Page 30 of Love, Always and Forever
Chapter 10
Mikhail had wondered if things might be a bit awkward between him and Amy after the other night, but obviously he’d worried for no reason. Of course, right now she was so excited about their current mission that a little thing like the two of them almost having sex on his front porch paled in comparison. Lucky her. The memory of the perfect fit of her body against his, the scent of her skin, the taste of her kiss—all of those things and more had played over and over again in his head like one of Joe’s old records when the needle got stuck.
When she slid into the front seat next to him, she asked, “Are you sure you don’t mind going with me? I feel like I’ve commandeered a lot of your time lately.”
He backed out of the driveway. “If I didn’t want to go, I’d say so. Besides, I want to meet the new guy in your life.”
“It’s kind of scary.” Amy turned a worried look in his direction. “I’ve never owned a dog before. What if he doesn’t like me?”
If she hadn’t looked so scared, he might have laughed. He reached across the console to take her hand in his. “Your puppy will love you, Amy. Five minutes in your company and he’ll know he’s the luckiest little guy in the world.”
He knew that for a fact, because that’s the effect Amy had on him, too. In a lot of ways, she came across as incredibly…what? Naïve wasn’t the right word. Innocent came closer. Her simple joy in a motorcycle ride or in eating those enormous banana splits on his front porch was contagious. He’d been in a bad place when she’d come creeping across his yard armed with equal measures of ice cream and feminine temptation.
By the time he’d walked her back home, the tangled knot of darkness in his head had disappeared, which had allowed him to sleep through the night in peace. Well, except for some pretty hot dreams that involved the two of them someplace a helluva lot more private than his front porch. Not for the first time he reminded himself that if they ever did cross that line, he’d have to use great care with her. Amy’s enthusiasm didn’t disguise her inexperience.
Right now she was singing along with the song on the radio, patting out the time on her thigh. When she realized he was looking at her, she smiled and launched right into the next song. She was obviously in a good mood and excited about bringing her new roommate home today. But there was always something lurking in the back of her eyes that said she’d seen more than her own share of darkness. Yet rather than letting herself get mired in the shadows, she was determined to enjoy the light while it lasted.
He had no idea why he knew that was true, but he did. Her life hadn’t always been peaches and cream. Maybe that’s why he was more comfortable in her company than anyone else’s.
Time to change the subject.
“So have you thought about a name yet?”
She nodded. “I’ve been making lists, but I decided to let the little guy tell me what he wants to be called.”
He couldn’t resist yanking her chain a little. “I hate to break it to you that dogs can’t really talk.”
Amy rolled her eyes. “Well, obviously, but that doesn’t mean they can’t communicate. I thought I’d try out my favorites on the list and see which one he responds to. Or maybe he’ll have some marking or feature that will inspire the perfect name.”
“Like Splotch?”
His efforts to help were clearly such a disappointment to her. “You’ll see. He and I will come up with the perfect name.”
“Flop Ear? Short Tail?”
Brat that she was, Amy grabbed a lock of his hair and gave it a sharp tug. “Cut it out, Mikhail. This is my dog we’re talking about.”
“Okay, we’ll wait to see what the little guy has to say for himself.”
They fell into a companionable silence. It was a nice day for a drive, and the three hours it took to reach the other side of the mountains sped by quickly. Finally, he veered off at the next exit. The breeder’s home was only a short distance from the highway, so ten minutes later they pulled to a stop in front of a well-kept house and yard.
When Amy drifted to a stop just a few feet from his SUV, he asked, “Are you ready for this?”
“I hope so. It’s kind of scary taking on responsibility for another living being.”
“You’ll do fine, and he’ll love you.” He took her hand in his. “Come on. Let’s go meet Drooler.”
Instead of being offended, she laughed. “Okay, as bad as that is, I kind of like it.”
Mikhail sighed and shook his head. “Poor dog doesn’t know what he’s in for.”
A woman had stepped out on the front porch. “You must be Amy. I’m Lydia Allen.”
Amy gave Mikhail one last worried look before turning her attention to the breeder. “It’s nice to meet you in person after all our emails and phone calls. This is my friend Mikhail Wanjek.”
After the three of them exchanged handshakes, Lydia led them around to the kennels on the back side of her house. “As I told you on the phone, we had two litters pretty close together, so I have six left for you to choose from. There are four males and two females.”
This time it was Amy who latched onto his hand and held on with a death grip. He gave her fingers a quick squeeze to reassure her. Lydia stopped. “I always think it’s a good idea for prospective owners to meet the puppies’ parents. That will give some idea of the size they’ll likely get to be as well as temperament.”
