10. Chapter Ten
Chapter Ten
What is that annoying sound?
Simon groaned as he was drawn from the most enchanting dream. He blindly fumbled around on his nightstand for his phone. When he finally found it, silence descended back over the bedroom.
He rolled over and let sleep claim him once more. Jenna’s image reappeared—only every time he approached her, she would slip away.
Something struck his cheek, jarring him awake. His eyes sprang open. His gaze darted around, and then he realized it was Gus’s paw that had awakened him. The next thing he knew, a cold, wet nose pressed to his cheek.
“Not yet, Gus.” Simon rolled away from the dog.
His breathing slowed, and he drifted back to sleep. Jenna walked into his dreams.
Thump!
Simon was jostled awake. His eyes opened to find Gus now lying on the bed next to him. Dog breath greeted him. Gus stared directly at him, as though Simon was supposed to read his mind. If he had to guess, he’d say that Gus wanted his breakfast. The dog loved to eat.
Simon was distracted by a gust of wind beating against the house. He should have gotten up early to prepare for the storm. He should have asked Jenna what that entailed.
Gus whined, reminding him he needed to be taken care of. Usually, Gus wasn’t quite so demanding. Simon couldn’t help but wonder if the incoming storm had Gus worked up.
With a sigh, Simon got out of bed. “Just let me grab a quick shower, and then we’ll get you fed.”
Gus continued to stare at him. The disapproval was obvious as Simon rushed through the shower.
A half hour and one mugful of coffee later, Simon headed next door. As he approached Jenna’s door, he noticed that almost everything was gone from her side of the porch. She’d been up early. He felt bad that he hadn’t been around to help her.
He knocked on her door. He hoped she was home. A few seconds later, Jenna opened the door.
She smiled. “Good morning.”
“Morning. It looks like you got an early start.”
She nodded. “I had to. I have work today.”
“Oh. That’s right.” Before he could say more, Gus came running out of his place. When he saw Jenna, he headed directly for her. It looked like they’d already made friends.
She petted Gus’s head, and then he entered her living room just like he owned the place.
“I’m sorry about him,” Simon said. “Gus, come here.”
The dog acted as though he hadn’t heard a word that Simon had said. The dog definitely had a case of selective hearing.
“It’s okay.” Jenna lingered in the doorway. “He’s adorable, just like his owner.”
“Hey. Wait. Did you just compare me to a dog?”
She let out a little laugh. “Not just any dog. We’re talking about Gus.”
“Still, he’s a dog.”
As though Gus understood they were talking about him, the dog moved to sit next to Jenna. The little traitor.
She once more petted the dog’s head. “He’s adorable, sweet, and loyal.”
Simon frowned. “So now I’m adorable, sweet, and loyal.”
She pursed her lips as amusement danced in her eyes. She was having way too much fun. “Now that you mention it—”
“Do not finish the statement.” He was certain he didn’t want to hear what she was going to say.
“Lighten up.”
“Easy for you to say. You’re off to work, and I’m left here trying to figure out what I’m supposed to do to prepare for the incoming storm.”
“Don’t stress. It’s not going to be a hurricane. If it was, we’d probably be evacuating. We don’t mess with those things.”
That was good to hear. “So, what do I need to do?”
“Uh, move everything off the porch and deck that will blow around.”
“And put it where?”
“In your house.” She backed up and gestured to how she’d neatly fit her porch furniture in the living room.
“It’s not ideal, but it’ll do. I didn’t have time to do anything with the back deck.
I’m not moving the grill. It’s plenty heavy.
It’s not going anywhere, but the rest of it I’ll deal with when I get home. ”
“Other than the deck stuff, is there anything else that needs to be done?”
She stopped as though to give the question some thought. “I don’t think so. I’ll be home a little after three. And then we can head over to my mother’s.”
“Oh. I didn’t think we’d be going over so early.”
She nodded. “With the storm on the way, we’ll all pitch in to secure the property. But don’t worry. You don’t have to do anything.”
There wasn’t a chance he was just going to stand around and watch her work.
She turned and rushed back to the kitchen island. She grabbed her purse and apron.
Simon stood in the doorway. “Gus, let’s go.”
