For The Love Of Nick

Wondering how this had happened did her no good. Nick had happened to her. By now she’d expected to be on her own, fighting panic, certainly, but well on her way to a new life that included no one and nothing but herself and Sadie.

But she hadn’t shaken Nick. Hadn’t been able to make herself do it, because hour by hour, minute by minute in his company, laughing, talking, running…it was all an experience she’d never forget. With each passing second, she knew it would only be harder to walk away in the end.

And there would be an end, there was always an end.

But the look on his face as he’d told Maureen they were going to get married… She knew it had only been a story he’d had to tell, but he’d looked so fierce, so protective, so…perfectly content to be claiming her as his.

An act, she reminded herself and her racing heart. An act, and a very good one. Maureen and Clint had been warm and kind. Maureen had insisted she think of herself at home here, offering to share meals, and even her car if Danielle needed it.

Which made her feel even worse. She was betraying their trust by not telling the truth, but she could not reveal the truth.

“I’m sorry about the room situation.”

She didn’t turn and look at him, the man who’d rescued her more than once now, the man who’d somehow wormed his way into her heart. “I thought you were visiting with your cousins.”

“Just reinforcing the story.”

“Ah, yes. The story.” She felt him come up right behind her, so close she could feel his breath in her hair.

“Maureen knows me well,” he said. “She wouldn’t have bought me not sleeping with my fiancee.”

Danielle swiveled to face him, their bodies not touching, and yet heat shimmered between them just the same.

Did he feel it?

She looked into his dark green eyes, heated and full of affection, and thought maybe he did. She forced a smile. “She sure did look surprised at the engagement part.”

Nick’s mouth twisted into a wry grin. “Let’s just say I’ve never been one to…inspire commitment.”

“I’m sure they’ll understand when you leave. We’ll tell them you have responsibilities to cover for your sisters, and that I-”

“I’m not leaving, Danielle.”

She swallowed hard. “Of course you’re leaving. You have to. You’ll go back, and I’ll just go up the highway to talk to the breeder I got Sadie from, and then…” Her mouth was so dry she couldn’t have swallowed to save her life. “And then I’m on my way.”

“I want to go with you to the breeder.”

“That’s not necessary.”

“I know.” He set one hand on the sill behind her, surrounding her with his body. “You’re tough,” he said gently. “Resilient and strong. You can handle whatever comes your way, I’ve seen that. I get that.” His other hand slid into her hand. “I’m staying for me, not you. I want to know that it comes out all right for you in the end.”

It rarely came out all right for her in the end, but this time…this time, she hoped, would be different.

God, please, let it be different.

He was looking at her in the way that made her insides tremble, and because she was weakening, she pushed away from him, nearly tripping over the sleeping Sadie.

“How does she sleep like that?” he asked in amazement, looking down at the dog, flat on her back, four paws straight up in the air, mouth open, emitting a soft snore every few seconds. He stepped over the comatose thing and moved through the country-casual room, past the four-poster pine bed to Danielle. “So…when do we leave?”

She searched his gaze, for what, she didn’t know. Pity? Regret? Anything that would make it easy for pride to flare, to shove him away.

But he only smiled, patient as ever.

“And after we do this last thing together?” she asked. “Then you’ll go? Back to your life?”

“You’re in an awful hurry to get rid of me.”

“You’ll go?”

His smile slowly faded. “If you get your answers, I’ll go.”

“Okay,” she said softly, grabbing her backpack. “Then now is as good a time as any.”

LAURA LYN MILLER, of Miller Show Dogs, wasn’t home. There was a clipboard attached to her front door for visitors, and given the dates of the notes left for her, she hadn’t been home all week.

“She’s at a show,” Danielle said in a neutral voice that didn’t come close to fooling Nick.

She was despondent-he could hear it, he could see it-and for the first time in a very long time, he felt completely helpless.

Because she wanted him to go, damn it, and get the hell out of her way.

But he couldn’t walk away from her until he knew she was okay. That after only a handful of days he was afraid there was far more to it than that could be his own private hell.

“All I need are her records,” Danielle said, still staring at the front door which wouldn’t be opening to her. “Proving I was in Sadie’s life from the beginning, with my own money. I paid for most of the vaccinations and food and everything else needed, and since Laura Lyn and I stayed in touch at shows, she could be a witness to that fact.”

“She’ll be back.” Nick took her back to the truck. “And so will we.”

Danielle was quiet until they were on the road, heading back to the inn. “She’ll be gone another week, if she’s on the show circuit that I think she’s on. And actually…”

He wasn’t going to like this. “And actually?”

“She’s not too far from here.”

“But Ted might go there looking for you.”

“It’s likely.” Voice tight, she stared out the window.

“So we wait.”

“I wait. You can’t just hang here for a week.”

Right. He had a life.

Cooper’s Corner came into view, the pretty little village that never failed to draw him in. Small, personal. Unique. Danielle drew him in, just as this place did, he thought, turning into Twin Oaks B &B.

Danielle got out of the truck before he could come around. “I’m going to take Sadie for a walk in the woods.”

Alone. That was crystal clear.

Well, good. He’d practice being alone again, too. He watched her go, watched her hold on to Sadie’s leash as if the dog was all she had in the entire world.

What about me, he wanted to call after her, but that was pathetic so he headed around to the back of the house, to where he could go be alone and mull. Maybe even talk to Maureen.

He’d asked her to run Ted through the system, discreetly, without explaining why he’d asked such a thing. Nick hoped like hell she came up with something. Anything. If so, combined with the threatening e-mail, Danielle’s testimony on how he’d treated Sadie, and anything else he could find, it hopefully would be enough to turn things in Danielle’s favor.

Danielle, who was currently walking away from him as fast as she could.

On the back deck, which spread the entire length of the house, sat two young, bubbly, laughing women, whom he recognized as Maureen’s cleaning crew.

They grinned at him. “On a break,” the redheaded one called out cheerfully, having unfastened all but one button of her sleeveless blouse so that she could tie it between her very generous breasts.

The other had rolled her biking shorts up to nearly pornographic heights, and since she lay on her belly in a lounge, he had an unobstructed view of a very curvy, very nearly exposed bottom. From over her shoulder, she smiled. “Care to join us?”

“Uh…” Definitely, there was something wrong with him that he hesitated, glanced back over his own shoulder for one last sight of Danielle.