Love To The Rescue (9 page)

Amy led him into the hallway. The second he spotted Kevin an almost imperceptible growl rumbled from him and then he attempted to sneak back into the bedroom.

“Friend, Rover, friend.” Amy led the dog toward the stairs with Kevin standing at the far end of the hall.

The dog silenced as he met his new owner’s eyes, still gripping his treat in his teeth. Rover turned back toward Kevin, watching the man with wary and suspicious eyes.

“Friend, Rover,” repeated Amy. “Rover spent considerable time at the Humane Society being rehabilitated before I adopted him a few days ago. He’ll become accustomed to you in time.” Still holding onto his collar, Amy led the dog downstairs and into the kitchen.

“Rover, crate,” she ordered.

The dog’s ears lowered, but he obeyed and walked into the large wire kennel. Amy closed the door. “Good boy. I’ll be back in a couple of hours. Behave while I’m gone, and there’ll be a tasty doggie bone for you to chew on when I return.”

The dog circled in his crate, lay down, and spit out his treat. He then settled his head on his paws, and peeked out at her.

“Good dog, Rover.” Amy straightened, took a step back, and landed on Kevin’s foot. Thankfully, she hadn’t slipped into her pumps yet.

“Sorry, I didn’t realize you’d followed me into the kitchen.” Amy met Kevin’s eyes. “I think that went rather well.”

Kevin smiled. “Except for your toe.”

“And my makeup,” she smiled, recalling how it had met its fate. “You should come in for coffee after dinner so Rover will become accustomed to you. He needs to learn to trust men again, realize there are good men in the world.”

Kevin smiled and that cute dimple appeared again. “The things I’ll do for a good cause and a beautiful woman.”

Amy gaped, hearing his ‘beautiful woman’ comment again. The last man who’d complimented her on her looks was her husband the day before he died.

Kevin bent down in front of Rover’s crate. The dog raised his head and emitted a low growl. “Take it easy, boy. It was a pleasure meeting you, Rover. I’m sure you’ll come to trust me.”

Amy grabbed the purse she’d left on the table and snuck into the bathroom off the kitchen to fix her makeup. She heard the soothing tone of voice Kevin used while talking to her dog. Calm, reassuring words were exactly what the dog needed to hear while learning to trust Kevin.

“Now, I’m taking Amy out to dinner. We’ll be back soon, and you and I will get better acquainted then.” Kevin stood and faced Amy as she exited the bathroom, makeup all fixed. She handed Kevin a wet washcloth and he dabbed at the lipstick on his mouth.

He turned to face her. “Did I get it all?”

“Yep.”

Kevin handed her the cloth and returned his attention to Rover. The dog still hadn’t touched his treat. “You know something’s up, don’t you? I’ll bring you the last couple bites of my steak if you’ve been a good dog while we’re away.”

“Bribery, Constable?” Amy tossed the washcloth into the kitchen sink.

“It’s not illegal if we’re talking sirloin. Besides, Rover won’t tell my superiors.”

“I don’t know. Unless he’s sworn to secrecy...” Amy chuckled and followed him toward the front door. She slipped into her black pumps, grabbed her sweater, set the alarm, and followed her date out the door.

Kevin led her toward an older model dark blue Crown Victoria parked on her driveway. Made sense, she thought. A guy as tall as he was, she’d guess six foot four, would require a large sized automobile to accommodate his height. She smiled, imagining the Cirque du Soleil maneuvers necessary to fit his long-legged self into a foreign compact.

Her date settled her into the spacious leather passenger seat and then jogged around to the driver’s side and slid behind the wheel. They reached around for their seatbelts and fastened them in unison.

“So, you adopted a dog,” stated Kevin, as he backed down her driveway.

His voice sounded husky. Was he still recovering from their session on her bedroom floor? Amy could relate; her world had remained tilted on its axis ever since the first kiss.

“Initially, Tiffany suggested the new housemate, but after contemplating adopting a dog overnight, I genuinely fell in love with the idea. Allan, my late husband, talked me out of adopting an animal since we travelled extensively. And rightly so. It wouldn’t have been fair to the pet. But I couldn’t think of one reason why I shouldn’t have a dog now.” Amy clamped her jaws shut. Did she sound like she was defending her decision?

“I think it’s a wonderful idea. You deserve the companionship and the peace of mind that having him around will provide. He barked up a storm when I rang the doorbell.” Kevin glanced over at her and grinned.

