A Thankful Heart (Love at the Chocolate Shop Book 2) Page 8

  Maybe it was the way she nurtured those around her. Or maybe it was her sense of humor that kept him off guard at unexpected times. Or maybe it was the easy way she’d forgiven him and accepted his apology.

  His gaze traveled from her eyes to her lips.

  Soft lips. The kind made for long, hot kisses.

  His temperature shot up. His collar tightened.

  Bryce wanted to kiss her, but that wasn’t why he was here. He straightened. “Keep us posted on what Lori says.”

  Dakota stuck the key in the knob. “Will do. Thanks again for the ride.”

  She opened the door.

  Something covered in fur bounded out and landed against him. He cringed but, this time, the fight-or-flight response didn’t kick in. His muscles, however, tensed into hard knots. He hadn’t been prepared for another greeting from the beast. He managed not to be knocked backward, but licking ensued.

  More this time.

  Bryce cringed. He really didn’t like big dogs. A good thing his dad kept hand sanitizer in the glove box.

  “Rascal. What are you doing out of the dining room?” Dakota held the dog by the collar. She glanced into the house. “Can you hold him?”

  No, but he found himself with the dog anyway.

  Dakota ran inside.

  Rascal panted and wagged his tail.

  Bryce wasn’t used to being so close to a big dog or touching one. “You’re a friendly beast, right?”

  “Oh, no. Pierre. Scout.” Panic filled Dakota’s voice.

  That didn’t sound good.

  Not wanting to wait for Dakota, Bryce led Rascal into the house, closed the front door, and let the dog lead the way.

  A gate lay haphazardly between a wide doorway. Inside the room, a simple light fixture hung from the ceiling. Its location suggested this was a dining room. The walls were painted a pale blue. A large cage lay on its side as if it had fallen off the table. Two black wire dog crates sat nearby. Balls and stuffed animals lay scattered across the scuffed hardwood floor.

  Dakota crawled underneath the table. “Thank goodness.”

  “Is everything okay?” Bryce asked.

  “Yes, but for a minute, I thought the worst.” She sniffled. “But Pierre and Scout are fine and just taking a nap together the way best buds do.”

  With one hand on Rascal’s collar, Bryce peered around the toppled cage. The small dog was curled up with a gray rat with big ears. Both slept soundly on a pillow.

  “That’s not something you see every day,” he said.

  “Not unless you live here.” She inched her way from under the table and took Rascal from him.

  The dog went willingly. That was good.

  Bryce wiped his hand on his pant leg.

  She put the dog into one of the crates. “You know better than to make a mess like this.”

  Rascal deserved the blame. Scout was too small to have jumped onto the table and pushed off the cage. Forget about tearing down the gate.

  Bryce kept his distance from the crate. “Rascal’s been busy.”

  “He has a mind of his own. He’s also Scout’s minion. Whatever that little dog wants, Rascal does.” She surveyed the room. “I rarely leave them out when I’m not around, but they had been crated for so long yesterday, and while I was at work today, that I thought this would be better for them. I never thought I’d be putting Pierre in danger. Or Scout—”

  Dakota rubbed her face.

  He couldn’t see her expression, but her shoulders shook. “It’s been a rough twenty-four hours.”

  Nodding, she wiped her eyes.

  Was she…?

  That was a tear. Tears.

  Not a lot.

  But enough.

  Bryce wasn’t good at this kind of thing. He’d never seen his mom cry until the very end of her life. When former girlfriends had cried, he’d never known what to do or say.

  But he got the feeling Dakota needed him to do something now.

  Awkwardly, he wrapped his arms around her.

  She stiffened. Every muscle tightened beneath his hands.

  He should let go. Except… she was leaning into him. Slightly. Maybe he should hold on. He pulled her closer.

  She suddenly relaxed and sank against him.

  He held onto her tight, not sure what to say, but that seemed to be okay for now.

  She drew in a sharp breath. “I-I thought Rascal might have hurt Pierre. Not on purpose, but playing. And that cage could have hit Scout. And…”

  He smoothed her hair with his right hand. “It’s okay. Everyone is okay.”

