Page 29 of Keep You Safe
Chapter Fifteen
Grayson
“Who’s ready for chow?”Adler arrived at my trailer with his usual unbridled enthusiasm. In the week that the dogs had been on the ranch, his sunny smile for the dogs had yet to fade. And true to his word, he’d arrived before the morning meeting every day to let them out and feed them, and he’d returned at the end of the day to do the same. He’d even figured out the peanut butter trick to getting them to take their meds.
The dogs were delighted to see him as always, dancing around, eight paws clattering across the vinyl flooring in my kitchen to greet Adler at the front door. Jude had removed Rory’s bandage two days prior, so she was extra full of puppy energy. Adler was only too happy to stoop and give her kisses and pats. He was way more comfortable around the dogs now, taking to them as easily as he had the horses.
“Are you excited about your new pen?”
He was talking to the dogs, but I was the one who groaned. “I can’t believe you talked me into repairing Blue’s old pen for them.”
My dad had rigged a dog run behind the back door of the trailer for Blue in his later years, when he was no longer spry enough to tag along all the time and needed a safer option foroutside time. In the years since, the chicken wire fence had started to sag, but Adler had been on me all week to fix it up so the dogs could have leash-free time. I’d finally agreed to Saturday morning, seeing as how I tried to arrange things so the hands had less work over the weekends. As a result, I had some free time after morning chores.
“You said yourself that they’re not ready for free range on the ranch and that walking them was taking too much time away from my other work.” Adler adopted a reasonable tone as he strode to the kitchen. He set out chow for the dogs before gesturing at the back door and the large box that had appeared on Thursday at the base of the back steps. “And the doghouse Maverick ordered is here. Makes sense to use it, even if the dogs always sleep indoors with you.”
“So much sense.” I didn’t bother hiding my sarcasm. A large round dog bed now lived at the foot of my bed, another result of Maverick and Adler’s shopping spree. For his part, Maverick seemed to feel guilty that he couldn’t keep the dogs at the main house, and both he and Adler were only too happy to spoil the dogs. “Don’t think I missed the pile of toys that arrived in that order as well. I told you not to get your heart set on them staying.”
“I’m not.” Adler was lying. Thirty-pound bag of chow. Dog beds, plural. Multiple bags of training treats. More toys than most toddlers. Adler was absolutely counting on me keeping the dogs around. Accordingly, he kept right on in that logical tone of his. “But none of your inquiries have yielded a potential owner for them. And they’re settling in so nicely.”
I snorted. “I’m not sure puppy wake-up calls at two a.m. count as nicely.”
Rory, the puppy, was actually doing a damn fine job at being housebroken, following her mother out to do her business like a champ and avoiding accidents in my place.
“Want me to start coming over in the night to let them out?” Adler batted his eyes at me.
“Behave.” I gave him a harsh look, which he ignored.
“I’m just saying I could slip in the back door.” His innocent smile was a contrast to his flirtatious tone. “You wouldn’t even need to wake up.”
“As if I could sleep through you sneaking in,” I scoffed, well aware I was doing my part to keep the banter going. Luckily, Adler saved his flirting for when we were alone. I couldn’t fault his professionalism on the job. And if I kind of liked the attention, I’d never say.
“Well, there’s always the option of me helping you get back to sleep…” He trailed off with a wink.
“Not an option,” I said firmly. My brain, however, went right to images of how exactly he might do that. Lord, did I crave that mouth of his. I swallowed hard. “Letting them out isn’t that bad. It’ll be easier with the pen.”
“Exactly.” Adler grinned as I walked right into his trap. “Now, where do we get started with fixing their fence?”
I harrumphed my way out back with him. After taking them out to pee, we left the dogs inside so they wouldn’t wander while we worked.
“Gotta right these posts first.” I assessed the area and fetched mallets and other tools. Like his work in the barn, Adler threw himself into the task. We didn’t make a half-bad team. Adler was damn good at following orders when he wanted to. Also, he showed surprising strength at pounding in the slim posts. “You’re getting stronger.”
Adler preened. “Hard work tends to do that to a person, even if I’m genetically predisposed to a lack of muscle tone.”
I had to chuckle at that because he was indeed as skinny as ever. November was well and truly here, and the whistling windhad a near-painful chill that would only get worse as winter progressed.
“Wow. It’s cold.” Adler was now the proud owner of several pieces from the feed store, including a new thick jacket and decent gloves. He pulled the zipper on his coat up to his head, which was clad in a ridiculously gaudy knit cap that Hannah had gifted him.
“Yep. Snow’s on the way.” November snow was hardly uncommon around here, but Adler lit up like I’d mentioned Christmas.
“You think?” He bounced in place. His excitement continued as he went back to hammering in stakes, and predictably, his lack of focus led to a pained sound a few moments later. “Ow. Ow.”
“What did you do?” I asked, hurrying over as he shook his left hand in front of him. “Let me see.”
“It’s not that bad.” He dutifully peeled off his glove so I could take a look. “Whacked it by accident.”
“Hmm.” I examined his hand, taking off my own glove so I could assess the situation better. The skin-to-skin contact made a shiver race up my spine, but I forced my attention to stay on Adler’s hand. He’d managed to catch his index finger, and a purplish bruise was already blooming along the side. “Don’t think it’s broken, but you might as well get some ice on it.”
“I think it’s cold enough out here without an ice pack,” Adler complained even as he followed me back to the trailer, where the dogs were only too happy to see us. I fetched him an ice pack from the freezer as he greeted the dogs.
