His scent swarmed all around Nick.He smelled pretty good.An outdoorsy freshness that reminded him of the open prairies.The aroma was comforting as it brought memories of his ranching days.Those were the best times he’d known.Being free, hard work, camaraderie with other ranch hands and roaming wherever he wanted to go.But that had all been followed by heartbreak when he’d crossed paths with the wrong woman.A woman who hadn’t stood by him when things had gotten tough.It had been a twist of fate that had landed him in prison.
Nick snapped himself back to the present, pushing aside those memories and focused on the warmth of the kitchen and on Axel.
A shot of excitement zipped through him.He couldn’t wait until they were alone together.
“Chocolate pound cake.Figured it was best to use up all those eggs.More coming out of the coops tomorrow, I would assume.”
Axel’s tone dropped as he eyed the table.He threw Nick a sly wink.
“Are you trying to impress the lady, decking out the table all nice and neat?”he teased, circling around to take in the arrangement.
Nick let out a soft chuckle.“Maybe I was trying to impress you,” he admitted, his tone light and teasing.
Nick hadn’t gone out of his way in setting the table.It was just the plain white dishes and glasses he’d found in the cupboards.
Nothing fancy.However he had added a touch of colour by picking a handful of bright blue bachelor button flowers and pink and white cosmos flowers from Sam’s garden in front of his house.He didn’t think Sam would mind, since the garden was brimming with blossoms and a few missing wouldn’t be noticed.
He had carefully arranged the flowers in a vase he discovered in Sam’s house.Then he’d wrapped them in a towel and brought them here in the truck.
To the kitchen.
For Jenna.
He figured she would appreciate the splash of colour.After all, you could never go wrong offering flowers to a lady.
Axel glanced around, nodding in approval.“Well, they are nice.Smell good too.Sooo, where’s the dog?Leave him behind?”
Nick gave a sharp, clear whistle, and almost instantly, the white dog appeared out of nowhere, bounding into the room as if she had been waiting for his call.She dashed straight to Nick’s side, sitting at his feet.Her tail with the funny looking white pom pom at the end was circling round and round like a windmill in a storm.
And damned if his heart didn’t lurch with pleasure as she gazed up at him with big eyes and an intensity and adoration that made him think that she might just think he was her hero.His heart clenched warmly for her, and he found himself reconsidering his previous opinions about dogs.
Maybe he had been wrong in thinking he didn’t like them.This one, at least, seemed intent on proving to him she liked him and damned if he didn’t like her back.
Axel let out a laugh, shaking his head in amusement.
“Wow, you sure trained him fast,” he remarked.
Nick lifted his chin and puffed out his chest on purpose, adopting a tone full of bravado.
“He is a girl and girls fly to me like flies to honey,” he boasted.
Axel, unimpressed, rolled his eyes at Nick’s over-the-top declaration.
“You mean…dog girls.No offence to you, dog,” Axel quipped, glancing down at the poodle.
The dog, however, appeared entirely uninterested in him, her attention fixated on Nick.Her wet black nose twitched as she sniffed the air, clearly more enticed by the possibility of food than in engaging with Axel’s banter.
“A bit of a rude dog, isn’t she?”Axel grumbled.
“Her name is Daisy and it looks like you are the one who is jealous that Nick has a beautifully groomed girlfriend, Axel,” Jenna’s sweet teasing voice curled into the kitchen from where she stood in the hallway, watching them.
Nick wondered how long she’d been there.How much had she heard?Hopefully not the flies to honey part.
Geez, that would be embarrassing.
Jenna, smiled.
“The pound cake smells good.But none for the dog.Chocolate is deadly for dogs or so I hear,” she said as she entered the kitchen, her presence brightening the space.
