Groom in Training

His eyes brightened. “And the bright side is I’m not a cranky neighbor.”

She understood the reference. “I’ve never had problems with a neighbor except a few complaints about my doggie day care when it was there.”

“Doggie day care? You mean, there in your home?”

His questioning look made Steph wish she hadn’t mentioned it. “That’s what I do for a living.”

His eyebrows lifted. “I’d never thought a pet day care could be so lucrative. Good for you.” His gaze drifted to her house.

She cringed. “My house is paid for. When my husband died, the insurance paid it in full.” The admission surprised her, and she tensed.

Nick lowered his eyes. “Sorry. I didn’t realize—”

“You didn’t know.”

His demeanor had changed, and Steph was sorry she mentioned it at all. She’d dampened their lively conversation, and the silence became uncomfortable. “My business moved to my friend’s dog shelter facility, Time for Paws, spelled P-A-W-S. It’s nice there. More room.”

“Cute name.” Nick slipped his arm behind her along the bench.

Feeling his closeness, Steph’s mind raced, trying to keep the conversation flowing. “What do you do for a living?”

“I own a small company that produces parts for industrial tools.”

Owns a company. So out of her league. “Parts for tools? Now, that sounds lucrative.”

He chuckled. “A new company takes time to grow. I worked for Martin for a while. He owns a large electronics firm, but I decided to take the big step and open my own business. It didn’t sit well with my brother.”

“No? I’d think he’d be pleased.”

“You’d think so.” He gave her a crooked smile.

In the bright sunlight, chestnut highlights glinted beneath the waves of his dark hair, cut in layers and so thick she could drown in it. She curled her fingers around the bench seat to keep herself from touching it while he watched the dogs play.

“That’s a neat thing about dogs.” Steph uncoiled her fingers. “We can read them because they’re honest. If they like you, they wag their tails and lick your hand. If they don’t, they growl and bare their teeth. You know where you stand.”

“Wouldn’t that be nice?”

Nick didn’t look at her, but she spotted tension in his jaw.

“Once a dog is socialized, you can trust them. In life, people aren’t that open. We hide a lot of things.” The truth struck her hard. She’d spent much of her life hiding things about her marriage and Doug’s death. She’d felt to blame no matter how she tried to convince herself otherwise.

Nick didn’t speak. He continued to stare at the grass as if he were miles away. Finally he lifted his head. “You’re right. It’s not only Martin who reacts without making sense. We’re all affected by our mistakes and experiences.”

Though she didn’t understand what had triggered the thought, a thread of understanding connected them.

When Steph turned her attention to Fred, her heart rose to her throat. She leaped from the bench, seeing the dogs had strayed too near the road. She clapped her hands. “Fred, come.”

Fred’s head snapped her way and his body followed. So did Suzette.

When he trotted to her side, she captured his collar. “That was a close one.”

“I should have been watching, too.” Nick clicked the leash on Suzette. “Sorry, I was distracted.”

“We both were.” She hooked her hand through the leash. “I should get back.” This felt too good and made her uneasy. Her uplifted spirit began to droop. She headed toward the sidewalk while avoiding getting her feet tangled in the leash.

Nick fell into step beside her as his cell phone jingled. He slipped it from a pocket and flipped it open. Hello faded to an apology. “I’m sorry, Al. I had some business and didn’t realize how late it was.” He tilted his wrist and eyed his watch. “I can be there in twenty minutes.”

Steph hated to listen, but Nick stayed in step with her while the voice on the other end sounded unhappy.

“Can we make it another day?”

Nick’s head lowered, and he kicked a stone. “Oh, I didn’t know. When will you be back?”

The voice was softer so Steph didn’t feel like an eavesdropper.

“Another time, then, and have a nice trip.” He flipped the lid and slid the cell phone into his pocket. “I was supposed to meet a friend for dinner.”

“I’m sorry, Nick. I hope you didn’t let me cause you to be late.”

“Not at all. Martin asked me to walk Suzette again, and I thought I could do both.” He shook his head. “When I saw you, I forgot.”

She suspected his friend hadn’t been thrilled. “You can’t do that to friends.”

He released a ragged sigh. “I know. I’ve been told that before.”

She’d wondered about him. Nick spent too much time doing his brother favors, and it seemed to affect his own life. Why did he do that? The question clogged her mind, but she kept it there and didn’t ask.

“You’re quiet.” He plopped his hand on her shoulder.

“Busy thinking.” He should do the same. “I have to do some housework today that I normally do Saturday.”

“What’s happening Saturday?” His voice faded, and he patted her shoulder. “Sorry. That’s a personal question I shouldn’t have asked.”

“It’s not personal.” His expression confused her—curious, yet wary. “Saturday I’m spending the afternoon having a dress fitting for a wedding.”

His eyes widened, and his hand slipped from her shoulder.

“Not my wedding, naturally. A friend’s. She’s getting married June 6. I’m a bridesmaid.”

He looked embarrassed and grinned. “Sounds like fun.”

Not really. She hated going dateless to a wedding. “I hope so.”

His hand rose to her shoulder again and gave it a squeeze. “Oh, come on. You’ll look beautiful in that gown, and you’ll have a good time.”

She gave a shrug and managed to grin. If she knew Nick better, he would make a good escort. Going alone was the pits. But she would survive without him. She’d been doing it for years.

They were silent, and Nick’s hand slipped from her shoulder. And why hadn’t he suggested taking her to the wedding?