Chapter 3
Emma
The man I've been daydreaming about is here and seems to need help. My fantasies of him are recent in my mind, so I feel a little off about having him here tonight.
"I'm only helping you tonight because of the little one. The shop is normally closed at this hour."
"Yeah, thanks. I found him shivering and tied to a bush, and I couldn't leave him like that. When I got him into the car, I realized how neglected he has been."
It breaks my heart to hear how someone can treat their pets like that. They should become part of your family once you take them in. It's a reality we have to face, though.
"Come through here and put him on the table. Is it a he?"
"Yes, I checked."
The dog or rather puppy, can't be older than eight or nine months. I take the towel off and examine him thoroughly.
"He doesn't seem to be hurt other than malnourished and heavily matted."
"Okay, what can you do for him? Can you dry him up with your equipment?"
"Let's do something better. I want to see how much matting I can cut to make him more comfortable."
I eye him carefully. He looks distraught about the animal he's brought in, and that hits me deep in the feels.
"Can you stay with us and help me keep him calm?"
"Of course. I wouldn't leave you alone with him."
"You might have to render him to a shelter while you find out who the owner is and get them fined."
"I was planning on keeping him."
"I can see that."
"You know I can dry him up back home. I don't want to bother you with this."
His panic is real, but a little funny to me. He's already attached to this dog. I look down at the client at hand and see what he could be underneath all the matting.
"He'll be more comfortable if we get some of these mats taken care of. "
"Oh, okay. Yeah, let's do that."
I set up the puppy in my station and have Tristan hold him. He whispers into the dog's ears and tries to get him to stop shaking. It's a beautiful sight, and I hope he gets to foster the dog while they find a home for him.
"Okay. I'm going to go for the areas that are more matted first. If he gets too uncomfortable, I can change to another area. This will take a while. Are you okay with that?"
"Yes, I don't want to leave him."
I brace myself for the work that is to come and remind myself that I do this because I love animals. This little one is in need, and I can make a difference in his life. I work in silence mainly because I'm a little shy around handsome men.
"How did you know you wanted to be a groomer?"
I'm startled by his sudden words after we've been silent so long. It's an easy enough question to answer so I do.
"Me and my sisters always knew we would work in pet-related activities. Our father was a veterinarian, and we grew up around dogs, cats, birds, ferrets, you name it."
"Is it hard?"
"It can be challenging. Especially when clients bring dogs like this as if it's nothing bad.
I have to choose between giving them a lecture or getting the animal some help.
In the end, I just push them into making an appointment for a few weeks later to make sure the dog is happy and healthy.
Sometimes they come back, sometimes they wait until everything is about to explode, like this little guy. "
"Can't you report them?"
"Sometimes things get worse for the pets."
"What about aggressive pets?"
"We get all kinds here. It takes patience and perseverance. They learn and sometimes go home with a belly full of treats that they get when they are good."
"Hmm."
"What about you? Is this the first time you've found a pet like this, or does it happen more often?"
"It's not common in a town as small as Storyville. The community watches out for things like that. We're lucky that way."
"You should apply to foster this little one. If you'd like."
"I need to look into that. For now, I'll just take him home with me."
"I don't know if you're going to be able to do that."
"What do you mean?"
"Go to the other room and check out the storm through the window."
He lets go of his hold on the puppy and gets up to go to the other room. I hear a curse coming from there and smile to myself. Then I realize. Oh no, I'll have to invite him upstairs. What will he think of me?
"Doesn't look like I'm going anywhere."
I run the blade through the puppy to even him out and finish all the little details with scissors. He looks so thin it breaks my heart.
"You guys can stay with me."
"I don't think we're going anywhere until the snow stops."
"I live upstairs in a one-bedroom apartment. You don't even have to leave this building to get there."
"Oh, are you sure? I mean we could snuggle up in one of the chairs out in the waiting area."
"Don't be silly. Let me just get a dog bed for this little one and we can go up. What are you going to call him, anyway?"
"I'm not sure. He looks like a Buddy to me."
"Wait for me here."
My tone is sharp, and I cringe because I always seem harsher than how I really am. It's like a defense mechanism that takes over me whenever I feel backed into a corner. Having my hot crush go to sleep in my apartment with me is definitely doing strange things to me.
I come back with the dog bed and a little warm coat for the puppy. I put it on him and melt once more at the lost look he has in his eyes.
"Let's go."
Tristan follows me with the dog, and we take the back staircase upstairs to where my apartment is. There was a fight for that apartment between all four of us sisters, but I won simply because I'm the last one out of the shop every single day.
I open the door and let them in. There's a chill in the air, and I close the door behind me. I switch the lights on and see that Tristan has already put the puppy on the bed on the floor.
"I'll get the fireplace going."
"I can do that."
I let him start the fire while I take my sneakers off and go to the bathroom to take a hot shower. I know I'm being a bad host and should have offered to make him coffee or hot chocolate or something, but I'm exhausted. I had already had a hard day before he showed up on my doorstep.
