he first arrived this morning, he told me point-blank that he’s not interested in having animals in his life.”
Cindy’s mouth dropped open. “Really? After the way he was loving on Brutus?”
“I can’t explain that. Or the fact that I caught him scratching Max’s head.”
“You’re making that up. Max never lets us pet him.”
“I know, but he hopped up on the counter and started purring while Ben and I were in the office looking around. That was surprising enough, but then I went to get my coat, and when I turned back, there was Ben, scratching behind Max’s ears.”
“So why doesn’t he want animals? Maybe he lives with somebody who’s allergic. Not a girlfriend, but somebody else. I know what that’s like.”
Tansy considered the possibility and rejected it. “He would have said so. I mean, take you, for example. You tell everybody that’s why you don’t have animals at home.”
“Yeah, I do. Wow, it makes no sense.”
“It doesn’t.”
“I’ll stick around while he’s filming. Maybe I can figure out what his problem is.”
“That’s an excellent idea.” Tansy opened a cupboard above the counter and laid the clean towels inside. “You can supervise while I go back to the office. I need to post an update on our Facebook page and talk to Faye about a few things.”
“Wait. I didn’t mean for you to leave.”
“I know.” She grabbed her parka and put it on. “The truth is that I am attracted to the guy.”
“Aha!”
“But if he’s really closed to the idea of having animals around, then it’s better if I don’t spend too much time with him.”
“I guess. If I find out anything, I’ll—” She stopped speaking when the door opened a crack, letting in a swirl of cold air.
“All clear?”
Tansy wished hearing his voice didn’t make her flush with pleasure. She glanced at Cindy. “Got a tight grip on Brutus?”
“He’s secure.” She clutched Brutus against her shoulder.
“Come on in, Ben.” Tansy’s heart thumped as she zipped her jacket. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had such a strong physical reaction to a man. Ben made her feel as if she were Cindy’s age again and had developed a major crush on the captain of the football team.
The intensity of her feelings for someone she’d only just met wasn’t all that unusual for her. She’d always had good instincts, both for people and animals, and she sensed Ben was a kind person. But there was some issue keeping him from opening his heart. And until she figured out what that was, letting Cindy help with the photography session was the smart thing to do.
Ben came through the door with a digital camera on a strap around his neck and a camcorder in his hand. He looked puzzled when he saw Tansy with her coat on. “Aren’t you staying?”
“I have a ton of work to do in the office,” she said. “I’m leaving Cindy in charge. You’ll be in good hands with her.”
“I’m sure I will, but I thought…” His expression went from confusion to resignation. “No worries. I’m sure Cindy can take me over to the dog area when I finish up here.”
Tansy nodded. “Absolutely. She’s one of our most capable volunteers.”
“Do you want to preview what I’ve done before I go, or should I just head on to the station when I have plenty of shots?” His tone was conversational, as if he didn’t care one way or the other.
She didn’t believe for a minute that he wanted to leave without showing her the pictures, nor did she want him to. “I’d love to see what you come up with.” She might be able to distance herself from the photography session, but she couldn’t bear missing the results. He was, after all, filming her babies.
“Okay. I’ll drop by the office when I have something to show you.” His smile was tinged with sadness, as if he understood perfectly well why she was pulling back. He recognized that they had a sticking point.
Except he knew why and she didn’t. “I’ll see you later, then.” She left, and disappointment sat like a cold lump in her chest.
This was stupid. Why couldn’t he just tell her what his problem was? The answer was obvious, though, when she gave herself time to think about it. His uneasiness about having animals around must involve something personal, and he didn’t know her well enough to explain. Cindy was good at pulling things out of people, but chances were he wouldn’t confide in her, either.
Tansy sighed. If nothing else, she’d get some decent pictures of her furry friends out of the deal. If the station would allow it, she’d like to use some of them on The Haven’s Facebook page. Her shots, to use Cindy’s term, were lame.
She knew Ben’s would be wonderful, and not only because he was a professional. He cared about animals, and that would show in the pictures he took today, as it had in the footage he’d shot on Monday morning.
Her gut feeling about him wasn’t wrong. But she didn’t have all the facts and might never learn them. Swearing softly under her breath, she walked up the pathway to the administration building.
TWO HOURS LATER, BEN whistled as he walked toward the back door of the yellow-and-white Victorian. He couldn’t remember when he’d had so much fun with a camera. With some coaxing from Cindy, the cats had performed like trained acrobats, but he had some sweet and touching shots, too.
Most of the dogs had been hams as well, and he could hardly wait to show Tansy the pictures. Getting good ones had been a breeze, and with the tiniest bit of instruction and a better camera, she would be able to take shots that were just as great. In fact, one of his spare cameras would do if she didn’t want to invest money in equipment.
But she might not be willing to have him teach her photography techniques and loan her cameras. Judging from her quick retreat this morning, she’d decided against spending time with a guy who was so obviously wrong for her. Smart move on her part.
He would take his cue from her, show her the pictures and head on out of this place. But the image of those cats frolicking together in an open play area would stay with him for a long time. And the memory of Tansy’s bright eyes would stay even longer, though he’d do well to erase it.
As he opened the back door and started down the hallway toward what had been a deserted reception area early this morning, the hum of voices and an occasional dog bark drifted toward him. He walked in on a much different scene than the one he’d left.
On the far side of the counter, two dogs, one a black Lab and the other a cocker spaniel, tugged at their leashes. Because each dog had at least one kid fussing over it, Ben decided these were new adoptions, not animals being surrendered to the shelter.
A plump red-haired woman worked behind the counter, dealing with forms and answering questions. Tansy was helping her, bestowing warm smiles on the adults signing the
