Page 64 of Justified Fear
She gave him side-eye, then returned her attention to the front of the house.Right.Maya had always been the best-behaved dog.Even before she received all her training, she had been laser-focused.
He stepped out of his SUV and almost shut the door on Maya.“What the hell?”
She never did that, but Maya was in a rush to get to the front door.She was climbing up the steps to the front porch when the screen door opened.
“Well, look at you.Aren’t you the sweetest?”Her throaty voice danced over all his nerve endings, and he was beginning to wonder if the woman would ever sound that way when talking to him.
Pushing that thought out of his mind—because it would be stupid to be jealous of his dog—he grabbed the flowers he had picked up and made his way to the house.By the time he arrived, Keely was on her knees pressing her lips to the top of Maya’s head.
When she looked up at him, his heart seemed to stutter.She wore just enough makeup to give her a glow.Or was that just the woman?He was starting to think it was all Keely.Her golden eyes sparkled with happiness, and that smile—the one with the dimple that seemed to stop him in his tracks every time Ryan saw it—brightened her expression.Her hair was down, draping over her shoulders, and she was wearing a Hawaiian print dress that cinched in at the waist and stopped just short of her knees.There wasn’t anything revealing about the dress, other than a hint of cleavage.But the straight skirt clung to her hips.
“Are those for me?”
He blinked, trying to figure out what she was talking about.How could he be expected to have a conversation when her beauty seemed to knock him on his ass every time?
“Ryan, is everything okay?I mean, if the flowers aren’t for me, that’s okay.”
He wanted to smack himself in the forehead.“Sorry, long day.They’re for you.”
He handed her the yellow roses, not something cheap by any standard in Hawai’i.
“Yellow roses,” she said, taking them from him.
“I wasn’t sure what to get, and I figured you’re from Texas…” He cleared his throat.“That was probably a stupid assumption.”
Her gaze rose from the flowers.“No.It wasn’t.Yellow roses are my favorite.I know people go for red or white, but yellow is so sunny and, like you said, Texas.Thank you.I hope you like lobster.”
“I do.”
She held her hand out to him, and he took it.She opened the screen door.“Come on, Maya.Time to finish up dinner.”
Maya hurried into the house.When they arrived in the kitchen, he found Eden standing there.
“Yellow roses.Nice, Morrison.Maya, you’re getting the star treatment.Come on over here so I can show you the setup.”
He leaned over as Eden showed Maya to a corner with a throw rug under elevated bowls.One had water and the other was empty.
“I didn’t know what food she ate, and online it said that you shouldn’t just change their food.I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize for thinking about my partner.It’s really sweet.Thank you.If she gets hungry, I have some of her food in my truck.I never know how long we’ll be stuck at work, so I always have some on hand.”
“I’m going to make myself scarce.Both Aaron and I will patrol outside,” Eden said, walking toward the front door.“You’re in for a treat, Morrison.”
Then she left them alone.
“I made some for her, Mix, and Aaron before you came.I didn’t feel right making a dinner and not including them.”
She had a vase over at the sink beneath the window that looked out front.“I thought they would be obtrusive, but they aren’t.I particularly like Eden.”
“And Mad Dog?”
She glanced over her shoulder at him.“Well, he doesn’t talk much.He’s really quiet, and he just got here right before dinner.Mix complained about Aaron getting a roll to eat.”
She cut the tips of the roses, then slipped them into the vase.Then, she set it on the windowsill.
“That’s so pretty.Thanks again for them.”
“Can I help with anything?”
