Page 3 of Rain Delay

My eyes took a lazy tour up his muscled back and broad shoulders. He turned again, giving me a nice view of his profile. Something about his chiseled jaw and straight nose looked familiar, but I couldn’t quite place him. I know I should do something other than stand in the doorway watching the man shower, but I’m frozen in place.

Finn sat next to me and nudged my hand with his nose. I patted his head but didn’t take my eyes off the man in front of me. He hung his head and rolled it from side to side as the water sprayed against his shoulders. I heard a low groan and took a step forward. He must have sensed my movement because next thing I knew, I was staring into silver-blue eyes.

“What the fuck?”

I took in a sharp breath and dropped the vase. Finn went into full attack mode and started barking. I grabbed his collar and held him back so he didn’t get cut on the shards littering the floor.

At that moment, I recognized the man in front of me. Christopher Russell, the son of my father’s girlfriend.

“Shit,” I said as I also realized that I was still standing there staring at him in all his naked glory. Keeping a death grip on Finn’s collar, I backed out of the bathroom and slammed the door behind me then ran out of the bedroom and down the stairs.

Chapter Two

Rusty

I turnedoff the water and stepped out of the shower. Grabbing a towel off the rack, I dried myself, tied it around my waist, and walked out of the bathroom, careful to navigate around the shards of glass littering the floor. Still a little shaken from thePsychomoment in the shower, I sat on the edge of the bed and dragged my fingers through my wet hair.

The only reason I took Sam up on his offer to come here is because he swore it was secluded and empty. It seems his missing-in-action daughter decided to take advantage of those things too.

Even through the fogged up glass of the shower stall, I recognized Ivy Sherman. Her mass of curly, honey-blonde hair is hard to miss.

I haven’t unpacked yet, so leaving wouldn’t take too much effort. But instead of storming out, I’ll get dressed, go downstairs, and have a polite conversation before figuring out my exit plan.

After pulling on boxer briefs, shorts, and a T-shirt, I opened my bedroom door and headed downstairs to face my little peeping Ivy. As I walked down the hallway, her slightly off-tune voice floated up the stairs as she sang a song I recognized from childhood. Or at least her rendition of it.

“There was a pup named Michael Finnegan, he had whiskers on his chin-ne-gan, the wind blew them off and blew them on again, poor old Michael Finnegan, begin again.”

Ivy sang the verse again as I walked down the stairs and stepped into the living room. The dog watched her adoringly as she tickled his chin while she sang between bites of pizza. Her back was to me as she sat cross-legged on the couch, but he noticed me immediately and stood, then growled, baring his teeth.

I stopped just behind the couch and Ivy looked at me over her shoulder. Squatting down, I rested my forearms on my thighs, letting my hands hang loose.

“Finn doesn’t really like men,” Ivy said as she shifted to grab his collar.

“Let him go. He’ll be okay.”

Her dark brown eyes met mine as she slowly settled back onto the couch. Finn looked from her to me, seeming to wonder why he was being left to his own devices. When Ivy didn’t reach for him again, he stood and tentatively made his way toward me. I didn’t move, but talked to him in a soft, soothing tone.

“Hey buddy. What are you doing? Huh? You having pizza?”

His tail wasn’t wagging, but didn’t look like he wanted to attack me either. I took that as a good sign.

“Who’s a good boy?”

Finn moved within sniffing distance and, seeming to like what he smelled, moved closer still. When his nose touched the back of my hand, I flipped it over to pet the side of his face. That did it. His tail started a slow wag and soon I found myself on my ass as he butted up against me to get closer.

Ivy ran over, but I stopped her from pulling Finn off just as he licked me from jaw to temple. Her eyes widened and I laughed and rubbed his sides as he snuggled against me.

Finn slowly slid down until half his body rested on my legs.

“We’re good here,” I told Ivy. “You can go finish your pizza.”

She blinked and opened her mouth to speak, then closed it and silently walked back to the couch. Her back to me, she picked up another slice and took a big bite. I continued to pet Finn and he rested his head against my thigh and closed his eyes.

We sat like that until my legs started to fall asleep.

“Hey buddy, let’s go get some pizza.” I slowly shifted my legs to the side, giving him a chance to sit. Once he did, I stood and pointed. “I think there are a few crusts waiting over there for you.”

He looked over his shoulder then ran the short distance toward Ivy. I went into the kitchen and pulled a Sam Adams out of the refrigerator.

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