The Love Shack

Chapter 8

Everything seemed tochange after that day. Not just the weather, which turned hot and dry over the next two weeks, but her attitude, too. About everything. Life, friends.

Men. Or rather one man.

She no longer had a need to isolate herself.

Or shy away from her growing feelings for Lawson.

No, she didn’t know how he felt in return. He might only consider them friends, and if so, she’d be okay with that.

But now she was hoping for more. How much more, she didn’t know. There were times when she wasn’t sure how much she could do. She’d lived for years despising the idea of romance, of involvement.

Of opening herself to scorn.

Her one experience had been horrendous on every level, starting with realizing she’d believed lies, and culminating in humiliation and loss.

She’d had no desire to give it another go. Until Lawson.

And even with him, it was only a vague possibility. A whisper of “maybe.”

Around him, her instincts had seemed to take over. She’d embraced him—and how eye-opening had that been? Thoughts of Chad? Not even.

Lawson was rock-solid, and he’d felt so good. She hadn’t missed his slight hesitation, and her first thought had been panic. What if she’d erred? What if he rejected her?

Then his arms, so strong but so careful, had pulled her closer and it had all felt so natural. Like the rightest thing in the world.

The story he’d told... He could have easily died from heatstroke. What if he’d pushed himself so hard, without anyone noticing, that his body had just shut down?

She didn’t want to think that he was solely responsible for the changes she was going through now, the way her awful memories had shifted to the back of her brain instead of cluttering the forefront. Betty had played a role with her kindness and open but gruff affection. And Cemetery, the warmth of the small-town vibe, it was all tied in with her fresh perspective, as if the possibilities were endless.

Still, Lawson was definitely a big factor. She was twenty-six years old and she was experiencing a crush unlike anything she’d ever known.

Better late than never.

What had happened with Chad...that had been more about desperation, she knew that now. He’d been confident and an accomplished liar, and at a time when she’d felt so alone and lost in her worry for her mother, she’d allowed herself to be seduced. Sexually, yes, much to her shame, but he’d seduced her more with false consideration. His lies had been easy to accept because she’d so badly wanted them to be true.

She’d wanted something, someone, to look forward to. A light at the end of the tunnel. What a joke that had turned out to be.

Enough of that. This was the new her, a wiser woman putting regrets in the past where they belonged, while she forged into the future with courage and confidence.

Whitley joined her as she worked with a new dog that was badly in need of attention. “How’s he doing?”

“Coming along.” The dog, a midsize mutt with patchy tan fur, cowered at her side now that another person was near.

“Poor baby,” Whitley whispered. “Sometimes I really despise people.”

“Me, too.” The dog was a scrawny thing, had multiple dental issues and a few scars. He’d been badly mistreated by a woman who kept him in a cage most of his life, rarely cleaning it or letting him exercise. A guy she’d brought home on a date had seen the dog and—thank God—he’d been outraged. He was the one who called animal control, and from there, the dog had ended up with Berkley. “He’ll be okay, though. We’ll make it so.” With a lot of TLC—tender loving care.

Whitley looked near tears, even with a scowl on her face. “Well,” she said softly, so she wouldn’t spook the dog, “I wanted to remind you of your appointment with Oliver Roth. I can take over here if you want. We have plenty of other people working with the rest of the animals.”

The smile came despite Berkley’s worries for the new dog. Betty’s prediction had proved correct. Over the last two weeks, Erin had signed in several new pets, including the one Whitley cooed to now, but they’d also added multiple volunteers to their roster.

“Thanks. Just keep talking gently with him, and here, I have these soft treats for him.” She passed the packet to Whitley. Until the dog became acclimated, they didn’t want to put him through dental surgery. The vet, Henry Upton, treated the pets for little or no payment. At sixty-three, he had passed his practice to a younger veterinarian. Now semiretired, he dedicated himself to golfing, charitable work with animals and enjoying life. “I’ll go freshen up.”

