Page 14 of Her Rugged Guardian

We’d been fast friends ever since, commiserating over stupid relationships and idiots at our respective offices since then. She was one of the biggest reasons I’d hated leaving the DC area. On the day before I’d left, I’d promised her that one day I’d convince her to move to the great Pacific Northwest.

That was still my goal.

“Oh, I’m here alright.”

“What does that mean?”

“Let’s talk a flight with three delays, a grouchy pup almost being transferred to the wrong plane, the fact that it’s freezing here and that I had an unwelcome visitor inside my house.”

“Ouch. An unwelcome visitor? As in someone had broken in?”

I walked to the window, glaring at the bucket one more time. As I peered out, I shook my head. Mr. Grinch was currently tossing shingles over the side of the house. “Not exactly. Let’s just say my mother had developed an affinity for sarcastic jerks.”

Jessica laughed. “What are you talking about? Your mother was like what, sixty-five?”

“Somewhere in that neighborhood and no, they weren’t romantically involved.” When one of the asphalt pieces managed to hit the window, I pulled away, hissing under my breath.

“Then what?”

“He was her personal contractor.”

“Ooh la la. Is he a hunk?”

“He’s a jerk.” A handsome, sexy, and very masculine one.

“That didn’t answer the question.”

Sighing, I turned away, pacing the floor. “He’s okay.”

“Uh-huh. I know that tone. You think he’s a hottie.” She laughed, the sound the same as when she pointed out some good-looking guy that I turned my nose up to. Stephen, the horrible ex, had certainly done a number on my level of self-confidence. And it wasn’t all about the fact he’d been seeing a pseudo friend of mine behind my back. It was that I’d managed to ignore all the signs that he was a two-timing pig. And I hated myself for it.

Huffing, I moved out of the room. “Like I said. He’s okay in a Neanderthal kind of way.” Thank God the pounding had stopped. I already had a headache behind my eyes. That wouldn’t bode well for all the things I had to do during the day.

“You need to get a picture of him.”

“Why? So you can chastise me, teasing me relentlessly about the fact my sex life dropped into the toilet?”

“Why should it be any different just because you moved a million miles away?” my bestie cooed.

“Come out here and say that.”

“I just might.”

We both laughed as I jogged down the stairs, stopping in the entrance foyer to listen for any other telltale sounds the hunk with a bad attitude had finally left. It struck me that Moose wasn’t barking, which likely meant I was wrong.

Damn it.

The lure of hot coffee called to me like a siren from the deep ocean waters. Yet the moment I walked into the kitchen, I stopped short. At least I knew why my guard dog wasn’t guarding anything, instead being stroked under his chin, the look of happiness and contentment even more encompassing than when I did the same thing.

Even worse, the person providing my dog with so much happiness was none other than the man who’d become a thorn in my side. Jake was crouched down next to the pup, who was on his back with his legs spread wide open. I’d swear it was a match made in heaven.

I stopped short, my heavy breathing more like a truck driver who’d had way too many cigarettes in his life.

“Are you okay?” Jessica asked from the other end of the line.

My silence wasn’t considered golden. As Jake stood, I realized he had a cup of coffee in his hand. My cup to be exact.

“Motherfucker. I need to go, Jess. I’ll call you back later.”

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