  Holding her like this felt one hundred percent natural. He didn’t know why, but he could stand here for the next five minutes or five hours, and be perfectly content. The scent of her vanilla shampoo surrounded him. Her soft breasts pressed against him. Her warmth heated him.

  But this wasn’t about him. He wanted to comfort her.

  “Both Pierre and Scout are fine.” Bryce rubbed her back. That seemed to relax her even though she wore a thick coat. “Did you see Rascal? He was relatively calm after his exuberant greeting and licks. He let me bring him into the house and to the dining room.”

  “Yeah, you didn’t freak out this time.”

  “I didn’t freak out the last time.” He pulled back slightly and raised her chin with his fingertip. “I never freak out.”

  No tears fell, but her eyes gleamed. A slight smile returned. “Never?”

  Except when dogs were involved or his dad. “On extremely rare occasions.”

  That brought a smile to Dakota’s face.

  Bryce let go of her and took a step back.

  “Sorry for breaking down,” she said. “Like you said, it’s been a rough twenty-four hours with little sleep, and I’ve got so much to do still. I wasn’t prepared for anything else to go wrong.”

  “Especially to animals in your care.” He could tell the three might be fosters, but she loved them.

  Dakota nodded. “I’m glad you were here even if my eyes must be red and swollen and my face all splotchy.”

  “Red eyes, yes. Swollen, no. Splotches, not really.”

  Her smile widened, and then her lips parted.

  Bryce wanted to kiss her, but not after what she’d been through. This wasn’t the right time. This wasn’t…

  Dakota kissed him. Just planted her lips against his.

  He was shocked but pleased. Very, very pleased.

  He followed her lead. Enjoyed the feel of her lips and the way she tasted…

  Sweet, warm, and way better than any candy.

  She pressed against him. A dog barked.

  Rascal.

  Dakota jumped back. Eyes wide and cheeks flushed, she touched her mouth and then lowered her hand. “I don’t know what I was thinking. I’m sorry. I…I shouldn’t have done that.”

  “I’m happy you did because I wanted to do the same thing.”

  “You did?”

  He nodded. “Just wasn’t sure it was the right time.”

  Uncertainty was written across her face. “Was it?”

  Bryce nodded again. “Let’s get Rascal’s mess cleaned up.”

  “You don’t have to stay.”

  “Two of us can get this place back together faster.” He ran his fingertip along her jawline and fought the urge to kiss her again. “You need sleep more than you need anything else.”

  Including kisses.

  He picked up the cage and set it on the table. Book and papers had been knocked all over the place. He grabbed the papers and straightened them. The first page was marked up as if she’d been proofreading. Lots of crossed out words and scribbles. Some writing he couldn’t read.

  The books were thick, not pleasure reading. He grabbed them one by one. The first was about living with learning disabilities. Two others were about dyslexia in adults.

  Was this why Dakota wanted help on the proposal?

  The first one took you a long time to write. Can you have the proposal revised by then and plan
an adoption event at the same time?

  I’m not worried about the event, but I think… No, I’m going to need help with the report. I just don’t know who to ask.

  Did his dad know? Was that why he wanted Bryce to help?

  But he’d said no.

  If he’d known…

  Bryce stacked the books before walking to the other side of the table.

  He knew now.

  She picked up dog toys that had been scattered about the floor. “Oh, Rascal. You should be the one cleaning up. Not us.”

  The dog’s guilty expression made Bryce smile. Rascal knew he’d done wrong.

  “But I still love you, silly boy,” she said. “Just please don’t do this again.”

  The love in her voice drew Bryce closer. He kneeled next to her and picked up a ball. “I’ve been thinking about your proposal. I can help you.”

  The gratitude in her eyes nearly knocked him over. He placed his hand on the hardwood floor to steady himself.

  “Really?” she asked. “That would be great.”

  Nodding, he wished he’d offered to do this back at his dad’s house. “Email me what you have and any notes.”

