Chapter Three
AMARIE MAY HAVE done herself a disservice by agreeing to breakfast… and basking in Eli’s sour mood while consuming an obscene amount of crisped-to-perfection bacon. In her defense, it would have been rude to refuse her future employer’s mother—and the smell of fresh-baked bread that filled the air had left her salivating. She attributed the momentary lapse in professionalism to sleep deprivation, Eli harping on her unpreparedness, and straight-up hunger. The Calvarys—except for Eli—had peppered her with conversation about the nearby waterfall, the locally grown fresh market in the town mall, and the Coffee Bean Barn, which was good but not better than Leah’s supplier from the computer. As if the gateway to the World Wide Web was a physical place. How fun was that? Social media was Amarie’s happy space, too.
The rapid fire of kitchen table conversation among the family over a shared meal was like a championship tennis match. Amarie devoured every lob and volley with increasing delight. Their open affection for one another stirred painful reminders of how her childhood home life had fractured all those years ago. Self-expression. Acceptance. Family. The things Amarie wanted but had never received were visibly important to the Calvary family. Noah had won her over with his boyish charm and those hypnotic kaleidoscope peepers. But she wasn’t fooled by his playboy fa?ade—he’d experienced heartbreak of the highest order. Tobias, with his summer storm–blue eyes and slow smile, was watchful but engaging, and harder to read with her social barometer. The real jewel in the lot, her new insta-bestie, was Leah Calvary, a sage beauty imbued with a mother’s comforting presence.
And then there was Eli. A brooding menace and crusher of high hopes.
He stood in the bay window overlooking the kitchen table, glaring at her like a stone-face Greek warrior, sunlight painting his raven mane and full beard to a lustrous sheen before fading against his tan skin. Amarie ignored him, or rather pretended to, but his damp black T-shirt clung to his broad shoulders, hugging his biceps tighter than a rock band groupie. And the jeans—whew—gripped his tight butt and long legs like a male stripper costume. He disappeared out a back door off the kitchen, returning moments later with a dark golden retriever, which was dancing, playful energy in abundance, around his feet.
“Here, boy,” Eli said, scratching the dog behind the ears before giving his dense coat a gentle rub. Amarie watched the brute of a man soften, the brackets around his mouth vanishing as he led his pet to an aluminum water bowl. Maybe there was an actual human being she could work with cocooned beneath his steely exterior.
Without a word, he resumed his post, arms crossed under impressive pecs and an equally impressive scowl twisting his too-gorgeous features. Or maybe not. Obnoxious really, on his part, to parade that face and those muscles in front of an unemployed woman with a wounded heart. Though she couldn’t see his rippled abdomen, she knew it was there, lurking beneath the surface to blindside her. All of it—the shirt, the jeans, the large feet hidden in scuffed leather boots—was a desperate plea for attention. But Amarie couldn’t afford to be distracted by a well-toned body. Her interest in Eli Calvary stopped at employment. He could save his Magic Mike quick-pull Velcro seams for a high-wage earner who had the time to fall victim to overt masculine attractiveness. She was immune to handsome men—happy dogs who nudged her thigh, not so much.
“Aw,” she crooned, blowing air kisses at the canine pawing her shoes. “Your pup is so cute. What’s the name?”
The question seemed to further irritate Eli. How could it possibly be annoying to compliment his pet? She would be working with animals—in his clinic—and he should be impressed rather than agitated.
“His name is Hiccup,” Noah answered, placing his cup in the sink. “He likes pretty ladies as much as I do,” he teased.
Noah, the obvious flirt, Amarie already adored. Though she didn’t feel a spark of attraction, she believed he could be a really good friend. “You’re leaving?” she asked.
“Duty calls, darling.”
He winked before walking toward a hallway adjacent to the refrigerator that Amarie hadn’t noticed. She wasn’t sure where it led, but it was closest to the veterinary practice. Perhaps it was the breezeway she’d noticed from the house’s exterior.
Lifting her free hand, Amarie waved goodbye, having enjoyed the youngest Calvary brother’s company. “Talk with you later.”
The firefighter stopped mid-stride. Slowly he pivoted on his heel, facing her, a devilish grin crossing his full lips. “I’d be happy to strike up a conversation with you—”
“Noah,” Eli rumbled, the sound rough and jagged.
