THE DOC WAS late. It was nearing six and Jessica still hadn’t shown up. Cal fed Scout and let him out in the back, watching him from the deck. Hardly the exercise he needed, but at least he was able to perform his basic bodily functions. Cal was confident she would show—reasonably confident, anyway. He trusted the doc, even if she hadn’t called. But he was the one who’d told her not to bother.
What was it about her that seemed to reduce his IQ to that of a Neanderthal?
Scout might’ve had dinner already, but Cal hadn’t and the grumbling of his stomach reminded him. He thought about calling Jessica at the hospital, just to make sure she hadn’t changed her mind or forgotten, but lack of trust wasn’t a good way to begin whatever kind of relationship they were going to have over the next couple of weeks. He might as well eat, he decided, since he had no idea when she’d show up.
Cal had just marinated a steak and was about to start his barbecue when he heard a car pull into his driveway. Looking out the window, he saw Jessica’s yellow Miata. He glanced at his watch. Almost seven.
He opened the door before she could knock.
“Smells wonderful,” she said as she bent down to greet Scout. “I’m sorry I’m late. We had an emergency surgery. Occupational hazard, never being on time.”
“Not a problem. I lost track of time, too. So much to occupy me,” he joked, making her smile. He motioned for her to follow him into the kitchen. “I was just starting dinner. If you don’t have plans, why don’t you stay and we can discuss Scout while we eat. Hopefully it’ll taste as good as it smells.”
Jessica’s cheeks turned pink. “I really shouldn’t. I’m sure you have things to do and I should get home. Get Scout settled. I don’t want to put you to any trouble.”
“It’s no trouble.” Cal couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen a grown woman blush. Anna certainly never had. He found it unreasonably touching. There was something vulnerable and shy about her right then that appealed to him. “I’d like you to stay,” he added to his own amazement. He wondered if he’d hoped for it all along, since the steak he was marinating was large enough for two healthy appetites. “All I have on my agenda is cooking dinner. We do need to discuss Scout. And in the meantime, you might as well experience one of my world-famous Jack Daniels–marinated steaks.”
Jessica’s color remained high and she gave him a timid smile. “If you’re sure…”
“Absolutely. I’m barbecuing, anyway. This steak is too large for me to finish in one meal. Since you’re here, you can help with some of the preparation, which will make it easier for me with my bad leg.”
“Ah, the sympathy ploy!” she teased. Scout sat down next to her. She dropped her hand on his head in what appeared to be a reflexive action. “All right,” she said as she walked toward the kitchen counter. “What can I do to help?”
“You can pour us some wine.” He gestured toward the bottle of red he’d left breathing on the counter. “The glasses are in the cupboard beside the fridge.”
He was startled by how much he liked seeing her move around his kitchen…his space. After she handed him a glass filled with the rich red cabernet, she tasted the wine in her own glass. “Very nice. What next?”
“Tell me how you like your steak, then take a seat and enjoy the wine.”
“Medium rare,” she said as she settled on one of the stools by his kitchen counter.
“I’ll be right back.”
She put her glass down and rushed over when she saw him trying to juggle the plate with the steak on it. “Here, let me take that out for you.”
He handed her the plate gratefully. “I said you’d be a help.” He grinned as they went out on the back deck and he placed the steak next to the foil-wrapped potatoes already on the grill.
“As I said when I got here, the aroma’s delicious. But world-famous?”
“Well, at least in my own mind. Seriously, I’ve had lots of favorable comments about my marinade.” He smiled again. “And it’s one of the few meals I know how to make.”
By the time he brought the steak back in—medium rare—she’d made a salad and set his kitchen table.
Cal instructed Scout to lie on his bed as they sat down to eat.
“Tell me about Scout and how this is going to work,” Jessica said as she took her first bite of the steak. “Mmm…this is delicious!”
“Didn’t I tell you? As for Scout, whatever works best for you. I’ll need to spend some time with him on his training. We can do that anywhere. At the division, here on the beach or at your place. Training in different environments helps the dogs. When you go to work, if it’s not inconvenient, you can drop him off here. Leave him for the occasional night, if you have plans. My biggest challenge is giving him the exercise he needs. Running with him, playing with him or just taking him to a park would be very much appreciated.”
Cal went over all the basic commands with her. She took another bite of her steak, closed her eyes and made a satisfied face. That gave Cal a moment to observe her, and he took full advantage. He liked what he saw. Yes, he thought she was beautiful, but her beauty wasn’t traditional. And it wasn’t skin-deep. She was smart and generous, and she liked dogs and sports cars. Neither of which had found favor with his ex-wife.
Jessica was tall and Anna had been short. Jessica was sinewy and Anna curvy. Jessica… What was he doing making comparisons to his ex-wife? But that got him thinking of Anna and why he’d had no interest in women since his marriage ended. It was a good reminder, because he could see himself falling for the beautiful doctor. But that was definitely not in the cards. He needed a lot more time to get over what had happened.
Faith Blum is a 24 year old home school graduate who enjoys doing many right-brained activities such as reading, crafting, writing, and playing piano. Her favorite genre to read and write is Historical Fiction, more specifically, Westerns. In the Hymns of the West series, she has endeavored to create clean, fun, and challenging Western stories for the whole family. She currently has three novels and three novellas published.
