Clay's Hope (10 page)

The man reached across the table, and I
tensed, ready to jump up, but the arrival of their food saved him.
I nudged Gabby’s bare leg with my nose. When she glanced down at
me, I showed her my teeth. That was all the warning I was going to
give her. If Scott touched her, he’d feel my bite.

“I think you’ll both be in some of the
anatomy classes next semester, Gabby,” Peter said, drawing her
attention. “If you want a study group, you should let Rachel and I
know. I’ve already been through them. And since you’re graduating
in spring, I know you have, too.”

“Thank you, Peter, but I really do study
best on my—”

“That’s a great idea,” Scott said. “We
should start now so the class won’t be so hard later. What do you
think about Tuesday nights?”

I bumped her leg again. She was not studying
with him.

“It’s a good idea to get a head start—”

Woman, I thought in warning and bumped her
harder.

“But I’m so swamped with classes and
homework now that I don’t even have time to take poor Clay for
walks.”

She reached out and patted my shoulder. I
turned my head to gloat, but saw the man’s gaze dip to Gabby’s
shirt and froze. She must have noticed his attention too because
she immediately straightened and took a quick bite. That was the
only thing that saved him from a beating.

Exhaling slowly, I worked to calm down but
the man tried to shove his chair closer. I braced myself, unwilling
to give a hairsbreadth. He noticed and glanced down at me. I kept
my head down, trying to control my temper.

“What’s your dog’s name?” he asked.

“Clay,” Rachel said.

“Nice name,” Scott said.

Liar.

“Let’s take him home after this and go out
to a new club that opened downtown.”

I wanted to give Gabby what she desired, my
good behavior, but he was pushing it. There was no way I’d let her
walk away with him without a challenge.

“Rachel?” Gabby said.

My heart froze. What was she asking Rachel?
Was Gabby seeking her permission to bring me home?

“I see it,” Rachel said.

“See what?” Peter asked, echoing my
thoughts.

“Exhaustion. She’s been studying like
crazy.” I lifted my head enough to witness Rachel wave over the
waitress and ask for boxes and the check for the two of them.
Finally, some sense from that woman.

“And she needs rest, not a night out.
Although, I am really glad we came.”

Gabby reached for her purse on the back of
the chair, knocking my leash loose. Scott moved to grab her hand.
Oh, hell no. I stood, unable to take any more, and everything on
the table rattled when my shoulder bumped it. But, I’d successfully
blocked Scott from touching her.

Gabby turned away, not looking at either me
or Scott. Good. Scott was eyeing me again; I was eyeing his
leg.

The waitress returned with the bill and the
wrapped up leftovers, breaking the tension. Gabby paid, and Rachel
gave up digging in her purse.

“I better drive her home,” Rachel said,
looking at Peter as she stood. “You have my number. Give me a call
if you want to do something next weekend.”

Gabby stood too, turning her back on Scott
to step toward Rachel.

“Rachel, you can stay with Peter. I don’t
mind taking Gabby home,” he said.

I bet he wouldn’t mind.

With her back to him, Gabby didn’t catch
Scott reaching to stop her. I sprang forward and propelled her out
of the way with my head. She looked down at me, but before I could
nod toward the car, Rachel spoke up.

“No, Scott. I think we’re done for tonight.”
She waved to Peter then grabbed Gabby’s hand.

As the two started to walk away, seeming to
completely forget about me, Scott shoved his money at the waitress
and stood, his intent clear. I darted in front of him and crouched
low. The man’s singular focus on Gabby cost him. He tripped over me
and fell to the ground. I stood and ran after Gabby, who was
looking over her shoulder at us. I nudged her back to keep her
moving. The man wouldn’t stay down long. Both women moved at a
pre-jog walk.

“I’m sorry,” Rachel said, once we were
almost to the car. “You told me, but I didn’t really get it. Even
the men sitting around us were eyeing you.”

They were? I glanced back, but everything
looked normal. I’d been so focused on Scott, I hadn’t noticed
anything else.

“No big deal,” Gabby said. “You should see
me in some of my classes. ‘No’ is the most common word in my
vocabulary. Scott’s reaction was worse than most because he already
considered me his date. If you say ‘no’ consistently and to
everyone, it doesn’t get so bad.”

