Chapter Four
PARKER
“Ooof!”
At the sound of her exclamation, I turned back to see Luna stumbling and falling to the ground. Fuzzy galloped over to her side, personally inspecting her with his nose.
A few strides later, I knelt down beside her. “Are you okay?”
Luna made a muffled sound before rolling over. Her already muddy shirt was even muddier now, along with her pajama bottoms. The streak of mud on her cheek was an endearing touch.
She let out a heavy sigh as she sat up. “I am fine. Oh, my God. I was just trying to have a quiet morning and have some coffee before I go back into the cafe to bake some donuts.” Her nose wrinkled in annoyance.
“You’ve already been into town?” I glanced at my watch. “It’s only six in the morning, Luna,” I pointed out, trying to ignore how delectably cute she was.
She brushed her curls away from her forehead, tucking them behind her ears. The gesture hooked on the edge of my heart with its sweetness.
Her nose wrinkled as she looked up at me. “I’m a baker. Bakers bake early. I usually make the dough for the donuts at four. After that, I like to come back here and enjoy some coffee.”
“Oh, that’s right, you make the donuts,” I said.
“I do.” Her tone was pointed.
Straightening, I held a hand out. “Let’s make sure you’re all in one piece.”
Luna sighed again, but she allowed me to help her up.
I knew Luna in an acquaintance sort of way.
I’d even scooped her out of the ocean when we happened to be dipnetting at the same time, and she drifted too far out.
I saw her often at the coffee shop in downtown Willow Brook.
Whether I knew her or not, it would’ve been difficult not to notice Luna. She was adorably pretty.
I tried not to notice that her tank top was now plastered to her skin, complete with mud smeared on it.
“Are you okay?” I asked again when she wobbled a little once she was fully on her feet.
She narrowed her eyes at me. “I’m fine.” Before I could reply, she exclaimed, “Oh, no!”
Her face was getting paler by the second. Maybe I didn’t know what was happening, but I was pretty sure she was about to faint. “How far away is your house?” I asked quickly.
“Just through the woods over there.” She gestured to a narrow path through the trees. “I have tachycardia and I need my medication. I forgot all about it because of the moose and—” She wobbled again when she turned.
Leaning down, I scooped her up in my arms. I strode quickly down the short path. Although I’d gone hiking here with Fuzzy more than once, I’d never noticed the house. It was tucked in the trees, just enough out of sight to miss.
Moments later, we were in her kitchen. I waited while she took some medication.
“Do you need something else?” I asked.
She sat down at the kitchen table and gestured toward the sink. “Could you bring my water over?”
I quickly brought the glass over to her. She took a few swallows. I was unsure what to do and didn’t feel comfortable leaving just yet. Meanwhile, Fuzzy had made himself at home. He plunked down on the kitchen floor right at Luna’s feet, eyeing her with concern.
“Should I do anything?” I finally asked.
“You don’t have to stay.”
I studied her. Her skin was still pale. “I’m not leaving. Not yet.”
Annoyance flickered in her eyes before she sighed. “In that case, you can have a seat, or maybe pour yourself some coffee,” she offered.
“I’ll take that coffee.”
A few minutes later, the color had returned to her face. She looked mostly herself except for the mud on her face and clothes.
“Thank you for helping me this morning,” she said, her smile sheepish.
I chuckled. “It’s been a very Alaskan morning. By the way, this coffee is excellent.”
She took a swallow of her water, adding, “Thank you for getting me home faster than I could’ve gotten myself here. Normally, I’m on top of my medication, but I lost track of time with the whole moose situation.”
“I’m just glad you’re okay.”
“I have an issue with tachycardia,” she explained.
“I take beta blockers for it. Been dealing with it my whole life. It’s not often that I forget something like that.
” She glanced down at Fuzzy. “Your dog is an absolute sweetheart.” She nudged him with her foot, and he leaned over to nuzzle her calf.
I grinned. “He is the best boy. He seems to have decided he needs to stay close to you. I knew you made the donuts for Firehouse Cafe, but I had no idea you drove in at four in the morning to start.”
She shrugged. “I love to bake, and it works for me. I’m up early anyway.” Pausing, she glanced at her watch. “I’m going to need to get ready.” She looked down at her muddy clothes. “It’s been a morning,” she finally said, her tone dry.
“Well, you have a story,” I offered with a soft laugh.
Her responding giggle made my heartbeat kick a little faster. I finished off my coffee. “I’ll get going. Where should I put my coffee mug?”
“Just leave it in the sink.”
When I stood and walked over to the sink, Fuzzy didn’t move. I turned back and gestured for him. “Come on, Fuzzy.”
My dog looked up at Luna, as if trying to assess if it was safe for him to leave her side. After a few seconds, he reluctantly got up, heaving a dramatic sigh. “I’m pretty sure he’d prefer to stay with you.”
Luna smiled as she swept her hand down his back. “Well, anytime you need a dog babysitter, just ask me.”
“Be careful what you offer. I’m a hotshot firefighter. I fly out of town a lot,” I teased.
Her eyes widened. “I’m serious! I love dogs.”
“Well then, that’s always good to know. As it is, I board him at the local kennel, or I find a friend to take care of him.”
“Consider me your new kennel.” She paused, her teeth catching her bottom lip. “I mean, if you want.”
When I looked back at her, there were all kinds of things I wanted.
Namely, to lace my fingers in her wild curls and kiss her.
I kicked those thoughts to the curb. She’d just tripped and fallen in the forest after rescuing two moose calves and getting chased.
The last thing she probably wanted was some guy kissing her.
With her cheeks pink and the smatter of freckles on her nose, it was difficult to keep my brain on track. “That’s good to know, and I know where to find you now.”
“You do. But I’m serious,” she said earnestly as she stood from the table and approached me.
“Let me give you my number, so you have it. Are you on Leo’s crew?
” At my nod, she continued, “I work with Casey, so she keeps me in the loop. Just text me, and Fuzzy can hang out here when you’re out of town.
It’s perfect.” She looked down at my dog. “Right, Fuzzy?”
As if he understood, he let out a soft woof and head-butted her hard enough to knock her over. Fortunately, she was standing beside the kitchen counter and easily caught her balance.
I recited my number, and she tapped it into her phone. A moment later, my phone vibrated with a text. Luna Talton, dog sitter extraordinaire.
I shook my head as I laughed. “Fuzzy’s an easy dog, so anyone who knows him is usually willing to help, but it’s nice to know you’d like to take care of him.”
With that, I left, distracted enough by Luna that I never did finish the hike I’d planned with Fuzzy.
A few hours later when I was driving through town, my hands turned my steering wheel into the parking lot at Firehouse Café without me even thinking about it.
As I approached the door, a sense of anticipation thrummed inside. I wondered if I would see Luna.
As the bell jingled on the door and I walked inside, Luna glanced up from where she was holding a tray of donuts as she placed them in the display case. My heart started drumming, hard and fast, against my rib cage.