Copyright
Five years ago
She held the garland loosely in her hand as she slowly unwound the bright gold in steady, even rows. Turn by turn, the empty green branches filled with the shiny, vivid color as Bellamy Reeves enjoyed watching her handiwork come to life.
Her parents had asked her to work the store this evening, their annual holiday event with the local men’s club a highlight of their year. She’d been happy to do it, the familiar work of managing the counter and ringing up purchases at Whisperwood’s only corner store something she’d been doing since childhood. It was a far cry from her work in finance at Lone Star Pharmaceutical but it kept her in touch with her roots and she enjoyed it.
Add on that it gave her a shot at stringing up the decorations just to her personal specifications, and it was a job she was happy to take on.
Maggie had teased her about risking spinsterhood if she were willing to work the family store on a holiday Saturday night and Bellamy had ignored her. Her sister was fond of quoting all the pithy reasons Bellamy was doomed to a lonely existence and she’d learned to ignore it.
Or, if not ignore it, at least stop caring about it so much.
Her sister was the resident beauty queen of Whisperwood, Texas. She’d had men wrapped around her finger basically since she’d crawled out of the womb and had learned to drape herself over their arms not much longer after that.
Bellamy was different.
She wasn’t afraid of men. Nor was she afraid of dating or putting herself out there. She dated regularly but just hadn’t found anyone who interested her. Or made her feel special.
She’d spent her life observing her parents’ marriage and knew that was the type of love and companionship she sought. A deep, abiding commitment that bonded the two of them together.
Tonight was a perfect example.
Although it was the men’s club event, both her parents enjoyed the evening in equal measure. It was nice, she mused as she dug in a large plastic container for another string of garland. And while the event might seem simple or unimportant—a dinner dance at the Whisperwood Lodge—it was something they looked forward to and talked about all year long.
The bell over the front door of the store jingled and Bellamy eyed the entrance as a well-built man pushed his way in, a puppy cradled in his arms. Her father was fairly laid-back about the store, but since they sold food, animals were forbidden unless in service. “I’m sorry, sir, but the dog needs to stay outside.”
Dark brows slashed over even darker eyes and the guy juggled the black Lab pup from one well-formed arm to another, his biceps flexing as he shifted the limp bundle. “Believe it or not, he’s a service dog. In training,” the guy quickly added before reaching into his back pocket and pulling out a badge. “I’m with the Austin PD. I’m his handler.”
The sight of the puppy—and the sudden delight she didn’t need to kick them out—had her crossing the store to greet them. “He’s sweet.”
“And sick, I think. He’s not very energetic and he won’t eat.”
“Oh.” She reached out to lay a hand on the small head, the fur silky soft over the bony ridges of his skull. He was small, but the large paws that hung over the man’s forearms indicated the puppy would be a big guy once fully grown.
“I wanted to pick up some chicken and rice and hoped you’d have what I needed.”
“Would you believe me if I told you I had both already cooked in the stockroom?”
“Seriously?”
“Yep. They’re my bland leftovers from lunch that I brought along in some vague attempt to offset Christmas cookie consumption.”
Although he wasn’t inappropriate, his eyes drifted over her body before settling back on her face. “You’re dieting?”
Heat burned a path where he’d gazed, that steady appreciation lighting a fire. “I prefer to think of it as holiday calorie management. A goal I’m failing at miserably, seeing as how the bland chicken and even blander rice were horrible.”
“Why not toss it?”
“Some vague notion of trying again tomorrow. You know—” she waved a hand as she headed for the back of the store “—to make up for the pizza I ate in its place today.”
A hearty laugh followed her through the swinging door into the stockroom and she beelined for the fridge and the leftovers.
Her father’s store carried all the basic necessities of a convenience store and boasted a fairly hearty kitchen out front to accommodate the breakfast and lunch crowds who buzzed in for coffee and portable meals. She’d nuke the chicken and rice out at the counter and be able to keep an eye on the front door at the same time.
She could also keep an eye on Officer Hottie.
Wow, the man was good-looking. His body, evident beneath the long-sleeved black T-shirt that seemed sculpted to his shoulders, was strong without being imposing. And the way he cradled the dog had pretty much put her ovaries on high alert.
He was hot and a dog lover. Did it get much better?
She pushed through the stockroom door, only to see the back of the guy’s head disappear through the front exit. Spears of disappointment layered over the lingering heat until she saw him bend over through the glass, his small charge quivering before him on the sidewalk. She raced to the counter and grabbed a few bottles of water, then headed for the miserable little puppy getting sick on the front parking lot.
“Is he okay?”
The guy glanced up from where he crouched on the ground, his hand on the small black back. “I think so. Or he will be.”
She passed down a bottle of water, touched when the guy twisted it open and poured some into his palm. “Come on, Alex. Here you go.”
The small head bent toward that cupped hand, the sound of his tongue lapping drifting toward her in the cool night air.
“Poor baby.” She didn’t miss the three brightly colored plastic pieces that lay in the pile of vomit. “Legos strike again.”
“What?”
She pointed toward the small pile. “Looks like a blue vase holding a single plastic flower and a two-piece.”
Officer Hottie’s gaze zeroed in on the offending irritants, his voice gruff. “Just the pieces my niece mentioned were missing from her masterpiece before we sat down to dinner.”
He poured more water into his hand and the Lab lapped it up, the trauma of his ordeal fading as his natural eagerness returned.
“He’s looking better already.” Bellamy opened the second bottle and poured it over the sidewalk, erasing the evidence
