Chapter 2 #2
Chloe nodded while trying to think about how she’d left her house that morning.
Messy but clean. It would do, provided Ranger hadn’t left any surprises for her.
He had the run of the place during the day, and she left the dog door open for him to get in and out.
She’d even built a ramp to help him down into the yard from the deck since stairs were difficult for him these days. Whatever he needed was fine with her.
She got into her battered Toyota sedan and waited for Finn to follow her.
He drove a big dark-colored pickup truck that suited him.
She couldn’t picture a big guy like him in a small car like hers.
No, he needed a big truck, which led her to wonder what the hell she was thinking.
He needs a big truck? Who needs a truck?
I’ve taken leave of my senses since he came strolling into my salon.
That was the only possible explanation for the ridiculousness circulating through her mind as she led him to the house she rented on the island’s west side where he would be treated to her stupendous view of the sunset.
Sometimes Chloe couldn’t believe she paid only seven hundred dollars a month in rent, because the sunsets made her little house worth a million times that.
The saltbox house was more of a home to her than anywhere she’d ever lived, and she loved it.
In fact, she dreamed about someday saving enough money to buy it, but that was more of a pipe dream than anything.
Real estate on the island started in the hundreds of thousands, and she’d have to cut a lot of hair to be able to afford a fraction of that.
She pulled into her usual spot and heard barking from inside. Ranger welcomed her home every night—and every night, she exhaled with relief when she heard that bark. She feared coming home to silence one day.
Finn parked next to her and waited to help with her bags.
He followed her inside, where Ranger greeted her with his usual enthusiasm until he spotted Finn lurking behind her. Then he went into protector mode, barking and growling.
“Easy, boy. He’s a friend.” At least I think he is…
Finn squatted and held out his hand for Ranger to sniff. “Hey, Ranger. I’m Finn. It’s nice to meet you.”
Swoon.
Ranger cozied up to Finn, sniffing and kissing him. Lucky bastard.
Jealous of a dog. That was what it’d come to.
Amused by her thoughts, Chloe went into the kitchen and reached for the medication she took every night at this time to alleviate the pain in her joints after a long day at work.
Today had been a relatively good day. She’d learned to appreciate the good days and dread the days when the pain took over, drowning out everything else.
She subtly took the pills while he continued to chat with Ranger.
She’d kill for a glass of wine, but alcohol didn’t mix well with the powerful meds she took, so she avoided it. “What can I get you to drink?”
“I stopped to pick up beer before the grocery store. Hope that’s okay.”
“Sure. Whatever you want.”
From his perch on Ranger’s level, Finn looked up at her, brow crooked. “Is that right?”
“You must’ve gotten an A-plus in flirting when you were in school. You’re rather accomplished at it.”
“Am I?” He stood to his full, imposing six-foot-something height.
She rolled her eyes. “You know you are, because women have been falling at your feet from the minute your voice changed.”
“It was actually before that.”
Chloe laughed, and Ranger started barking, as if he thought Finn’s comment was funny, too.
For a long, charged moment, she and Finn stared at each other, and Chloe wondered if he felt as off-balance as she’d been since he walked into the salon.
She’d heard of these sorts of things happening to other people but had never experienced it herself.
And, to be honest, she’d always been skeptical about the idea of instant attraction.
In the course of one evening, he was changing her thinking on the subject.
Desperate to find her missing equilibrium, she got busy preparing Ranger’s dinner, cutting up enough chicken for him and a salad for two. As she worked, Finn leaned around her to grab a knife from the butcher block on the counter, his arm brushing against hers as he backed away.
She felt that subtle touch everywhere and then immediately dismissed it as a side effect of the dry spell.
What else could it be? She didn’t do foolish when it came to men.
Out of necessity, she’d been forced to be practical when other girls were frivolous.
That practicality had followed her into adulthood, and this was no time to start acting like a silly, simpering girl just because a ridiculously sexy man had paid her some attention.
He would move on to the next willing female as soon as he realized she was going to be far too much work.
It’d happened before, and she’d learned not to get invested.
She’d been on her own so long, she didn’t know it any other way.
Looking out for herself, first and foremost, was second nature because she hadn’t had anyone else to do it for her.
While her high school friends had been actively—and successfully—trying to land husbands, Chloe started a business and nurtured it into a modest success that allowed her to live in her favorite place year-round, far away from the madness of her childhood.
She avoided drama like the plague and kept to herself most of the time.
Sure, she had friends she enjoyed spending time with, but she was happiest at home with Ranger.
Chloe put his bowl down and watched him drag himself across the tile floor, her anxiety spiking. His struggles tugged at her heart and filled her with panic. What would she do without him? He was all the family she had left.