I looked up at her and studied her sad face.
She dealt with men like that all the time? Suddenly her standoff
attitude toward just about everyone made a lot more sense.

She handed Rachel the keys. “You really can
drive.”

Rachel took them and opened the door for me
as Gabby walked around to the passenger side. I hopped over the
seats to get to the back, then lay down so I could watch out the
front—and be closer to Gabby.

Halfway home, Rachel stopped at a gas
station.

“Tonight’s an ice cream night. Be right
back.” She jumped out and hurried inside.

Gabby dropped her head back against the seat
and sighed. I lifted my nose, trying to scent her mood. Melancholy.
What part of tonight had made her sad? I doubted it was my
interference; and although I’d bared my teeth in warning, I’d
behaved as she’d asked. For the most part.

She reached out and started to stroke my
head and ears. I sighed and relaxed, enjoying her touch. At least
she didn’t seem to be upset with me.

She looked out the window, and her misery
grew stronger. I lifted my head, worried about her.

“I’m fine,” she said, meeting my gaze. “How
are you doing?”

She was worried about me? With an ache
growing in my chest, I pushed myself forward a bit so I could lay
my head on her lap.

The door opened, and the unexpected sound
made me flinch. I hadn’t even heard Rachel approaching. I hadn’t
been listening because when I was around Gabby, all my senses
belonged to her.

If Gabby noticed my reaction, she didn’t
comment. Instead, she gave my ear one last caress and then released
it so I could make room for Rachel.

As Rachel drove and they talked about ice
cream, I struggled to think of what I could do next. Though I
wanted Gabby to see me as a man, and more specifically her Mate,
she was starting to see me as a companion. She was talking to me
more.

We pulled into the driveway, and I jumped
out just behind Gabby, not ready to give up the closeness we’d
experienced in the car. When she went to her room, I reluctantly
stayed with Rachel, half-listening to the woman’s babble about how
I was such a good boy.

It didn’t take long for Gabby to reappear,
dressed for bed.

“Where’s my chocolate?” she asked.

I could scent something off. She was still
upset, and I moved to her side. She patted me gently.

Rachel handed over a small container of ice
cream.

“I’m going to go change. Want to watch a
movie or something?” Rachel stripped out of her shirt on her way to
her bedroom, but I didn’t look. I wasn’t interested. I was too busy
studying Gabby’s face as she took a small bite of ice cream.

She covered her ice cream with the lid and
put it in the freezer.

“What do you think?” she asked, looking at
me. “Stay up and watch a movie, or go to bed early? Lead the
way.”

I turned and went to her room, hopping up on
the bed.

“Rach, we’re just going to go to bed early.
‘K?” Gabby said from behind me.

“It’s okay. Go ahead. I won’t keep you up
with a movie, will I?” I listened to Rachel flop on the couch and
watched Gabby move to stand in our doorway.

“I’m so tired I doubt anything will keep me
from sleeping.”

“‘K. Night, Hun. Thanks for going with me
even if it did suck.”

“Don’t worry about it. Night.”

Gabby turned and closed the door. In the
living room, a high-pitched, electronic squeal, a sound I’d grown
used to, filled the air as Rachel turned on the TV.

Something in Gabby’s expression softened as
she looked at me, and it suddenly hurt to breathe.

“Thanks, Clay,” she said, walking around the
bed. She paused and bent over me. I held myself completely still
and closed my eyes as I felt her lips on the top of my head. A
noise escaped me, part pain, part need. She moved away too quickly
and crawled under the covers. Her feet slid under my chest, seeking
my warmth.

She didn’t realize how these simple gestures
reassured me. Her small touches meant acceptance. I sighed. I had
patience to see this courtship through until the end. But, the
torture of it might kill me.

I waited until Rachel went to her room and
the house quieted before I eased off the bed. I needed to go for a
long run.

Outside, I left the yard, sticking to the
shadows and avoiding houses with dogs. This wasn’t the first night
I’d snuck out for a run. Sleeping in the same room with Gabby was
as calming as it was stimulating. Her scent seeped into my senses
while I slept, and I often woke physically uncomfortable. A run
usually helped.

