Page 21 of Puppy Kisses

“Okay, I like where this is headed.”

Zeke lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “A poker game in which it’s reputed that Grandpa Dearborn cheated.”

“Okay, now Ireallylike where this is headed. I always knew there was something a little dirty about you guys.”

Adam coughed heavily. The less time Dawn spent discussing thedirtyways of the Dearborn generations—past and present—the better. “We spend way too much time thinking about that stupid family as it is,” he said. “I’m sure we can come up with something else to talk about for one evening, can’t we?”

“Nope,” Zeke replied with a cheerful whistle. “Raising cattle and cheating at poker is all we know. You should try to get Bea to sell the land to us instead of them, Dawn. I bet she’d listen to you. People like you. Even Adam is in a good mood now that you’re here. That never happens.”

It seemed suddenly imperative that Adam change the direction of the conversation. With more force than finesse, he slid the platter of spaghetti Bolognese onto the kitchen island and said, “Food’s ready.”

If he’d hoped the promise of home cooking would divert their attention, he was sorely mistaken. They merely began dishing up and continued the conversation.

“Maybe we can give you a commission if you succeed,” Zeke said. “Oh! I know. You can have my share of the ranch—and my share of the ranch work. How’s that for temptation?”

“Thanks, but the only thing I want is Gigi. And I’ll get her in the end. See if I don’t.” A light hand touched Adam’s arm. “One piece of garlic bread or two?”

“Two, thanks.” He replied without thinking, thereby losing any and all opportunity to defend his stake in the puppy. Since quibbling over an animal while balancing a plate of pasta was hardly ideal, he made his way over to the dining room table. Several voices trailed after him.

“You’re really going over there, then?” Phoebe asked. “To Bea’s, I mean?”

“I don’t have much of a choice, do I? I promised to help fix her garden. She’s counting on me.”

“Yeah, but it doesn’t have anything to do with you. Not really. The cow is our problem, not yours. Shouldn’t you be focusing on your own stuff?”

Adam hesitated before sitting down, fearful of missing Dawn’s answer. In truth, he had no right to ask her to do any of this—to track down rogue cows, to give him a puppy she clearly wanted to keep for herself, to toil in the garden of an irascible old woman for no particular reason whatsoever. Even this meal was way outside her jurisdiction. The check he’d written Puppy Promise covered one service animal and six weeks of in-home training, and that was all.

But her answer, when it came, had nothing to do with either puppies or cows. “Holy crap,” she said around a mouthful of food. “This is really good. I had no idea you could cook like this.”

Adam grunted a noncommittal reply and took his seat. There were a lot of things Dawn didn’t know about him. That was how he preferred it.

“If you promise to feed me like this every day, I’ll be only too glad to become Bea’s drudge. Do you think she still has some of that cake she was talking about?”

“What cake?” Zeke asked.

“Oh, she said something about the Smithwoods bringing her cake to try and steal a march on the property. I admit I have a lively curiosity to meet these enemies of yours. They’re smart. They know that the way to any woman’s heart is through her stomach.” She paused and brushed her fingers lightly over the top of Adam’s hand. “Yes, Adam. That includes you. If you promise to feed me like this every day, I might just marry you.”

His hand froze under hers. “I don’t recall asking.”

“Well, it’s the only way you’re getting your hands on Gigi, so you’d better start planning the blessed event,” she replied cheerfully. “I’ve always wanted to elope in Vegas, if that helps.”

If anything more had been needed to convince him what a terrible idea it would be to have Dawn in his life on a more permanent basis, it was that. She probablydidlove Las Vegas—the noise and the heat, the crowds and the clubs, all those people squeezed together under one roof. He almost shuddered just thinking about it. He could imagine few worse fates than to be plunged into such a morass of overwhelming sensations.

He wasn’t one for big-city living. His existence was one of simple means and even simpler pleasures.

In other words, he was the last man on earth who could make Dawn happy.

“Duly noted,” he replied. “But not even a tempting offer like a runaway marriage with you is enough for me to give up Methuselah. Nothing you have to offer is worth that much.”

Her chuckle was deep and rich. “We’ll see about that. You have no idea how persuasive I can be when I put my mind to it.”

On the contrary, Adamdidhave a good idea of what she was capable of, and he doubted there was much he could do if she decided to pull out all the stops. She’d take his puppy and his heart, leaving him to sort through whatever pieces remained once she was gone. As much as it pained him to admit it, it was part of the reason he was fighting so hard to keep Methuselah.

He wanted the puppy. He also wanted the trainer attached to her.

Fortunately, Zeke recalled a story about one of the guys he trained with, which served to change the topic of conversation and entertain the two women at the table. Adam was more than happy to sit back and let their light chatter flow over him.

As he did, however, he became aware of a comforting presence on both sides of his chair. He dropped his hands and let his palms graze the soft fur of both puppies. To his right sat Uncle, obediently awaiting his next command. To his left, Gigi stood nervously awaiting events, no longer shaking, but unwilling to go too far from human hands for fear she might be left alone again.