Double Dog Dare by Roxanne St Claire
“In a corner. Under a table. Best of all, under a desk.”
Really? “She’s blind, Darcy.”
“But she can still sense that she’s on the ground and surrounded by walls or security. It’s the only way to let her spend this evening in the crate.”
“Savannah said she had to be on that bed to be happy.” He gestured toward the beige dog bed in the corner.
“We can put the dog bed in the crate, but she’s really happy now. I wouldn’t mess with success since we have to go out for a few hours.” She glanced up and down his body with none of the usual warmth he’d noticed when she’d checked him out before. “Ricardo’s is a nice restaurant, by the way.”
He plucked at his filthy T-shirt. “I’ll shower and change.”
“We need to leave in ten minutes.”
“It’ll take me five. You can wait right here.” He could have sworn a little color deepened her cheeks.
“Okay, I’ll hang with Stella. But hurry, because my father cannot abide lateness. Move it, hot stuff. Go get…clean.”
“I’ll be fast,” he promised. And he would be. He wasn’t about to take a twenty-minute shower thinking about Darcy Kilcannon…calling him hot stuff.
He succeeded, stayed focused, got dressed, and came out to the living room to find Darcy on the floor, pink skirt spread around her and all his sofa cushions in a big square. “Did you build a fort?”
“She loves it,” she said, carefully maneuvering the top pillow to get it right. “The pillows muffle the sound, so she knows she’s all safe and secure.” Turning to him, her eyes glinted in appreciation. “Oh. Wow. You clean up nice.” She turned away quickly, her attention on the dog again. “She’s made great progress today, which means we can really work on convincing Dr. Walker that Stella is a great candidate for the procedure.”
“I haven’t reached Savannah yet. The phone isn’t even ringing, but going straight to voice mail, which makes me wonder if she even has it turned on.” He walked over to her and bent down to peer into the pillow fort. “Hey there, kid. Did you learn how to share the sandbox at school today?”
Darcy looked up at him, blinding him with an upside-down smile that made him feel like he was at the top of a roller coaster staring down a free fall.
“She stole a lot of hearts at Waterford,” she told him. “Mostly two-legged ones, though. She’s struggling with other dogs and really uncomfortable in a strange place. That’s why it’s fine to leave her crated tonight, but we shouldn’t stay out too late.”
“Where’s Kookie?” he asked.
She raised her brows. “Home. Upstairs. You know, where she lives, breaking all the landlord’s rules.”
He smiled back at her, reaching to help her up. “We have a deal.” No surprise, her hand felt small and sweet and right in his. He tried to cover his reaction by looking at the pillows, tapping the top one to confirm how secure it was over Stella’s crate. “And anyone who makes Stella a pillow fort with such an eye toward solid construction has my undying professional respect.”
“Thank you. I couldn’t fit her favorite bed in there, but I put it close so she can smell it.” She was suddenly close to his face and…tall.
“You grew.”
“Heels.” She extended a leg to show off a pair of shoes that someone designed with the sole purpose of making men lose their literal minds. “Whoa. Those are…wow. I didn’t notice them before.” Which made him the blinder one in this room.
“I had them on when I came in.”
“I guess I was distracted by the dog.” Hours. It would take many hours to forget those shoes. “Is it even legal to wear those things?”
“Please don’t tell me you have rules against heels. How could they not be legal?”
“Because they look deadly…to walk in,” he added.
“I do just fine.” She strutted a few steps to demonstrate, twirling to make her skirt flare and show off long, sexy legs. “See? Not deadly.”
“You’re not the one who’s going to die,” he murmured.
She laughed and leaned her shoulder into his. “Careful. You might convince my dad to stop the setups, and you don’t want to tell a lie.”
He picked up the remote and turned on the TV. “I’m starting to forget what’s real and what’s a lie.”
“What are you doing?”
“She used to like Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy.” He coded in the channel. “Less lonely with Pat Sajak and Alex Trebek.”
“Sweet.” Darcy smiled at him, nothing but warm affection in her eyes. “But isn’t it against the rules to leave the TV on while you’re gone?”
He took her arm and led her to the door, squeezing a little bit in response. “Clearly, I break rules where Stella is concerned.”
“Good to know.”
As he pulled the door closed, he took one last look at the fort, seeing the dog curled in the corner of the crate. “Wish me luck, kid.”