The dog turned his back to him, as though he hadn’t heard a word Simon had said. They both knew that wasn’t the case.
Jenna approached Simon. She stopped and glanced over at Gus, who was eyeing up the couch, as though he were going to climb up there and take a nap.
Jenna turned back to him with a big grin on her face. “Looks like he isn’t ready to leave yet.”
“I’m sorry. He isn’t usually this contrary.”
“No problem. I can’t wait around. Can you just close up on your way out?”
He nodded. After she was headed down the stairs, he turned back to Gus, who had now jumped up onto the couch.
Simon took long quick strides in his direction. He wrapped his fingers around Gus’s collar before he could lay down. “Let’s go.”
Gus hesitated for a second, just long enough for Simon to imagine having to carry this big dog home. If he did, Gus was going to be grounded the rest of the day. He knew that his four-footed friend would hate being housebound all day. Gus liked to spend a lot of the day outdoors.
“Okay,” Simon said, “I guess we’re doing this the hard way.”
Just as Simon bent down to pick up Gus, the dog jumped off the couch. “That was a good choice.”
Simon kept a firm grasp on Gus’s collar as he led him to the door. Making sure to turn off the light, he paused at the door to lock it but then decided not to lock it just yet. He closed the door, and with his fingers still clutching Gus’s collar, they walked home.
“I can’t believe you had to embarrass me in front of Jenna. I know you like her, but, dude, you have to listen to me. Otherwise, she might not want either one of us around.”
Gus whined.
“You should be ashamed. You can’t go making yourself at home in someone’s house without an invite.” Simon sighed. He knew it was a waste of time. The next time Gus was given a chance, he’d run into her house. Gus knew what he liked, and he liked Jenna. Simon just hoped the feelings were mutual.
The bread shelf was empty.
The milk case was empty.
All day there had been non-stop customers at the Island Market. Jenna’s feet hurt by the end of her shift. But she stayed late to help out.
It was that way every time a big storm was forecasted. She didn’t think there would be much left in the store by the time they closed that night. It was good business, but it was going to take a lot to restock the shelves.
She was certain Neil had already anticipated the uptick in business, and he’d ordered extra supplies that would arrive bright and early Monday morning.
It would also mean everyone showing up early to help with restocking so the aisles would be clear of boxes for when the doors opened, and the customers arrived.
She was more than an hour late when she got home. She yawned as she made her way up the stairs.
When she reached the porch, she was greeted by Gus. His tail was rapidly swishing back and forth. It brought a smile to her face. It was nice to have someone greet her. She’d never considered getting a dog before, but she was starting to warm to the idea, especially if they were as sweet as Gus.
“Hello, boy.” She leaned down, and with both hands, she fussed over him.
Gus sat down and ate up all of the love that she was serving up. In that moment, she was totally jealous of Simon.
“Does he know how lucky he is to have you?” she murmured as she stared into Gus’s big brown eyes.
Someone cleared their throat.
Jenna tilted her chin upward until her gaze met Simon’s blue eyes. “Oh, hi.”
“Hi. And I don’t know if I’m the lucky one. I think maybe he’s the lucky one.”
She arched a brow. Her gaze moved between man and dog. “Maybe you’re both lucky to have found each other.”
Simon pressed his lips together in a firm line as his brows scrunched together.
“Seriously?” She straightened. “You’re going to disagree with me?”
His brows smoothed. “No. I was just thinking that you should have someone, um... a dog to come home to.”
“I do.” Her gaze turned to Gus. “You don’t mind greeting me, do you, boy?”
“I take it you had a rough day at work.”
“Do I look that bad?”
He shook his head. “No. Not at all. You always look beautiful.”
Beautiful? Her heart soared. And suddenly, she didn’t notice the ache in her feet or the soreness in her lower back. She felt as though she got a second wind.
A bit flustered, she said, “I need to change my clothes and then, if you’re still willing, we can head over to my mother’s.”
“Sure. No problem. Just knock on my door when you’re ready to go.”
She nodded and headed inside. All she could think was that he’d called her beautiful. It wasn’t the first time a man had said she was beautiful, but when Simon said those words, it felt different. He was different—in a good way.