5. See A Man About A Dog
Chapter 5
See A Man About A Dog
M arcus enjoyed everything about the evening. The food, the company, and the connection he felt with Elina. She was easy with his friends and had handled Nina’s questions with grace.
The teen had felt bad about revealing Elina’s comic strip identity but Elina didn’t seem to mind. She’d revealed a lot about herself as they’d talked.
He now knew she didn’t feel close enough to anyone to tell them about Paxi. He assumed that eliminated any boyfriends. Everything she’d said about Seattle and the places she’d visited spoke of curiosity and delight in the little things. Quirky art, kind people, and beautiful scenery.
She brushed over difficulties and had an optimistic attitude. At Piper’s request for help with the logo, she’d immediately agreed.
The woman was enticing on many levels, and Marcus looked forward to getting to know her better. He had at least three days at his disposal, and he hoped she’d be willing to stick around longer. If she’d been looking for them, that implied she wanted to spend time with them. He hoped.
Garrett stood first and held out his hand for Kimi. “The animals get up early, so we’re going to head out.”
They came around and hugged Elina. Kimi smiled. “It’s been great to meet you. You’ll have to come out and see what we have going on at the property. There’s lots to see and do.”
Garrett nodded. “And we won’t let Snoops bite you.” But he grinned when he said it. The old donkey put on a miserable front for visitors, but Marcus suspected he enjoyed the attention.
The others stood as well. Elina was pulled into hug after hug. She didn’t look uncomfortable with the touches but she did look overwhelmed. He wondered how lonely her life had been.
Sean and Branna waved everyone off and moved to the bar to start on the nightly cleanup. Marcus leaned closer to Elina. “You okay?”
She smiled. “You keep asking me that. I must look as overwhelmed as I feel.”
He laughed. “You’ve handled everything well, but a lot has been thrown at you today. Between finding Phail, and then all of us, then Nina discovering your secret identity, I bet you’re pretty wiped out.”
At his words, she tried to stifle a yawn but didn’t manage it. The yawn ended in a laugh. “A little bit.”
“Give me a minute, and I’ll walk you back to the B&B.”
She smiled and shook her head. “You don’t have to do that. I’m sure I can find the way.”
He paused halfway out of his chair and raised an eyebrow at her. “Give me a minute. I’ll be right back.”
Her smile widened, and she nodded this time.
At the bar, he paid Branna for the evening and left a generous tip. “Thanks for making that a perfect first night in town for Elina.”
Branna grinned. “You’re welcome, but I suspect it would have been a perfect night without the rest of us, too. The two of you can’t keep your eyes off each other. She’s absolutely lovely, and you look good together. Now, go make sure she gets safely to the B&B.”
Marcus chuckled as he pocketed his wallet and turned back to find Elina rising. “I just need to pay for my share, then I’ll be ready.”
He put his hand on hers to stop her searching through her bag. “It’s already covered. First night in town is on the house.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Which means you paid for me.”
He shrugged. “It’s the least I can do for ambushing you with the entire team at once.”
“It wasn’t an ambush, and it was wonderful. Thank you. I’ll return the favor next time.”
He liked the sound of a next time.
Marcus placed his hand on the small of her back as they walked out. The simple touch was like an electric prod to his system.
As they walked, Elina smiled at him. “Thank you for calling in the rest of your team. It was great to see everyone and to know they’re all doing so well. I was worried about you all. It’s a relief to see everyone thriving.”
He frowned. “I could say the same about you. I wondered about you often over the years but I didn’t know your name. It took me a long while to heal and adjust to life with the prosthesis and the new job. It was a while before I was able to get my head out of my own ass.”
Elina burst into laughter and leaned in to bump his shoulder with hers. “I think dealing with a prosthesis and a new career cuts you a break. I’m pretty sure you weren’t a self-absorbed ass, and if you were, you were entitled.”
He laughed. “Not so sure about that. Took me a while to find my footing again. Pun totally intended.”
She chuckled again. “You landed in a great place, and now you’re surrounded by your friends and their lady friends. I really liked them. They’re all so different, but they make a wonderful group.”
