Puppy Love in Thunder Canyon

Yeah, an unwritten one about dating a coworker’s ex-wife.

Not good, especially when he found out the lady hadn’t yet told her husband she’d filed for divorce. The fact that the man had been a senior surgeon while Thomas was fresh out of his residency only added to the mess.

“It’s not something I make a habit of.”

“Well, you’re not doing it now, either. This is my domain, remember? I’m allowed to be here anytime I want and I often work after hours.” Annabel hit a light switch, bathing the large room in a soft glow. “Ah, almost like candlelight. No need to go with all the lights just for dinner.”

It wasn’t the intimate setting like a private corner booth at Antonio’s, but Thomas had to admit it was close.

“This used to be a storage area before I took it over three years ago,” Annabel continued. “I had the place completely gutted and rebuilt from the ground up, including the wall of glass to the outside area. Now the kids have a place to come where they don’t have to be quiet like upstairs. Well, not as quiet.”

Thomas looked around, taking in the floor-to-ceiling bookcases, the scattered tables and chairs, most sized for patrons under four feet tall, as well as several large pillows, comfy armchairs and knit rugs covered hardwood floors.

Posters of children’s authors and book covers decorated the walls. A curved wooden desk that must be original to the building stood against one wall, and above it hung a framed headshot of a grinning golden retriever that had to be Annabel’s dog, with a placard that read Honorary Mascot.

“Come on, grab a piece of floor.”

He turned to find Annabel kneeling at a child-size table, removing a couple of water bottles from the paper bag. She paused to peel off her jacket, revealing a faded Johnny Cash 1967 concert T-shirt that hugged her curves in all the right places.

Thomas had to swallow the lump in his throat before he asked, “You plan on eating right here?”

“Of course.” She pushed aside a couple of miniature chairs and grabbed two large character-decorated pillows. “Here, you can have Dr. Seuss, in honor of your profession. I’ll take Winnie-the-Pooh.”

Shaking his head, he joined her on the carpet, their hips bumping as they worked to empty the bags of their dinner. Thomas edged away, determined to keep this night light and easy. “So, how did you become a librarian?”

“Freshman-year biology.”

That got his attention. “Excuse me?”

Annabel opened one of the containers and the spicy tang of barbecue filled the air. “As a kid I was always the one bringing home stray cats or injured birds. I even stole a horse from a rancher who was using inhumane training techniques on the poor animal. My family thought I’d grow up to be a veterinarian or maybe even a doctor. But when I got to high school and was told I had to dissect a defenseless little frog …” Her voice trailed off as she shuddered. “I just couldn’t do it.”

Thomas grinned. “You do know the frog was already dead, right?”

“Yes, I knew that, but I still didn’t understand why we couldn’t learn what we needed without killing … cutting—anyway, I organized a protest which pretty much ended my science career. So I got my bachelor’s degree in English from San Jose State University, stayed on to get my master’s in Library Sciences and here I am.”

He was surprised to hear she’d gone to school out of state. “You went to college in California?”

“With the size of my family a full scholarship made it an easy decision.” Annabel filled two plates with ribs, chicken and fries. “I loved it. The bay area is so beautiful.”

“And yet you came back here afterward?”

“Of course, Thunder Canyon is my home.” She pushed a plate in his direction. “This smells heavenly! Let’s eat!”

It was a far cry from the refined dinner he’d originally envisioned, but the food was terrific. They ate picnic style with Thomas trying his best to work with the plastic silverware and keep his meal out of his lap.

“You know, messy is the only way to go.” Annabel took a barbecued chicken leg in her fingers and attacked it with a large bite. “Mmm, so good.”

Thomas smiled. Her lack of pretense impressed him. Most of the women he’d dated seemed to refrain from eating altogether. Annabel approached her meal the same way she approached the rest of her life—with gusto.

Messy gusto.

“And you do know the caveman method to dining will always result in more sauce on your face and hands than in your mouth, right?” Thomas asked, then smiled even wider at the exaggerated indignation on her face. “You’ve got a large dollop on your cheek.”

His breath caught the moment her tongue snaked out, trying to capture the evidence. It should look comical, but Thomas was captivated. “Ah, other side.”

She repeated the motion, but still missed.

“Here, let me help …”

He leaned closer, brushing at the side of her mouth with his thumb the same moment Annabel tried again, and was stunned when the quick lick against his skin sent shock waves through his body.

Her blue eyes widened and he couldn’t stop himself from dragging the moist digit over her full bottom lip.

Three dates in the past two years, longer than that since he’d even wanted to feel a woman’s mouth beneath his, but right here, right now, there was nothing Thomas wanted more in the world than to kiss Annabel.

And damn the consequences.

Chapter Four

For the second time in two days, Dr. Thomas North had left her utterly speechless. Breathless, too. Heck, the only way Annabel knew she was alive was the hot flush burning across her skin and the way her heart was about to jump out of her chest.

Then again, her heart had been rocking and rolling to its own crazy beat from the moment he’d agreed to her spontaneous dinner invitation earlier tonight.

Less than an hour ago, she’d skidded to a stop in her favorite black ballet flats as he’d eased out of his shiny sports car, looking relaxed despite hours spent in surgery, and especially yummy.

His white dress shirt and khaki pants were still fresh and polished. The only concession to his long day were the shirtsleeves folded halfway to his elbows. Even the loafers on his feet gleamed in the streetlights.

She’d used the few moments it’d taken him to notice The Hitching Post was closed to reassure herself that her idea of a take-out meal at her home away from home was a good idea.

Especially after he’d joined her and she’d seen the deep lines of fatigue bracketing his eyes.

Now, however, those icy blue eyes were bright and alive, the exhaustion replaced with longing as they stayed locked on her mouth. The heavenly back and forth friction of his thumb against her bottom lip had her wondering just how amazing it would be to kiss this man.

Should she or shouldn’t she?

Despite her flirty and confident attitude, Annabel had no idea how Thomas would react if she threw caution to the wind, closed the short distance between them and pressed her mouth to his.