Chapter 30
KnowingI’d get to see AJ, I knocked out my work tasks more efficiently than usual. The right motivation made all the difference.
Storm stopped by the farm with some documents for me to sign. “I looked for you at the Moonstruck. That place is out of control, man. What kind of place lets kids and animals hang out at the bar?”
“Well, it is a family restaurant. We can’t exactly say kids aren’t allowed. And service animals are allowed as well. Times are changing, Storm. You need to roll with it.”
“Whatever. And you wonder why I prefer takeout.”
“There’s the warm and fuzzy brother I know and love.” I rubbed my knuckles on the top of his head, and he pushed me away. “Speaking of the Moonstruck, I told AJ I’d go over there when I was done here. Don’t wait up for me.” I winked and left my brother to stew in his grumpiness.
Fifteen minutes later, I was at the restaurant, heading for the office. But I shifted my stride for the kitchen when I remembered that AJ had said she had a surprise for me. A smile spread across my face at the gesture, and the fact that she wanted to do something for me. I was whipped. No point in denying it.
Not wanting to ruin her surprise, whatever that might be, I went to the kitchen first.
Before I even reached the door, I could tell the place was busy. The clang of dishes and orders being called out. I paused to breathe in the delicious aromas.
Inside the kitchen, AJ, her sous chefs, and line cooks were busy preparing, cooking, and plating various dishes. It was a controlled chaos, with Chef AJ clearly in charge and running it like a well-oiled machine.
I watched the action for a few minutes before AJ noticed I was there. Her face lit up when she saw me. She set the plate she’d just finished under the warming light and announced it was ready. “I’m taking a break, Eric. You got this?”
“Yep, chef. Take your time.” Eric waggled his eyebrows at her, and she tossed a towel at him playfully.
She took my hand and led me down the hall toward the office. “You made good time. The hour isn’t even up yet.”
“I had incentive to hurry it up.”
“Oh really? And what was that?”
I tugged her arm and spun her to me. She wrapped her arms around my waist, and my lips found hers. No matter how many times I kissed this woman, I always craved more. The hit of adrenaline I got from extreme sports like rock climbing or skydiving was nothing compared to kissing AJ. I was utterly addicted.
She pulled away and patted me on the chest. “I have a surprise for you.”
“It wasn’t that kiss? Cuz, honestly, that’s all I really need.”
“You might change your mind when you see your surprise.”
“Something better than kissing you? Not a chance.”
She cracked the door open and peeked inside. Her mouth dropped open, and she froze.
I pushed the door all the way open to see what had stunned her so. The office had been ransacked. I instinctively tucked AJ behind me to protect her from the perpetrator, in case they were still in there.
I took a tentative step into the office and scanned the room. What could they have been looking for in here? There were no valuables in the office. The safe only had a small amount of cash. We made deposits every day, so there wasn’t much to steal, if that’s what they were after.
I heard a noise from behind the desk and grabbed the nearest object to use as a weapon—which happened to be a Twins bobblehead displayed on the shelf next to the door. It wasn’t until a small furry figure peeked out from behind the desk that I let down my guard and my bobblehead.
A puppy stood there with an un-potted plant on its head, dirt and greenery hanging down like an unruly wig. A red bow hung from its mouth. It looked up at us with innocent eyes, as if to say, “What?” Or maybe it was pride at all it had accomplished. Hard to say.
My gaze surveyed the room and all the damage done by this furry little menace. It appeared as if a tornado had gone through the place. Documents and files from the desk had been shredded into confetti all over the floor. Trash cans were knocked over and garbage strewn across the floor. Books and items on the shelves had been pushed around and scattered like treasures from a shipwreck on the ocean floor.
What a disaster!
With tail wagging and dirt scattering behind it, the puppy scurried over to greet us. “Hey you little troublemaker. You were supposed to be sleeping. Were you just faking?” She removed the plant from its head and brushed the dirt off. “Jasper, meet Junior. He’s your surprise, though the rest of this,” she motioned to the mess in front of us, “was not part of my plan.”
I crouched down and he excitedly kissed my face. “Hey, little guy. How can you be so cute when you’re so much trouble? Makes it hard to be mad at you when you look at me with those eyes.”
“I know, right?”
“Where did he come from?”
“Tillie brought him over.”
I chuckled. “Of course. It had to be Tillie.”
“She asked me if I could set him out in the restaurant, so someone would fall in love with him and give him a home. But when I held him and he looked at me like that, and then fell asleep in my arms, I just couldn’t put him out there.”
