grabbed for it, although Sara’s eyes were already open again.
“Hello.”
“Hi, Buck. It’s Charity.”
“Good morning.”
“Sorry I’m late checking in. I see that you’ve got company. Do you need me to come over and get your breakfast?”
He opened his mouth to say she didn’t have to come, then thought better of it. “I’d appreciate it if you could. Ken’s here feeding the horses so he’s kind of busy. And Sara’s a little off her game.”
“Sara? Isn’t she supposed to be on bed rest?”
“That’s exactly what I asked her.” He shot a pointed look in his sister-in-law’s direction.
Sara stuck out her tongue in return.
“I’ll be right over,” Charity said. “Do you care if I bring Cocoa with me? I can leave her on your doorstep.”
“Don’t mind if she comes in. It’s about time she and I met, don’t you think? Just come on in when you get here. Door’s open.”
C HARITY PUSHED THE E ND BUTTON AND SET DOWN the phone. “Time for me to check on the patient next door, Cocoa. Want to come along this time?”
Anticipating an outing, the dog raced from the room.
“Well, I guess that answers that.” Charity smiled—grateful for a pet that could make her do so.
A short while later, she and Cocoa stood on Buck’s stoop. She rapped softly before opening the door. Buck was on the sofa, leg elevated. Sara Malone was in a nearby chair.
“Sit, Cocoa,” Charity commanded. Then she walked over to the chair. As she bent down to kiss Sara’s cheek, she asked, “How’re you doing?”
“Not bad.” Sara smiled briefly.
It didn’t look to Charity as if she was telling the truth. There were dark smudges under the other woman’s eyes and her face looked drawn.
“It’s good to see you, Charity. It’s always so long between times.”
“I know.”
“I’m glad you’re here for the summer. You know we’ve got a big all-class reunion coming up.”
“Yeah. I got the letter about it.”
“Well, you won’t have an excuse to miss this one.”
Does Jon still come to the reunions? The thought sent a shudder running down her spine. She didn’t want to think about him. Her outing yesterday had stirred up too many unwelcome feelings. Another day of the same would be unbearable.
Charity looked toward Buck, whose eyes had narrowed thoughtfully as he watched the conversation. “Anything special you want to eat?”
“Whatever’s easy,” he answered.
But there was something in his gaze that made her think he could see her secrets. The feeling of transparency made her anxious. With a jerky nod, she swung around and went into the kitchen.
From the living room, she heard Buck say, “Come, Cocoa. Come here, girl. Let’s you and me officially meet.” Knowing she would have to give the command to release Cocoa before the dog would move, she turned.
Only she was wrong. Cocoa was already headed toward the sofa, toenails clicking on the wood floor.
When Cocoa reached him, Buck cupped the dog’s muzzle with his good hand and looked her straight in the eyes. “So you’re the one who caused all of this.”
Cocoa wagged her tail, as if accepting a compliment.
“Maybe you could try not to do that again. It’s embarrassing to be knocked over in front of a pretty woman.”
What? It shouldn’t matter that Buck Malone thought her pretty. It didn’t matter that he thought so. And yet, for only a moment, a tingle of pleasure replaced her anxiety.
Buck raised his voice while still looking at the dog. “She’s got a strong, powerful head. Smart as a whip, isn’t she?”
Drawn a couple of steps toward the living room, Charity nodded. “She is.”
“I’ll bet she’s got some American Staffordshire terrier in her.”
“Along with several other breeds.”
Buck leaned against the back of the sofa. “My last dog was a border collie. His name was Snap. Had him since the summer after I graduated from high school. He died this spring.Too late in the season for me to get a puppy.
“Hello.”
“Hi, Buck. It’s Charity.”
“Good morning.”
“Sorry I’m late checking in. I see that you’ve got company. Do you need me to come over and get your breakfast?”
He opened his mouth to say she didn’t have to come, then thought better of it. “I’d appreciate it if you could. Ken’s here feeding the horses so he’s kind of busy. And Sara’s a little off her game.”
“Sara? Isn’t she supposed to be on bed rest?”
“That’s exactly what I asked her.” He shot a pointed look in his sister-in-law’s direction.
Sara stuck out her tongue in return.
“I’ll be right over,” Charity said. “Do you care if I bring Cocoa with me? I can leave her on your doorstep.”
“Don’t mind if she comes in. It’s about time she and I met, don’t you think? Just come on in when you get here. Door’s open.”
C HARITY PUSHED THE E ND BUTTON AND SET DOWN the phone. “Time for me to check on the patient next door, Cocoa. Want to come along this time?”
Anticipating an outing, the dog raced from the room.
“Well, I guess that answers that.” Charity smiled—grateful for a pet that could make her do so.
A short while later, she and Cocoa stood on Buck’s stoop. She rapped softly before opening the door. Buck was on the sofa, leg elevated. Sara Malone was in a nearby chair.
“Sit, Cocoa,” Charity commanded. Then she walked over to the chair. As she bent down to kiss Sara’s cheek, she asked, “How’re you doing?”
“Not bad.” Sara smiled briefly.
It didn’t look to Charity as if she was telling the truth. There were dark smudges under the other woman’s eyes and her face looked drawn.
“It’s good to see you, Charity. It’s always so long between times.”
“I know.”
“I’m glad you’re here for the summer. You know we’ve got a big all-class reunion coming up.”
“Yeah. I got the letter about it.”
“Well, you won’t have an excuse to miss this one.”
Does Jon still come to the reunions? The thought sent a shudder running down her spine. She didn’t want to think about him. Her outing yesterday had stirred up too many unwelcome feelings. Another day of the same would be unbearable.
Charity looked toward Buck, whose eyes had narrowed thoughtfully as he watched the conversation. “Anything special you want to eat?”
“Whatever’s easy,” he answered.
But there was something in his gaze that made her think he could see her secrets. The feeling of transparency made her anxious. With a jerky nod, she swung around and went into the kitchen.
From the living room, she heard Buck say, “Come, Cocoa. Come here, girl. Let’s you and me officially meet.” Knowing she would have to give the command to release Cocoa before the dog would move, she turned.
Only she was wrong. Cocoa was already headed toward the sofa, toenails clicking on the wood floor.
When Cocoa reached him, Buck cupped the dog’s muzzle with his good hand and looked her straight in the eyes. “So you’re the one who caused all of this.”
Cocoa wagged her tail, as if accepting a compliment.
“Maybe you could try not to do that again. It’s embarrassing to be knocked over in front of a pretty woman.”
What? It shouldn’t matter that Buck Malone thought her pretty. It didn’t matter that he thought so. And yet, for only a moment, a tingle of pleasure replaced her anxiety.
Buck raised his voice while still looking at the dog. “She’s got a strong, powerful head. Smart as a whip, isn’t she?”
Drawn a couple of steps toward the living room, Charity nodded. “She is.”
“I’ll bet she’s got some American Staffordshire terrier in her.”
“Along with several other breeds.”
Buck leaned against the back of the sofa. “My last dog was a border collie. His name was Snap. Had him since the summer after I graduated from high school. He died this spring.Too late in the season for me to get a puppy.
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