Red bloomed on Eli’s neck, spreading like wildfire to consume his face. Huh, that couldn’t be good. His tone had dropped several octaves, and Amarie swore she heard an undercurrent of menace.
“The gentleman doth protest too much.” Noah laughed.
Eli’s green eyes darkened in color, the fine lines bracketing them deepened. The air seemed to spark with territorial energy. Tobias’s eyes were fixed on his brothers as if ready to intervene—and Leah had an odd sparkle in her gaze. Maybe talking had a different meaning in Service.
As fast as the flame ignited, it cooled, and Eli’s lips twisted into a lopsided grin. “Shut up, stupid.”
“I said what I said,” came Noah’s reply, before he sauntered off without looking back.
Huh, she must have misinterpreted the brotherly ribbing as a mountain instead of a molehill.
“Okay,” she whispered, a bit baffled, and anxious to close the deal on her reason for being there in the first place. “We—we should negotiate the terms of my contract.”
“You don’t have the job,” Eli snapped. “There is no contract.”
Amarie inhaled through her nose, trying to slow the sudden increase in her heart rate. Don’t panic. He was tossing hard balls, testing her mettle. She knew from talking with Noah that she was the first and only applicant in weeks. So, she didn’t have any competition. Perhaps Eli’s grumpiness was more physical than a permanent emotional state she’d have to coax into tranquility. Her nursing brain shot into caregiver mode. He hadn’t eaten or drank anything since her arrival. The poor man probably had low blood sugar or some other chronic condition and because he looked strong and virile, she’d stereotyped him as a rigid ogre with bad manners.
Without thinking more on her approach, she blurted out, “Would you like a bite of my biscuit?”
Leah sputtered, “Dear Lord,” at the same time as Tobias chuckled, “I doubt it will help.”
“What… no,” a slack-jawed Eli stammered. “I do not want to bite your biscuit, Amarie.”
“Fine. I’m trying to be nice,” she fired back, feeling as if she’d been chastised for exercising a basic courtesy.
“Aw, you’re a sweetheart.” Leah patted the hand Amarie rested on the table. “I tucked two biscuits in the oven for Eli.”
“Wow.” Amarie touched a hand to her heart. “What an awesome mom thing to do.” Her mother likely would do the same, well, if her father didn’t object. Because of her father’s insistence that Amarie tough it out with Russell, she’d chosen not to retreat home. She was pretty sure—eighty-five percent—her mom would eventually support her decision to end the engagement. Not openly, of course. That would’ve shaken the tightrope on which her parents’ marriage teetered. Her father controlled his wife by limiting her funds and friendships. Amarie might not appear to be alone in the world, but she was stag in this quest for independence.
“Eat up, dear.” Leah beamed at the comment. “We have a busy clinic day ahead of us. Adele’s stay is an overnighter.”
From her seat at the table, Amarie raised her cup to her lips and looked directly at Eli. “Of course, I’m almost done.”
Eli grunted at her response.
Amarie adjusted the now-empty stoneware plate in front of her. “I’m ready.” She smiled, but inside she screamed into the pillow she wanted to aim at Eli’s head. Leah gave Amarie’s shoulder a squeeze, a gentle nudge of reassurance that she appreciated. Every time the older woman patted Amarie’s hand, showed the tiniest gesture of support, or fussed over her sons, Amarie felt a Hallmark movie aw, that’s so nice moment.
She upended her coffee mug for the final swallow, declining a refill and adoring the Calvary family—well, as much as one could safely appreciate the kindness of complete strangers who offered food to a weary woman.
Facing Eli, she ignored the churning ball in her stomach growing in size the more he seemed determined to thwart her destiny.
“I know you’re uncomfortable with my missing paperwork. Unfortunately, I haven’t had an opportunity to compile an updated resume. You know, with me being new to Service. I read the job listing and jumped at the chance to get to work. But I can assure you, I have great people skills, which I believe will translate well to the animal kingdom. If you like, I can provide excellent references.” The first being her best friend waiting on his porch. Like Amarie’s path, the truth required a bit of bending. Russell had confiscated the new laptop he’d purchased for her.
“Jumped at the chance, huh?” Eli walked straight to the table, grabbing a chair, the scrape of the wood on wood jarring her as he turned it backward before straddling the seat. “What experience do you have in veterinary medicine, Miss Walker?”
