Page 4 of No Good Deed

She shook her head. “No. I had the GPS set to your store and it brought me right here. I’m glad it did. You knew exactly what to do.”

He laughed. The man had a really good laugh. “I gave him a little food and water. Do you want to meet the vet and get him checked over?”

“That would be perfect. I’ll worry that I should have done more until I know he’s okay. I bet she can find his family.” Her heart ached. She’d love to keep this cutie, but not only did she know nothing about dogs, she was jobless and homeless.

Troy nodded. “Do you want to stop at the B&B first? Or we can take my car, and I’ll bring you back here afterward. That way, you can see some of the town on the way.”

Now that the emergency appeared to be over and Oreo appeared to be mostly okay, Piper felt herself settling, but she wasn’t quite ready to drive into unknown territory yet. “If you could drive, that would be great. You know the area and I’m still a little shaky about Oreo.”

Troy smiled softly. “No problem. Let me grab my keys and a jacket. Do you have one in your car or would you like me to grab one?”

Could she possibly look less competent? In her hurry to get the dog inside, she hadn’t thought about her jacket. I’ve got one in the car. I’ll just grab it and we can go.”

Troy disappeared into a hallway and returned within seconds, wearing a padded flannel jacket. When he reached the front counter, he leaned down to gently scoop up the dog, keeping him wrapped in the sweatshirt.

When Oreo stirred, he cuddled him close to his chest and whispered. “It’s okay, little guy. We’re going to go see Kimi. You’ll like her, and she’ll make sure you’re okay.”

Troy shifted him easily to one arm and used the other to set a sign in the door announcing he’d be back soon and locked up.

Her car was right outside the building, so Piper put on her coat, then grabbed her purse.

Troy smiled. “That’s better. Phail hospitality frowns on letting guests freeze to death on their first day in town.”

Even while she laughed, Piper wondered if women were still allowed to swoon because Troy Phail was definitely swoon-worthy.

* * *

Troy thought about his passenger as he headed out to the veterinarian’s property. The woman had rushed through the snow without a jacket and then stripped off her hoodie to wrap it around a dog she’d found in the road. The worry for the animal proved a lot about her character. Added to the bits he’d found online before he’d hired her to come to visit for a few weeks, and she was very appealing.

Her Master’s degree proved she was smart. Her resume had shown she was interested in supporting sustainable communities and the projects she’d worked on were innovative.

He needed his body to listen to his brain. Piper Keenan was here to help build his town, and that was where his focus needed to be.

Knowing his guest was worried about the dog, Troy drove directly to Kimi’s and didn’t point out any local sights. Kimi Twinishe owned a small cottage a few minutes beyond the outskirts of town. Behind the cottage, she had several fenced paddocks and a barn. Because Phail was in the countryside, there were lots of farms in the area. Kimi tended to all animals, not just family pets.

When Troy parked, Piper looked up and smiled. “It’s so pretty.”

The snow continued to fall, blanketing the property, trees and fences alike. Troy walked around the car to Piper’s side as she held the pup and admired the scene in front of her. Her wide eyes looked up at him when he opened the door for her.

“Oh. Thank you. Sorry, I got caught up looking at the scenery.”

“No problem.” And because she had her hands full, he offered her his hand to help her up. Another zip ran up his arm. The woman radiated chemistry, but he didn’t think she had a clue.

The sign on Kimi’s door told them to head to the barn, so Troy led the way along the path. “Stay on the path so your sneakers don’t get soaked.”

She laughed. “They’re still wet from my first adventure with Oreo. I didn’t think I’d need boots this early. I’ll set these out in my room to dry once I get to the B&B.”

He watched her gaze as they moved through the path.

“There’s a horse. Two horses. And a cow. Is that a donkey?”

Troy chuckled but kept moving. “It is. That’s Snoops. Don’t get too close unless you want an imprint of donkey teeth on your arm.”

She clutched the dog tightly to her chest and stayed close to Troy on the path. “It’s okay, Oreo. We’ll keep you safe from the hungry donkey. He’d probably love you too, but we’re not taking any chances.”

Laughing, Troy opened the small door on the side of the barn and ushered her into the warmth. The space always made him smile. The soft scents of animals and hay were comfortable and pleasant.

Piper let out a delighted gasp. “It’s like a movie set. I’ve never been inside a barn before. I thought it would be dark and smelly, but it’s wonderful.”

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