While carefully stroking the dog’s back, Whitley asked with a sly smile, “Will Lawson be coming by tonight?”

She and Lawson had seen each other several times lately, usually at the end of the day because Cheese stole something from him. What Berkley really loved was that he never scolded the cat. He just retrieved whatever had been taken, then stuck around for a visit. “We’ll see,” she said, though she hoped he would. Seeing Lawson was a highlight and something she anticipated, but she wasn’t ready to admit that to anyone yet.

She’d barely admitted it to herself.

Knowing she needed to repair her hair, she headed inside. She still faced her early morning chores as something of a wreck, but once that first round of duties was done, she fixed her hair and applied makeup. Not because it felt like armor. Not anymore. Now she did it because she enjoyed it. She liked her dangling earrings and how eye makeup made her feel prettier.

Soon she’d need to find a salon to freshen the color in her hair...or she might go back to her natural color. She hadn’t quite decided yet.

Five minutes later, Oliver Roth arrived. His new, sleek physical fitness center was the talk of the town. Berkley wondered if they’d be discussing cat yoga, as Lark had suggested.

She greeted him with a handshake and, when he expressed an interest, she agreed to show him around the place. “I saw you at Saul’s restaurant one night.”

“During the endless rain?” He nodded. “Lark pointed you out to me. She suggested some ways we might work together.”

“Cat yoga, I know. I thought you’d decided against the idea, since I hadn’t heard from you.”

“Actually, the gym has been packed from the day we opened last week. I had hoped it would be successful, but I hadn’t expected quite that much interest. Not at first, anyway.”

Curious, she asked, “So you and Betty have worked out your differences?”

His brows drew together behind his lenses. “I hope so. She’s formidable, and she has high expectations, but I think it stems from a protectiveness for the town.”

Berkley beamed at him. “Exactly. She’s a descendant of the founder, you know.”

“She told me all about it. Fascinating history.” As they strolled around, he took special interest in their new dog.

“He hasn’t been here long,” Berkley explained. “He’s still terrified, as you can see.” As she said it, the dog spotted Oliver, and amazingly, he perked up.

Both Berkley and Whitley were surprised when Oliver went down on one knee and offered his hand for the dog to sniff.

An even bigger surprise was how the dog crept toward him, tail tucked, ears back...but he was moving forward, not backing up.

“My God,” Berkley whispered. “He’s shied away from everyone.”

“No wonder,” Oliver said in a low croon. “You haven’t been treated well, have you, bud?”

Berkley explained the situation the dog had been in. Sometimes it wasn’t easy for her to keep the anger and frustration from her tone when discussing a mistreated animal’s history, but it was necessary when dealing with the public.

At night, though, she often cried for the animals who’d been through too much.

“What’s his name?” Oliver asked. He lowered himself to sit cross-legged in the grass as an invitation for the dog to inch closer.

“He doesn’t have one yet,” Berkley said.

“I’ll sponsor him,” Oliver stated, his tone light and friendly. “He obviously needs some care, and I’d be happy to pay for it.” He looked up at Berkley. “I couldn’t do what you do, but I can do that. I can give money. Will it help?”

Okay, then. Oliver Roth just became one of her favorite people. Deciding they were friends, whether he knew it yet or not, she lowered herself to sit beside him. “I think that’s a wonderful and generous idea. The shelter runs largely on donations. Thankfully, the vet—Have you met Henry Upton?”

“He just joined my facility. Friendly guy.”

She wasn’t surprised. Henry liked to stay fit, saying it helped his golf swing. “He treats most of the animals for free, but in this dog’s case, with the dental work he needs, there will be some costs. Nothing astronomical, but—”

“Let me know how much and I’ll take care of it.”

Berkley blinked at him. “Don’t you want an estimate first?”

“I’m single. I’m comfortable.” He lightly stroked the dog. “I’m grateful to people like you who do the tough work. Paying for his care will make me feel better, so I hope you’ll accept.”

