Taken by Storm

Wow. Casper trusted him, and Casper didn’t trust anybody without a dog treat or a blue ribbon.

The man didn’t look up until Zoey was nearly on top of them, and then he smiled and continued petting the dog. Zoey felt a quiver in her own belly and sank to the floor beside them. “I really appreciate you watching Casper. I don’t even know your name.” Please don’t let it begin with a J. “I’m Zoey.” She reached over Casper and offered her hand.

“Zoey.” He smiled as he said her name. “Cam.”

She was irrationally relieved that his name didn’t, in fact, begin with a J. Then he grasped her hand and she got a jolt of awareness. Or it could have been static electricity. They both started at the sensation, but he didn’t let go.

“So that’s what they mean when they say ‘sparks flew between them.’” He gazed deep into her eyes as he smiled and held her hand. Tingles that had nothing to do with static electricity raced up her arm.

Talk about a connection.

There was something about him that made Zoey feel as if she could bundle up her mess of a life and toss it at him, and he’d fix it. Not that she wanted him, or any man—or woman, or parent, or sister—fixing her life for her. She needed to do that all by herself. Then when she finally did succeed at something, it would be her success, achieved on her own, and everyone else would know it.

Casper raised his head and nosed their clasped hands. There was nothing like a cold, wet dog nose to change the mood.

“Okay, I get the message.” Cam laughed lightly and petted the dog. “He sure likes to have his belly rubbed.”

“I had no idea.” As long as this guy was giving them, Zoey wouldn’t mind a few belly rubs herself.

Cam looked up at her, eyebrows raised in a question.

“Casper is my sister’s dog.”

He nodded to the crate. “Is she Ryka?”

“No, that’s the name of my sister and brother-in-law’s kennel. Ryan and Kate. Ryka. They raise and show Afghan hounds.”

“So that explains the hairstyle and the outfit.”

“Oh, yes.” Zoey couldn’t prevent a sigh from escaping. “It’s supposed to keep his hair clean and from getting tangled and matted. You ought to see him when he’s all dolled up for a show. Really gorgeous. Though talk about high maintenance.” She examined one of Casper’s paws. “Look. Even with the booties, the slush outside has stained the hair around his feet.”

“That’s a given with this floor.” Cam stared down at the dog and gave his tummy a final pat. “I hope it was okay to take off his coat. It was wet.”

“Oh, absolutely. Thank you.” She made a face and dug in her pocket for the wet, dirty booties. “This outfit wasn’t meant to withstand blizzards. I can’t believe there isn’t a designated pet relief area near this terminal. I mean, this is O’Hare.” She gestured around them. “I had to take him across the street. At least there wasn’t any traffic.”

Cam looped his arms around his knees. “It’s bad out there?”

“It’s unreal. How do people live in this weather?” Zoey got up and laid the booties on top of the crate where Cam had draped the wet dog coat. Very thoughtful.

She slid a glance toward him. He still sat by Casper, apparently not in a hurry to go anywhere, and her lingering guilt about thrusting Casper on him evaporated.

“Doesn’t it snow in Virginia?” he asked as Casper came over to the crate and nosed at the empty water container.

“Maybe, but I live in Texas near Austin, and snow isn’t something I see a whole lot of.” Zoey wasn’t thrilled about giving Casper water—what went in was going to come out.

As she opened the spout on Casper’s water dispenser, Cam said, “Hey, I live in San Marcos.”

Zoey glanced over at him in time to catch a surprisingly wide smile bracketed by a couple of killer dimples she hadn’t noticed before. Not that she was a dimple person. Or hadn’t been in the past. She might be one now. A couple of beats went by, during which Casper’s dish filled with more water than Zoey had intended. She closed the spigot as Casper lapped greedily. “I’m in Round Rock.”

“Just a few miles up the road.” Still smiling, he shook his head. “What are the chances?”

Zoey looked around at the people waiting in line and hanging out by the exit watching the snow. “Judging by all the A&M, UT and Texas Tech shirts, the chances are pretty good.”

“It’s the timing,” he said. “The flights from Texas were some of the last allowed to land before they closed the airport.”

“My connecting flight originated in Richmond. Not that it’s doing me any favors now.”

Zoey could feel him watching her. She wanted to be flattered, but under normal circumstances, she had to make a real effort to attract the attention of upper-tier lookers like Cam. Maybe she’d been going about it all wrong. Maybe all she needed to do to turn a man’s head was appear travel-rumpled and fling a dog at him.

“Where are you headed?” he asked.

“Seattle.”

“The 1:40 United Flight?”

“Yes. Well, originally.” She glanced up and their gazes caught and held.

“Me, too,” he said softly.

She couldn’t look away, even though she knew she was sending signals she had no business sending. He sat still and unblinking, his eyes never leaving hers. They were cool blue with a hot message.

As awareness prickled through her, Zoey reminded herself to breathe. She exhaled and forced herself to move her eyes to the dog. Wow. That was intense.

She had to blink a few times before Casper came into focus. He’d finished slurping the water and now waited expectantly. Food. He wanted food. Zoey didn’t have that much with her. The rest of his special not-available-commercially blend was taking up a lot of space in her suitcase. She gave him a few bits from what she had in her bag. He looked at it and then back up at her. She gave him a little more. “That’s all for now, Casper. I have no idea how long we’re going to be stuck here.”

“I hear that.” Cam got to his feet and brushed his hands together. “Which reminds me, I should find out where they’re storing the box I checked.” He indicated the door where the airline workers loaded and unloaded animals and perishables. “I thought I’d try the cargo guys before standing in line.”

“Good plan, and thanks for helping with Casper,” Zoey told him.

“No problem.” His eyes met hers. There was that intensity again, followed by a hyperawareness of him that caused a hitch in her breathing.

Impulsively, she asked, “Have we met? I mean, before?” Maybe that would explain it.

He started to say something and stopped.

“What?”

“I was going to say I would have remembered you, but that sounds like a line.”

“Well, I know I would have remembered you,” Zoey said. Again, impulsively. And embarrassingly. Feeling her face heat, she gestured vaguely. “Your smile. It’s killer.”

“Yeah?” He smiled his killer smile.

Oh, yeah.

“Still, there’s something...” His eyes traced her face and Zoey willed her blush to fade. Maybe he’d think it was windburn. “Did you go to Texas State?” he asked.

She shook her head. “UT. Maybe we just saw each other in a crowd somewhere. Do you ever go to Dasko’s?”