Outside of dating a wolf in a white lab coat? Nada. That wasn’t exactly true. Her mother had gifted her a caramel-and-white beagle puppy for her tenth birthday, deeming her old enough for the added responsibility. Amarie had run home after school every day for six months to roll on the floor with Princess.
“Well,” she began, tightening her grip on the coffee mug, “there’s an Italian restaurant with outdoor seating in Key West where my parents used to live. The three cockatoos there poop on everyone, but not me. And my best friend, Vali, has a cat who’s never scratched my furniture during an overnight stay.”
“None,” he said, deadpan.
No time for fear, Amarie.Charming the boss man was all that separated her from the other pretty girls with the WILL TWERK FOR TACOS sign.
“In addition to social media marketing, I’m proficient with Microsoft Office 365.”
“Don’t need it. We haven’t upgraded.”
She heard a seed of rejection in his tone and her mind magnified her anxiety, wedging a hole in her chest for a boulder of doubt to settle. He didn’t want her. A character role she seemed doomed to replay no matter how hard she tried to make herself useful.
“From Word?” she quickly recovered, refusing to allow grumpy pants to trample his very large boots on her usefulness.
“Try pen and paper,” he said. “I’ve been animal handling since I was a boy. This job requires experience. An understanding of animal behavior. Physical strength and stamina.” He went on, but Amarie tuned out.
His bullet point list of highly defined duties blasted holes in her employable attributes, each entry wound heightening her anxiety until sticky perspiration coated her palms. As a graduate of higher education, she should be more confident in her abilities. Her mother had insisted that Amarie earn her degree. Perhaps it was because a young Bethany Harris had married Dr. Reid Walker during her sophomore year of college, and then withdrew because of her pregnancy a year later. But after two additional years at the institution, Amarie’s genuine desire to serve and heal seemed minuscule in real-world application.
“Oh…” she whispered, her dignity Apollo Creed cornered against the ropes. She would not beg. “On my last job I worked with drug formularies. And I speak fluent insurance and medical billing lingo.”
He paused for a second, his eyes narrowing. “Give me the name and phone number of your previous employer. After I verify your skills, I might reconsider.”
Russell would never write her a job recommendation. So she quickly moved on, tripping over her words in the process. “I-I completed a four-year nursing degree program last December.” His scowl deepened.
“You talk faster when you’re anxious.” His stare was assessing, disassembling her every utterance for details she wouldn’t reveal. Slowly, his stunning gaze crawled up her stiff torso until it came to linger on her mouth. Tingles of awareness danced across her skin, following the path his eyes had taken. Oh, the reaction, a body betrayal she pretended did not occur.
“I’m not anxious,” she lied.
“Hmm,” he said, brows raised in obvious disbelief. “The number,” he repeated.
Amarie jutted her chin forward in defiance. “I prefer not to disclose that information at this time. Now, are you really going to not hire me when I literally have no competition?”
Eli’s eyes softened for a second, but then he crossed those sinewy arms on the chair back. Those arms would have had her swooning if they were on another human. Eli operated in perpetual beast mode, even when she presented the ideal solution. Which didn’t make a lick of sense from Amarie’s perspective. It was more important that she arrived ready to be a productive member of Team Calvary. She just had to convince him to see reason.
“I can help you,” she said, her voice not quite as confident. She needed this job, but she hated the suffocating feeling of vulnerability. She knew firsthand how the world preyed upon the unwanted. Mentally, Amarie regressed to a childhood memory, really a nightmare. Her mother, Bethany, rocking a sobbing Amarie as the ache of hunger burned her empty belly. That day, Amarie had made a vow. She would never give up, never beg, never quit, even if she failed.
Russell’s stunt with the credit card had delivered a crippling blow, but she met Eli’s eyes dead-on; she would not surrender to a metaphysical death today. Eli Calvary looked formidable and unyielding. He wasn’t going to bend. She saw the truth reflected in his emerald eyes, but just then a high-pitched squeal came from the direction of the clinic.
“Adele! No. Stop. Come back,” a woman’s tinny voice called.
“She’s loose.” Leah jolted, clearly distressed, taking a few steps backward.
Amarie shot to her feet. “What is it? A bear. A moose? No—no, that’s Alaska. A buck?”