The wistfulness in her tone had him wondering again about how lonely she’d been. Elina was friendly, but she was private. She’d probably learned to be that way overseas if it wasn’t natural to her personality. She’d grown up in one country, one tough situation at a time. Living like that likely ensured she had walls around her heart to protect it.
Moving so frequently would have made it difficult to make friends. There had also been cultural and language barriers to consider. The fact that she was as friendly and open as she was proved she was a strong, spectacular human. But he’d already known that.
“Phail is a great town. Maybe you’ll like it enough to stay. It sounds like you can work from anywhere. We might be small, but we have WiFi.”
She laughed again. He was getting addicted to the sound. “Good to know.”
They turned the final corner leading to the B&B. “Can I see you again tomorrow? Maybe give you a proper tour of the town?”
She nodded immediately. “I’d enjoy that. Unless you have work to do?”
He shrugged. “Small-town policing means I’m on duty all the time. I can do my paperwork whenever I need to. I’m hoping for a funding announcement in the next couple of days, but I’m in waiting mode, and I don’t do well with waiting.”
She smiled. “I seem to recall you being very patient.”
“When the situation calls for it. But I want to hire more officers, and I want to buy a building to create a real police station. The town is growing, and we need to ensure it stays a good place to be.”
“Do you have a place in mind?”
“I do. Just down the street from the Saloon. If you’re interested, we can check it out tomorrow.”
“It’s a date.”
He grinned at her words even as she flushed and shook her head. “I didn’t mean it like it sounded. It’s just a phrase.”
“Actually, I like the sound of that. Let’s make it a date, Elina.”
She bit on her lower lip, but her eyes sparkled. “I like the sound of that, too.”
Perfect. He guided her up the steps to the B&B and leaned down to kiss her cheek. Then he bent to put his lips next to her ear. “I look forward to seeing you soon. Good night, Elina.”
Her voice was breathy when she answered. “Good night.”
He lifted her hand and kissed it, then stepped back so she could use her key for the B&B. Her smile was brilliant when she turned back to him before closing the door.
Feeling like a teenager with his first crush, Marcus couldn’t contain his own grin as he headed home.
W hen Elina opened the door to the B&B, she heard Carl call out. “Close the door. Quick.”
Reacting to the panic she heard in his tone, she slammed the door shut and threw the deadbolt. “What is it? What’s wrong? Should I call Marcus back? Are you hurt?”
She moved to the living area, following the sound of his voice. Carl knelt by the couch, peering under it, and she moved to his side. “Are you okay? Did you fall?”
He laughed and moved to stand easily on his own. “No. Sorry for scaring you. Everyone is fine. I just didn’t want to lose one of the kittens.”
Kittens? She hadn’t seen any earlier in the day.
Jim walked into the living space with a triumphant grin. He held three kittens while a long-legged grey dog with a huge head followed him into the room. “Found them.”
Carl sighed dramatically. “Good job. I can’t imagine how bad it would look if we lost one of them so soon.”
Jim stopped halfway across the room. “Hi, Elina. Do you have any allergies to animals? We should have checked, but Kimi Twinishe, our local vet, was desperate this afternoon, so we said yes to fostering these four for a while.”
Elina smiled at them. “No allergies. I met Kimi tonight at the Saloon, and she didn’t say anything about them.” Although the conversation had bounced around and she might have missed it.
Jim and Carl exchanged a look. “Wait. You offered to call Marcus back. And Kimi said Marcus had sent out a text requiring their whole gang at the Saloon. These four had been dropped off this morning, and she didn’t want to leave them unattended on their first day. That text wouldn’t have had anything to do with you, would it?”
Elina felt her cheeks flame again. At least her olive skin tone would cover most of the blushing she’d done today. “It did, actually.”
Jim closed the distance and passed one of the kittens to Carl, then motioned Elina over to the sofa. “This sounds like a story we need to hear. Can I get you something to drink before you fill us in?”
Elina shook her head but took a seat, realizing these two charming men probably found out all the news simply by being themselves. It was hard to resist kindness and honest interest.
The dog peeked around the sofa at her, his green eyes unusual enough to have her itching for her comic strip tools. When she smiled at the dog and held out her hand, he trotted over to sniff her. He checked her eyes again and then moved closer to let her pet him. “What’s this guy’s name?”