Because, with this woman, he needed it.
Chapter Nine
Darcy forgot to eat, which was ridiculous considering she was at one of her favorite restaurants in town. But there were so many distractions that kept her from chowing down on Ricardo’s incredible chicken Parm. The whole reason for the dinner—restoring Stella’s sight—was enough to keep Darcy’s fork in suspended animation as the two seasoned vets at the table explained the arcane details of immunoglobulin injections.
And there was the little bit of chemistry between those two doctors that had Darcy itching for a private moment to text Garrett and tell him Jessie might be on to something with Dr. Judy Walker in the betting pool.
But the real distraction was next to her, inches away on her side of the sizable booth, his thigh occasionally brushing hers, his shoulders so broad and close she could practically rest her head on one, and his intelligent, caring questions showing him to be far from the dog hater she’d once mistook him for.
“How did your research into SARDS start?” Josh asked Judy after their dinners were served.
“For the past decade or so, there’s been no hope for these dogs who were suddenly going blind with no apparent reason.” Judy took a sip of wine and smoothed back a lock of dark hair, pinning an intense gaze on Josh and Darcy as she answered. “Then the treatment was developed for humans with immune-mediated retinopathy, and some vets started the research of applying it to a similar disorder with dogs.”
“So you’re not the only one doing this?” Darcy asked.
“A few other university departments are working on it, and everyone wants to be the first to get it through government approvals,” she replied. “It would be a huge coup for the Vestal Valley veterinary program.”
“Which is one of the best in the country,” Dad added with pride. “I graduated from there, and so did Molly,” he told Josh.
Judy gave him a warm smile. Very warm. “You are some of our finest alumni.”
“And you’re absolutely certain the only downside is that the dog doesn’t regain sight?” Josh asked them both. “No chance of any illness or long-term damage or side effects?”
“I give you my word this is safe,” she said, adding a smile to the man at her right. “Daniel’s been watching me test this new injection mix for well over a year now, and we do have quite a few success stories.”
Well over a year? Darcy filed that one away to share with the rest of the Kilcannons.
“But it’s not approved by the vet associations and government yet?” Josh asked.
“Some of these immunoglobulin injections are approved for use, but the one we’re developing should work much faster. The right candidate could have vision back in three weeks, but only if the patient has been blind for less than forty-five days. And, of course, meets health requirements, especially no diabetes or kidney disorders.”
“You still don’t know exactly when she went blind?” Dad asked.
Josh shook his head. “Is it gradual?” he asked.
Both doctors shook their heads. “It
“Did she gain weight or show increased thirst?” Dad asked.
Josh shrugged. “Not noticeably, but she isn’t my dog. I wasn’t with her every day. The last time I saw her, it had either started or she was already fully blind. I can tell you that she was not herself, already acting scared and staring past me. That was a little over a month ago.”
“How little?” Judy asked.
“I’d say thirty-five days.”
There was that benefit of counting breakup days, Darcy mused, sipping her wine.
Judy bit her lip and looked at Dad. “We have not one second more than ten days if she’s going to get the treatment. Maybe less.”
Josh glanced at Darcy, surprise and hope in his eyes instead of the pain she’d expect from a man still dressing wounds inflicted on the battlefield of love. “We should do it without her approval,” he whispered as Judy and Dad discussed something about the treatment.
“Pretty big rule to bend, Josh.”
“Stella deserves this chance.”
An all-new tsunami of attraction threatened to drown her. “I agree,” she whispered.
“Well, there’s one of my favorite customers.” Ricardo Mancini broke the moment. He was dressed as always in his chef’s jacket and totally unnecessary toque blanche, approaching the table with his infectious laugh and outstretched, always-moving Italian hands. “Hello, Dr. K.”
Dad started to stand to greet him, but Ricardo waved him back down and put a hand on Judy’s back. “And so nice to see you here again, Dr. Walker.”
Because Dad brought her there? Curiosity burned while introductions and greetings were exchanged all around, but then Josh leaned over to get closer to Darcy’s ear while the other three talked about some menu changes.
“Is there anyone who doesn’t know your dad?” he whispered, sending chills down her back. “He’s like the mayor of Bitter Bark.”
