Page 7

Chapter Seven

Shae.

I didn’t remember the last time I slept this well. Even with the nightmare, I’d crashed after Drake had started reading, and I was surprised I’d stayed asleep. I turned my head, knowing the warm breaths against my cheek weren’t just my imagination, and studied Drake for a few minutes. He lay on his back with his face turned toward me. His dark brown hair was still cut military short, even if it had a couple of silver streaks trying to take hold. I knew when open, his eyes were a dark green that looked almost black when he was angry. He had a scar that started at his ear and moved down his throat until it ended at his collar. Not that I didn’t have my own scar of course, but I was desperate to hear the story behind this one.

And he was strong. So strong. I’d barely been aware when he’d carried me out of that prison. Stayed with me. Every single night in the hospital. And then I’d gone and ruined it by trying to kiss him.

Then he’d run. He thought he was too old for me, and I got that. I really did. But what he didn’t understand was that I wanted the thirty years or so of happiness he could bring with such ferocity I’d do anything. No one knew what the future held. People died all the time. I could have fallen in love with a twenty-year-old and something could have happened to him the next day. There was nothing guaranteed. I just didn’t know how to convince him of that.

Fallen in love?

It sounded so sappy. Made me pathetic, I supposed. But I knew how I felt. I just couldn’t ever make the mistake of letting Drake know or he’d be gone again.

I inched nearer the edge. At least the pull-out had two sides and if I was careful, I could get out. It wasn’t like I had to climb over him or anything. If I stayed in bed, he’d panic when he woke and realized he’d fallen asleep instead of going back to his own bed.

I had one foot almost on the floor when Drake grunted in his sleep and rolled over. I froze because his leg was now touching mine. His arm flung across my waist. Fuck. This was like something out of one of Gran’s books. My heart started pounding, and I decided I had two choices. Either get my ass out quickly and then he wouldn’t know we’d been touching, or continue trying to ease my way out and have him wake, and then it would be a whole thing.

I didn’t want to leave. I wanted to stay here with Drake. Have a chance with him. Look after the dogs. Chase Dolly out of the flower beds and dream that this was my life every day.

So, I moved. Put a little speed into it so I was at the bathroom door before he’d have the chance to notice if he woke. I paused, but there was nothing. Smiling, I went to get dressed.

Some of the dogs barked as I entered the barn, but not many, and that was sad. It was almost like their joy had been silenced. Apart from the puppies, there were another eight dogs, and I put the ones that looked the quietest in together while I cleaned out their pens and opened the doors that led to their small yard area. Four of them—two I had no clue what breed they were but they could pass as black labs I guessed, and two that were some sort of small, scruffy mutts—paired up and I left them to play with each other while I saw to the rest of them. It left a hairy but thin kind of hound, quite tall, another that looked like a dachshund, and two that seemed to have some American Pitbull in them. Those two definitely still had all their parts attached, so I wasn’t risking them together. I’d seen the large box in the corner of the room, and the note. New dog beds.

So, I took that as an instruction and distributed them. The two pits were the most amusing because for the big, tough boys they had been trying to convince me they were, they both gleefully rolled around in their new beds to get comfy, then demanded belly scratches to make their morning complete.

And the puppies.

I was sitting on the floor with all four of them climbing over me when Moira came in. She smiled softly. “The big boy’s found a forever home,” she said and gestured to the hound, who wagged his tail like a helicopter when he saw her. She let herself into his pen and fussed over him. I saw her reach into the pocket of her pants and give him a treat. He went to lie down on his bed and crunched happily. She beamed at the new beds. “They got delivered this morning. They should have proper beds already and I don’t know where they went. Our UPS driver will have put them in here so they didn’t get wet. Mackie, the UPS driver’s a sweetheart.”

I’d put each new bed on the frame it came in so it was slightly off the floor. Good in case any of the dogs weren’t house-trained. Although, even though the pens had been a mess last night, none of the dogs except the puppies had peed overnight, which was what the straw was for. I imagined the state they were in last time was down to that prick who should have been caring for them. He was probably responsible for throwing the beds out.

“I was wondering what your plans were?”

I looked up. It seemed disrespectful sitting while she wasn’t, but I had two puppies sacked out on my legs and another two wrestling practically on top of me.

“We never had children,” Moira said, carrying on without waiting for an answer. “I was thirty-three when I married Albert, and we were never that lucky.” She sighed. “Albert got into trouble when he was younger, so fostering and adoption weren’t options either.”

I made sure not to gape, but that had been the last thing I expected her to say.

“So, we opened this place and the dogs and the horses became our babies.” She smiled. “You need to come and see the office. The walls are full of the rescues.” She swallowed heavily and to be honest, so did I. “We have another full barn that’s just standing empty and seven acres that are the same. I can’t fill them because I can’t manage them. My knees make standing for a long time hard and since Albert had his heart attack, he has to be careful. We’ve had employees over the years, often good ones, but at the end of the day it comes down to us and we just can’t do it anymore.”