Carl held up his kitten. “They didn’t have names. Someone found them on the road. That big guy was curled up around the kittens, keeping them safe. Kimi says he’s likely a Great Dane with a few other breeds mixed in. He’s just a puppy himself, but he took care of his tiny friends.”
Elina had never owned a dog, but she’d been around plenty of animals in her travels. This guy’s eyes showed he’d seen some things. “You’re a handsome boy, aren’t you?”
The dog shimmied closer and laid his head on her lap, making them all smile.
Jim stroked the kittens he held. “We were just talking names when you came in. Although if they get adopted, the owners might want new ones.”
Carl shook his head. “Not if we pick awesome names. Then they’ll keep them. What do you think, Elina? Any suggestions?”
She studied the dog, who stared right back at her. “Naming is a serious business. What do you think, boy? Any preferences? You’re obviously caring if you looked after the kittens, but you’re also a big, strong boy. What name would reflect both of those sides of you?”
Carl sighed. “Maybe after a strong dad figure from a movie or TV show? Nina tends to use cartoons when she names them.”
“I met Nina at the Saloon as well. She’s awesome.”
Jim nodded. “She’s a great kid. So, which fictional dads impress you, Elina?”
She hadn’t spent much of her childhood in front of a screen. In most of the places she’d lived, they didn’t have electricity, so she knew little about TV or movie characters. But she’d read a lot. “One of my favorite fictional dads is Atticus Finch.”
Both men nodded, and Carl spoke. “To Kill A Mockingbird. Great book and a great man. So, does your friend here like the name Atticus? Or Finch?”
“What do you think? Would you like to be Atticus?” The dog continued to stare at her but didn’t so much as blink. “What about Finch?”
He raised his head, and his tongue shot out to lick his lips, making the three humans laugh.
She stroked his big head. If he was a puppy still, he was likely to grow even bigger. “A finch is a pretty small bird. You’re going to be a pretty big finch.”
He sat up tall like he was showing just how big and strong he was.
“Good boy, Finch. You’re such a good dog.”
Finch wiggled his butt and moved even closer for more pets.
Jim lifted one of the kittens. “Looks like Finch is a winner. What do you think about being Scout, little lady?”
The little black and white kitten didn’t object.
Carl stroked the grey kitten. “You can be Jem, and this little black one can be Boo. That work for everyone?”
The three kittens barely opened their eyes, but Elina figured they would be happy with their names as long as they continued to be safe and protected.
Carl turned to her. “Now, tell us how you’re connected to Kimi and Marcus.”
She’d known they wouldn’t forget. She doubted these two forgot much. “I didn’t know Kimi at all before today. But I met Marcus and the other men on his military team years ago when I was working in an Afghan village as a teacher.”
Both men gaped at her, making her smile. “My parents worked in small villages and communities around the world, digging wells, building houses, and helping people learn to read and write. It was all I’d known, so I did it on my own for a few years.” She didn’t add that her parents had died in a plane crash, and she hadn’t known what else to do.
The men shared a look, and Jim spoke. “Impressive.”
She shrugged that off. “Not really. It was what I knew how to do. The kids loved to learn.”
Jim nodded. “Most kids do. But most people don’t go halfway around the world to help. Is that why you came to Phail? To see Marcus and the rest?”
“I didn’t know they were here until today.”
Carl studied her. “But something triggered in your brain when you saw the name Phail on the map?”
“I think my subconscious connected the dots. The men never mentioned the name of the town. Not that I remember, anyway. But I did remember them making jokes about failing. And Troy was always at the center of the jokes whether he was making the jokes or they were aimed at him.”
The men exchanged another glance before Jim spoke again. “That’s amazing. I’m so glad you’ve found some friends here. We can never have too many friends. They’re really good people. All of them.”
She nodded. They really were some of the best people she’d ever known.
Carl smiled. “Maybe you’ll stick around town longer now. I think you’ll fit in really well here.”
She smiled and wondered if these two tried to talk every guest into staying. And she wondered how many of them seriously considered it. She doubted she was the only one.