Identity (8 page)

“No way,” Liza replied immediately. “She’s a border mix.”

Shay sat up and scrubbed dried grass off her arms. “No, seriously Liza, I know. She’s a cattle girl.”

“I disagree. Look at the markings. If she were a cattle dog, she’d have less of a blaze, not the linear markings like Scarlet has. They’re border collie markings. I know the size is the same and they’re close, but I really think this is border.”

Shay eyed Liza evenly. “How familiar are you with Australian cattle dogs? I know an awful lot about them. Have you even looked at her muzzle, her ears? This is definitely a cattle dog mix.”

Liza studied Scarlet and then shook her head, eyes closed. “You’re wrong. What would a cattle dog be doing in southern Alabama anyway?”

Shay bristled and clamped her small teeth together as if to help forestall losing her temper. “Liza, this is
not
a border collie, and I’d really appreciate it if you’d let it go. I know what I’m talking about.”

“Shay, I’m not doubting your knowledge. I just know you’re dead wrong on this one.” Liza was trying to be reasonable. She remembered keenly Shay’s Irish temper.

Shay was getting angrier by the minute and her voice had risen. “
How
do you know? Who told you? I should say, what
idiot
told you this was a border collie?”

Scarlet, not understanding the altercation, stared from woman to woman, moving back in alarm as Liza leapt to her feet, followed quickly by Shay.

“What do you mean, idiot? I checked this dog in myself. I’ve been doing it for years and was taught to identify the dogs by Paul, Carol’s husband. He runs the shelter and knows more about dogs than the two of us put together.”

Shay had crossed her arms across her chest and was watching Liza with a challenging stare. “Oh, really. So maybe Paul’s the one I need to talk to, not his apprentice dog whisperer.”

There was a definite sneer in her voice, and Liza’s eyes widened in indignation. “What the hell do you mean by that?!”

“Just what I said.” Shay lowered her arms, her hands balled into fists at her sides. She appeared ready for anything Liza might say to her.

“Ladies? Is there a problem?” Carol had approached the paddock as the two women argued. She studied their angry faces. “I don’t think you’re setting a very good example for the dogs, do you?”

Liza couldn’t help smiling as she backed down. “No, we’re not.”

Shay’s cheeks were pink from a day of sun and her waning anger. Liza thought she looked adorable.

“What do you think, Carol? Is Scarlet a border collie?” Liza pulled her eyes from Shay.

Carol studied Scarlet, who was trying to engage Maizie in some leaping dog play. “No, I think she’s a cattle dog. One of the Australian ones. They come from dingos, you know…” Carol broke off as Shay let loose a yelp of victory.

“I
told
you. I
told
you she was!” Shay punched her fist into the sky and whirled about in a dance of triumph.

Liza’s mouth fell open and a deep flush moved from her neck along her cheekbones. She closed her mouth abruptly and cleared her throat, determined to learn from the embarrassment. She ignored Shay and turned to Carol. “How can you tell for sure?”

Carol, eyebrows lifted in surprise, pulled her gaze from Shay and motioned for Scarlet to come to them. “Touch her back.”

Liza leaned and pressed both palms along the dog’s broad back. “So?”

“Dig your fingers into the fur? There. Feel that undercoat…it’s kind of oily? Borders have much finer fur. There’s longer fur on a border but it’s finer in texture. That’s really the only way to tell, especially when there’s Border somewhere back in the line.”

Liza glanced sideways at Shay, who had quieted and was now listening to the other two. “So, there is border in there? Why are you saying she’s more ACD than border?”

Carol’s hand lay along Scarlet’s back in an absent-minded caress. “A lot of the cattle dogs have border in them now. As a match, it’s a good one.”

“Look at the markings,” Liza interrupted. “They look more like…”

“Look at the hindquarters though,” Carol said insistently. “See the brindling? That’s a cattle dog trait. As are the brown eyebrows. Borders just have the mask.”

As if understanding Carol, Scarlet turned her cute face toward Liza, showing off the deep tan of her eyebrows. Her tongue lolled from her mouth. It looked as though she were grinning at Liza.

“Don’t feel bad, Liza,” Shay added. “It’s an honest mistake. Scarlet does have an exceptionally dark mask and other markings. I wouldn’t have known if not for her rough coat and the brindling.”

Liza appreciated Shay’s attempt to make her feel better, but the embarrassment lingered. “Ah well, it’s good to learn something new every day.”

