Page 19 of All For You

Darcy looked at me, exasperated, as if to say,Yes, I would have expected you to have a dog like this. I should have been annoyed and insulted at his frustrated glare, but my dog had led his pup astray, and that made me hum with delight instead.

Oodles did his downward dog, tongue out. Wanna play? Come on! Max gave an excited wag.Yeah, go on, then. They bounded off, dancing around each other, having fun, oblivious to Darcy’s cries about the course. The dogs were already firm friends.

I stood still, determined not to go over. I’d promised myself I wouldn’t have to deal with him this weekend, and I was keeping that promise. Darcy, however, gestured for me to join him.

What now? Was he going to tell me off about my dog interrupting their training? Clearly. Nope, staying here.

He beckoned me again, and this time, I couldn’t pretend I hadn’t seen. I wanted to serve him a spoonful of his own rudeness, but I couldn’t ignore him—that wasn’t me.

As if I were trudging out a death march, I slowly paced toward him until we were an arm’s length away.

His expensive bergamot cologne and a hint of his masculine sweat hit the back of my nostrils, sharp and intimate, and I faltered. He was dressed all in black leisure wear, his tight T-shirt showing off his defined pecs. Formfitting pants fell sleekly low on his hips and over his long legs, with matching black sneakers in a brand I’d never seen before. In contrast, my top and sweats were covered in mud.

He looked at my grubby clothes. I fully expected some sort of judgment. Instead, he smiled in a friendly fashion.

“Looks as though you’ve been having fun. Want to go in and grab a coffee?”

“Um.” Surprised, I hesitated.DidI want to have coffee with him?

A new, unexpected expression crossed his face, brief and subtle. “Oh, I’m sorry,” he said. “Would you prefer to be on your own?”

I searched his eyes for something I’d seen in that fragment of time. My novels were filled with these moments, of one person betraying their deepest thoughts through their expressions or words, the other person trying to puzzle it out. I was certain of what I’d seen there…a loneliness and longing that shocked me. But what on earth could have caused it? He had what others strove for—looks, wealth, position.

Something about that look in his eyes touched me. I wanted to ease that unhappiness.

“I’d love some company,” I said.

CHAPTER 10

Darcy

Okay, keep being friendly and make nice conversation.I can do this.

“Did you sleep okay?” I asked her as we walked back to the house for coffee, followed by the romping dogs. Shit, should I have asked that? Was it like referring to beds, which I’d already done last night? “After the interruption, I mean.”

“Yes. You?” Her reply was noncommittal. Better than irritated, I supposed.

“Well as my bedroom was goat-free, I slept pretty well.”

Her head snapped to me, now interested, but wary. “What?”

I actually flushed. Had she thought I was referring to some sort of… Oh God, did she think it was code for some sort of sexual activity? We’d gotten off to such a bad start, everything I said could be construed poorly.

“Seriously, there was a goat in my bedroom before I went to bed the first time,” I said, hoping I was clear. “Eating the curtains.”

She spluttered out a laugh.

I felt myself breaking out into a huge grin. So huge, my face ached a little. This was going well. And when was the last time I’d smiled like that? When was the last time I was silly?

“Yeah, usually if someone mentions a goat in their bedroom, you know they’re joking, but obviously not under Monty and Penny’s roof,” I said.

She peered at me. “How did you get him out?”

“In the end, I had to grab him around the waist and carry him down the stairs. The whole time, he was wriggling and kicking, and he smelled so bad…worse than wet dog.”

She clapped a hand over her mouth. “I can imagine. Oh my God, that is hilarious. I would have given anything to see that.”

“Maybe tonight, there’ll be a command performance. Certainly, this goat did not seem to have boundaries, and he was munching on the curtains like they were Christmas dinner.”