Living in New York and working demanding hours for four- and five-star restaurants didn’t leave time for pets. But Tessa’d wished for a dog she could snuggle more times than she could count. It was the only wrinkle in living out her dream life. Well, ithadbeen the only wrinkle. “Raven, I should’ve known better than to trust that rat.”
The dog gave a gentle whine, then snuggled deeper in her lap, smoothing Tessa’s worries and fitting rather well for a larger dog. Raven was smaller than any husky she’d seen before, but still large enough to consume Tessa’s entire lap and then some. “Want to stay with me, girl?” She hugged the dog, feelings she’d suppressed from the last forty-eight hours rushing back. One minute she was scrubbing countertops, planning her menu for the next challenge. Next, she was being escorted from the premises.
Once in the truck, Liam mentioned, “You two are sure cozy.” He’d loaded both suitcases in the bed, making Tessa a little crazy. The bags themselves, though quality, weren’t her concern. It was the contents. “Don’t go stealing my dog, now.”
“It’s crossed my mind.”
They shared a light, easy smile, and for a solitary moment, it felt like only yesterday that they’d been young and carefree together. Then Liam hit a bump in the road and the moment shattered.
“My knives are back there. Be careful.”
“Sweetheart, I promise the airlines were rougher with your bags than this road could be.”
Tessa fixed a glare on Liam, but the man didn’t have the decency to look over at her to witness it. The way that nickname carried from his lips in that irritatingly sexy voice sent shivers throughout her body. She fought it with every fiber she could. “Don’t call me sweetheart.”
He flashed her a mischievous smile. “No promises.”
Moments like this were quicksand she had to avoid at all costs. No matter how short a stay she expected to have, Tessa had to guard her heart. Because Liam Davies had always been her biggest weakness.
Chapter Two
Liam
After a winding mile of silence down a road neither of them should have been on, Liam asked, “How long you in town for?” He acted calm and indifferent with his hand relaxed on the steering wheel, but inside he was wound up tighter than a line with a hundred-pound halibut on the other end. He thought he had until Christmas before he’d see Tessa again.
“Just a couple of days.”
Liam wanted to ask about the show. It obviously had something to do with the reason she was here. But asking would expose the fact he’d been watchingOrder Up: Las Vegas. It was much too risky to let her know how much leverage she had over his heart.
“Did I miss a birthday?” He didn’t. Liam remembered odd things, one of which was that the Whitmore sisters all had birthdays in March.
“No.”
Raven remained curled in her lap, content to nap rather than look out the window. Though Tessa’s words had a bite to them, her eyes fell gently upon the dog. Liam accepted that she wasn’t going to admit a thing right now, so he changed tactics. “Raven’s a retired sled dog,” he told Tessa. “Ten years old.”
“She’s a sweetie.”
“You can’t kidnap her, Tess.”
For a single beat, the heavy tension in the cab of the truck dissipated. Liam felt transported back in time, to the summer when Tessa riding shotgun in his truck was commonplace.
“Don’t worry. I can’t smuggle her back to Vegas.”
Though tempted, he didn’t take the bait. It would drive her far crazier for him not to ask than it would Liam not to know. Eventually, Tessa would burst all about the reality show. He just had to wait it out.
Instead, he said, “I won’t charge you for the tow.”
“Uh . . . thanks.”
“But for me not to rat you out to Old Man Franks for trespassing, it’ll cost you lunch.”
Tessa huffed out a laugh. “Always abutwith you, isn’t there?”
Raven’s ears perked as the truck slowed at a stop sign on the edge of town. If he turned right, Liam could have Tessa to the lodge in less than three minutes. He made the trip in under ninety seconds back when curfew was a concern. But he wasn’t ready to let her go. Not yet.
“You’re going the wrong way.”
“I’ll take you to the lodge after we eat.”