Carol smiled. “True. Hey, have either of you seen Chris? I wanted her to help round up the dogs, but she’s wandered off.”

Liza’s eyes roamed the shelter grounds. “I don’t see her. We’ll help you, though. Have you got the leads?”

“I’ll get them. You two start getting the littler ones together and we’ll take them first.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

“This isn’t your car,” Liza said accusingly. “Is it? This wasn’t the one you had last night.”

Shay laughed. “I didn’t think you’d notice. That one was a loaner,” she explained. “This relic was in being babied and soothed into another ten thousand miles.”

She patted the hood of the classic ’77 Beetle. It was vintage but painted a bright lemon yellow.

Liza looked at Shay as if she’d grown a pair of wings. “I would have remembered this car.”

Shay smiled proudly.

Liza smoothed her hand across the baby-bottom decklid. “Wait a minute. I don’t know much about cars, really, but I know you can’t find these parts anymore. This looks like it must have when coming off the showroom floor.”

She peered inside. “Even the vinyl bucket seats! And the original over-sized steering wheel.”

She straightened her back and squinted at Shay. “Okay, now I know. You’re rich, right? How much work have you had done to this?” She turned away but whirled to face Shay again. “No, don’t tell me. It looks new. Is it the original air-cooled engine?”

Shay had endeavored to speak several times, each time cut off when Liza blasted her with a new question. Finally she spoke, her voice calm and slow in an effort to counteract Liza’s excitement. “I have a collector friend. He’s helped me get parts. I actually bought it from him after he’d done most of the work. I had a hard time getting him to part with it.”

“I bet it cost you a mint,” Liza said. She rested her head and right arm on the hood while her left hand caressed the nose.

Shay shrugged. “I had a good job at the time. It’s paid for so all I have is the upkeep. And my friend Thomas, who lives in South Carolina now, said that if I didn’t keep it in top condition, he’d come find me and take it back home with him. Which, I know, he still believes is where it belongs.”

“I hear they’re hard to maintain?”

Shay laughed. “Well, you should have seen the mechanic’s face when I drove in.”

“Where did you take it?”

“I had to go into Mobile. It’s the only VW dealership around.” She paused and tilted her head to one side. “He actually reacted kind of like you just reacted. That and very, very happy.”

“Why?” Liza pressed the nose handle, amazed that the release button still worked.

“Maintenance, I guess. He knows how often I’ll be in for oil changes and valve adjustments. He even drove it back from Mobile this morning, just so he could have a road trip in it.”

Liza realized suddenly that Shay had a cute little dimple in her left cheek. It wasn’t deep or even that noticeable. Just, there was a certain way she smiled and it would appear. Held spellbound by this realization, Liza stood her ground as Shay approached the nose.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I packed a lunch for us. I hope things are still cool. It’s gotten late.” Shay’s hands gently brushed Liza’s aside as she released the hood and lifted out a large wicker basket.

Brought back to her senses by the mention of food, Liza was thrilled and her face mirrored that joy. “Mind? Not hardly. I’m starving. Whatcha got in there?” She eyed the basket, and her sturdy, square hands fluttered toward it in anticipation.

Shay watched Liza, her gaze dancing merrily. “It’s easy to see the way to your heart…food!”

Embarrassed anew, Liza looked away. “I do like to eat,” she admitted. “But it’s not the only way to my heart.” She turned back, fixing Shay in a smoldering gaze.

Shay, as she had the night before, stood transfixed by the power of Liza’s raw sensual energy. Liza’s eyes were so warm and inviting that, when stoked with passionate feeling, they were downright mesmerizing.

Tearing her gaze away, Shay coughed nervously. “Well, where shall we eat?”

“Lemme see,” Liza continued, reaching toward the basket.

“My, you’re persistent.” She opened the lid and peered inside. “Let’s see…there’s wine, a Riesling, my personal favorite. I hope you like it. Also sandwiches. You didn’t seem overly enamored with the chicken wings last night, so I went with a nice Gouda and some tomatoes, sweet onions and lettuce. Hope you like mustard. Then there’s fruit for dessert, grapes and some local citrus.”

Shay looked up and was taken aback by the tender look on Liza’s face. Before she knew what was happening, Liza had enveloped her in a warm, close hug. The subtle waft of Liza’s sandalwood scent made Shay’s knees weaken.

“Where have you been all my life?” Liza whispered close to her ear. The sound of Liza’s whisper and the sensation of Liza’s warm breath on her neck made Shay’s knees give way completely, and she collapsed into Liza’s arms.

