Page 77 of The Rescuer

Apparently, he was also a mind reader. “You don’t believe me, do you?”

“No, I don’t.”

He sat forward, bringing his nose within inches of hers. She tried not to notice the gold threads twining with the deep green in his irises. Or his thick, dark lashes. Or the way those eyes dipped to her mouth.

“Okay,” he breathed, “tell you what.” Straightening his stance, he pulled back. “I didn’t want to do this, but next time you babble during the night, I’ll record it. I was pretty sure you wouldn’t believe me, but I held off because, again, that whole embarrassment thing. Like right now. Your face is almost as red as the wine.”

The blaze in her face roared with his observation and the ensuing half-smirk. He knew her too well.

“Why didn’t you tell your mother you got married?” she blurted in a ridiculous, knee-jerk attempt to change the conversation’s course. She knew the answer. Of course she did. She just wanted to hear it from him because … damn, he was cute when he talked about this mother.

He laced his long, strong fingers behind his head. “You mean aside from the fact that she would have been planninganotherreception and marking dates on the calendar for the birth of our first five children?”

“Five?” Neve barked. “Seriously?”

“No. Just joking. The real reason is I didn’t want her to know what an irresponsible asswipe I can be. I want her to keep thinking of me as a reasonable adult in full control of his actions at all times. I hate letting my mom down. And if she’d found out that we got marriedandthat we’re not going to stay that way, she’d be crushed.” The corners of his eyes and mouth creased with dismay, and Neve felt the strings of her heart beingplucked.Twang!She loved a man who loved his mom, and this powerful guy brimming with masculinity didn’t mind if the world knew it.

Okay, so that change of subject didn’t help one little bit.

“Any other questions?”

“Um, no.” Actually, yes. Thebigquestion hung out there unsolved—who was her angel? It could have been Reece, but now she wasn’t so sure. “For the record, I don’t want you recording me if I talk at night.”

“As you wish.” With a wink, he polished off his wine, stood, and picked up their dishes. “I’ll clean. You go pick out a movie. You’ve been battling through a lot lately, and I think you need to take it easy.”

God, that was so … sweet. This man was driving her nuts, making her speed toward turns, only to U-turn, and race in a different direction. She was all over the map, and she wasn’t sure what to do about it. The issue would solve itself in a few weeks when he left, but that presented a whole other problem for her poor, beat-up, confused heart. Vermont was a million miles away, and the thought of a life without seeing Reece every day, whatever form the relationship took, was as bleak as the weather outside. This past week, she had fallen in love with a whole other side to him she’d never seen before. She’d had her doubts about him being underfoot in her clinic, but he had surprised her with how quickly he’d caught on and how efficient he was. He’d even streamlined a few systems for her so they flowed more smoothly—tasks she’d tried to get Lauren to take on but that the girl had somehow never gotten around to.

Besides his office skills, he was a real help to her with the patients. His experience with search and rescue really shone through and made him an excellent assistant, despite his lack of specific veterinary knowledge. When he needed to, he could also turn on the charm and calm the frazzled nerves of any pet’s owner. In fact, Neve was fairly certain a few of said owners had fallen head over heels for him, judging by the number of questions she’d gotten about his “marital status.” Little did they know …

Her heart had already melted from him being around this past week, and the puddle of goo it had become grew even bigger. He was hotness and kindness and thoughtfulness all rolled into one, with a healthy dash of spice and a whole hell of a lot of the masculinity that made men so appealing. As she watched him clear the table and walk away, she let herself indulge in the sight of his square shoulders tapering to his trim waist and lean hips, giving him that wide triangle shape that topped long, strong legs.Not to mention that perfect man butt that his jeans showcased quite nicely, like snug gloves that molded to his ass cheeks. What did thirty-two-year-old Reece’s tush look like compared to the picture she’d carried around in her head since childhood? Her mouth watered without her permission.

Ugh.

Before this past week had turned her life upside down, Neve had congratulated herself on moving on from her one-sided love affair with Reece Hunnicutt. She had been proud of how she’d finally put him in her rearview mirror and how she’d spread her wings and let herself explore a relationship with Leo Cantrell. Okay, so that foray into romance hadn’t panned out. Worse, though, was that she found herself right back at square one, caught in the thick, sticky web of desire for Reece—only now that desire burned brighter, sharpened by his presence twenty-four seven. Would she ever escape this dead end she had occupied for three-quarters of her life?

With a resigned sigh, she stumbled to the living room and began searching for the bloodiest shoot-’em-up she could find. In that moment, she resolved that tomorrow she would give her muddled emotions a workout on the ice. Exhaust her aggressions. And if sheaccidentallytoppled the object of her angst? That might feel pretty damn good.

Chapter 21

The Game

The morning dawned brightand cold.Reallycold. Perfect hockey weather. First, though, Neve had a dog to check on and a cat to give away.

As she loaded Mr. Whiskers into her Tahoe, she had the weirdest sensation of someone watching her. She’d had the same creepy feeling several times over the past week—sometimes here at home, sometimes at the clinic. As she’d done then, she took her time looking around. Also like before, she saw nothing and no one. The surroundings were eerily quiet, devoid of noise or the tiniest ruffle of wind. Neve’s house sat back from the road, and while dwellings flanked hers on either side, they were vacation homes rarely occupied during the cold months. They definitely weren’t occupied now, so it wasn’t a neighbor sending a hairy eyeballher way.

She shook off the unsettling feeling and left for the clinic, arriving a half hour before her appointment with the dog’s owner. The woman was already waiting for her with an anxiousness that showed itself in her worried babble.

Neve got her settled in the reception area while she stowed Mr. Whiskers in her office and went to take care of the dog—fingers crossed he was ready for his owner. Relief flooded her when he gave her a thumping tail wag. He had come through the night with flying colors, and she prepared him to go home.

When Neve returned to the waiting area with the leashed dog fitted with a cone, another woman sat there with the first client. The two were chatting, though they didn’t seem to know one another. Neve caught a snippet. The second woman was quizzing the first one about Neve. Oddly, none of it was about her clinic. Only Neve. Personally. Neve suspected she wasn’t supposed to overhear because as soon as she entered the room, the new visitor—the one doing the grilling—clammed up and stared at her with wide eyes.Guiltyeyes.

While the owner lavished her pooch with pets and coos of adoration, Neve asked the second woman what she could do for her.

“I’m here to see the cat.”

Crap,thiswoman was an hour early! Neve glanced at the clock to make sure she hadn’t mixed up her times. “I’m not quite ready for you yet.”

“That’s okay. I’ll wait.”

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