  Panic flashed across her face. “Notes?”

  That seemed a sore spot. “Or record your ideas using the voice memo app on your phone and send them to me.”

  Her lips parted as if surprised. “That would work.”

  Her happy tone pleased him. “I’ll leave my contact information.”

  “Thanks.” She picked up a dragon that squeaked. “Did you change your mind about helping because I kissed you?”

  “No,” Bryce said honestly.

  “Good, because I don’t plan on doing that again.”

  He laughed, but he was strangely disappointed. “Glad to know what not to expect.”

  Her nose scrunched. “So why did you change your mind?”

  Bryce didn’t have to think long. He’d made wrong choices over the years—not going home enough to see his mom and dad when they lived in Philadelphia, choosing friends over family when it came time for vacations, and not always being available when people he knew needed help. He wasn’t about to do that with Dakota.

  He smiled at her. “Because it’s the right thing to do.”

  *

  Thursday night at Grey’s Saloon, Dakota sat with Kelly, her best friend and fellow member of the Chocolate Is Better Than Men Club. The smell of beer hung in the air, but Dakota was drinking ginger ale so she would be clear-headed when she reviewed the revised proposal for the rescue with Bryce later.

  She’d kissed him stone-cold sober. Heaven only knew what she’d do if she had a drink. And that was something she didn’t want to chance.

  “That was nice he helped you clean up,” Kelly said.

  “Very. I emailed him my proposal last night. We exchanged texts and spoke on the phone before I went to work this morning.” Dakota was finishing up telling Kelly what had happened with Bryce. “When I got home after work, an email from him was waiting. There was an attachment. He’d taken my ideas from the voice memos and turned the proposal into a thing of beauty complete with fancy fonts and graphics. Lori won’t be able to call it simplistic.”

  “Great, you sound happy, but let’s go back to last night.” Kelly’s orange-and-navy striped sweater brought out the amber hue in her hazel eyes. Normally, a smile lit up her pretty heart-shaped face, but not tonight. “You really kissed him?”

  Of course the kiss was what Kelly would key in on.

  Dakota took another sip. A slower one this time. She wasn’t ready to answer.

  A song about pickup trucks and drinking whiskey played on the jukebox. Two men shot pool. A couple of cowboys chatted up women Dakota didn’t recognize.

  “Hey. I’m over here.” Kelly raised her pint of beer. “Answer me.”

  “Yes, I kissed him.” The words rushed out, a mix of embarrassment and confusion.

  “You called him rude and annoying. And let’s not forget the fact he lives in Seattle.”

  All those things were true.

  He had apologized and then helped her. So that canceled out him being rude and annoying. But the fact he lived two states away…

  Except one kiss didn’t mean anything.

  Maybe if she kept telling herself that, she’d come to believe it.

  Bubbles rose in her glass of ginger ale. Dakota felt as if the same thing was happening in her stomach because of Bryce. She didn’t like the feeling, although she liked the way he’d held her…kissed her back. She moistened her lips.

  “You’re supposed to be taking a break from dating and men.” Kelly leaned over the table. Her hair was haphazardly piled on her head, and a strand fell across her face. She pushed it aside. “Why did you kiss him?”

  Dakota wasn’t sure how to answer.

  His gorgeous eyes and a to-die-for smile had captivated her, but she’d been attracted to those before and never been tempted to kiss him.

  His kindness to her at his father’s house and driving her home had touched her, but standing on her front porch, she hadn’t been tempted to kiss him.

  But the way he’d hugged her after her mini-breakdown had rocked her world. He didn’t like dogs. At least bigger ones. She could tell by his wariness around Rascal, but he’d somehow understood her fear of something happening to one of the animals—and her being the cause. If her tears had freaked him out, she hadn’t known because he’d tried to help, not walk away. There was no way she wasn’t going to kiss him.

  Dakota raised her glass. Normally, she would tell Kelly everything, but not this time. Those reasons weren’t ones to be shared. “Kissing him felt like the right thing to do at the moment.”

  “Did he mind?”