“I do, thank you.” She chewed her lip a moment, but watching Oliver and the dog bond fascinated her, and she wanted to do something for Oliver in return. “Why don’t you name him?”

“Handsome,” he said immediately, while continually petting the dog’s neck, ears and back with a large, very gentle hand. “I’ll name him Handsome.”

“A fine name,” she managed to choke out, because seriously, this particular dog was a touch on the hideous side. He had some bald spots because his fur had been trimmed out in chunks to remove mats. On top of some bad teeth that needed to be removed, he had a severe overbite. One of his eyes was forever squinted, and the other eye always held a look of panic. But she had to agree he was a sweetheart. “Handsome it is.”

“What does he need? Special treats? Toys? Dog bed?”

Oh, if Lawson hadn’t already caught her attention, she might have been drawn to this man. He was a picture of contrasts with his unmistakably fit body beneath the conservative clothes of a polo shirt and khaki pants. His hair and glasses made her think of a stereotypical clerk, but with warm compassion for a helpless dog.

Yup, he was the whole package... If a gal was looking. She was not.

“We can discuss everything.” She glanced at the time on her phone. “Come on. I’ll show you the rest of the shelter and the space where Handsome sleeps.”

The dog cautiously walked with them, giving everyone worried looks, while Berkley showed Oliver the limited space of the dog’s home. Concrete floor, utilitarian dog dishes, isolation... True, it was so much better than many shelters, but it still wasn’t what a dog deserved. It wasn’t a permanent home. A position in a family.

Oliver obviously knew it, too. He ran a hand over the back of his neck while looking things over. “Do you have limitations on what I can bring to him?”

“No, but we don’t yet know how destructive Handsome might be. For instance, if you get him a fancy dog bed and he rips it up—”

“Then I’ll get him another.”

“If you bring him toys—”

“I’ll make sure they’re soft, at least until he gets the dental work he needs, but nothing that he might choke on.”

Grinning, she said, “Sounds like you have a plan.”

He nodded, all serious and sincere. “Thank you, Berkley. I can tell that you care, and that matters a lot. I’ll come by whenever I can to visit him, to volunteer with him.” He dug out a card. “In the meantime, if he needs anything, if anything happens, will you let me know?”

“If only all our visitors were as generous as you.”

He looked sheepish for a moment, then dipped his head with a laugh. He removed his glasses and used the bottom of his shirt to polish them. “I’d completely forgotten the reason I’m here.”

“Visiting a dog is a good reason to forget.” She led Handsome into his living space, gave him a few more of the soft treats and waited while he got comfortable on a blanket. She secured the chain-link door, then gestured for Oliver to follow her into the shelter’s office.

They’d be closing soon. Lunch had been a long time ago and she was already thinking about dinner, but she didn’t want to rush Oliver. His kindness to Handsome meant he deserved her patience.

Fortunately, he had things to do, too, so they did a quick tour of the space she could offer for cat yoga. It was basically the lobby, which had both an interior and exterior door to keep pets from getting out unattended when guests visited. She’d brought Oliver in through the back, where they had open spaces for the dogs to play and get used to leashes, but they also had an indoor training area.

Her shelter, if she did say so herself, was pretty darned amazing—almost as sleek as Oliver’s fitness facility, but not nearly as large.

As he looked around, he asked, “Am I correct that you live in the small house on the property?”

Her warning sensors went off unexpectedly, which left her unsure how to answer.

Immediately, he said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry. I was just...” He shrugged. “Impressed? That the shelter is bigger in comparison. Not that your house isn’t terrific—”

Damn it, she’d made him uncomfortable, and over ridiculous concerns. “No, I apologize. Everyone in Cemetery is aware that I live here, so I have no idea why I...” Freaked out? She hadn’t, not really, but her heart had definitely lurched a little. Berkley shook her head. “Bad experience once, that’s all.”

“Then I hope you have good security set up, not just at your house but here at the shelter, too.”