“He barks when the mailman slips the mail into the mailbox, and he barked when he heard the gas company man reading the meter in the backyard the other afternoon. He’ll be a good dog. He’s already eager to please his new owner,” added Amy, beaming. “I’m introducing men to Rover, one at a time. He just requires a bit of patience while he experiences kindness from a number of men, and then he’ll realize nobody is out to hurt him.”

“Hopefully, the contents of my doggie bag works tonight.”

“An incident occurred at the dog park last night. A group of people argued about the rules during their Frisbee game, and Rover cowered under a picnic table during the exchange. I suspect the poor guy thought they were mad at him. I called one of the male players over to talk, hoping to assure Rover that everything was okay and he was a good dog. Before I could explain my plan, Rover leapt out from under the table, growling and baring his teeth. His leash prevented him from coming within three feet of the guy, but he almost fainted. We exchanged words, which proved totally counterproductive to my intentions. In hindsight, I realize Rover believed he needed to protect me.”

“Some guys are just jerks.” Kevin reached across, squeezed her hand for a second, and then released it again. “Would Rover have bitten him?”

“No way. The folks at the Humane Society assured me he’s never bitten anyone. Just likes to display his teeth, growl up a storm as a warning to keep your distance.” Amy stared out the side window, feeling emotionally torn. She wanted nothing more than to help the beautiful animal that she’d been entrusted with, but she doubted her effectiveness so far.

“With some time and patience, he’ll realize nobody is going to raise a hand to him.” Kevin pulled into the restaurant’s parking lot.

“I love the food here. Three of my writing buddies and I came here for dinner a couple of weeks ago. We get together once a month just for fun and to discuss our current projects.” Amy released her seatbelt and climbed out of the car when Kevin opened the door. “I had a steak, and it was excellent.”

Kevin’s eyes roamed down her body. “Have I mentioned that you look great in that dress?”

“No, but thank you for the compliment.” Amy beamed. He’d finally noticed! She added, “You look quite nice tonight, too.”

“Thank you. I’m just happy you’re one of the rare species of women who eats red meat. It drives me crazy, watching anyone eat a tofu burger.”

“Don’t knock it if you haven’t tried it. I enjoy meatless meals once in awhile, but sometimes your tummy insists on a juicy medium-rare steak buried in three varieties of mushrooms and...”

“Stop! I’m starving. They don’t take reservations. I hope there aren’t many patrons waiting in line or it could get ugly.” Kevin smiled.

“I’m quite willing to wait. I love the idea of no cooking tonight.”

“You hate cooking?”

“Not at all. I love cooking, but having nobody to eat with sucks.” Amy blushed. Would he read lonely widow into her innocent admission? If he judged her by how enthusiastically she’d welcomed his kiss earlier, he might read all manner of things into it.

“Well, I can’t do much more than boil water, so I admire your talent.” Kevin met her eyes. “I imagine you miss...”

She noticed he’d dropped the subject like a hot potato.

“What were you going to say? I imagine you miss your husband?” Amy met his eyes as she and Kevin walked the length of the parking lot. “Yes, I do. But my girlfriends are encouraging me to move on and my writing group keeps me busy. I travel to a couple of writers’ conferences every year, and Leslie and I vacation every fall at an affordable spa. I’m not an eccentric widow with thirty cats. At least, not yet.” She laughed and caught him smiling.

“Good. I’m not a big fan of cats. Now dogs I love. Rover...well, time will tell. But living in my townhouse doesn’t really make dog ownership a sensible idea for me. Only a postage-sized backyard, no grass just cement, with no room for a dog to run around. And my hours are pretty crazy, but I suppose...”

Again, he stopped in mid sentence. What was it with this guy? Was he keeping secrets from her? Probably, all in the name of confidentiality.

Amy sighed. “I must admit, I’ve never dated a police officer before. And I really don’t understand much about law enforcement. Other than to obey the law and avoid any encounters with the police. I’ve never even had a parking ticket.”

“Congratulations. I wish there were more citizens like you.” Kevin shook his head. “In my line of work, you see the worst mankind has to offer, most of the time.”

“Well, I don’t know the difference between a sergeant or a lieutenant or all the other ranks. I require Law Enforcement Ranking 101 when you have the time to teach me.” Amy paled. Had that sounded like she assumed there would be more dates?

