Page 6 of Raised On It (Between the Pines #1)

Miles

K atie Sandoval is my new favorite person.

When I got her text asking me if I could go over to her place and fix the stair on her back deck, I couldn’t help but kiss my phone. Especially when she ended the conversation with “good luck.”

She knows more than she’s letting on, and my guess is that she talked to her house guest and my name came up.

Damn skippy, if that doesn’t feel good! If doing some manual labor for Katie is what it takes to get Mason to notice me, then by all means, let me do her this favor.

As if Katie’s house was on fire instead of having a loose board on her deck, I rev up the engine to my truck, and Lou and I haul ass to town.

In ten minutes flat, we’re pulling up to the curb outside her place .

I waste no time, taking the front porch steps three at a time. I knock on the door and wait.

And wait.

And wait.

My excitement begins to fade when I realize she may not be home. I wonder if she’s at Brass Tacks? Would I look like a stalker if I went there to find her?

I’m about to turn away when the click of the deadbolt sends my heart racing, and when the door swings open, you could knock me over with a goddamn feather.

Her hair is piled on top of her head in a messy bun, and she’s wearing a white T-shirt that says, “Romance Writers Do It Better” on top of a pair of loose boxer shorts.

Well, fuck me running. There isn’t a breath left in my lungs.

In the two seconds I was able to take a quick inventory of her, I’m already hotter than the steaming cup of coffee she’s holding in her hands.

Where did this woman come from?

“First, the coffee shop and now, you’re here at my front door. Will mine be your first restraining order, or is there a list as long as my arm?”

“Darlin’, you may look sweet enough to put in my Rice Krispies, but I’m not actually here for you.”

I’m such a liar.

“You really are something, aren’t you?” she says, not flinching at my remarks.

She’s a tough cookie, and I love the game we’re playing. Eventually, our little game will soften her up, and I plan on finally taking a bite.

“Mason, you have no idea.”

Her eye roll has my dick twitching. This is by far the best morning I’ve had in recent memory.

“So why are you here exactly? ”

“You’re looking at your local handyman. Katie texted me and asked me to fix the broken boards on her back steps. I can show you the texts if you need proof?”

Leaning against the doorframe, she doesn’t reply, but she does set her unrelenting gaze on me.

She’s contemplating whether to believe me.

The whole scenario does seem a bit suspicious, but at least I have the backup to prove I was actually summoned here.

I would be more than happy to sit here and stare at her all day, but as much as it pains me to admit, she’s kicking my ass at the moment with her stare down.

The fact that she isn’t budging is a little unnerving.

“Well, I’m just gonna go around back and get to work. Oh, and I’m gonna have my pup with me, so if you see a German shepherd running around the backyard, he’s with me.”

Not able to stand the blank expression and lack of words coming from her, I leave her on the porch and make my way back to the truck to get my toolbox from the back and my boy out of the cab. When I turn around, she’s gone, and I’m disappointed.

It’s eleven thirty, and the board is fixed. As are many other boards that looked like they could possibly become loose in the next five years. I’ve mowed the front and backyard, and I’ve thrown the ball for Lou.

Now, even I have to admit I’m starting to look a little desperate or, at the very least, obvious as I dejectedly gather my tools. I’m just about to call Lou over so we can head out when the unmistakable squeak of a screen door opening stops me in my tracks.

“I’d say you did more than fix a loose board.”

Rendered speechless, all I can do is shrug at the beauty standing in front of me, her long floral dress blowing in the breeze .

“Thanks for mowing. I appreciate it.”

“I figured I was here so…”

She smiles. I mean, she really smiles. And everything is off balance. I feel like an insecure middle schooler about to have his first kiss.

Saving the day Sweet Lou bounds through the yard and rushes the porch and Mason. Panic ensues, and I reach out, trying to stop him before he jumps all over her.

“Whoa, buddy! No!”

“It’s okay, isn’t it, big guy? Come see me.”

She doesn’t shy away from my ninety-pound ball of fur.

No, she pats her legs and eggs him on until he pulls loose from my grip on his collar.

I only let him go because I know he wouldn’t hurt a fly.

Where most people are cautious around a strange German shepherd they’ve never met, Mason has no reservations.

She squats down and isn’t just petting my dog, she’s hugging him while he licks her face.

And just like that, I’m jealous of my dog.

“Hi, sweetheart, what’s your name?”

“Mason, meet Lou.”

“Hi, Lou. It’s nice to meet you, buddy.” She spots his ball next to her foot and throws it for him.

Smart girl.

