Page 19 of Puppy Kisses

“I was afraid something like this might happen,” she murmured, watching as Uncle licked liberally at Gigi’s face until she settled back down. The Great Dane must have heard them, because he cast Dawn a huge, gray-eyed look that seemed to say exactly what she was thinking:I guess I’m stuck now, aren’t I?

“Something like what?” Adam asked.

“They’re attached.”

“Attached?”

“Best buds. Inseparable. Soul mates.” Dawn heaved a sigh. “Gigi took one look at him and decided no one else would do for her. She’lldefinitelybe useless as a guide dog now. A female in love is the worst kind for getting anything done.”

Adam squared his shoulders in a gesture of pure defiance. “Okay, now you really are making things up. Either that, or you brought Uncle here on purpose to thwart me.”

That made her laugh. “Of course I brought him here to thwart you. Everything I’m doing is to thwart you. Didn’t I make that clear? I don’t chase down cows and tackle cranky old ladies for fun, you know. I’m only helping Bea with her garden so you give Uncle arealtry—none of this two-day-trial nonsense.”

“You have serious problems.”

“What I have is a strong determination to get my puppy back,” she countered. “And I’ll stop at nothing to succeed.”

“That’s funny, because I was thinking the same thing.”

It was strange that the challenge he offered could make her heart pound like that—the same as his smile, the same as his kiss—but she’d long since stopped questioning the impulses that drove her.

“Well, we’ll just have to see what happens, won’t we?” she said. “A lot can happen in six weeks.”

* * *

“No way.” Zeke clomped heavily into the kitchen at the end of the day, still in his work boots and most likely leaving a trail of dirt everywhere he went. The squeak of Adam’s bare feet on the linoleum floor indicated that their cleaning woman had come and gone while they were chasing down the cow, but that wouldn’t trouble his brother any. “You’re really going over to Bea’s house to help with her garden? On purpose? The walls aren’t really made of gingerbread, Dawn. Don’t follow the crumbs, or you’ll turn into a pillar of salt.”

“That’s not how any of those stories go,” Adam said, but he wasn’t sure if anyone heard him over the clatter of the pots and pans. In addition to the pasta he was making for dinner, he apparently needed to add a pie into the mix. The Smithwoods must be in the homestretch of negotiations if the only temptation they were offering anymore was a cake or two. In addition to today’s attempt at a bribe, he’d already doubled his own offer for the Benson lands. There was only so much he could do.

“What made you agree to it?” Zeke continued. The clomping had stopped, so Adam could only assume his brother had thrown himself onto one of the dining room chairs in the attached room. Dawn and Phoebe already sat in there shucking corn. “Are you being blackmailed or something?”

“Nope. I just like being able to hold your brother over a barrel,” Dawn said. Her voice was cheerful and triumphant—the same way it had been since her victory over the cow.And over me.“Now hehasto give poor Uncle a try. Isn’t that right, Gigi? Soon, you’ll be able to come home with me where you belong.”

“She’s not going anywhere,” Adam said. “I promised to give Uncle a chance in exchange for your sacrifice, not part ways with Methuselah forever.”

Aware that he was the subject of conversation, the Great Dane puppy approached him from the right. He sidled close enough for Adam to feel his presence, but not so close he got in the way of Adam’s movements.Damn.The animal was really good at this—of knowing where he needed to be and when he needed to be there, of being present without being obtrusive. Dawn had obviously known what she was doing when she’d chosen him.

“What a good boy you are, Uncle,” Dawn said as if to prove it. Her voice was much closer than the dining room table this time, causing Adam to fumble with the can of crushed tomatoes in his hand. “So docile and biddable and eager to please. Remind me—that’s how you like them, isn’t it?”

He almostdroppedthe can of tomatoes this time, and right onto poor Uncle’s head, too. “Stay out from behind the kitchen counter, please,” he said by way of answer. “I need a clear workspace to keep track of what I’m doing.”

It wasn’t much, but it was all hecouldsay. Dawn was the least docile and biddable woman in existence, and she knew it. As for being eager to please, well…the less said on that subject, the better. He’d never known anyone to be so specific and demanding with her needs—or so well versed in all the various terms for human anatomy. Every interaction with her was an education.

“Oh, I know you do.” Her voice bubbled over with laughter. “This isn’t my first rodeo. Gigi and I are just sitting on the island stools and watching you work, aren’t we, girl? The corn is behind you next to the fruit bowl, by the way. About eight o’clock.”

He nodded a quick thanks and continued tossing contents into the saucepan. He was no gourmet chef, but he liked cooking. There was something soothing about the task of chopping and cutting and combining ingredients, an act of creation that, with the right practice, drew from every sense except sight. Most other artistic pursuits were beyond his reach—he was no Bach, alas—but this was one area where he could put a little of himself into his work. Probably theonlyarea. There wasn’t a whole lot of room for creativity in the breeding and butchering of cows.

Even naming them was dangerous work. Look what had happened with Dawn the cow. Naming her had given her power. Now she was just as much of a menace as the real thing.

“What’s the deal with that Bea lady, anyway?” Dawn asked. “She doesn’t seem to think much of you guys.”

“Oh, she doesn’t like us. She doesn’t like anyone.” Phoebe’s voice appeared next to Dawn’s. It was equally cheerful, though for less ominous reasons. “Is it okay if I put Gigi in my lap? I don’t want to hurt her.”

“Her name is Methuselah, and yes, you can hold her. Marcia said positive human contact is a must.”

“Oh, is that why you let her sleep at the foot of your bed last night?” Phoebe asked, laughing. “And here I thought it was because you were afraid to leave her alone.”

Adam ignored her. It would have taken a much stronger man than him to force that whimpering bundle to sleep on the floor. She’d somehow decided that Adam was the only one who could protect her at night, and he was determined not to let her down. Contrary to the opinion of everyone in this room, hedidoccasionally yield to his softer side.