“Whoa now,” Liza said gently, holding Shay closer. “Are you okay?”

Crimson from head to toe, Shay pulled away and studied Liza as if the other woman had threatened her life. Shay knew she should run as far and as fast as possible. She
knew
this but…she so very wanted to stay. Even though Liza’s closeness made her feel as though her whole world was spinning, there was still this element of safety with her. Shay felt protected, more so than ever before, especially since Pepper had entered her life. Her decision was made in a split second. She couldn’t run forever. She turned away and pulled a small round tablecloth from the nose.

“I’m fine, Liza. You just caught me off guard. I’m glad you like the lunch.” She hugged the tablecloth close. “Where shall we eat?”

Liza seemed pleased by Shay’s ridiculous reaction. “Come with me,” she said lightly, taking the laden basket from her.

Shay followed Liza and, when Liza held the door open for her, hesitated only briefly before climbing into the passenger seat of Liza’s white Tacoma pickup. She caressed the soft gray cloth of the bench seat as Liza paused to stow the basket in the truck bed.

“Wow, what a truck,” she commented as Liza slid into the driver’s side.

“Well,” drawled Liza pointedly, “it’s not a lemon yellow Volkswagen, but it’ll have to do.”

Shay smiled, glad she had decided to deal with the extreme feeling the taller woman engendered in her. She resolved to forget about the feelings for now and examine them later when she was alone and safe from Liza’s knowing gaze.

“Where are we going?” she asked, experiencing a sudden clenching of fear as they pulled onto Professional Drive.

“Just around the bend. There’s this gorgeous tree there. It’s made for picnics. Tell me if you agree.”

Within moments, Shay saw exactly what Liza meant. “Omigosh! That is one awesome tree.”

Liza chuckled. “We have to hike in a little ways, okay?”

“Sure.” Shay stepped out of the truck and stared at the beautiful mushroom cloud of oak tree. It had to be at least three hundred years old. The trunk was thicker than Shay and Liza’s bodies put together. Poison oak had lost a battle with the tree and a dead vine as thick as Shay’s thigh wrapped sinuously around its pockmarked trunk.

Liza held a barbed wire fence down so Shay could cross, all the while juggling the basket. Shay stepped over and laid the tablecloth across the barbs, then held the fence so Liza could cross.

Liza smiled at Shay as she retrieved the tablecloth and Shay felt the same melting feeling as before. They turned as one and walked side by side toward the tree.

“Acorns are down,” said Liza as a flock of wild green parrots exploded from the branches and flashed away in a blur of lime green color. She shielded her eyes and watched the parrots circle.

“They’ll be back,” she said, “and will give us hell for disturbing them, I bet.”

Shay was eyeing the tree mistrustfully and Liza laughed at her.

“We’ll sit a little way out,” she said, setting the basket aside and taking the tablecloth. After kicking acorns aside until she had a smooth plane of grass, she spread the cloth and placed the basket in the center. She patted the cloth and took a seat next to the basket.

“Come on! I’m starving.”

Shay smiled, amused at Liza’s easy manner, her simple joy in life. She knelt and removed the wine and two plastic cups.

“Sorry this isn’t colder,” she said apologetically as she poured.

Liza took the wine offered and sipped slowly. And sipped again.

“Holy cow,” she said. “What
is
this?” She took the bottle from Shay and held it up to the light. Afternoon sunlight warmed itself in the golden depths of the bottle.

Shay laughed and shared her first experience trying the wine at a vineyard in Charlottesville, Virginia. “It was love at first taste. I buy it by the case now, even though I’m not a big drinker, and every year has been just as good as that first one.”

“It’s amazing. I need the name and address of this winery. And drinking this doesn’t classify as ‘drinking,’” she added. “This is an experience. I’ve always liked Rieslings but this one has them all beat.”

Shay dipped her head, pleased that Liza enjoyed the wine as much as she did. Soon she had a feast spread before them and they both jumped in eagerly.

As she chewed, Shay’s mind flashed back to her painful time with Pepper. Struggling, she tried to rise above the memory, tried to continue to enjoy this one moment of contentment. It was a battle but she got there. A part of her realized that Liza would never complain about Shay’s food preparation nor become abusive if things weren’t to her exacting specifications. She smiled. She bet Liza didn’t even
have
exacting specifications about anything. She appeared too easygoing for harsh regulations.