Page 10 of No Bed Of Roses

Isla hadn’t had this much fun in a long time. Mud covered her clothes, and she was sure some of that mud had seeped down into places where mud should never venture.

When the dog was as clean as he was going to get without a proper bath, they moved into the sun. Levi brought the bucket and the other part of what had to be his own lunch.

The dog didn’t take his eyes off the food, and once they sat, he curled up at Levi’s feet. Levi didn’t make him wait. He broke a chunk off the sandwich and held it out. When it was gone, he alternated between water and the rest of the food.

When it was gone, the dog licked his hand, flopped down, and closed its eyes.

For a moment, she considered doing the same. This open field felt safe and homey. All because of the man who sat beside her. “Do you know if there’s a vet nearby? He might have one of those chips.”

Levi shrugged. “No clue. I’ve never been here before yesterday.”

That made her laugh. “Me too. I can call my friend Tansy and see if she knows.”

Another shrug of those massive shoulders. “I’ve got friends here, too. Two are also living up at the farmhouse. Another is the local deputy. Someone will know. He seems healthy enough, but it looks like he’s been on his own for a bit.”

The thought that he might have a family waiting for him should have made her happy, but it was disappointment running through her. For a woman who’d never had a pet and hadn’t actually spared any thought to getting one, she was awfully attached to this one she’d known for about thirty minutes. “What should we name him in the meantime?”

“Not Phail, that’s for sure.”

Isla laughed again. “I can’t believe that’s the real name of the town.”

Levi’s lips lifted. “My buddy is a Phail, which also sounds ridiculous. Troy Phail. And he refuses to change his name or the name of the town. I think he enjoys being ridiculous.”

Isla couldn’t even imagine. Her name had only embarrassed her because it connected her to her father and his planet-destroying business. Strangely, she figured she’d be less embarrassed about being a Phail.

Her thoughts were too close to the surface, and she was glad Levi was studying the dog and not her.

He reached forward to pat the animal. “Under all that mud, he’s a Labrador retriever. Probably a couple of years old.”

That made her smile again. “I’ve worked in a couple of labs over the past few years, and he’s definitely no lab rat.”

“I thought you were a glass farmer?” His smile belied his words.

Her face was going to hurt from smiling. Those muscles were definitely out of practice. “That’s just a hobby. And thank you for that, by the way. I came over here to thank you when this guy found me.”

Levi nodded with a small smile but didn’t reply to her thanks. Instead, he continued to study the dog. “What about Hopper?”

“Hopper?”

That small smile lifted again. “My buddies want to start up a brewery. They’re convincing me I should grow hops for it.”

“That sounds pretty cool. Have you ever grown hops before?”

That brought a full-on smile that nearly made her light-headed. Which was also ridiculous. She was a pragmatic scientist, not someone who believed in love at first sight and happily ever afters. Well, unless someone peeked in her e-reader.

“Don’t know a single thing about them. Including if they can grow in this climate. But my buddies believe it might be fun.”

“You don’t look completely convinced.”

He boomed out a laugh. “Very observant.”

She wondered what it would be like to have a group of friends at her back like that. To take on an entirely new job he wasn’t sure about because he was part of a team. Even the thought of it had tears wanting to swim into her eyes. After cancer had taken her mom, Isla had never felt that support from anyone. Certainly not her father or her cousin. She wanted Levi to have that support from all directions. “Hopper it is.”

Levi patted the dog’s head. “That’s your name for now, Hopper. Do you like it?”

Hopper lifted his head and woofed softly.

For a while, they sat and talked to the dog. Eventually, Isla shoved to her feet. “I’d better get back. I’ll call Tansy about a vet and see if I can get him in for an appointment.” Not that she had a schedule to work around, but she did have plans. Plans she should be implementing.

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