“We have the basics.” Heck yeah, she did. Out here alone in the woods, with all the animals to protect? She worried about them more than herself. “Thank you.” For the next few minutes, they discussed a possible schedule that would work for the cat yoga, and finally decided on a start date.

“I’ll see if Lark has any suggestions on signs we should create.” He smiled at the mention of her name. “So far, she’s had incredible ideas.”

“I agree.”

“Did she talk to you about a parade?”

They spent a few more minutes discussing the requirements to be a dog walker, but so far, Berkley loved the idea. It’d be a great way to get the dogs out for attention and exercise, and maybe it could become a special event for Cemetery. They could even get Kathleen involved. Maybe create a wagon for her to ride in.

She grinned, imagining what Lawson would think of that.

By the time Oliver left, the dogs were all put away. Whitley brought Hero to her. He’d helped out with the other animals, playing peacekeeper and making sure they each felt included. He was such a great dog for welcoming other canines.

She thanked Whitley for all the extra help, waving to her as she drove off.

Erin had already left for the day, but she’d left a stack of notes for Berkley on the front counter. She picked those up, glancing through them as she headed out of the office building with Hero. On the way, she set the alarm codes and locked the doors.

They closed to the public at six o’clock, but it was always seven or later before she finished up. Not that she minded. For her, it truly was a labor of love. After all, she’d put her heart and soul into her work.

She had nothing else. No family. No significant other. No children.

She reminded herself that she was okay with that. It was a choice she’d made.

As they always did, she and Hero walked the perimeter of the play yard, ensuring that everything was properly secured. They had two layers of eight-foot-high fencing—an interior layer of fences that provided individual runs for the dogs, surrounded by a second fence that enclosed it all to ensure the safety of the animals, and anyone visiting.

The sun hung a little lower in the sky, but it wouldn’t get dark for a few more hours. Lawson hadn’t shown up yet, so maybe he wouldn’t visit.

She refused to be bummed about that.

On the way over to her house—which, as Oliver had noted, was probably half the size of the shelter—she realized that her side door wasn’t secured. It never was, because she’d never seen a reason. Friends and neighbors surrounded her, and she often went from her home to the shelter and back again.

Yet now... Now it felt like maybe that was a bad idea. She glanced down at Hero, but he just looked anxious for dinner and his bed.

With added tension squeezing her lungs, she stepped into the laundry room, and then the kitchen, pausing to listen.

Hero stared up at her curiously, unsure of this change in their pattern.

Everything was quiet. Closing and locking the door behind her, she walked through to the front door, but it was always locked because she seldom used it. Cheese, who had been sleeping on the back of the couch, stared at her with wide yellow eyes. Berkley gave her a stroke, telling herself to stop fretting.

When the house had been renovated and the shelter built, she’d specifically requested that the laundry/mudroom be at the back, closest to the shelter, to make it easy to clean up when things got messy.

A good, solid plan.

There was no reason to use the front door. She didn’t entertain, so she didn’t have invited guests. Visitors to the shelter drove around to the gravel parking lot near the side of her house.

Damn it, she was spooked. She unleashed Hero and gave him food, then refreshed his water. Cheese, of course, trotted into the laundry room, wanting her dinner, as well. They were at ease, so she should be, too.

With the animals taken care of, Berkley forced one foot in front of the other, going around the corner, peeking into her bathroom, then into the guest bedroom. It’d make her feel better, she reasoned, just to double-check that all was secure.

She opened the closet, but all she saw was her winter clothes hung on the rod, and her boots and extra shoes on the floor.

Forcing a deep breath, she went into her bedroom. The closet stood open because she often left it that way. The bed wasn’t made, because she rarely made it. Feeling ridiculous, she knelt down and peered under the bed. Nothing but dust bunnies and a couple of boxes of keepsakes.

Calling herself a fool, she plopped down to sit on her butt, her back against the mattress and box springs. Why was she suddenly jumpy? It was almost like the static from an incoming storm, making the fine hairs on her arms stand up. She hadn’t been this nervous since she was eighteen, after she’d lost her mother and had to sleep alone in her house until it could be sold.