“You’re selling,” I said quietly.

“More closing down I guess,” she admitted, “unless I can find someone to either take over completely. The whole place would sell, but we’d have to let the house go and, well, we want to stay here. It will never sell as a rescue, and I’m not sure the fields would rent out other than what we’ve already done. We have three old horses, and the rest you see belong to the riding center at the back.

“Is it a charity?” I asked. She nodded.

“Yes, our sponsors needed that for their tax breaks. I have a good friend that handles all that for me, but this could be so much more.” She side-eyed me and I tried to hide the smile. “I have a friend in Dallas that I barely see now, but she runs a boarding kennel. Cats and dogs. She’s told me so many times a business like that would pay for the rescue.”

“I’m not in a position to make any decisions,” I said carefully, knowing what she was hinting at. “Plus, you don’t know me. I’ve…been in trouble.”

She gazed at me. “As I said, so was my husband when he was younger, but mistakes make people grow and learn. I can see you have a good heart.”

I nearly scoffed at the irony, except that would have been rude. “Miss Moira, ma’am , I don’t know what my future holds at the moment. I don’t even have somewhere permanent to live.”

She frowned. “But I thought?” Then she stopped and studied my face, and I did my best not to blush under her wise eyes. “I’ve got two families visiting this afternoon. I’m hoping they’re going to give two of my babies a loving home.”

I looked down because the puppy with one brown and one blue eye was snuffling into my elbow. He deserved a good home, and I ignored how tight my throat got.

“Moira.” I glanced up as Drake came into the barn. He bent down and kissed her cheek, then glanced over at me. “Your new boss giving you grief?”

Moira chuckled and slapped him on the arm. “Shush. I’m doing my best here to persuade your young man to take over this place.”

I cringed and lowered my gaze so I didn’t see Drake’s reaction. Your young man? I might as well go pack my bag now.

“I think that’s a great idea,” Drake said to my complete shock, and I risked looking up to see his steady eyes on me. “Breakfast’s ready and I just got a call from the doc. He can see you at three p.m.”

I nodded, relieved at the change of subject. “I’m finished, and all the pens are clean.”

“I can keep coming in to check on the pups and I’ll swap the ones that can go outside,” Moira said.

“I’ll be back later then.” I gently lifted the puppy and put him in the new bed. Drake lifted the other one, and they both curled up together. The other two were still checking their food bowls despite me being generous.

“I know why you took the job,” Drake said as we walked back, “but is that something you’d be interested in long-term?”

I shrugged because I had no idea how to answer, so I decided to be honest, or as honest, as I could be. “I s’pose running this place—just working here—is as close as I would ever get to a dream job.” I took a chance. “Always wanted to make stuff like Grandad did as well.”

Drake nodded thoughtfully, and I decided to push. “What about you? Are you doing your dream job?”

Drake was so startled by the question, he faltered and nearly stumbled. I watched him, wondering if he would brush it off. He was silent for a moment but then paused and glanced at the fields beyond the fence. “No one’s ever asked me that.” He huffed. “Hell, I haven’t even asked me that.”

I stayed still because I didn’t want to interrupt. It seemed a moment to be quiet.

“From the time I knew what a job was,” Drake started, “I understood that my dad wanted me to be a cop like him. Nothing against cops, and if it hadn’t been pushed down my throat so much, I might have, but school was never my thing. My mom always checked my homework both before and after I’d completed it, and…” he fell silent for a few moments. “It got to the point where I knew that the college they selected would probably mean me living at home. I went along with it until the day I graduated and walked into the recruitment office. It wasn’t that I especially wanted to join the military either, it was just that without funds, it was my only way of getting away from them.”

Drake sighed. “I told the recruiters I’d sign whatever they needed as long as I left the same day, so they made it happen.”

“You didn’t see your parents again?” I had no idea it could happen that fast.

“I saw them,” Drake bit out. “I came home an hour later to get my stuff, and they were both there. It wasn’t pleasant,” he added. “Dad tried to make more of it. Said serving in the army was like serving on the police force. Mom acted disappointed. I just wanted out of there, so I pretended I’d felt a higher calling. Fuck, that makes me sound like a priest or some shit.” I didn’t know what to say. Drake eyed me. “Does one of your superpowers make people spill their guts to you? I’ve never been one for talking.”

“It was clever though,” I said after a moment, because I really didn’t think he wanted an answer to that. “Don’t forget I took the easy road for four years. I could have run away.” I couldn’t because of Georgia, but he didn’t know that.

Drake turned and cupped my jaw in his hand. The sudden contact made me still. “I know it wasn’t easy, so don’t give me that crap. You were a kid with a scar that made the whole fucking world turn against you. Never think I don’t know that.” And for an endless moment, he was so close, and my body was so ready, I thought he was going to kiss me. I so wanted him to kiss me.

“We need to eat,” he said softly. In my head I imagined it was said reluctantly. But when he dropped his hand and started walking, I knew I was kidding myself and followed him to the house.