Snowfall in Cold Creek, page 28
Oh, no. Once again, she’d been so caught up in enjoying Gavin’s company that she’d forgotten to clarify the details of their supposed relationship.
“A while. We’re actually...” She cleared her throat. “Engaged.”
“Are you joking?” Molly demanded. “How did you pull it off?”
Jenna swatted her on the arm. “You can’t ask someone that.”
“Come on, that man should be with a supermodel.” She gestured toward Christine. “No offense. You’re pretty but he’s ah-may-zing.”
“I know,” Christine agreed immediately. She took a step forward. “I’ll let you in on a little secret.”
All three women leaned forward slightly.
“The way he looks isn’t even the best part about him.”
“Whatever,” Megan said. “I’m not sure I’d be able to notice anything else.”
Christine shrugged. “Then you’d be missing out.”
There was a deep throat-clear, and all four of them turned to see Kenneth standing at the edge of the hallway. “Megan, could you pull our files on the Rosedale neighborhood? I want to compare comps for one of Maddie’s clients looking at a house on Oakmont Blvd.”
“Right away, Mr. Fortunado.” The young woman scurried around to her computer.
“I’m meeting a client out in East Oak Hill,” Jenna said quickly.
“I’m heading to an association meeting,” Molly offered.
Christine noticed that none of them made eye contact with Kenneth. “Will you send me the listing information for the Hyde Park property when you get back?” she asked Jenna.
“Sure thing,” the woman answered, her voice a nervous squeak.
Christine smiled as she approached Gavin’s father and they walked toward her office together. “They’re terrified of you,” she said, patting his arm. “No one in Austin realizes you’re just a big teddy bear on the inside.”
He let out a low laugh. “Don’t tell them.”
“It’s our secret,” she agreed, turning into her office across the hall from the one Kenneth occupied this week.
“Speaking of secrets,” he said in his deep baritone.
She schooled her features then turned. “Gavin spoke to you.”
“You know you’re already like one of my own daughters. Both Barbara and I feel that way. I’m thrilled that you’ll be officially joining the family.”
Emotion clogged Christine’s throat as she nodded. Over the past decade working for Kenneth, she’d come to feel almost closer to him than she did her own dad. He never judged her for the things she wasn’t but appreciated her for who she was.
“You never have to hide anything from me. I want you to be happy.”
“Gavin makes me happy,” she said, appreciating that she could give him a response that wasn’t a lie. She suddenly had a clearer understanding of Gavin’s mood earlier. It felt wrong to deceive Kenneth and the rest of the Fortunados.
At the wedding she’d acted impulsively, wanting to live out one of her secret fantasies and save Gavin from Schuyler’s matchmaking in the process. But these weren’t strangers whom she’d walk away from when Gavin returned to Denver and their relationship ended.
“I’m glad,” Kenneth told her. “Barbara will be, too.”
“I want you to know I’m still committed to the agency,” she said quickly. “That won’t change.”
“I know.” Kenneth frowned, his thick brows lowering over eyes that reminded her of Gavin. “I trust you implicitly, Christine. You just concentrate on staying happy, and I sure hope my son continues to be a part of that.”
“He will,” she whispered, somehow knowing Gavin would be the key to both her happiness and her heartbreak.
Chapter 7
Gavin lifted his hand to knock on the door of Christine’s condo the following evening, only to have it swing open.
“I can’t go out with you,” she whispered, her face pale and eyes wide.
He tightened his grip on the bouquet of roses he held. “Why? What’s wrong?”
“It’s Diana. She’s sick.” She took a step back, and he stepped into the condo. It was decorated in neutral colors but with colorful posters and pillows that gave it a homey look. Quite a bit different from the contemporary furnishings and unadorned walls of his loft in downtown Denver.
“Is Diana your daughter?” How had he missed the fact that Christine had a kid?
She gave him a funny look. “She’s my dog.”
He heard a low whine from the back of the condo, and Christine turned and started down the hall. She glanced over her shoulder at him. “I’m sorry. I’ll call you tomorrow, okay? I’ve got to get her to the vet. They’re staying open for me.”
It was clearly a dismissal but Gavin wasn’t about to walk away when she was so upset. He shut the front door and followed her into the kitchen, finding her kneeling next to a medium-size black lab that was on its side on the hardwood floor.
The dog looked up when he entered, gave a halfhearted bark then lowered her head to the floor again.
“What happened?”
“I’m not sure,” Christine said, trying unsuccessfully to coax the dog to her feet. “Come on, Di. You can do it.”
“I’ll lift her,” Gavin offered.
“She sheds,” Christine told him, her voice hollow.
“It’s fine. What kind of car do you have?”
“A Prius.” She ran a trembling hand over the dog’s head. “Normally, Di rides shotgun.”
“We’ll take mine. She’ll be more comfortable in the cargo area. Do you have an extra blanket?” Gavin moved forward and knelt on the other side of the animal. “Hey, girl. Wanna go for a ride?” The dog’s tail thumped as he pet her soft fur.
