Page 24 of Second to None
The smile vanished from his face as he sidestepped around the small center island, so it was between him and Windy. Emily was beginning to think that he didn’t like dogs. Which made no sense.
“Izzy, would you put Windy in my room? We don’t want her begging while we eat.”
“But she doesn’t—”
Emily gave her the look that saidObey Mom at once, so Izzy called Windy, and the two padded off to go upstairs.
“I get the feeling that Windy doesn’t beg,” Max said with a wry twist of his mouth.
“You seem uncomfortable with her.” Emily fiddled with her flowers before she looked at him again. “I’m puzzled. If you don’t like dogs, why did you fund the K-9 Angelz project?”
He shoved his hands in his trouser pockets. “My feelings about dogs have nothing to do with the benefits I believe your project can offer to the children at the Carver Center.”
“So you really don’t like dogs?” Emily tried to keep the shock out of her voice, but she wasn’t sure she’d succeeded. “Didn’t you and Jake develop vests for the military working dogs?”
Max nodded and looked away. “I don’t dislike dogs. I just haven’t spent much time around them.” He shrugged as though shaking off some unwelcome thought and brought his gaze back to her face. “By the way, how’s Diego’s rescue dog doing?”
She was even more impressed by his generosity now that she knew he wasn’t a dog lover.
“It was touch and go, but the little fellow is going to make it. Which reminds me that we need to straighten out the billing. You can’t pay his medical expenses.”
“Why not?”
“It’s my responsibility.”
“On the contrary. The dog will clearly become part of the K-9 Angelz project. Therefore, its care is part of my funding.”
She threw him a dry look. “You gave Carla your personal credit card. That’s not coming out of the grant money.”
“For God’s sake, a pair of my shoes costs more than the vet bill will.” His exasperation showed in the way he raked his fingers through his hair. “Consider it a Christmas gift to Diego. Something tells me the boy doesn’t get many of those.”
“I—”
“No,” he barked, his hand lifted in a gesture of utter refusal.
She knew better than to argue with that tone. “In that case, thank you. I’ll let Diego know of your generosity.”
“That’s not necessary.”
“I want him to know that there are many good people in the world.” Max looked as though he was going to object again, so she handed him a corkscrew. “Why don’t you open a bottle of whatever you’d like to drink? I’m not sure there is a prescribed wine to complement macaroni and cheese.”
His face relaxed. “You honored my request.”
“I hope your memory hasn’t exaggerated its flavor.”
“So far my memory hasn’t exaggerated a single thing.” That low voice and the intent look that went with it made her nerve endings jitter with excitement and a touch of uneasiness. She felt as though she had waded into deep waters. He pulled out the cork with a soft pop and poured the pale wine into the two stemmed glasses she’d set out on the counter. “You favored the white at Laurent,” he said.
Amid all the changes in courses and glasses, he’d paid attention to which wine she drank the most of. Another thrill of nervous elation ran through her, making her breath come a little faster. She picked up her glass and held it up in a toast. “To old times.”
“And new ones.” His voice lowered as he touched his glass to hers.
She avoided his gaze by staring into her glass as she took a gulp of wine. He was making his intentions clear. Well, that wasn’t exactly true. He was making his interest clear. She wasn’t at all sure what his intentions were.
She picked up the Asian meatballs she’d prepared for hors d’oeuvres. “Why don’t we sit by the fire?”
He took the platter from her and started out the door, leaving her nothing to do but carry her wine and stare at the muscles of his back as outlined by the gray sweater. And his butt, under the drape of his wool trousers. Carla had a point about him being hot.
Max set the platter on the low table between the two armchairs facing the fireplace. Izzy came clattering down the stairs, grabbed a floor cushion, and settled in front of the table. “I love these,” she said, snagging a meatball and popping it into her mouth.
