Page 46 of Say Yes

“I’m sorry I hurt you, sweetheart. It was never my intention.”

“No? That’s strange. Did you honestly think I would appreciate having my fiancé in my bed with my neighbor’s girlfriend?”

Ted made a tsking sound. “It wasn’t exactly like that, Sara. I just got carried away. We both did. But we realize now what we might have thrown away by acting so—”

“We?” Sara felt her insides freeze, her lungs constrict. Ted took a step closer. Satan made an agile leap from the chair and sauntered slowly toward them.

“Karen and I.” Ted glanced at the cat, then back to Sara’s face. “I want to make it up to you, Sara. I want to come back to you.”

A bubble of laughter took her by surprise. “That’s absurd.” She flapped her hand, dismissing the mere suggestion of such a ridiculous thing, then asked, “Did you say Karen? She’s here?”

“Yes, of course.” This obviously wasn’t going the way Ted had intended. “Listen to me, Sara. We can make a go of things. I’m ready now.”

“I’m not.” She forcibly kept her tone one of polite inquiry. “Where, exactly, is Karen?”

He heaved an impatient breath. “She went up to the empty house that worker boyfriend of hers is at. She saw him go inside the garage just as we turned on the street. She’s hoping to patch things up with him.”

Sara felt every protective, possessive instinct she owned come slamming to the surface. Karen with Gavin? Beautiful, tall, sexy Karen. Good grief.

She started to move around Ted, her steps anxious. “Excuse me, I have to go.”

Ted turned, startled. “Go where?”

“After Gavin.”

“Who the hell is Gavin?”

“The man you’ll never be. Let yourself out, will you?”

“Now, wait a damn minute!”

With his raised tone, all the dogs howled in outrage. They leaned against the gate, snarling and yapping and doing their best to get through. Sara tried to ignore them all; her only thought was to get to Gavin and tell him her feelings before Karen had a chance to work on him. Not that she didn’t trust Gavin, but this was too important to leave to chance.

But then Ted stupidly grabbed her arm to halt her exit, and all hell broke loose.

Satan roared out the most ferocious, menacing, hair-raising growl Sara had ever heard from him, and the gate in the kitchen collapsed from the combined weights of four enraged dogs. Ted flew from the house, high-pitched screams of fright signaling his terror. The animals took off in furious pursuit, Satan leading the way.

Sara watched it all in mingled amazement and horror, then she remembered Gavin. And Karen. And her love.

She thundered after the group, every step echoing her resolve.

* * *

GAVIN DID HIS BEST to free himself from Karen’s grasping hold. The woman had no shame, especially given they were standing in the open garage. Twice now he’d told her it was over, that he’d meant it when he’d broken things off so long ago. Even without Sara in his life, he wouldn’t take Karen back. She wasn’t the type of woman he wanted or needed to be with.

He tried to be gentle, but Karen was deliberately obstinate about the whole thing. She refused to listen.

Gavin sighed in disgust as she once again threw herself against his chest and wrapped her arms around him. He propped his hands on his hips, allowing her, for the moment, to have her say. It wouldn’t matter. He wanted Sara, and he’d have her eventually on his terms, no matter how long he had to wait, or how many pets he had to put up with. Sooner or later the woman would realize she loved him.

He could feel Karen cuddling closer and once again he clamped his hands on her forearms and prepared to pry her loose. Then they heard the noise.

Karen looked up just as Gavin leaned around her.

Racing down the middle of the street, looking much like a bizarre circus parade, was Sara’s ex-fiancé Ted and every pet Gavin had recently acquired. They made a huge amount of noise—a mixture of human horror and animal determination. Gavin started to chuckle.

Good old Satan led the group, galloping at full speed, his heavy body stiff with anger, his bent tail sticking out like a broken lance. All the dogs followed, even the aged poodle. As Gavin watched, Ted made a leap for a skinny little tree and hoisted himself upward.

Satan followed.

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