“So you’re keeping him? But he’ll be alone in your apartment so much while you’re working? If this is what he does when left alone in an office for less than an hour, what would happen if you left him all day and night in your apartment?”
She sighed and ran her hand along Junior’s back. He put his paws on her chest and slathered her face with kisses. “See what I mean?” She giggled and cuddled the puppy to her chest. “I know I can’t have a dog. It wouldn’t be fair to keep him locked up all the time. Not to mention the damage he’d do.” She turned toward me with the puppy’s face right next to hers. Their faces held matching expressions. I knew I wouldn’t be able to resist either one of them.
“No way.” I put my hand up and shook my head. “I know what you’re thinking. But I have more than I can handle already. I can’t add a misbehaving puppy on top of it.”
“But living on the farm with you and your parents, there would always be someone there to look after him. It wouldn’t all be on you. And there’s plenty of room for him to run off his energy.”
I ran my fingers through my hair. “Dad is just getting home from the hospital.”
“Puppy therapy. Put your dad in charge of cuddling the puppy. I hear puppies have profound healing powers.”
“Is that so?” I knew I’d already lost this argument, but I had to make her work for it. A little bit, anyway. “What if he adds more stress to an already overwhelmed household?”
AJ’s face dropped and her shoulders slumped. The sadness in her eyes was my undoing. She kissed the top of Junior’s head and put him back in the box. “You’re right. I should bring him out there and let someone else take him home. He just reminded me of you the moment I saw him. That’s why I named him Junior. He’s your mini-me. And there was just something in his eyes that just made me fall in love with him in an instant. You know what I mean?”
Did she just say she fell in love with me in an instant? Or is she still just talking about the dog?
Hope spurred within me. Maybe we were becoming more than business partners or fake fiancées who kissed. Maybe this could be real. “Maybe we could work out a shared custody arrangement.”
Her face lit with excitement. She picked the pup back up and held him in front of her as she spoke. “Did you hear that, Junior? You’ll have two homes. Isn’t that great? I knew he wouldn’t be able to say no to you.”
It wasn’t the dog I couldn’t resist, even though he was adorable. It was AJ, and the thought of sharing a pet with her, that got me. Hook, line, and sinker. Having a pet together would strengthen our bond. And maybe someday we could share him in the same house. Together.
Images flashed through my mind… of us taking Junior for walks, the three of us snuggling on the couch watching a movie, or him waking us up with slobbery kisses in the morning. Yes, this was the life I wanted. Sharing custody of this dog would take us one step closer to that dream.
“I guess this makes us a family. Right Junior?” The puppy leapt from AJ’s lap to mine, sealing the deal with a slurp right up the side of my face. I laughed. The crazy pup seemed to have adopted us before we even knew what happened. This guy might appear cute and innocent, but he was no amateur.
If only it were that easy to convince AJ that we could be a real family, and not a fake one. I glanced over at her and caught an unexpected, adoring look in her eyes. But who did she adore? Me or the puppy?
I pulled him to me and whispered in his ear. “Help me convince her to make this real and you got yourself a home for life. Is that a deal, buddy?”
He answered with another excited lick on my cheek.
I turned him around to show him the mess he’d made. “Look at what you’ve done. I don’t suppose anyone trained you to clean up after yourself.”
“Wouldn’t that be nice?” She exhaled loudly. “What a disaster!”
I set Junior down in the box. Not that it would hold him long, but it might give us a moment to get started. “I’ll help, and then take him home with me, on one condition.”
“What’s that?”
“You come to dinner with my family at the farm tomorrow night. Dad will be home, and Mom wants everyone over for dinner.”
She shook her head. “You guys need your family time. I wouldn’t want to intrude on that.”
“Mom insisted that I bring you. She knows it’s your day off, so you don’t really have an excuse. Please don’t make me disappoint her.”
“Oh, alright. If you’re sure I won’t be intruding on your family time.” She gave me a peck on the cheek. “Give me a minute to check on things in the kitchen and if Eric’s got it under control, I’ll be back to help clean this up. This could take all night.”
“Not if we do it together. We might even have time for you to thank me.” I winked, and she blushed.
“Better get to work then.” She smiled flirtatiously before leaving for the kitchen.
I looked down at Junior. “I almost want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to spend extra time with AJ tonight. Almost. Just don’t make a habit of this.”
The pup picked up the plant with his mouth and shook it, scattering dirt around the room. I sighed. Good thing my siblings couldn’t see me now. I really was whipped.