The Promise of Home. Kathryn Springer

Чтение книги онлайн.

      Chapter Two

      Jenna stiffened.

       Was he laughing at her?

       When she’d seen the animal hurtling across the patch of lawn like a furry twister, Jenna automatically slammed the car door to protect the children inside.

       Which left her on the outside.

       Faced with a decision—one hastened by the knowledge that the size and weight of something didn’t necessarily reduce its capacity for speed—Jenna had vaulted onto the hood, sacrificing a shoe in the process.

       So maybe she’d reacted—okay, shrieked. Once. Or had it been twice? But not very loudly. And only because the beast had pounced on one of her favorite Kate Spades as if it were a juicy T-bone steak.

       Jenna had been trying to figure out a way to get back inside the car when he showed up.

       Her heart had almost stopped at the sight of the man in camouflage emerging from the woods that bordered the property.

       Jenna sneaked another look at Dev McGuire and what she saw didn’t exactly put her mind at ease.

       The man looked as unkempt as the wolf-dog-public nuisance now sitting sedately at his feet.

       A swatch of sable hair, carelessly combed by the warm breeze skipping off the lake, had fallen across his broad forehead. Underneath a heavy growth of stubble, the features were lean and defined, a pleasing clash of sharp angles and rugged planes. Tiny lines fanned out from eyes that should have been hazel or chocolate brown, not a pale amber that reminded Jenna of clover honey.

       “I can replace the shoes if necessary.” Dev McGuire broke the silence that had fallen between them and shot the dog a wry look. “It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve had to make…ah, restitution for damages.”

       Jenna didn’t doubt that for a minute.

       “That’s not necessary.” She replaced her shoe and slid off the opposite side of the car.

       Dev looked amused, as if he’d guessed that she wanted to keep her distance. Between him and his dog.

       “If you ever do see a wolf, Just Jenna, I would recommend taking shelter inside the car.”

       “I’ll keep that in mind,” Jenna said stiffly. “I appreciate you coming over to get your dog, but don’t let me keep you any longer—”

       “Can we get out now?” A small voice piped up from inside the car.

       Jenna had been waiting for Tori to talk to her all morning but these weren’t exactly the words she’d wanted to hear.

       She winced when her neighbor’s focus shifted to the backseat, where two small faces were framed in the window, noses pressed against the glass.

       Jenna hadn’t forgotten about her niece and nephew, she just didn’t want to draw attention to the fact they were there.

       She pinned on a smile. “In a minute, sweetheart.”

       “When the wolf is gone?”

       “It’s not a wolf. It’s just a…dog.” A very large, ferocious-looking dog. Named after a small, delicate flower.

       “Oh.” A pause. “Can I pet it?”

       Now that Dev McGuire had cleared up the mystery concerning what type of animal had scared her nearly to death, Jenna should have anticipated the request. One of the reasons Tori hadn’t wanted to leave the bed-and-breakfast was because she’d gotten so attached to Mulligan and Lady, Abby and Quinn’s dogs.

       The O’Hallorans had encouraged Jenna to bring the children back anytime to play with their pets, but the generous offer hadn’t stemmed the flow of Tori’s tears. To her niece, the dogs represented something else she’d been forced to leave behind.

       “I don’t think that’s—” A good idea. Safe.

       While Jenna silently sifted through her options until she found the most tactful response, Dev McGuire reached out and opened the car door.

      * * *

       The two kids that tumbled out of the backseat were miniature replicas of the woman who held Dev responsible for her recent wardrobe malfunction.

       “Hi.” Dev squatted down in front of the boy. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jenna advancing like a mama bear protecting her cubs. “I’m Dev. And you are—”

       “Logan J. Gardner,” came the serious response.

       Dev held back a smile. “It’s nice to meet you, Logan J. Gardner.”

       “And this is Tori.” Logan gestured to the blonde pixie hiding behind him.

       When Dev turned his attention to the little girl, she dipped her chin and studied the toes of her scuffed sneakers.

       “It’s nice to meet you, too, Tori.”

       She peeked at him through a fringe of golden lashes. “Your dog is pretty.”

       Violet tossed her head and preened as if she’d understood, even though Dev was certain no one had ever used that particular word to describe her before.

       “Do you like dogs?” he asked.

       Tori nodded shyly.

       “Well, she likes kids.”

       “For breakfast?” Dev heard Jenna say under her breath.

       She stopped several feet away, hovering in the background like a Black Hawk helicopter, ready to swoop in and rescue her children at the first sign of danger.

       Dev wondered what had happened to make her so suspicious.

       Or maybe it was him she didn’t trust. The last two weeks, Dev had spent more time in the woods than polite society. Not that he was complaining—most of the time he preferred it that way.

       СКАЧАТЬ