  “Not at all.” Dakota laughed. “He said he’d wanted to kiss me.”

  Hearing those surprising words had made her want to kiss him again. She’d forgotten how wonderful a kiss could feel. A good thing Rascal had barked so the kiss had been brief or she might have gotten carried away.

  Kelly stared over the rim of her pint glass. “Just watch, I’m going to be the only member left in the CIBTM club.”

  “It was one kiss. And don’t forget, he goes back to Seattle at the end of the month.”

  That red flag told Dakota any more kisses would be a big mistake.

  “How did you leave things?” Kelly asked.

  “He helped me clean up the dining room, and then he offered to help me with the proposal.” Thinking about the time Bryce must have spent making the revisions made Dakota feel special, as if someone was trying to make life easier for her. She hadn’t felt that way since before Aunt Alice passed. It made Dakota feel bad for saying Bryce was rude and a jerk, even if he had been.

  Kelly laughed. “If that goofy smile on your face is any indication, I’d say you have yourself a man crush.”

  “It’s called gratitude.”

  She took a drink. “If you say so, but I think you have a heavy case of denial going on.”

  Dakota wiped a bead of condensation off her glass. “I don’t.”

  At least, she didn’t think she did.

  “You’re afraid of getting hurt again,” Kelly said. “That makes total sense after what you went through with Craig, but you seem to like Bryce, and though he’s had his moments, he might not be another Mr. Wrong.”

  “He lives in Seattle, so he isn’t Mr. Right.”

  “A man doesn’t have to be one or the other. He can fall in between. A Mr. Maybe or a Mr. Right Now. You’d need to keep things casual since you know there’s an end date.”

  Casual still sounded scary. Knowing when things would end gave Dakota a chill. She bit her lip. Starting something that had no chance of going anywhere sounded like a bad idea. “I don’t know.”

  “I do.” Kelly sounded certain. “You’re obviously fangirling over the guy, so why not go for it?”

  Dakota slumped in her chair. “You’re supposed to be on my side and talk me out of wanting to go out
with Bryce. Men.”

  Kelly grinned, a wide smile that brightened her face and drew the attention of a cowboy sitting alone at the bar. “If I thought you didn’t like him or that he might not be good for you, I would.”

  Cheers erupted from the pool table.

  “Having a built-in end date is a good thing. It’ll keep things from getting too serious. Having fun while he’s in town would be good for you.”

  “I’ve never dated casually.”

  “You need to do this.” Kelly rubbed her chin. “Bryce might be exactly what you need to get your dating mojo back.”

  Dakota blew out a breath. “I’ve never had any mojo.”

  “Then it’s time to get some.” The excitement in Kelly’s eyes matched her voice. “Go out with him. See what happens.”

  “You’re talking like he wants to go out with me. Offering to help with my proposal isn’t a romantic gesture.”

  “No, but it’s a start. And if he did ask you out…”

  The question floated on the air like a cloud of smoke. Bryce was far from perfect, but he cared about his father enough to spend a month in Marietta and help out at the rescue because the place was important to Walt. Bryce hadn’t left her to clean up Rascal’s mess on her own, and he’d rewritten her proposal.

  Were those enough signs to tell her he wasn’t another Mr. Wrong? She hoped so, but doubts swirled through her head. The list of what could go wrong was twice as long as what could go right.

  “I’m not sure I’m ready to go out with anyone. I know I’m being safe and cautious, but that’s the way my heart wants me to be.”

  “Your heart is going to get lonely.”

  The kiss had made her feel good, content even, but did she need more than that right now? “Better lonely than broken.”

  Kelly reached across the table and touched Dakota’s hand. “I know this is going to be hard for you, but I want you to think about it. Please.”

  “I will.”

  “I also want you to promise me one thing.”

  The hair on the back of her neck stood up. “What?”

  “If Bryce asks you out, promise me you won’t be so quick to stay no. Consider what you have to lose by going on one date. It might not be as much as you think.”

  Or it could be way more than Dakota was willing to risk.