“It’s nearly three-thirty. I’m going to text my mom and brother to let them know I’m planning to skip church.”
“Don’t do it on our account, MJ. Maverick and I are used to taking care of ourselves. Pretend we’re not even here.”
Like she’d be able to do that. She stood as he herded Maverick into the bathroom, closing the door behind them. Somehow, a picture of water running down his naked body stuck in her head. She huffed and turned to build a makeshift dog bed.
Chapter Twelve
Once she made a bed for Maverick next to the queen-sized guest room bed, she went into the kitchen to make coffee and call her brother. She checked the clock. Four-fifteen. She should wait, but the idea of Rob sitting around her house in a towel or blanket was more than she could handle. Nick had called her only a few hours ago to let her know about the fire, so he probably wouldn’t be sleeping that soundly. Besides, he usually got up before six. What was an hour or two?
A groggy voice answered. “Hello?”
“Hey, Nick, it’s me.”
She heard a woman’s soft voice and heard her brother murmur a reply. Oops. Tess must be staying over.
“How’s Rob?” her brother asked once he turned his attention back to her.
“He got out. Luckily, Maverick woke him. They had to jump from the roof of the front porch. The stairs were engulfed. They were lucky and avoided serious injuries. Derrick got out fine also, but the fire chief thinks it’s arson.”
“Seriously? Hmm.” Nick sounded like he was trying to figure out the question everybody was asking—why would someone want to burn down that apartment?
“I’m calling to ask if you have any spare clothes Rob could wear. He lost everything. They’re going to stay at my place. Otherwise he’d have to go back to the Ridgeview Motel, and you know what a dump that place is.”
“Do you think having him stay is a good idea? You’re a single woman and the Ridgeview librarian. I’d hate to see you hurt your reputation. Plus, how do you know he wasn’t the target of the arson?”
“Nick, I know you like to be my protective big brother, but I’m old enough to make my own decisions. Having Rob and Maverick here will give me time to learn to handle Maverick. It’s one thing to have Rob working with me, but I need to do more of it myself. This will let me find out what it’s like to live with a dog.” Not to mention how nice it would be to have Rob around.
She stopped that train of thought. She wasn’t in the market for a relationship, she chided herself mentally. But if she were, he might be someone she’d consider.
“I understand what you’re saying, but I don’t like it. Have you talked it over with mom yet?”
“No. I’ll tell her, but I’m not asking permission from either of you. Geez, I’m thirty years old. The same age as Tess, in case I need to remind you. She’s capable of making her own decisions, even if one of them was agreeing to marry you.”
“Watch it, little sister.”
She giggled. She loved the few times she bested her brother.
“I’ll be over in a bit to bring Rob some clothes. In the meantime, where is he and what is he wearing?”
“He’s in the shower washing the soot off himself and giving Maverick a bath. I’m not watching him, so I’m not sure what he’s wearing. I plan to wash the clothes he has as soon as I get off the phone.”
“I don’t like it,” Nick grumbled.
“You don’t have to. Just bring me some of your old clothes so he doesn’t have to sit around here wrapped in a blanket. Oh, speaking of which, I forgot to tell him where the towels are. I’d better go.”
“See you soon, sis.”
“Thanks, Nick.”
She hung up the phone and headed back to the linen closet, taking an armful of towels off the shelf. She found a blanket he could wrap up in until Nick got here.
The shower turned off, and she heard a thump as a body hit the floor. “Are you okay, Rob? I’ve got more towels for you two, and a blanket you can wrap up in until my brother gets here with some clothes.”
“Thanks. We’re fine. Maverick isn’t very graceful about exiting the tub. He’s more used to shower stalls.”
“Let me drop these towels and the blanket off. Then I’ll take your clothes and start a load of laundry.”
“Okay, hang on, and let me get decent.” She waited a moment until she heard him say, “Okay. You can come in now.”
She opened the bathroom door, and bit her lip at the sight of Rob with only a towel wrapped around his waist. She tried not to stare at the happy trail that intersected his broad chest, arrowing down below a narrow waist well defined by the knotted towel.
“Sorry it’s so wet in here. I’ll clean it up. Don’t worry.”
“It’s fine. It’s only water.” Maverick approached her, tail wagging, and then when he was within range, he shook himself enthusiastically.
Rob laughed. “I guess he wanted to share.”
The man was too distracting. “Well, here are some extra towels. Seems like he needs more drying. Nick should be here soon, so you can put the blanket around you until you have some clothes to wear.”
Rob looked at her, as if studying her reaction. “Are you sure it’s okay for us to be here?”
She felt herself blush. Maybe he’d caught her checking him out. “It’s fine.” She closed the bathroom door behind her, wondering how on earth she could ignore the attraction she felt toward Trevor’s best friend.
She went into the
