Page 33 of Taming Grumpy Dr. Beast

“I’m not trying to stop you. I’m going to help, since you’re foolish enough to do it on your own.”

She tilted her head to study me. “Why?”

I understood her hesitation. I wasn’t totally on board with this, but didn’t see another alternative. “Contrary to your belief, I don’t enjoy seeing animals in pain.”

Her narrowed gaze stayed on me as I shrugged off my coat. My favorite, very expensive, one-of-a-kind cashmere coat. The one I was about to use to catch a stray that likely had fleas and an untold number of diseases.

Stubborn woman.I couldn’t believe I came close to kissing her.

I shifted closer to the dog, my coat outstretched between my hands.

“Crouch down,” Lily murmured. “It makes you less threatening to the dog. And move slow.”

“I am moving slow,” I growled.

“Gentle tone,” she said in a soft sing-song type of voice.

Shoot me now.I was not talking like that.

I did as Lily suggested and lowered my body as much as I could. Inch by inch, I made my way to the dog. He growled at me, but it sounded weaker this time. I wondered again if there was more wrong with him than just starvation and the damage from the thorns.

Now, two feet from the dog, I spoke in as soothing of a voice as I could muster. “Listen, dog. You need to get out of there, and I need my hands intact.”

Lily cleared her throat and pointed at her mouth, then motioned down. I guessed it was her version of telling me to speak softer.

I grunted as the dog eyed me warily. “Lily, can you go to the picnic basket and see if Ms. Ketill packed any meat I could feed the dog?”

A happy little gasp flew out of her mouth. “That’s perfect.”

She scurried off and returned immediately holding pieces of rotisserie chicken.

I took the meat from her and leaned in, dangling it closer to the dog. Its little black nose wiggled and the whimper this time was more about hunger than pain. I tossed a few pieces of the chicken close to its snout and waited.

“Lily, I need you to push the branches of the bush apart. I’ll cushion the dog as much as I can while I pull him out.”

She tiptoed to my side and carefully reached between the thorns to pull away the sharp limbs. The dog whined and spared her a glance before turning back to the food when she stopped. It licked at the chicken closest to its mouth and practically inhaled what was there, then looked at me as though waiting to see what I’d do next. Its ears relaxed and its tongue rolled out of its mouth as it lightly panted.

I tossed a few more pieces of meat to it. “Let’s be quick about this, okay? I’m going to reach in, pick you up, and get you help.”

Now that the dog had more food, he wasn’t paying attention to me. I counted to three, then quickly reached for it, ignoring the scratches of the thorns against my hands and arms, and wrapped the coat around the dog. A surprised yelp and bark sounded from within the confines of its cashmere cage. “Lily, grab more of the chicken.”

She nodded.

“Do you have your cell phone?”

She pulled it out of her sweater pocket.

“Dial this number and relay to Ms. Ketill that we need Paul to bring the car around to get us. Also, ask her to look up any local vets. We’ll see if we can get this guy in to see one.”

I kept my arms firm around the now struggling dog within my coat. I was sure that if it wasn’t so weak with hunger or hurt, I would never have been able to keep it contained.

Lily’s voice was a distant sound as I was careful not to let my large hands injure the dog. I might be gruff, but I wasn’t a monster. We hurried through the house and out the front door. Paul held the car door open as Lily and I slid into the back seat.

By now, the dog had stopped squirming and lay panting in my arms with its nose pushed out the open side of the coat. Since it had stopped struggling to get out, I assumed it had given up. Lily sporadically shoved pieces of chicken into my coat when it started wiggling again, searching for freedom.

I stifled a groan as I pictured what the inside of my coat now looked like caked with dirt, fleas, and grease from the chicken. I leaned my head against the seat and wondered why I’d agreed to take part in this shenanigan.

My gaze fell on Lily. Her radiant smile beamed up at me while she spoke gently, using nonsense words to keep the dog calm. I didn’t understand it, but seeing her happy with something I did made my chest twist and tighten.