“You don’t have to do this,” Christine protested.
“I’m not leaving you.”
He met her worried gaze, hating the panic in her eyes. “She’s going to be okay,” he said quietly, even though it was a promise he had no business making. But he would have told Christine anything at the moment to make her feel better.
She nodded and talked softly to the dog as Gavin scooped the lab into his arms. He straightened and started for the front door as Christine grabbed a blanket from the back of the sofa.
They got the dog into the back of his Audi SUV, and Christine told him which way to drive to get to the vet’s office. Other than giving directions, she didn’t speak, and he wasn’t sure what else to say. He liked dogs well enough but couldn’t begin to guess what had made hers sick. He reached across the console and took Christine’s hand, wanting to offer whatever reassurance he could.
The vet’s office was only a ten-minute drive from her place, and as she’d mentioned, the staff was waiting for the dog. The doctor, a gray-haired man in his midfifties, greeted both Christine and Diana by name as he instructed Gavin to follow him to the back of the clinic. Gavin placed Diana on one of the exam tables then returned to the waiting room and sat down next to Christine.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered when they were alone. “This isn’t your problem and—”
“I want to be here,” he told her, lacing their fingers together. “I want to know you’re okay. Tell me about Diana.”
A hint of a smile curled her lips. “I adopted her from a shelter in Houston when she was only four months old. It was right after I started working for your dad. I’d graduated college and moved into my first apartment on my own so I wanted a dog for protection.”
“How did she get the name Diana?”
“The shelter called her Princess. She’d been found as a stray. They don’t know what happened to her mom or any other puppies from the litter. So I changed her name to Princess Diana.”
He chuckled. “That’s a funny name for a dog.”
“Yeah,” she agreed. “I might have entertained some girlish fantasies about my own Prince Charming back in the day. But despite the name, Di is so special. She was a holy terror when she was younger. Chewed everything she could get her teeth on. But it was love at first sight. We went for a walk tonight after work and she seemed fine. When I got out of the shower, she was on the floor.” Her voice broke and she swiped at her cheeks. “I can’t lose her. I don’t understand what happened. I took her to the dog park after work, and she was acting a little out of it when we got home, almost like she was drunk. Then she settled down so I thought she was fine. Why didn’t I realize something was wrong?”
“They’ll figure it out,” he assured her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and pulling her close.
Normally, Gavin didn’t do well with tears from women. Growing up in a house with three sisters, he’d seen plenty of crying in his day, but as an adult he steered clear of emotional scenes. Yet he couldn’t imagine a place he’d rather be at the moment than at Christine’s side.
She rested her head on his shoulder and they waited. Trying to distract her, he kept up a litany of questions about the dog, prompting her to share many of Princess Di’s adventures over the years. Her love for the dog was evident as she spoke, and he hoped with everything inside him that the dog would recover.
The vet came out into the waiting room a few minutes later, studying a chart as he entered.
“How is she?” Christine leaned forward, clutching her hands tight in front of her.
“She’s showing signs of poisoning, although I can’t narrow down what could have caused it at this point. We’ve given her activated charcoal and IV fluids. You said on the phone she hadn’t gotten into anything hazardous?”
Christine shook her head. “Unless it was something at the dog park that I didn’t see. I’ve heard stories of dogs getting sick there recently but I didn’t pay much attention.”
The vet frowned. “It’s possible, I suppose. Keep her on a leash for a while.”
“So she’ll be okay?”
The older man nodded. “We’d like to keep her here overnight. She should be ready to go home in the morning, assuming there are no complications.”
“Can I see her?” Christine asked, her voice shaky.
“She’s resting,” the doctor answered gently. “It might be better if you wait until the morning. It’s a good thing you got her here as quickly as you did.”
Gavin frowned as Christine nodded. He could tell she was fighting back another round of tears.
They left the office, Christine’s features a mask of pain. “I let this happen,” she whispered as she climbed into the Audi.
“It’s not your fault,” Gavin assured her, squeezing her hands. “If some idiot put poisoned food at the dog park, there’s nothing you could have done to prevent it.”
“I was visiting with people while she ran around with the other dogs. I wasn’t watching closely enough.”
Gavin pulled the seat belt across her and fastened it. She was in no shape to take care of anything at the moment. It was painful to see Christine, who was always so quietly competent and capable, at a loss in this way.
“She’s a dog at the park,” he said, brushing the hair out of her face. “The whole point is to run around with other animals. The vet said she’s going to be okay. It was smart that you brought her in for treatment right away.”
She gave a small nod and leaned back against the seat, closing her eyes.
He got into the car and started back toward her house. They didn’t speak during the short drive, but her breathing returned to normal and she seemed slightly calmer by the time he parked at the curb.
“Thank you,” she said quietly, unbuckling her seat belt then turning to face him. “I’m sorry about the date.” She shrugged. “Maybe we can take a rain check for later this week?”
