Kyle noticed her then, and seemed to wake the rest of the way up. They both became aware at the same moment that his foot was pressed against her hip and he pulled his leg back. Arden felt an irrational level of loss the second they lost contact. But those moonlight-on-snow eyes still held her firmly in their gaze. She could read his questions in them—what did I just do? What does she think of me now?He closed his eyes and rested his head on top of the dog’s, looking for all the world like he was filled with shame. If he’d been one of her clients, she would have asked him what he was feeling right now, and then tried to direct his thoughts toward something less self-destructive and more hopeful.
But he wasn’t one of her clients. He was the man trying to take her dog. She sighed. And just like that, Camo crossed the couch over to her and nuzzled into her face, licking her cheeks, which made her giggle. Such earnest eyes, even for a dog. This buddy was a pleaser, through and through.
Kyle watched them from his end. He looked betrayed, and that went straight to her heart. “Camo likes you,” he said, his tone low and thoughtful. Those ice-blues softened.
Arden took Camo’s face in her hands and looked straight into the dog’s eyes. “This guy has been a love, yes he has.” She’d slipped into the voice she used on animals, especially dogs. Camo wagged his tail and resumed his enthusiastic licking. “And such a flirt, and so handsome with his black-and-yellow coat.” She glanced up at Kyle. “Is that how he got his name, do you know? Is Camo short for Camouflage?”
“Affirmative. Fits him, doesn’t it?”
Arden nodded. “But do you also knowwhyhis coloring is this way?” It was such a rare occurrence, she bet he didn’t have a clue.
“As a matter of fact, I do know why because I looked it up. He’s a chimera. He’s two dogs in one.”
Arden couldn’t help her smile. “That’s right. Two sets of DNA, making one incredible mosaic of a dog. Incredibly rare.” She looked back at Camo. “You’re twice the dog of any others. Is that why you’re so amazing?”
He licked her face. Sure, why not, lady?
“Doesn’t mean you get two breakfasts, or two of any other meal, as much as you’d love that.”
At the mention of breakfast, his ears perked up and he tilted his head to the side.
“Shall we feed you?”
Camo jumped off the couch and trotted to the kitchen, the barest hitch in his stride. Arden caught Kyle smiling, and dear God in heaven did it transform his features.Shake it off, girl. Don’t you have work to do?Arden threw off the blanket and stood, wincing and rubbing her hip. Right. She’d forgotten he’d kicked her.Damn, pretty hard, too.
Kyle stood as soon as she started rubbing her hip. “Shit. You’re what I kicked. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to do that.”
“No worries, I know you didn’t mean it. Bad dreams will do that. You want to tell me what you dreamed?”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “No. I don’t want to tell you anything I dream. Ever.”
“Suit yourself.”
“Guess I owe you an apology for waking you up though.”
“No, I was already awake.” She yawned and stretched. “The day starts early on a ranch. If you aren’t up with the roosters, you’re down with the foxes.”
“Is there a lot to do on a ranch?”
“That’s an adorable question. More like, what is therenotto do on a ranch?”
Camo trotted back out of the kitchen, gave them a look like,are you feeding me or not?and trotted back in.
“If you’ll excuse me, his highness awaits.” Arden turned on a lamp as she headed for the kitchen, which was open and divided from the great room only by a peninsula.
“I’ll build the fire back up.” Kyle reached for a split log.
“Now that would be lovely. Thank you.”
Arden was barely able to open the bin full of dog food and get Camo’s bowl filled without the dog knocking her over. “Sit,” she commanded. He did for a moment, then he was back to shoving her. “Ugh, hang on.” She added a couple of chondroitin chews and set the bowl down, surprised he didn’t take her hand off in the process. She woke up her laptop on the counter to check the ranch cams. The goats were piled together, the horses and alpacas were drowsing, the chickens hadn’t stirred from their nests. Everyone was sleeping in, and who could blame them? That at least gave her a little time to start breakfast. She usually grabbed an apple for herself and ate it on the way to the barn, took care of the animals, then made herself something more substantial afterward. But she figured Kyle hadn’t eaten much yesterday and hot chocolate for dinner didn’t tide one over for long, especially a big guy like him.
Kyle finished with the fire and came into the kitchen. He caught Arden rubbing her hip again and his face flushed with a shame she recognized. “I’m really sorry.”
“Stop. This one was Camo’s fault. He jumped and bumped it while I was trying to feed him.”
Kyle looked puzzled. “Did you tell him to sit?”
“Of course I told him to sit. That worked about half a second, then he started again.”
