Faux Paws by Roxanne St. Claire

Author:Roxanne St. Claire
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: South Street Publishing
Published: 2021-04-23T08:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

On Friday morning, before the Rescue Party people were scheduled to arrive, Marie was a hot mess of nerves. Clem picked up on her stress, along with River. The dogs followed her around the kitchen, watching her carefully. And so did Ayla.

“I’ve never seen you like this,” Ayla said, holding the coffeepot over the empty cup Marie held out like a desperate person. “Maybe you don’t need another cup.”

“Pour. I need coffee. And more cereal. And another croissant.”

Ayla laughed and tipped the pot to fill her mug, not surprised when Marie turned right to the sugar bowl to sweeten the brew.

“Contrary to popular belief around here, sugar does not cure what ails you, Miz Marie.”

“It helps.” Marie added a second teaspoon and took her mug to the kitchen table, looking out the back window. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

“The ranch?” Ayla joined her. “Looks like a different place since I got here.”

“Thanks to you.”

“Oh, please.” She lifted the pink bakery box lid and eyed a croissant. “Okay, maybe sugar does cure what ails you. Let’s split one.”

“Split schmit.” Marie snagged one of the pastries and took a healthy bite. “Stress eating is a part of life.”

Ayla chose a croissant for pure pleasure, not stress. “But no credit to me on the ranch. Theo’s been working tirelessly. The kennels look so good, I could sleep out there. And all those flowers he planted?”

“You helped.”

“He did the hard labor. I just enjoyed the scenery.”

“Like when he took his shirt off,” Marie said, grinning around her next bite.

“Yeah. Good scenery.” Ayla gave a little shiver. “Great scenery.”

“Have you two kissed yet?”

Suddenly, Clem jumped up and barked at the sound of a car in the driveway. “You can ask him.” Ayla winked and stood up, brushing some croissant flakes off her hands.

“Theo’s coming today? Are you sure that’s not the Rescue Party people? Daniel said they showed up a half hour early yesterday.”

Ayla peeked through the doorway toward the living room window. “Nope. Honda Civic SI.”

“And listen to that little trill in your voice,” Marie mused. “Someone has a crush on the man who plants shirtless.”

Ayla didn’t bother to deny that. “Making me a woman with functioning hormones, working eyes, and a beating heart.”

“Amen, sister,” Marie said on a laugh. “Although my hormones went on strike a while ago. Sooo…” She added a wiggly brow to the singsong word. “What’s stopping you from…you know, the next step?”

“The chance of tripping over that step, falling flat on my face, and crying.” She smiled. “Again.”

“He would never hurt you like that,” Marie said without any doubt or a moment’s hesitation, her voice barely audible over Clem’s insane barking at the door. “One thing I’ve learned in all this time—he’s a good man.”

“He’s a great man,” Ayla agreed. “But he can’t, won’t, and never will believe in me or understand me. That’s a deal breaker for me, even if the deal is just a good old-fashioned make-out session.” Which she’d love to have with him.

“So you have kissed him?”

Several times.

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