Page 186 of Hell Hath No Fury
WALKING ON SUNSHINE
CLAIRE HASTINGS
CHAPTER ONE
Carlos Rivera could not imagine loving anyone other than Leona Filipe.
Although, at this point, maybe he needed to start calling her Leona Cruz. They might not be married yet, but the massive diamond on her left hand that was currently sparkling in the Caribbean sun as she spoke to a guest certainly made it as official as it needed to be.
It had been almost a year since she’d shattered his heart, following hers right into the arms of legendary football star Cullen Cruz. Carlos wanted nothing more than for her to be happy; he just also wished he didn’t have to witness it all day every day. But unless he found another job, it was just the lot he was stuck with.
Turning back toward the beach, he tried to focus on the reason he was out here, rather than replacing the showerheads on the eighth floor of Barracuda tower. As the head of maintenance of the Indigo Royal Resort in St. Thomas, there was always something for him to be working on.
Yet, here he was, standing on the beach, because Leona needed his help.
“Drea said someone from the local vet is on their way,” Leona said, after the guest walked away. “Now we just have to find the dog again.”
“Lee, this is ridiculous.”
At least, he felt ridiculous. Playing dog catcher was not part of his job description. Then again, “keeping guests happy” was part of everyone’s job around here, and when Drea Miller, Leona’sbest friend and part owner of the Indigo Royal, sent him a text asking for his help in looking for the stray that had been running up and down the beach for the last few days, he knew he couldn’t refuse. Even if there were rooms needing a new showerhead.
“It’s not how I want to spend my day either. And before you say it, it’s also not my job. I’m the head of housekeeping, not a pet sitter. But Drea needs our help. Guests are complaining. And we’re a team, so here we are.”
Carlos let out a grumble. Leona was right though. They were a team. Looking around him, he inhaled deeply, letting the salt air fill his lungs. The beach was mostly empty, which was typical for this late in the day, making it easy to see that the dog in question was not down here.
“Look!” Leona exclaimed, pointing to something behind him.
Groaning again, he spun around, expecting to see nothing but the long stretch of shoreline that led to the marina. Instead, he saw a black-and-white blur rushing across the wet sand. He blinked hard, trying to wrap his head around it. There really was a dog on the beach.
A few seconds later, the pup turned, making its way up the sand, headed right for them. Leona made a little noise, stepping backward, like she was trying to get away from it. He had no interest in Leona though, heading straight for Carlos, circling him, jumping up and nudging his hands.
“Aww, he’s friendly,” Carlos said, kneeling down to love on the dog. He was wet from the ocean, and smelled like it, but it wasn’t anything a bath couldn’t fix.
“You’re sure it’s a he?”
“He’s got the required parts.” Carlos pointed to the dog’s undercarriage, laughing.
Leona huffed, and it was all Carlos could do not to laugh. Reaching forward, Leona held out her hand, trying to pet thelittle guy. The dog wasn’t having it though, cowering back, a low growl rumbling from his throat.
“Oh, good puppy,” Carlos said, scratching behind his ears.
“Hey!”
Carlos laughed, not stopping himself this time. He couldn’t help but tease her. Thankfully, she took it in stride, still committed to being friends. His heart ached over how long he’d waited to share his feelings, but it didn’t matter now. It was over and done with. He needed to move on.
“You found him! Or her!” Drea called out.
“He…found us,” Leona shared.
Looking up, Carlos continued to scratch the dog’s ear, not wanting to lose contact with him, afraid that if he did, the little guy would take off again. He’d already lost a portion of his afternoon to this; he didn’t need to waste any more of his day.
“Aww, looks like he likes you.”
The voice was new to him. Bubbly and sweet, it sent a shiver down his spine. Who was that? Glancing over his shoulder, it took him a minute to fully register what he saw. A tall, curvy blonde stood next to Drea, a medical bag slung over her shoulder. The bright smile on her face was giving the sun a run for its money, sunglasses hiding away eyes that he just knew sparkled like glitter. His heart skipped a beat, his eyes dragging along her body, taking in each one of her luscious curves. Full-figured women weren’t his normal type, but there was something about this beauty that took his breath away. He couldn’t take his eyes off her, every part of him dying to know what her body felt like against his.
“Hi, I’m Dr. Ashby Carver. I’m a vet with Paw It in Neutral, currently working with the local clinic in Charlotte Amalie. This guy is a stray?”
“I guess?” Carlos choked out, still caught off guard by just how beautiful this woman was.
