Turn Up The Heat. Victoria Dahl

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СКАЧАТЬ know you own the hardware store. Do you sell whatever I’ll need?”

      He had what she needed, all right. “Actually, it’s a family business. Mom and Dad retired early, and Evan wasn’t interested in it, so I run it. In a couple more years, I’ll buy them out.”

      “That’s nice. You’re close with your family?”

      “Real close. You?”

      Avoiding his gaze, she moved aside Jesse’s plate. “Dad died in a car wreck when I was seventeen. Mom was disabled. But last year she passed away, too.”

      Wow. His heart clenched over such devastating losses. “Siblings?”

      She shook her head. “It was just Mom and me.” With a cheerless smile, she added, “And our menagerie.”

      So she’d inherited the animals? Drawn to her, needing the contact, he touched her slender fingers, hesitated, and when she didn’t pull away, he held her hand. “You said your mom was disabled?”

      “Except for doctor appointments, she preferred not to venture out much. It was too difficult for her, and she felt conspicuous.”

      “Did she need full-time care?” He couldn’t imagine that type of responsibility being dumped on someone so young.

      Merrily shook her head. “I kept meals ready for her, and we cleared the house enough that she could get around pretty well in her powered wheelchair. When I had to be away, for school and grocery shopping and stuff like that, I kept a cell phone on me for any emergency calls. She loved our animals, and they loved her. They kept her company when I couldn’t be with her.”

      Damn. “I’m sorry, Merrily.”

      “We managed okay. I mean, until she worsened.” Slowly she freed herself from his touch. “After she passed away, the animals had a hard time adjusting. I figured a change of scenery would be nice, so here I am. With the animals, who, like I said, are family to me.”

      “But you need that doggy door.”

      “Yes. They’re happier now, but they were used to her being there. Now they’re alone...” She blew out a breath. “I think they’ll enjoy it more if they can get outside and play a little or even just lay in the sun.”

      He considered her, wondering how much her mother’s health might have played into her broken engagement. Not many men would sign on for that type of responsibility. “Are you handy around the house?”

      She laughed. “Not really, no. But I can read directions.”

      Man, she had a nice laugh. Not too girly, not at all fake. Just...nice. “Do you have a good tool set?”

      “I have a hammer and a screwdriver.” She bit her bottom lip but ended up shaking her head. “Will I need a lot of other stuff?”

      Perfect opening. If it hadn’t been for the heartbreaking story she’d just shared, he’d have grinned in anticipation. But given her reasons for relocating, he managed to hold it together. “Tell you what. Why don’t I put in the doggy door for you?”

      He waited for objections, for excuses, or a flat-out no.

      She dropped back in her seat. “Seriously? You’d do that? I mean, I’ll pay you, of course, but I—”

      “Neighbor to neighbor,” he said, cutting her off. Given what he wanted from her, no way could he let money change hands. “I’m happy to help out.”

      Still surprised, she said, “But we’re not neighbors.”

      No, but he wanted her bad. “In this town, everyone is a neighbor.”

      “You’re sure?”

      “It’ll be my pleasure.” He’d find out where she lived, make himself useful and in the end...he’d have her under him, where they’d both have some fun.

      Even to him, that sounded like a Grade-A prick move.

      But she forestalled any opportunity for him to retrench when she said with heartfelt gratitude, “Thank you. I appreciate it more than I can say.”

      CHAPTER TWO

      MERRILY LOOKED AROUND the duplex again, saw everything was in order and tried not to listen for Brick’s knock at her front door. The laundry would have to wait for another day. She’d tidied the space as much as she could with five pets underfoot. Like toddlers, they had toys everywhere. And though she’d just vacuumed, fur was a never-ending issue.

      Dundee, an Australian shepherd and border collie mix, knew something was happening. He watched her with ears perked up, expression alert. “It’s okay, Dundee. Just be on your best behavior, please.” Because Dundee was always a happy fellow, eager to please, that wasn’t asking too much of him.

      Dolly, a smaller bearded collie mix, didn’t really care enough about any visitor to skip her nap. Merrily could hear her low snores and, as always, it made her smile.

      The cats kept vigil in different windows, with Union Tom and Stan the Man sticking together against Eloise, who tended to run the show. Ellie was a lovely lady, but as the only female cat, she ruled the dogs and the male cats with little more than a look.

      Merrily ran a hand over her loose hair and again wondered if she should contain it in a ponytail. For the longest time, her regimen had included washing, dressing and restraining her hair. She almost felt pretentious for letting it hang loose.

      As for her lip gloss, she’d already chewed that off, so it had been a complete waste of time. At least her jeans and yellow T-shirt weren’t much different from what she wore at work.

      Chaos erupted with Brick’s first tap on her door. The cats shot off the windows, Dundee started dancing and Dolly awoke with such a barking start she almost fell off the couch. Merrily could barely hear herself as she urged them all to hush, to heel, to try not to appear quite so much like wild animals.

      She opened the door and found Brick standing there with a smile.

      “I hear them,” he said with amusement. He leaned around her to peek in, and the smile widened to devastating impact.

      Oh, God, Merrily thought. If he was an animal lover on top of being so gorgeous and funny and...attentive to her, she’d be a goner in no time.

      “Come on in.”

      He got one foot in the door and Dundee was on him, his paws on Brick’s chest as he tried to lick his face, pelting him with doggy breath.

      Brick laughed outright. He set aside a large toolbox that looked like it weighed a ton and went to one knee.

      Big mistake.

      Dundee all but took him to the floor. But Brick was stronger than her so he didn’t end up on his tight muscled butt. Instead he seemed to enjoy Dundee’s attention.

      With high-pitched maniacal barking, Dolly vied for her own share of notice.

      Sitting on the floor, Brick laughed some more and struggled to СКАЧАТЬ