“You aren’t getting rid of me that easily.” He turned off the SUV. “We can order pizza or whatever you want as takeout.”
By the time he came around the front of the Audi, Christine was on the sidewalk. “I’m not great company tonight.”
“Okay.”
She threw up her hands. “Seriously, Gavin. You were such a huge help, but I’ll be fine.”
“Seriously, Christine.” He reached out and brushed his thumb along the track of a tear that had dried on her cheek. “I wanted to hang out with you tonight. I still do. At least let me keep you company, since you’re having a rough time. We don’t even have to talk. Let’s just eat and watch a movie.”
“This isn’t the night you planned.”
“I planned to be with you,” he answered simply and saw her draw in a sharp breath. “Let me stay.”
She studied him for so long he felt himself wanting to fidget, but she finally nodded. “There’s a pizza place around the corner. I have a menu inside.”
“Pizza sounds great,” he said, and taking her hand, they walked toward her condo.
* * *
By the time Christine finished her third piece of pizza, she felt almost human again. Maybe she should be embarrassed about her attachment to Princess Diana, but the dog had been a faithful companion and friend for ten years. She’d been a source of unconditional love and had seen Christine through several lousy boyfriends and always made her feel better about the strained relationship she had with her family. Everyone loved Di, even her unemotional father.
“She’s going to be fine.” Gavin repeated his words from earlier, as if reading her mind. She still couldn’t believe how readily he’d pitched in to help with her dog and then comfort her. Sure, she could have managed, but it had been nice for once to feel like she wasn’t alone.
“I know,” she answered. “I just miss her. Other than when I’m away she’s always with me at night.” She thunked her palm against her forehead. “That sounds pathetically like my dog and I are codependent.”
He flashed a grin. “Dogs are great. My roommate in college had a husky, and I loved hanging on the couch with that furry beast.”
“You don’t have any pets?” she asked, taking a sip from her second beer of the night.
“Nah. I like animals but I travel a decent amount. It doesn’t seem fair.”
“You could get a goldfish.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” he told her with a chuckle.
They cleaned up the dishes, empty beer bottles and the pizza box, and then moved to the sofa in her family room. “Are you sure you’re okay with a boring night of television?”
“Being with you isn’t boring,” Gavin answered and the sincerity in his tone made her heart skip a beat. He sat close to her on the couch, and it felt natural to cuddle into him as they watched an action flick playing on one of the cable channels.
“Can I ask you a question?” His voice was a soft rumble against the top of her head.
“Sure.”
“Why don’t you have a boyfriend?”
She tried to stay relaxed but felt her body stiffen. Lifting her head from where it had been resting on his shoulder, she scooted away. “I haven’t met the right guy,” she answered, hoping that would be enough.
“I remember saying the exact same thing to you,” he told her, raising a brow. “You didn’t let me get away with it.”
“But you’re much kinder than me,” she said hopefully.
He laughed. “Try again. When was the last time you were in a serious relationship?”
“I dated a guy in Houston for about two years, but we broke up before I moved back to Austin.”
He whistled softly. “Two years is a long time.”
She shrugged.
“What went wrong?”
“Well...” She took a deep breath and thought about how to answer that question. “He wanted a schedule for...um...when we’d be together.”
“When you’d go out?”
“When we’d be together.” Color rushed to her cheeks. “In the biblical sense.”
Gavin’s eyes widened, and Christine wished for the ground to open up and swallow her whole. Why hadn’t she just stuck to a vague version of the truth? They’d grown apart or wanted different things in life.
“He was a math teacher at a local community college, so logic and order were important to him. He created algorithms for our relationship and part of that was a schedule for the optimal timing of...you know.”
“I know.” Gavin nodded then quickly shook his head. “But I’m having trouble believing you.”
“Maybe I shouldn’t have made such a big deal about it,” she said, echoing what her mother had said when Christine admitted to her the reason for the breakup. “I’m not exactly known to be adventurous. I’ve eaten the same type of cereal every day for breakfast for as long as I can remember. I’m not like you. My adventurous spirit is almost nonexistent. But that was too structured, even for me.”
“Who says you aren’t adventurous?” Gavin demanded softly.
She huffed out a harsh laugh. “No one needs to say it. Everyone knows it.”
“I don’t.”
“You will,” she countered. “You go heli-skiing and rock climbing and scuba diving.” She held up a hand and ticked off their differences. “I’m scared of heights and speed and I can barely doggy paddle.”
“There are other adventures you could have.”
She wrapped her arms around her stomach and turned toward the television, hating the direction this conversation had taken. “At the end of the day, I’m a coward.”
“I don’t believe that.”
“You’re watching a boring movie with me and have dog fur stuck to your sweater.” She rolled her eyes. “What’s a typical date like for you in Denver?”
“Pretty similar,” he said, deadpan. “Although sometimes I go for a crazy cat lady.”
“I wish I knew how to let go and be wild.”
Gavin leaned closer. “Do you have any memory of planting a mega kiss on me in front of my sister Saturday night?”