Wiping the dog fur off her dress, she stands. “He’s sweet.”

“Sweet Lou, that’s what I call him.”

“It fits. He’s adorable.”

Lou is back and drops the ball at her feet. She bends down to get the ball and then pretends to whisper in his ear.

“Does your daddy ever work?”

“Uh, what do you call what I was doing for the past three hours?” I ask incredulously at her insinuation.

She throws the ball again but doesn’t reply.

“Hey, have you been to The Jury Room yet?”

“I can’t say that I have. ”

“Well, you haven’t really been to Eastlyn if you haven’t been to The Jury Room. How about you let me take you to lunch to say sorry for Lou’s behavior.”

“Hmm…”

“What do you say?”

“Sure, what the heck.”

That’s what I’m talking about!

Bless you, Katie Sandoval.

“I’m all done here, so if you’re ready, I’m ready. I’ll just take Lou to the truck and meet you out front.”

“Sure. I just need to put on some shoes, and I’m ready to go. Meet you out there.”

Lou and I head around the side of the house to make our way to the truck, both of us with a little extra spring in our step.

“I knew you’d like her, buddy. She’s pretty cool, isn’t she?”

He barks in agreement when I let him in the crew cab of the truck, and then I hop in the front to get the engine started and the air conditioning pumping while I wait for her.

When she floats through the front door, I can’t get out of the truck fast enough to get the passenger side door open for her. She glides down the front steps, and her honey blond hair is blowing on a breeze I can’t even feel.

“Milady.”

I make an effort of escorting her into the truck, and she’s so distracted giving my so-called man’s best friend scratches behind the ear that I’m pretty sure my display goes unnoticed.

I shut the door and make my way around to the driver's side of the truck in shock. I am legitimately jealous of my dog.

I’d let her scratch me behind the ears if she wanted.

“You aren’t going to leave this sweet boy in the truck while we eat, are you? It’s already getting pretty warm.”

She’s a dog person. I think she might just be perfect.

“Nah, you don’t need to worry about Lou. He’ll be just fine. ”

“Good. I hate to think of you as one of those awful humans who leaves their dogs in a hot car in the middle of summer.”

“Well, once you get to know me a little better, you’ll know that would never be me.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Hmm…”

She spends the rest of the short drive quiet, looking out the window and thinking God only knows what.

When we pull up to a nice shady spot near The Jury Room, the diner sitting directly across the street from the courthouse, she hops out before I can get her door so I let Lou out of the cab and grab his bowl and a bottle of water.

I let down the tailgate so he can jump in, fill his water bowl, and throw him the treat I had tucked away in my pocket.

Mason is waiting for me on the sidewalk, and the look on her face says she’s impressed with my relationship with my dog. I’m glad it matters to her. I don’t think I could be in a relationship with a woman who didn’t care about my dog, and a relationship is what I’m going to have with Mason O’Brien.

Even if she doesn’t know it yet.

Even if I’ve never really been in one before.

“How’s my handsome boy?” The sweet local florist whose shop, Busy Bee’s Flowers, is next door to the diner says, wasting no time coming out to greet my dog, but not me.

“He’s good, Mrs. Thoms, but what am I, chopped liver?”

“Oh, Miles, if only you were as sweet as your pup.”

She gives me a wink but puts her hand out to Mason.

“And who do we have here?”

“Mrs. Thoms, meet my friend, Mason. She’s staying in Katie’s place while she’s in New York taking over Broadway. I thought I’d take her to lunch since she hasn’t been to the The Jury Room yet. ”

“Hi there, it’s nice to meet you,” Mason says, shaking hands with the sweet Mrs. Thoms. “I was just admiring your display. It’s gorgeous,” Mason compliments the front window of the flower shop with sincerity.

“Oh, I like you already. You swing by anytime, and I’ll be sure to make you something pretty. Now, don’t let me keep you. You two enjoy your lunch and make sure you leave room for a slice of pie. You won’t regret it. And you better make him pay. Lord knows he can afford it.”

Did she really just say that?

Nobody in this town has any scruples, I swear.

We say our goodbyes and snag a booth with a window and a view of Lou so I can keep my eye on him. Not that I need to. He’s so doted on by everyone in town, it’s ridiculous. By the time we order our meal, three different people have already stopped by to show him love.

“He seems to be a bit of a local celebrity. But so does his daddy.”

“Nah, it’s all about Sweet Lou. I’m just his driver. I bring him to the people, and he eats it up. He’s an attention whore, that one.”

“Why do I get the feeling you’re a bit of an attention whore yourself?”