Page 5 of Shaded Amethysts
The dog was carrying a stuffed animal in its mouth as it rushed over to greet me. His tail flapped back and forth as I stooped down to rub his soft ears. When I got a good look at the toy he was carrying, I couldn’t help but be utterly charmed. It was a yellow dog with its own tiny, plastic cone around its neck.
When I glanced up at Noah and said, “Cute toy,” I could have sworn the man actually blushed.
“The dogs seem to like having someone else in the same situation as them. It helps alleviate the humiliation of wearing a cone of shame,” he explained.
The man was handsome, helpful, and charming. Plus, he loved animals and was obviously sensitive to their needs. Oh, and he was a doctor.Could he be any more perfect? Swoon.
Deciding I’d better get out of here before my panties decided to remove themselves and fly into his startled face, I said, “See you tomorrow night?”
“Can’t wait,” he said quietly as I turned and gave my best effort at a sexy saunter out of his office.
5
Avery
Iwas far too keyed up to sleep. Besides, if I returned to my parents’ home while they were still awake, I might slip up and tell them about my upcoming date with the sexy veterinarian. I already felt enough pressure to make it a success without adding their anticipatory looks into the mix.
I decided to take a late-night walk to burn off some of my excess energy. Although there had been a recent crime spree of minor break-ins and petty vandalism in our lovely, coastal town, I refused to be afraid. Brunswick Bay Harbor was my home, and I would not hide out at my parents’ house in fear. Besides, Kevin Durley was the only major criminal that had ever lived here, and he was locked up.
The wind was brisk coming in off the water from the harbor as I walked down Blueberry Cove Street, so I raised the zipper higher on the light fleece jacket I’d found in my trunk. There weren’t many people out and about at this late hour, but I had no doubt that if I yelled for help several people would run to assist me. That was the type of place this was. Neighbors helped each other, without question.
As I approached the hulking figure on the ground, I squinted my eyes in an effort to figure out what I was looking at. The closer I got, the more certain I became that it was a large man stooping on the ground.
I didn’t recognize the broad back or scruffy hair of the kneeling man, but I felt compelled to offer my assistance with whatever he was trying to do, so I said, “Need some help down there?”
He jumped in surprise at my question, even though I hadn’t intended to sneak up on him. When he turned to face me, it was my turn to startle. This had to be the newcomer I’d heard so much about recently. I’d never seen him before, but I’d certainly suffered through plenty of scuttlebutt about his arrival in town.
I was a big believer in everyone being innocent until proven guilty, but many townspeople had mentally tried and convicted this man for every transgression that had happened recently in our little burg.
My hand involuntarily went up to my neck when he made eye contact with me. “Oh, hi.”
“Hello.” His voice was as deep as I expected, based on his massive size. It rumbled down my spine.
Just as I became convinced that he was going to dismiss me just as quickly as I had arrived, his eyes lit up with an idea just before he said, “Oh, you probably have skinny arms.”
I took a step back, alarmed by the odd statement. Since it seemed overly rude to ignore his strange suggestion, I said, “Umm. I guess,” but I remained ready to run for my life at a moment’s notice if this interaction became any more uncomfortable.
He sat up and asked, “Could I get your help down here?”
It felt like a trap, but his earnest look raised my curiosity. Not bothering to hide the wariness in my tone, I asked, “With what?”
“There’s a kitten trapped in this storm drain, and my hand is too large to fit through the grate,” he explained.
I wondered if I was being as gullible as a kid lured into a windowless van with candy, but something about the stranger felt sincere. I bent over to peer into the grate, but couldn’t see anything. After deciding I would give him a sharp elbow to the nose and a knee to the groin, if this was a trick, I sat down on the ground beside the man.
He pointed to the side of the grate I was sitting nearest and said, “It sounds like it’s over that way.”
I nodded as I stared with wide eyes at the grate. Never in my entire life had I even considered sticking my hand down one of these things. It would be just my luck to get stuck in it. I would never live that down. That was one of the drawbacks to living in a small town where everyone knows everyone else’s business––no one ever lets you forget.
As I tentatively stuck my arm out, I tried to gauge if the opening was big enough for me to reach through. Pausing, I asked the stranger, “Is this a sewer drain? Am I sticking my hand down into poop?”
“Your hand and arm will wash clean,” he tried to assure me, but his words didn’t make me feel any better.
My hand had barely cleared the hole when the next fear struck. Turning horrified eyes to the man, I squeaked, “You’re sure this is a kitten, right? If I pull a rat out of here, I’ll never forgive you.”
He surprised me by tipping his head back and bellowing with laughter before he answered, “It’s a frightened kitten, so time is of the essence.”
In an effort to distract myself from thinking about the possibility that I might be reaching for a feces-covered rat, my unhelpful brain decided to make me wonder if the man had purposely placed the kitten into this perilous situation to lure an unsuspecting woman down here.