Hero heard everything, and he could be protective. If there was any reason for nervousness, he’d have sounded a loud, barking alarm.

To distract herself, she looked at the notes Erin had left her. Another shelter wanted to know if she could take an expectant cat, due to give birth any day. Yes, she would. She put that note aside.

Another was a note from Yardley, asking if she’d please join them for tea. She did like Yardley. Heck, she liked everyone she’d met so far. Hmm... She could try to make that meeting. That note went to the side also.

Lastly, the director from the shelter she’d previously worked at said they’d gotten a call—from Chad Durkinson. For the longest moment, her eyes stayed glued to the name, trying to convince her brain that she’d seen it incorrectly.

Chad Durkinson.

No mistake.

Her heart shot into her throat and managed to lodge there. No. It couldn’t be true. Chad had no reason to seek her out. None at all.

As she read the rest of the note, her hands shook.

He’d tracked her down because he wanted to see her. For what purpose? She wanted absolutely nothing to do with him. She gripped the paper, and thankfully saw that the director had told him she’d changed jobs, but he’d had the good sense not to tell Chad where she’d gone. He’d kept all her information private.

Dropping her hands to her sides, she closed her eyes in stark relief.

She tried to draw a few deep breaths, telling herself to get it together—and her phone buzzed in her rear pocket. She nearly shot off the floor.

Her heart punched back into her chest and started a furious, almost painful pounding. Fumbling, she withdrew the phone and stared at the screen with dread.

Lawson.Relieved beyond measure, she answered with a strangled, “Hello?”

After a beat of silence, he said, “Berkley? What’s wrong?”

Seriously, was he psychic? It wasn’t like he could see her sitting on the floor, completely rattled. “Nothing,” she denied, trying to make her voice stronger. “Why?”

“You whispered.”

Oh. She cleared her throat. “Yeah, the phone just startled me.”

“Sorry,” he said. “I’m here, but I can leave.”

“Here?”

“At your door. I walked over, saw the place was quiet and realized I’d missed you. I didn’t want to knock in case it got Hero and Cheese stirred up.”

As soon as he said it, Hero barked. She knew and understood the sounds her dog made, and that was not a grumbling bark of warning, but rather a happy and excited greeting. Clearly he knew it was Lawson who’d come to visit.

“Hang on.” She scrambled to her feet and started back through the house. Seconds later she found Hero standing at attention by the door, ears up, his entire body jiggling with the force of his wagging tail. Cheese sat atop the washer—on the clean and folded laundry she hadn’t yet put away, which would now be covered in cat fur. Oh well.

The cat watched with mild interest.

If only she could adopt Cheese’s aloof attitude, but unfortunately, Berkley was in the happy camp with Hero. Thankfully, she didn’t have a betraying tail to give her away.

She peeked past the curtain covering the little window on the door, just as an extra precaution, and tried to school her features at the sight of him standing there, backlit by the late-day sunshine, looking sexy as sin in a black T-shirt and well-worn jeans.

Grabbing Hero’s collar with one hand, she opened the door with the other.

Lawson, being awesomeness personified, quickly stepped in and immediately knelt to say hi to Hero. “Hey, buddy. How are you? You knew it was me, didn’t you? Such a smart guy.”

His silly voice made Hero ecstatic.

While they greeted each other, she secured the door and reset the alarm. When Lawson stood, it was to give a mock frown to Cheese, who stared back with a look of defiance. “Cheese, sweetheart, I don’t suppose you know anything about a missing hat of mine?”

The cat lifted a paw and began to groom herself.

Uh-oh. Berkley offered a shrug. “I haven’t seen a hat, sorry.”

“She’s taken to leaving my things in the woods. I’ve found socks there, a receipt I needed to return a faucet, and a promotional screen-cleaning cloth.”

