Chapter 15
Piper struggledto hold on to the leashes of an assorted half dozen recuse dogs she was walking around the square of downtown Mercy. She spotted Ian standing outside the Grits and Gravy Café with a dark look on his face.
As soon as he saw her with her entourage rampaging along the sidewalk, a melee of wagging tails and barking, the dark look vanishes to be replaced by a laugh. He motioned them over and she let her better judgement go.
"Are you walking them or are they walking you?" He questioned as the dogs, tails wagging furiously, dragged her to him so they could beg for attention. He knelt on the sidewalk, face-to-face with the group and was immediately engulfed in paws, tongues and tails.
Her heart melted just a bit to see him so pleased to be with the dogs. And the dogs so happy to be getting all of his attention.
"They're rescues from the group I work for. It's calledStreetpups. And I'm not sure who's walking who at this point."
He looked up at her. "That explains the shirt you had on yesterday. Have you worked for them long?"
She smiled. "I've been with them for several years as the fundraiser coordinator. It takes a lot of money to take care of abandoned and abused animals until we find them their fur-ever homes."
He grinned. "I remember you were always crazy about animals. And you could sell ice to an Eskimo. So this must be a good fit for you. And them."
Pushing away three adoring doggy faces, he reached up a hand and said, "Help me?"
She couldn't help but laugh at the expression on his face. Reaching out, she felt a jolt all the way to her heart when their hands connected. His eyes reflected heat as they locked on hers. Pulling harder than necessary, she got him to his feet quickly and let go, rubbing her hand down her thigh.
His eyes watched that movement, too. Took a half step closer to her. How had an innocent carefree moment turned into this molten heat boiling between them?
"I was just talking to your daddy about using y'all big barn out back of your place to work on my plane. I really want to get it running again. It's not in terrible shape so it shouldn't be too hard to get it cranked up. Your daddy said he'd let me use the barn as a favor because he was a big fishing buddy of my daddy. I guess we'll be seeing more of each other now."
And as quick at that, the heat of passion was gone. Replaced by the heat of anger.
"Come on, Ian. Stop giving me that terrible lie. Your daddy has been gone a long time and you’re a grown man. My daddy hates you. Tell me the truth about why the two of you are all of a sudden thick as thieves."
His slight hesitation was all the answer she needed. Jerking the leashed dogs away from him, she race walked in the other direction. Once she'd gotten down the block and around the corner, she knelt and apologized to the dogs. And hid her tears in their fur. Deceit and lies. Lies and deceit. Nothing good could come from them.
