For the first time since moving to Carlisle Creek, I was totally alone.And it was all Liam’s fault.
six
blue eyes
Maya
Despitebeingonehundredpercent thrilled he was gone, I’d thought of nothing but Liam’s blazing blue eyes and adorably crooked grin for seven days.It was like he’d burrowed into my brain and taken up residence.
Don’t forget the way he fills out his jeans,my traitorous brain added unhelpfully.You think about that a lot, too.
Damn it, brain.Whose side are you on, anyway?Thinking about his ass was not helpful.Even if it was an especially biteable-looking ass.I bet it would feel amazing flexing under my hands, or with my ankles locked around his hips as he thrus—
“Whatcha doing?”
“Shit!”I jumped, dropping the stack of Lacey Carlisle’sHot Dudes, Hotter Planetseries books I’d been carrying, shocking Harold out of a peaceful nap and sending him bolting for the back door.“What the hell, Sierra?Don’t sneak up on me like that.”
She laughed, poking her head around the corner of a nearby shelf.“Ooh, is that the newHot Dudes?”she asked, grabbing one of the books I’d dropped and caressing the cover.“I thought that wasn’t out for another couple of weeks?”
“It wasn’t supposed to be.”I scooped up the pile of books and arranged them on a display table.“I had them locked up, waiting for release day to put them out, but the distributor emailed this morning.A big box store broke the embargo and sold enough copies that the publisher pushed up the release date.”
“Oh, yikes.How do they get away with that?”
“They’re so big, it would hurt the publisher more if they reprimanded the store.The store doesn’t need those book sales to be profitable, but the publisher does.Not like I do.”I laughed.“Could you imagine what would have happened if they’d refused to ship me the next popular title because I’d sold a book earlier than its release date?It would be pandemonium here.”
“You don’t get between the seniors’ book club and their Lacey Carlisle books, not if you want to keep all your fingers.”
“Exactly!”
“Still, it must piss you off that the big stores can get away with it.”
“You have no idea.”I shrugged.“But there’s nothing I can do about it, so instead I’ll just celebrate my good fortune and get these books out early.”
Sierra and I finished my display in silence before she surprised with the real reason for her late afternoon visit.
“You want three shots of espresso?At this time of day?”As much as I loved coffee, if I’d had that much caffeine this late in the afternoon, I’d never sleep again.
She shrugged and glanced away.“I haven’t been sleeping well.My new dog is—” her face contorted with a giant yawn that she struggled to cover with a fist.“Sorry.She’s loud.I think she’s having a hard time settling in.”
“Sierra, really?Another one?”Before this addition, Sierra already had two dogs, three cats, a parrot, and at least three hedgehogs that I knew of.There may even have been a turtle in there somewhere.And all this in a small townhouse, no less.
“I know,” she said, rushing to explain.“But they were going to drop her off at a kill shelter, Maya.A kill shelter!You know I couldn’t let that happen to that sweet, innocent baby.”
The problem with being a kind-hearted pet store owner is that people thought they could count on you to take on their problem pets.They were right, of course.Sierra had never turned away a single one.
“No, of course not.”I sighed as my trusty espresso machine hissed its way through brewing Sierra’s drink.“You did the right thing.It’s not the dog’s fault her owners weren’t up to the task.I suppose it’s good you don’t have any close neighbours.”
I caught her grimace out of the corner of my eye.
“Ugh.I guess I forgot to tell you.The “For Sale” sign has finally come down, and there’s been a crew doing some renovations.Looks like someone’s finally moving in.”
I frowned.“So, what will you do with the puppy?”
“I don’t know.”She dropped her head back and groaned.“She fits in so well with the others, I can’t imagine not keeping her.”Her eyes brightened as she continued.“You have got to see her, Maya.She’s stinking adorable.”She showed me her phone.“Look at that face.Don’t you just want to kiss it?”
I handed her the coffee and took her phone for a closer look.Instead of the tiny puppy I’d been expecting, the picture showed a giant, hairy, grey beast.“Sierra,” I gasped.“That’s not a puppy; that’s a shaggy pony!”
“No, she’s definitely a puppy,” she chuckled.“She’s part Irish Wolfhound, so she’ll get even bigger yet.She’s only six months old, though, so I should be able to train the howling habit out of her before the new neighbours move in.”
