Remember Love: Saints Protection & Investigations by Maryann Jordan Page A

trust. Taking the dog’s cue, she stayed by her side, petting her and feeling at ease in his home.
    She watched in fascination as Blaise immediately began to examine Gypsy. After he worked his way from her nose to her tail, soothing the animal constantly, he moved to her injured paw. Gypsy stayed still, comfortable with his examination. “You’re good at that,” she said. “It’s like she completely trusts you.”
    “I like animals,” he admitted. “Sometimes more than people.”
    Grinning, she nodded her understanding, running her hand over the thick fur.
    “Be careful,” he warned. “She might snap as I probe her paw.”
    “She won’t.”
    “You have a lot of trust in your dog. How long have the two of you been together?”
    No answer was forthcoming, causing Blaise to look up at the woman’s face. Her expression was indiscernible—part sadness, part fear, part longing. Before he could question her further, she whispered.
    “As long as I can remember.”
    He wanted to ask her what that meant. The dog was only a couple of years old… certainly not old enough for her to not be able to remember when she got her. Turning his confused mind back to the task at hand, he probed the paw with a pair of forceps.
    “Looks like she’s got a small piece of glass embedded.” He continued to gently extract the offensive material, speaking softly to Gypsy throughout the procedure. Turning, he grabbed swabs and chlorhexidine. Treating the entire paw, he wrapped it up in gauze.
    “Will she be all right? Will she need stitches?” she asked, concern in her voice.
    As he answered, Blaise lifted his gaze and was struck dumb by the large, warm eyes staring right at him. Trusting. Mesmerized, he stumbled over his words, saying, “Uh…uh…no…um, no stitches.” Giving himself a mental headshake, he brought his mind back to the task. “But she needs to stay off of the outside ground for a few days. She needs to stay indoors, where she won’t get a chance to re-injure herself or step in something that can bring on infection.”
    She nodded, biting her lip. “Okay…” she agreed hesitantly. “But, I don’t know where we’ll—”
    “You’ll stay here,” Blaise stated as though the matter was decided, then saw the error of his ways when he observed the narrowed eyes of his guest. “I mean,” he hastened to say, “that Gypsy needs to stay here and there’s no way I can allow you to go back to that tumble-down shack. It’s a miracle you haven’t been attacked.”
    “I think having a guard dog probably kept me safe,” she mumbled.
    “Well, since your source of protection needs to be taken care of, I’m the next best solution.”
    Her eyes shifted around the room as she asked, “Where would I sleep? Can I get some blankets to sleep in here?” Her gaze suddenly jumped to his as she stammered, “Or I can sleep outside. I didn’t mean to imply that I’d—”
    “Shhh,” Blaise admonished. “I don’t know what all’s gone on in your life, but I promise, you’re safe now. I’ve got a spare bedroom that has its own bathroom.”
    Looking askance, she shook her head. “Oh, no. I couldn’t impose. You’ve got a small barn out back. Gypsy and I’ll be fine in there.”
    “I know you’re scared and that makes you smart, and I’m racking my brain trying to figure out a way to let you know you’re safe with me.” Placing his hand on his hip, he blurted in frustration, “But there’s no way I’m letting a woman sleep in a shed when I’ve got a place for her here. Please. I just want to help.”
    She continued to hesitate and Blaise knew it was a risk to offer a defenseless woman his spare bedroom. The silence stretched between them as he let her ponder her choices. Her eyes glanced back down to a resting Gypsy and her expression softened as she slowly nodded. “Okay. Gypsy trusts you, so…I’ll stay.” Lifting her gaze back to his, she said, “And thank you…for everything.”
    Letting out