Toward the campus, a few of the houses
thrummed with music and muted voices. I stopped to watch the males
and females interact and hoped Gabby would never want to go to a
party.

It took longer than I’d intended to run off
the steam from the evening’s events, and it was close to dawn when
I let myself back in. Standing there naked in the kitchen, I heard
Gabby softly call my name and smiled.

I shifted, went to her room, and jumped onto
the mattress. She exhaled when I lay on her cold, roaming feet.

“Thanks.”

Yep. She needed me. I closed my eyes,
content with that thought. Just as I started to drift off, she
spoke.

“Hey, Clay. Wanna go get breakfast with
me?”

Of course she wanted to go to breakfast
after I’d stayed up all night. Not thinking clearly, I sighed and
left the bed again.

“You could have said no,” she said with a
soft laugh.

I watched her get out of bed, grab clothes,
and walk to the bathroom.

As I stared after her, a thought occurred to
me. She wanted to go to breakfast with me. That meant a restaurant.
Restaurants didn’t allow dogs, which is how humans saw me. Did that
mean she wanted me to be a man? I cursed to myself. I still didn’t
have any damn clothes.

Refusing to lose an opportunity, I trotted
to the back door and sat to wait.

She didn’t seem surprised to see me when she
emerged.

“You up for a walk?” she quietly asked.

I still had fuzz between my ears because it
took a minute to figure out what she was asking. Walk to breakfast
or drive to breakfast. Before I could think of how to respond, she
grabbed the leash, clipped it on, and then loosely wrapped it
around my collar.

Curious as to why she wasn’t holding her
end, I looked over at her.

“What? I’m following the law...you’re on a
leash. Let’s go.”

She didn’t fool me. She knew she didn’t need
to hold the leash because I wasn’t a dog. She was starting to see
me as more. The thought chased away my need for sleep, and I
stepped outside with her and stood near as she locked up.

We walked in the direction of the campus,
close to the same route I’d taken, only this time on the main road.
Everything seemed a little quieter now. I listened to her breathing
and steady heartbeat as I scanned the shadows. I wasn’t worried
about my kind as much as I was her kind.

We’d made it halfway to campus when I heard
the faint scuff of shoes ahead.

“So what do you like for breakfast?” Gabby
asked. “Oatmeal?”

I laughed as I scented the air. What was
oatmeal? She smiled at me.

“Yeah, I was thinking you’re more a steak
and eggs kinda guy.”

The faint musk of a man tickled my nose.
Older. Not a threat.

“Who you talking to dar’lin?” he called as
he stepped out from the shadows across the narrow street. His
sudden appearance made Gabby’s heart race.

“My dog,” she called.

“Clay,” she whispered. “Can you bark
mean?”

She was afraid, and she was coming to me for
safety. I grinned and barked as she asked.

“Damn,” the man said, keeping pace with us
on the opposite sidewalk. “That thing on a leash?”

“Yep, but there’s no holding him back. I’m
safer letting him go, or he’d just drag me along.”

The man laughed. “I bet. Have a good
morning.” The man turned at the next corner to walk around the
block.

“You trust that?” Gabby said as she stared
in the direction the man had disappeared.

I grunted in annoyance. He was a human. Did
she really think so little of my ability to protect her?

“Me neither,” she said as if my grunt had
been an agreement. “And thanks for warning me there was someone
close by.”

Her sarcasm wasn’t lost on me, and I
snorted.

I smelled the diner before I saw it. The
scent of cooking meat set my mouth to salivating, and my stomach
growled.

“Since they don’t allow dogs, I’ll go in and
get our food for carryout,” Gabby said when we reached the
diner.

Sitting near the door as she went inside, I
watched her. The place was empty except for a woman walking around
the tables so I wasn’t too worried.

The two spoke, and the woman wrote something
down on a piece of paper that she then passed through a little
window. Gabby remained inside for several minutes, until two white
boxes appeared in the little window. The woman handed them to
Gabby. Gabby turned, smiled at me through the door, and joined me
outside.

I followed her to a long piece of cement in
the parking lot. She sat down and set the boxes on the ground
before her. Then, she opened one. The aroma teased me, but the
small hunk of meat inside, which she proceeded to cut into tiny
pieces, was a letdown. I could have eaten that thing in three
bites.