Groomed for Love

“Yeah, fooled you, didn’t I?” Rylie quipped. “But guess what? You’re going to be feeling better and better by the second.” She soothingly stroked Bubble’s tummy, only to connect with Noah’s fingers. Surprised that he hadn’t already released his hold, she looked up at him, only to find that he was staring at her. That close scrutiny and the physical contact created a circuit that sent a strong wave of something hot and heavy through her body. “You...can let go now.”

He glanced down and appeared surprised himself, but recovered quickly. Taking a step away from the table, he allowed, “You are fast.”

His raspy admission had her smiling as she carried Bubbles to the sink, where she got a stainless-steel bowl and filled it with warm water. Then she set the dog carefully on the counter and coaxed her to put her foot into the warm water.

“Let me get the blood off,” she told Bubbles, her tone all reassurance. “We can’t send you home all messy.”

As soon as she was through, she wrapped the dog in a clinic towel and collected more items. Then she returned to the surgery table to treat the wound.

“Does she need to take antibiotics?” Noah asked.

“Not unless she comes down with an infection. She’s a healthy girl, so I’m not looking for that to happen. I’ll put Betadine on her—”

“What’s that?”

“A great antiseptic. Part iodine. It’s widely used in hospitals. If the wound happens to reopen, you could use Neosporin, too, and save yourself a trip back here.”

“Ramon thought of hydrogen peroxide.”

“In a pinch, okay, but that can be harsh on skin.”

“What else?”

“That’s it. Tell your mother to try to keep her quiet for a day or two. If she shows signs of prolonged limping, or licks the wound too much, bring her back. Go ahead and give her a low-dose aspirin when you get home. It should help keep down any fever and might help her sleep.”

“Sounds easy enough. One more question.”

“Sure.”

“Why do you have more education than a certified technician?”

Oops. One thing she would say for Noah Prescott, he listened well. “As I said,” she replied with a shrug, “I’ve been doing this for years.” She all but held her breath, hoping that rather evasive answer satisfied him.

Although he looked as if he was going to continue probing, he just frowned and asked, “What do I owe you this time?”

Rylie shook her head. “Forget about it. I was already here, and we didn’t do anything major. Just give your mom my best.” From Noah’s unsatisfied expression, she concluded that it made him uncomfortable to be beholden to her, and that made her grin wickedly at him. “What’s the matter, A.D.A. Prescott—worried that you might have to be nicer to me now? Don’t strain yourself, or you’re the one who might end up needing stitches.”

He grunted his opinion of that, and yet a hint of amusement lit his brown eyes. “I just knew there was a touch of smart-ass in you.”

“Shocking,” she replied, her tone playful.

For the next minute, she worked on gingerly drying off Bubbles’s paw and then applying the Betadine. As expected, Bubbles didn’t think much of that, but the slight stinging eased quickly. “Sorry about the bit of yellow staining, but this way you know it’s keeping her safe from infection.”

When she was through with that, she got a fresh towel to wrap Bubbles in, explaining to Noah, “Tell your mother that I’ll soak hers and return it the next visit. Don’t worry about this one.” With a nod to indicate her intent, she started for the door.

As they exited the building and walked to his car, Noah sped up to look her in the face. “I should have said it sooner, but I do appreciate this, especially since it’s after hours.”

Sweet, Rylie thought. If only that frown didn’t continue to mar an otherwise handsome face. “You’re most welcome.”

Once Noah opened the BMW’s passenger door for her, she just stood there looking at him. He caught on immediately.

“Right.” He rounded the sedan and climbed in, not only starting the engine, but also turning the air conditioner on high to cool off the car quickly. “Happy now?”

“Practically speechless with it.” Rylie eased Bubbles onto the floorboard. Stroking her reassuringly, she said, “You’re going home now. Be a good girl and no more owies.”

Although she thought she hid it well, she was sorry to see Noah drive away. She knew that intimate moment by the surgery table was the cause...second only to seeing that she’d made him smile. At the same time, it saddened her to hear there were some serious issues going on at Haven Land. The accident was three years past, but life wasn’t running smoothly for Noah, any more than for his mother.