Leaping off the washer, Cheese sauntered away, tail in the air and head held high, to return to the back of the couch. Hero gave a giant yawn, showing all his strong white teeth, then he headed to the couch also. Clearly, both animals were ready to rest.

“Now,” Lawson said, putting his hands to her shoulders and beginning one of those toe-curling, magical massages. “Want to tell me what’s wrong?”

Out of habit, she replied, “Nothing.”

He continued to knead her muscles, working out the knots, but he didn’t say anything more. Once again, she’d brought tension into their conversation.

It struck her that she could talk to him. She wanted to talk to him.

Stepping away from his hands and the pleasure they gave, she turned to face him. “Actually, I’m hungry. Are you hungry? If you’re sure you want to know, I could tell you all about it while we eat.”

Surprising her, he cupped a hand around her neck and stroked his thumb along her jaw. “A great idea. I was going to ask you if you wanted to go out for pizza.”

Immediately, she shook her head. If Chad had found out where she was, he might be in Cemetery. Not likely, but still, she didn’t want to risk running into him. Not until she had a plan. “I have a frozen pizza.” She winced. What a lousy offer. “Or I could make grilled cheese.”

“You want to stay here?”

He asked that so simply, as if he knew that was the crux of her issue, so she nodded. “I do, yeah.”

“Frozen pizza works for me. Or...” He pulled out his phone to check the time. “We could order a pizza. Usually only takes thirty minutes or less.”

Berkley blew out a breath. He made this so, so easy. “Yeah, let’s do that.” She hadn’t realized that was an option. How little did she know about her town? “Is that from Saul’s restaurant?”

“No, a little place farther away from the lake. Pepperoni and sausage okay? Or are you an all-veggie pizza lover?” He frowned. “No anchovies, okay?”

How was it that a discussion about pizza could be so fun when it was with Lawson? “I’m fine with pepperoni and sausage, and if they have a salad, I’d enjoy that, too. If not, no biggie. I have colas here.” She shot him a teasing look. “Unlike someone I know, I keep plenty in the fridge.”

While he ordered a large pizza and two side salads, she got out glasses, added ice and poured them each a cola. It occurred to her that she’d been around him enough now to know his preferences.

They sat at her little table, and Berkley wondered how to begin.

“It’s okay,” he said. “If I overstepped, you don’t need to—”

She shook her head. “No, you didn’t.” Now seemed like a good time to be truthful, so she admitted, “I’m glad you asked. I’m glad you’re here with me and that you, hopefully, don’t mind listening.”

“I asked because I’m interested.” His eyes, light brown and framed by darker lashes, were extra intent as they studied her. “I asked because I care.”

Oh, way to make her heart do another flip. That particular organ was getting quite the workout today. “Thank you.” With a small laugh, she shook her head. “I mean...” Better just to get it said. “Chad is looking for me.”

“Chad?” Doubt gave way to incredulity and he asked with a frown, “Chad Durkinson?”

See, he was as shocked as she was! “Yes, and I have no idea why. He called the shelter where I used to work and they told him I’d changed locations.”

Slowly, Lawson stiffened. “Did anyone—”

“No, thank God. The director said they didn’t give my new address, but Lawson, The Love Shack is on social media. We have a website. I’m listed as the director and my name hasn’t changed...” Saying it out loud made it all so real again, twisting her stomach into knots and making her pulse race. “He could do a search and find me—easily.”

Lawson reached out for her hand, and she gladly gave it. How amazing was it not to face this alone, to be able to share her worry with someone?

“First,” he said, “I need to know. Are you afraid of him?”

“Of him personally, no. Of having it all dredged back up, most definitely yes.” How to put it into words? “Being here, in Cemetery, has been amazing. I love my house. I really, really love the shelter. I’ve gotten close to Betty. Today I met with Oliver and we discussed the ways we can help both our businesses. Plus, he took a lot of interest in one of our new dogs. Yardley invited me to tea...” Everything had seemed so wonderful, yet now she was sick with dread.

