acquainted with her, all he had to do was pretend Rip had gotten the better of him and trapped him on the porch again. A smile played on his mouth. The dog couldn’t narc on him. As smart as Rip might be, he couldn’t talk.
* * *
Tuck was upset. He’d called his granddaughter twice today, and she hadn’t telephoned him back. Just deserts, he guessed. He’d known this morning by her stricken expression that he’d gone too far and said too much. Unreasonable described his behavior. Yes, she’d screwed up by grabbing his phone and holding it beyond his reach. And, yes, he’d had good reason to be furious. But at some point when a person has apologized repeatedly and sought forgiveness, only a mean old asshole refused to grant it.
Tuck had wanted to tell her that as she ran out the door that morning. He guessed she thought he’d only wanted to yell at her some more. He’d wanted to kick himself ever since, but that was a feat he couldn’t accomplish without two strong legs. She’d return tomorrow. She always came. Crystal was nothing if not loyal and caring. He had a bad feeling that he’d come close to breaking her heart. He knew that girl better than anyone. Exactly what filled her with joy, and what filled her with pain.
Tears pooled in his eyes, and that was the last straw. He’d be damned if he would sit here and blubber. Maybe somebody in this joint was still awake and in the community area. A good-looking woman, he hoped. Someone who didn’t have pink or blue hair. Please, God. He needed some stimulating conversation to take his mind off his problems.
As Tuck spilled from the hallway into the spacious front area of the building, he saw three old men at a table playing cards. Not poker with any money at stake—he knew that for a fact. The administrator didn’t allow gambling of any kind. Tuck’s question was, “Why play poker, then?” He hadn’t introduced himself to any of the men here. They were more crippled up than he was, and probably wanted to talk about their daily bowel movements. Not my idea of good conversation.
Then he saw her, sitting alone on a sofa at the far end of the common area. And it wasn’t the first time that he’d been tempted to stare. In his mind, he had dubbed her the “Mystery Lady.” Dark hair crowned her small head. It had to be dyed, of course. Few women reached her age without some snow on the roof. But he appreciated a gal who hadn’t surrendered to the ravages of time. In his books that meant she still wanted to look nice and be noticed. Well, he’d noticed.
She always kept to herself, finding places to sit well away from everyone else. And she dressed as if she worked in an office where she’d be dealing with the public. Creased slacks or formfitting skirts with a matching jacket over a pretty blouse. She also wore flashy jewelry. Her fingers were loaded with chunks of glittery ice, which he knew couldn’t be real diamonds. Hell, no. In this place, all your valuables were taken from you unless you could afford to pay for your rent and services rendered without eventual help from Uncle Sam. If you couldn’t, you had to disclose all your assets. Then the facility started spending you down. That’s what they called it, spending you down. In truth it was just robbery with a fancy name—well, in his opinion, anyway. Only, the people who ran these old-folk homes didn’t think of it as theft. The residents had crossed the finish line, and overcharging them for every little thing spent them down faster. Everything they’d worked for all their lives was up for grabs, and most of them didn’t care. All that mattered to them now was being comfortable until they cocked up their toes, and after all their money was gone, Medicare would pay their bills.
Still watching the Mystery Lady, Tuck shuffled to a halt, wishing he hadn’t brought his cane. How could a man look sexy with a cane? Now that he was partially recovered from his hip-replacement surgery, he used it mainly for stability, not support.
He decided to angle the cane over his shoulder, all jaunty like Fred Astaire in Top Hat. The Mystery Lady caught the movement and glanced up. She had the prettiest brown eyes he’d ever seen. Tuck gave her a broad smile and sat at the opposite end of the sofa from her. He saw her stiffen. Clearly trying to ignore him, she resumed reading whatever was attached to the clipboard she held. He took the opportunity to study her delicate profile. She had dark, arched eyebrows; long, sooty lashes; a dainty nose; and a softly pointed chin. And even from where he sat, he could smell her perfume, a light, flowery scent. She wore a suit the color of bittersweet chocolate chips, a blouse that put him in mind of eggshells, and suede heels that matched her outfit. Every time she moved her fingers, her rings flash
ed, making him wonder if they might be real after all. He noticed that her fingernails were shell pink with white tips.
“So, how is your evenin’ goin’?” It wasn’t his cleverest line, but a man had to break the ice somehow.
She gave him a smoldering look. “Until a moment ago, it was lovely.”
Tuck took the jab with a smile. “Mine is suddenly lookin’ up.”
Her full mouth drew into a thin line, deepening the age wrinkles around her lips. “Get lost.”
“I can’t. Not yet, anyway. Give me a few more years, and I may be able to get lost every time I turn around.”
She almost smiled—just a little tug at the corners of her lips. “Can’t you see I’m busy?”
“There’s always tomorrow.” He glanced at the card players. “In this joint, all we have is time. Time to sit. Time to read. Time to watch TV. Whatever you’re doin’, it can’t be all that important.”
“Actually, it’s very important.”
“More important than makin’ a new friend?”
She sighed and lowered the clipboard to her lap. “I don’t visit the community area to make friends. Staying in my apartment gets old.”
“I know the feelin’. And I don’t come out here to make friends, either.”
She gave him a curious look. “So why are you bothering me?”
“Because you look interestin’, like somebody who might talk about somethin’ besides how many glasses of prune juice she’s gotta drink a day to stay reg’lar.”
She chuckled, a delicate little sound that suited her. “I have to give you high marks for creativity. I’ve never heard that line before.”
“Not a line, darlin’, just the truth. The lady with blue hair has a problem with constipation.”
She laughed again. “Where are you from?”
“Texas originally. Spent most of my life ranchin’ in Idaho.”
“You haven’t lost the drawl.”