My bedclothes tonight are some leggings and a large t-shirt that belonged to my dad. I make sure to put on some warm socks and then go out to see how my guests are faring. Buddy is fast asleep in his new bed, and Tristan is in the kitchen making something.
"I hope it's okay. I'm making some hot chocolate for us. It might help us sleep."
I look at the clock on the wall, and it says two in the morning. That leaves me a couple of hours before I have to open the shop. If I can open the shop with so much snow out there.
"Can I call you Tristan?"
"You know my name?"
"Someone mentioned it, I think."
No, I've been stalking you from afar for months now. I can't say those words out loud, so I sit down on the couch in front of the fire.
"You're Emma, right?"
"Yes."
I don't know why, but I blush at the fact that he knows my name. I feel like a teenager with a crush. I just hope I don't make a fool of myself in front of him. He finishes what he's doing and brings two mugs on a tray up to the coffee table that's in front of me.
The fact that he made himself at home in my kitchen feels almost intimate, and I find I like it. I see he's taken his jacket off and shirt and is wearing a white t-shirt. Even clothed, he looks too good to be true. Like a god that's come down from the heavens.
I take a sip from the hot cocoa and a moan slips my lips.
"This is really good. Thank you, Tristan."
He's sitting next to me on the sofa and sipping from his own cup. He's looking at me like I'm some enigma he wants to solve. I have to break the silence, so I ask the only thing I can think of.
"Why did you become a police officer?"
"After I left the military it seemed the thing to do."
"Is it very dangerous?"
"Not so much in a small town like this. It's less about crime and more about community. Not to say we haven't had any drunk and disorderly folk, but that's not the biggest problem."
"What do you think the biggest problem is?"
"The elderly. We need a way to keep tabs on them. They are frail and can't do many of the things that need to be done when you live in a small town with weather as harsh as the one we have."
"You like your job."
"Of course I do. So do you."
"Tell me the weirdest thing you have seen so far in your time here."
"I was called to pick up a pregnant lady to take her to the Storyville Hospital, and she started labor in the back seat of my patrol car. There was screaming, from both of us, and then Dr. Hall had to guide me through the delivery on the phone."
I think about Luna's crush, Dr. Marcus Hall, and can see him taking control of the situation from his end.
"What happened when the baby finally arrived?"
"The lady swore she was going to name him after me until I told her my name was Tristan. She told me she didn't want her son to live a life of tragedy."
I don't recall the story of Tristan and Isolde really well, so I can't speak to that, but I'm not sure if he's serious or joking about it.
"Do you want to be sheriff someday?"
"That's a lot of responsibility. Right now I have time to volunteer and do things for the community. If I were to be elected as sheriff, I wouldn't have enough time to dedicate to helping the town. So for now, I'm good."
I don't know what makes me start digging into his personal life, but I can't help myself.
"Doesn't seem like you have time for a social life."
His eyes glint as if I've hit on a topic that interests him.
"I would make time if I found someone special to spend time with."
"Someone special, huh?"
"Do you have someone special in your life, Emma?"
My cheeks are flooded with blood as I hear him say my name. I'm glad the only light source is the fireplace so maybe he won't be able to see me blushing.
"Being a business owner is a full-time job. When I'm not working, I'm dealing with administrative tasks or talking one of my sisters off a ledge they've gone onto."
"There's four of you, right? Who is the oldest?"
"I am. It's me, then Laura, then Felicia, and finally Luna, the miracle baby."
"Miracle baby?"
"My mother thought she was in menopause already and couldn't get pregnant. Surprise, surprise, Luna came and stole our hearts. She's a bit of a free spirit, but we love her to pieces."
"So you are close with them?"
"Yes. Sometimes I think too close for comfort."
"God, you're beautiful."
His words were barely a whisper, but I could definitely make out that he said I'm beautiful.
"I'm so sorry, Emma. That' was inappropriate."
"I don't know. I'd like to hear more about that."
There's that glint back in his eyes that makes him look so dashing. Being with him here like this is giving me ideas. Is it wrong for me to want this man the way I do? I mean, I barely know him.
"You amaze me with the work you do here in your shop. I…I can confess I've seen you from afar and I've liked what I've seen. You're so dedicated to your business, and from what you tell me, you have strong family values. That's attractive to a man like me."
"I think there's a compliment for me in there somewhere. So you're blown away by my business acumen and caring personality?"
"I didn't mean for it to sound so matter of fact. I also think you're hot. Is that what you were fishing for?"
My blush deepens at his words. God, I was definitely fishing for a compliment. I hide my face with the cup of hot cocoa, taking slow sips and looking at the fire instead of him.
"I've made a mess of things, haven't I, Emma?"
"I think you're hot too." I blurt out.
I continue to hide behind the cup of cocoa and avoid his eyes. The only sound we can hear is the crackling of the fire, and I'm suddenly very glad I was working late tonight. I would never have had such an intimate conversation with this man if that wasn't the case.
When I feel his warm hand brushing my hair off my face, my eyes go right to his. There's an intensity in them that makes me shiver.
"I'm so glad you said that, baby."