“You’re worried that if Chad comes here, he’ll bring the past with him.”

“You know people will whisper. Some of them will think the worst.”

“Will Betty?” he asked—and the look in his eyes said he already knew the answer.

“No.” Berkley didn’t have any doubts on Betty’s part. “She’s like the grandmother I never had. She has my back.”

“And she has a great BS monitor, right? She’d peg Chad in an instant.”

“I’m sure you’re right.” Betty had incredible insight.

“Do you think Oliver will change his plans?”

Berkley shook her head. “I’m not worried about that.” No one who took such an immediate interest in a needy dog could be callous enough to bother with gossip.

“Lark?”

“She doesn’t strike me as the gossipy kind.” The woman was far too upbeat and happy. “Lark takes an interest in everyone, and she chats freely, but only in the best possible way.”

His last question came, soft but gruff. “Me?”

There was so much behind that single word, things that warmed her, that made her both tearful and happy. “No.” As she said it, Berkley accepted it, deep down to her soul. “You don’t think less of me for what happened.”

“Just the opposite. I’m damned proud of you. The world—or at least our small part of it—came at you in the most hateful, ugly way, but look at you. More beautiful than ever, inside and out.”

Her thoughts stuttered to a standstill. Beautiful? Her? Never in her life had she felt that way.

“Berkley,” he chided. “How can you not know that? Even if you weren’t so fine to look at—and you are, very fine—the amount of care you give would win over anyone. People are drawn to you.”

“They’re drawn to you,” she countered. She, with her private, reclusive ways, they probably considered standoffish.

“Are you drawn to me, Berkley?” he asked with a small, confident smile.

She snorted. “Hero sure is. And I think Cheese secretly has a crush on you, and that’s why she keeps stealing from you.”

Brushing his thumb over her knuckles, he said, “She doesn’t steal from anyone else?”

“She used to, but you’re the only one she’s targeted lately.”

“I’m glad your pets like me, since I’m hoping to hang around a lot more.”

Anticipation caught her breath. She wanted to reciprocate, to say something witty in return, but she’d never been good at this type of banter. So why not be truthful?

Wrinkling her nose, she confessed, “I’m bad at this.”

The corner of his mouth curled. “At flirting?”

Having it confirmed made her even warmer. “Yup, that.” He looked so pleased that she grinned. “I like it, though.”

“So you don’t mind having me around?”

Since they still held hands, she gave his a squeeze and admitted, “I’m glad you’re here, and you’re welcome anytime.”

“From now on, I’ll let you know if I’m coming by.” As he said it, a knock sounded on her front door and Hero went into warning mode, shooting off the couch with a bark, followed by low growling. “Case in point,” he said. “The dog isn’t thrilled to have someone just show up, and you went white.” He lifted her hand to his mouth, kissed her knuckles and reminded her, “Pizza delivery.”

Her bones wanted to melt. “Right. Pizza.” Grumbling, she released him and stood. “I’ll get my wallet.”

He stood, too. “This is my treat, so let me.”

“Then I owe you a meal... Or maybe two.”

“Count me in.”

He started for the door, but Hero blocked his way. When Lawson started around him, Hero moved, too.

Quirking a smile, Lawson said, “Bud, it’s okay. No rescue needed.” He stroked Hero, speaking softly.

That he took the time to reassure her dog meant a lot.

“Trust me,” he said to Hero.

Ears twitching, Hero read his mood, then moved to his side and accompanied him to the door. Money in hand, Lawson glanced at her. “Anytime you want me to visit, tell me, and I hope you know you’re welcome to drop by my place, too.”

Would she? She wasn’t sure. Catching Hero’s collar just in case, she waited while Lawson paid for their food and, she noticed, gave the delivery guy a great tip. Everything he did only made her like him even more.

It occurred to her that there was no welcome mat for the front of her house, but then, she didn’t welcome people.

Except Lawson, and in a dozen different ways, that felt incredibly right.