“You know, it’s more than just your unpleasant attitude. It’s your very unladylike behavior that gets you in the most trouble.”
That got him a tilt of her nose that looked almost regal.
“Do I need to list them for you?” Dean kept one hand on the steering wheel and used the other to tick off the all-too-familiar offenses. “Peeing on their clothes, hiding their shoes, chewing on whatever you can scrounge out of their purses, including feminine products that no man should ever see.”
Daisy turned to face him, offered a quick bark, and darn if the corners of her mouth didn’t turn up into a cocky grin. Then he remembered the latest mischief. “And yes, that includes the cash you always manage to get out of their wallets.”
His last guest had shrieked when she spotted the contents of her purse scattered at the dog’s feet and the mangled remains of a twenty-dollar bill hanging from Daisy’s mouth. Dean could’ve sworn the mischievous furball had been grinning then, as well.
That had been, what, almost two months ago? He’d tried to pay back the twenty dollars but the woman took offense. As if he’d been offering to pay for the time they’d enjoyed together or something. He’d been a lonely man after that. Something that hadn’t happened much since he’d moved to Destiny, Wyoming, a few years ago.
The ladies liked him—or they used to—and he’d never been at a loss for company. As long as he spent time at their places. Once they got an invite back to his home and met Daisy, they quickly discovered Daisy had no qualms about showing just how she felt about human females.
She didn’t like them. Any of them. Not even the women who meant the most to him. His grandmother, mother and three sisters, who’d all tried to win Daisy’s affections when Dean had shown up at the family home in New Jersey, his duffel bag in one hand and a puppy in the other, after a stint in the army.
While the scraggly mutt he’d saved from a harrowing life in the Middle East had been devoted to him over the years and was friendly with any males she came across, she never changed her mind about the ladies.
Deciding to end this one-sided discussion, Dean checked his watch, noting he had at least an hour before his last physical-therapy patient of the week. He’d finished his shift at the veterans’ center in Cheyenne earlier than planned and returned home to pick up Daisy. She always accompanied him whenever he worked with his favorite patient and then they’d grab some takeout for dinner.
After that, the evening, and the rest of the weekend, stretched out in front of him.
Rounding the bend in the road, Dean spotted a red convertible parked down by the river. He frowned. Not the typical style of car found around Destiny, where pickup trucks like his were the favorite mode of transportation.
He wondered if someone might be in trouble. Turning down the dirt road, he pulled to a stop on the far side of the clearing. The sight of a beautiful blonde bombshell cooling off in the Blue Creek River caught him by surprise.
Bellissima! Where in the world did you come from?
He tossed his sunglasses up on the truck’s dashboard while pressing a button, raising both the windows. “Sorry, sweetheart. I know you love to play in the water, but someone else got here ahead of you,” he said to Daisy.
He exited his truck, but left the engine and the air-conditioning running, and headed for the riverbank. His steps slowed as he enjoyed the view of the stranger’s sexy legs when she lifted her skirt high on her thighs as she waded into deeper water. From the fancy suitcases piled in the backseat of her car to the clothes she wore, it was easy to see this beauty definitely wasn’t from around here. In fact, she seemed more big-city chic than country simplicity—
Suddenly a blur of golden-brown raced past him.
“What the hell?” Dean had no idea how Daisy had managed to roll down the window enough to squeeze out, but she was making a beeline for the water’s edge.
And for the unsuspecting lady.
“Daisy!” Oh, man, this had trouble written all over it. “Daisy, get back here!”
His dog wasn’t listening. Nope, she headed straight for the water nymph.
The woman had spun around when he yelled. Blond waves flowed over her shoulders and dark sunglasses shaded her eyes. Her luscious mouth dropped open in surprise at the sight of him and his dog.
She stumbled back a few steps the moment Daisy charged in, splashing her way right to the woman before suddenly halting in front of her.
And damn if Daisy’s tail didn’t start wagging just above the waterline.
The woman started to smile and then leaned down, one hand outstretched toward his pet. A typical reaction, but Daisy wasn’t a typical dog.
Dean called out, “Stop! Don’t touch her.”
The nymph froze in place for a moment before slowly straightening, her free hand retreating to her chest. She was probably unaware she still held the ends of her skirt hiked up way past her knees with the other.
She stared at him—at least Dean thought she did behind those dark sunglasses—before she looked down at Daisy. Then she directed her gaze back to him, her chin lifting a bit. “I was only going to say hello.”
Her voice was as smooth and silky as the finest Chardonnay. Dean stopped when his boots hit the water’s edge, sinking a bit into the soft earth. “That’s probably not a good idea. She can be...unpredictable. Daisy, come here, girl.”
Daisy ignored him, keeping her gaze on the blonde, who glanced at the dog again before looking at Dean. “Does she bite?”
She never had, but he hated to think there might be a first time.
“No. I don’t think so.” He’d found Daisy in the desert during his last tour in the Middle East. The thirty-pound, two-foot-tall mutt resembled a Portuguese Podengo. Granted, she wasn’t growling and her wirehaired fur wasn’t bristling, but who knew what went on in a female’s mind—canine or human.
The woman took another step backward. “Well, she’s the one who came to me. Up until a moment ago I was enjoying a few minutes of blessed solitude.”
Hmm, a hint of snobbishness. “Yeah, well, she can be somewhat unfriendly at times.”
“The wagging tail notwithstanding, of course.”
“That’s not the end I’m worried about. Daisy! Come!”
Instead of obeying, his dog moved a couple of steps closer to the blonde, who regarded him with a slight tilt of her head. “Does she always listen so well?”
“She usually listens.” Whenever it worked to her advantage. “Then again, she’s got a mind of her own. Typical woman.”
“And what exactly is that supposed to mean?”
“That my dog is an independent thinker. More independent than I realized.”
The woman’s features softened as she looked at his dog. “Well, I can certainly respect that in any female. Even if she’s invading my personal space.”
He’d like to invade—
Dean cut off that thought before it could go any further. “I spotted your sweet ride from the road and stopped to see if you were in trouble.” He jerked a thumb at the convertible behind him. “You’re obviously not from around here. Are you having any problems?”
“Other than being accosted by a strange man and his dog? No.”
“I was just trying to be nice.”
“Thank you, but we’re fine. I’d appreciate it if you’d go now.”
We? He did a quick survey of the area and saw there was no one else around. Still, she’d made