Hiccup answered with a series of short, throaty barks and a sideways two-step. Whatever was heading their way, neither the Calvarys nor their dancing pooch wanted the smoke of the approaching fire.
“I’ll grab the safety gear,” Tobias called, before his fast footfalls carried him toward the front of the house.
She released a strangled gasp, there was nothing protecting her vital organs. “Oh God, it’s a mountain lion. Isn’t it?”
Eli jumped in front of her and Leah. “Noah, the conversationalist, must have left the clinic door open. Stay behind me.”
Startled by the demand, Amarie complied. Clearly a dangerous animal had broken free of its cage, and they were in imminent danger. Her heart began to pound as she listened for a throat-ripping snarl, a feeble scream, or a ferocious bark. When nothing happened, Amarie ducked around Eli’s wide back to see a flash of white-and-black fur dash into the kitchen.
“Oh, that’s—it’s a kitty,” she said, relaxing.
“Don’t move,” Eli snapped. “I’ll contain her.”
“Contain her? Like in Jurassic Park?” Amarie laughed.
“Adele hates people. Especially breathing ones,” he whispered, edging forward.
Who was he to judge?Amarie thought. Eli Calvary was the most ill-tempered caregiver she’d ever met. It was vexing, really. Pediatricians, veterinarians, and older people should be friendly types. Not bossy, rule-followers, demanding official documents and such. Behind the safety of Eli’s back, she lowered herself to her haunches.
“Tsk, tsk… come here, pretty kitty.” Amarie stretched forward her hand, letting Adele come to her.
“Don’t,” Eli hissed. “She will bite.”
“You, I’m sure. No way would a cute little kitty with a famous name harm her new friend, Amarie.”
“I recognize crazy talk when it hits my ears.” Eli balked. “Now quit fooling around with that cat before we all need eye patches.”
“Don’t be afraid, Eli. I’ll rescue you.” Amarie snickered.
Slowly, Adele lowered her head, making a cursory prowl in Amarie’s direction. When she was in reach, Amarie held still until the tuxedo cat, not kitten, rubbed her fine whiskers against the back side of her knuckles. She placed a hand, a light touch at first, on the cat’s nape, then she administered long strokes down the length of Adele’s spine until she heard a soft purr.
“Whoa,” Tobias said, entering the room to hand Eli a pair of long-armed gloves, “she’s a pet whisperer.”
Eli stared down at her, slipping his large hands into the protective gear. “I told you not to move.”
Amarie looked up at him, smiled, scooped up a floppy Adele, and draped her over her shoulder. “My apologies. I thought my animal-handling skills took priority considering your health and safety were at risk, boss. Now, about the job.”
Leah laughed out loud. Eli may have cursed, but she couldn’t swear to it.
“You’re hired… for today,” he grumbled.
Amarie’s breath hitched. She’d done it. Though an unconventional start to the interview, she had applied her unique talent, with the boss and ball of fur, and gotten the job. “Yes!” she cheered.
“Pay’s eleven dollars an hour. Work starts now with Kitty Scissor Claws you’re cuddling.”
“But—” She stopped her happy dance. In D.C. she’d need three roommates, an EBT card, and a second job to survive on so few dollars.
“Final offer,” Eli interjected.
“Okay,” she acquiesced, but she still needed to fix Prince, find a place to live, and afford coffee.
“Welcome aboard, Amarie.” Leah opened her thin arms wide.
“Ah,” she said, a bit sheepishly, going in for a hug, “does the job include breakfast?”
“And lunch,” Leah offered, closing Amarie in a warm embrace.
Eli threw up his hands at his mother. “Since when are meals and hugging a part of our hiring practice?”
“Since I’m the momma.” Leah grinned.
He glared directly at Amarie. “Enough already. Time for work.”
Not wanting to repeat the mistakes she’d made with Russell, she piped up. “I’m going to need everything in writing.” She paused. “Oh, and a fifteen-minute break.”
“A break?” Eli sputtered, his face awash in crimson again. “You haven’t started work yet.”
“Oh, you’re right.” Amarie beamed. “I don’t need your permission.”
Beyond satisfied with her performance, Amarie didn’t wait for a response. She deposited a purring Adele into her boss’s hands and headed for the veranda to tell Vali the good news. She could practically hear Eli’s muscles harden to stone. His curse rang out, puncturing the air with spearing force. Greek warrior, indeed.