What if he found her totally boring?

What if he only asked her out on the spur-of-the-moment, and now he was regretting it?

Maybe he was already praying for the night to end?

“That I can do.” Kevin yanked the heavy wooden door open. He brushed her lower back with his hand while guiding her into the restaurant ahead of him. “Let’s get our names on the table list, order a drink in the lounge, and we’ll begin with Rankings Lesson One.”

“Sounds perfect.” Amy glanced up, met his eyes again. “I’m going to enjoy dinner, even if there are thirty people ahead of us. There will be no dishes to wash afterward. Always a bonus.”

At nine-thirty, Amy stood at the front door waiting for Kevin to pay for dinner, shocked at what a wonderful time she’d had. Their steaks were cooked perfectly, their waiter was a hoot, and Kevin remembered to request a doggie bag to stash away a few chunks of steak for Rover. They’d lingered over an Irish coffee for him and a blueberry tea for her. Finally, they were heading home.

Amy felt certain that Rover was anxiously awaiting their return.

*

While the waitress processed his credit card payment, Kevin glanced over at Amy a few feet away leaning against the front door jamb. She’d struck up a conversation with an elderly couple, sitting on an upholstered bench seat, waiting for a cab.

Amy laughed at something the old fellow said, and to his ears, her laughter sounded like angels singing. Her smile radiated warmth that penetrated his body clear through to his heart. God, he liked this woman more than anyone he’d dated since his divorce. And he’d dated a good number of women. Mostly blind dates arranged by co-workers. He’d even noticed she’d removed her rings. That had to be a good sign. He’d never believed in love at first sight, but he recalled Garrett had suggested the possibility, teasingly, the evening of Amy’s break-in.

Kevin suspected that was exactly what happened. People would think he was crazy, but he was pretty sure he loved her.

When he’d stared into Amy’s eyes earlier tonight, while lying on her bedroom carpet, he saw the love she felt for her dog. Would she feel that strongly about him one day? He realized he’d like nothing more.

But if he loved Amy, truly loved her, how could he withhold such an important piece of information from her—the thief who turned her house and her world upside down had escaped from rehab?

He couldn’t warn her unless he got his superior’s permission. Not unless he wanted to lose his job. But hearing about it might cause her more anxiety. Probably. Yeah, it would.

Of course, Rover would alert her to anyone lurking around her property. And the police were patrolling her neighborhood and working hard to find the guy. Kevin decided he wouldn’t say anything to his superiors, and he just hoped his decision proved to be the right one.

****

“Hey, big guy, did you miss me?” Amy slipped her sweater off and tossed it onto a kitchen chair. If the wagging tail was any indication, her four-footed buddy didn’t appear traumatized by being left alone. But he was certainly happy to see her.

“Are you letting him out of that crate right away? He’ll just high-tail it upstairs and under the bed again.” Kevin stepped up beside her and added, “I don’t trust myself in your bedroom at this time of night. Other ideas could pop into my head, and I might just leave Rover where he is.”

“In that case, I’d hate for you to compromise your gentlemanly principles.” Amy strode over to the back door and unhooked the dog’s leash from the wooden peg on the wall. “I’ll hold Rover on his leash until he’s convinced you’re a friend. That steak will serve nicely in our efforts to accomplish that.”

Kevin opened the doggie bag and pulled out the first of three pieces of grilled top sirloin he’d stuck inside. “Okay, I’m ready.”

Amy opened the crate a crack and clipped Rover’s leash onto his collar. “Remember, Rover, Kevin is a friend.” The dog’s tail wagged furiously and he licked her fingers when she stuck her hand into the crate, but she also felt his body vibrating. Was the dog’s reaction generated by excitement or fear? “Friend, Rover, friend,” she reiterated.

“Let him out, but hold him at arm’s length while I talk to him.”

Amy did as he suggested. The big dog strained on the leash, attempting to sneak back into the crate. Definitely fear, she decided. “Friend, Rover, friend.”

“Okay, Rover. Do you smell that steak? It’s mighty tasty. I can attest to that, since I ate most of it. You sit like a good boy, and this piece is all yours.” Kevin took a step closer and held up the tasty tidbit. “Sit, Rover, sit.”

The dog glanced over his shoulder at her, with a do-I-have-to-listen-to-this-guy expression on his face. “It is okay, Rover.” After another few seconds of contemplation, he planted his butt on the floor.