He sensed you understand that.

“Oh, stop the mental contortions,” she muttered to herself as she returned to the clinic. “He’s still way out of your league.”

And probably always would be. At twenty-five, she had lived a busy, full life so far, but had yet to fall in love. Heaven knows, she had opened her heart in invitation. She had plenty of friends and acquaintances, and up to the moment when she put California in her rearview mirror, her social life was as active as anyone her age who enjoyed people and school. However, although she’d had only a handful of relationships, two that she wrongly thought could be the real thing, neither of those men—boys, really—had managed to make her feel what seconds in Noah’s presence did. The encounter this evening proved that, after a mere graze of flesh. How unbelievable was that?

As she pondered that, she wiped down and disinfected everything with even more gusto. By the time she got MG out of the RV and went to put the kenneled dogs on leashes, she was ready to dismiss the experience as an anomaly.

“I’m being ridiculous, MG,” she said to her dog. “If I start breaking into song like I’m in a Broadway musical, bite me.”

The long-legged retriever-mix pranced beside her, happy to be with her again and about to get some exercise. Having full awareness of what the word bite meant, she barked, ending her commentary with a throaty growl.

Rylie laughed. “I knew I could count on you.”

* * *

He would have said something. Even as he went to work on Tuesday, Noah continued to dwell on how yesterday had ended at the clinic. He’d been left...unsatisfied.

Rylie slammed the car door in your face!

Okay, he amended, so she’d shut it without giving him a chance. The point was that he would have at least thanked her again, to further prove that he wasn’t the curmudgeon she seemed to believe he was. Why were they rubbing each other the wrong way? Such...friction was new to him. Usually, he had no problem getting along with people. Granted, he tended to be measured, cautious, but then he had his family name to respect and protect, and now his position with the D.A.’s office. But he wasn’t inaccessible, let alone mean-spirited or cruel. He was someone who kept up with fraternity brothers from college and classmates from law school, for pity’s sake!

Entering the courthouse, he already knew that Vance would be out of the office again. His boss had called while Noah had been driving to town to confirm that he was still feeling poorly, even though he’d been to see his doctor. That meant Noah would be fielding calls and handling several matters on behalf of the D.A.’s office, including having lunch with a civic group that had been scheduled months ago. That would be no problem, since he had made similar presentations before. This was a great opportunity to make more residents of the area aware of who he was.

Even with all that on his plate, Rylie’s face appeared in his mind. Noah all but groaned in frustration.

It’s because you touched her.

The contact had been clinical, inevitable due to the need to keep the dog still. There was no reason for him to read something sensual into the experience, but tell that to his body. It had responded as though he’d walked face-first into a furnace, and he’d remained thrown off balance long into the night, until he’d indulged in a second shower for relief. Thank goodness his mother’s car was back in good shape, and Ramon would take over these clinic trips again. Clearly, he needed to protect himself from his own imagination.

After starting the coffee machine, Noah went to his desk with his collection of newspapers that were stacked daily on the hallway bench outside the office door. But as he sat down, the computer’s dark monitor screen was what captured and kept his attention. It stared back at him in bold daring, a portal to...what?

Your best opportunity to find answers. Go ahead. You know you want to.

He checked his watch. The empty office would stay quiet like this for another half hour at most. Temptation won.

Noah booted up the machine. Just one more search, he told himself. He didn’t want to dream about her again tonight. Yes, she was cute, yes, she was a new experience to him, but was it sane to become obsessed with a woman who lived in an RV!

As soon as that censorious thought formed in his mind, he felt shame, only to get defensive. Experience had taught him that few people had the Teflon skins attributed to some Washington, D.C., politicians that they could survive scandal or the weight of relentless gossip. If he was going to run for office, the shortest distance to that goal was to choose your society with circumspection. He needed some information, any excuse to get Rylie Quinn out of his head.

Try the social networks.