She slyly pointed to a table across the restaurant. “No, that’s the mayor of Bitter Bark, Blanche Wilkins. She’s my sister-in-law’s aunt. Welcome to Small Town America.” She put a hand on his arm to quietly ask, “Do you think you can give the go-ahead without Savannah’s approval?”
He studied her, thinking. “I want to, but I don’t know if it’s the right thing to do.”
“Ask my dad,” she said without thinking. “He’s the king of doing the right thing. He’ll give you good advice.”
“I will,” he promised. “He’s obviously a very knowledgeable vet and a caring man.”
“I’ll have tiramisu sent for the table,” Ricardo promised. “I remember you both liked it so much last time.”
Last time? So they were dating.
Taking another sip of water, Darcy studied Dr. Walker, who had jumped right back into the conversation about Stella. She was, what? Forty-five or fifty at the most? Smart, personable, very attractive, and…not Mom.
How did Dad do this setup thing with such ease? she wondered. Didn’t he feel that proprietary sense of—
“Right, Darcy?” Josh asked, yanking her from her thoughts.
She looked up at him, blank.
“I mean, there’s a possibility I won’t be able to reach her until too much time has passed,” he added. “Do I have the right or option to make the choice for her?”
“It’s a little complicated,” Dr. Walker answered. “To participate in a test procedure like this, the owner has to sign a waiver that’s witnessed by at least one person. That document essentially spells out everything that we will do, how we will treat any complications, and waives legal action should anything happen to the patient.”
“So, I can’t sign on her behalf, even though she left the dog with me while she’s gone?” He directed that question to Dad, who didn’t answer right away but was clearly considering the idea.
“I suppose you technically do have ‘custody,’ since Stella is in your care,” he said.
“I’d bring her in for emergency care if something happened to her,” Josh said.
“But this isn’t an emergency,” Dad replied.
“She’s blind.” Darcy and Josh said the words at exactly the same time, in the same tone, making the other two smile.
“Why don’t you exhaust every resource first?” her father asked. “Talk to her closest family members and friends and maybe those of the person she’s traveling with. She isn’t alone, right?”
Josh flinched so imperceptibly that most people wouldn’t notice. But then, most people weren’t staring at his face, memorizing the angles of his jaw and the shape of his lips and the way his long lashes met when he narrowed his eyes in thought. Only Darcy was.
“No, she isn’t,” Josh answered simply. Of course, Dad had no way of knowing who Josh’s ex-girlfriend was traveling with or how close to home it hit.
“Can you contact her traveling companion’s family?” Dad asked.
He blew out a breath. “I can, but I’d like to do it in person, and then, if someone can reach her, get the document to her immediately by fax or scanning. Would that work?”
Dr. Walker nodded. “We can accept that, but we also have to have Stella’s vet records.”
Josh’s face fell in disappointment. “I don’t even know the name of her vet.”
“When you reach her owner, she can tell you, and the vet office can email the records on Monday,” Dad said.
Of course her father thought this should all be simple, but only Darcy knew the complicated family dynamics and the betrayal Josh had to muscle through. But something told her he’d do that for Stella.
He nodded slowly, thinking. “There’s someone who lives in her apartment building who recommended the vet. She might know. I’ll probably have to go there,” he added. “It’s not far, near Lake Norman, north of Charlotte.”
“If you go, I’ll take care of Stella,” Darcy said.
He turned to her. “I was hoping you’d go with me.”
She froze, blinked, and willed her heart not to beat so hard it was visible to all the eyes on her at that moment.
“Then I’ll take care of Stella,” Dad said without missing a beat or, Darcy noticed, waiting for her to actually respond. “In fact, we can get some of the preliminary tests out of the way.”
Judy leaned forward. “Yes, she needs an optical coherence tomography scan, and I think we could do that this weekend without permission,” she said. “It’s one hundred percent noninvasive, merely a simple scan that will give us some critical information about her retinas.”
Josh was still looking at Darcy, waiting for an answer, holding her gaze with one she couldn’t begin to interpret. Was he asking because he needed moral support? To help her with the Dad problem? Or because…he wanted her with him?
Didn’t matter. She already knew the answer.
“I’ll go,” she said. “I don’t have appointments this weekend. I was going to work on trying to figure out how to turn a real estate office into a dog grooming shop.”
“We’ve got that covered,” he assured her. “I’ll go there with you next week, and we can figure out what it will take.”
Darcy didn’t dare look at her father. Surely she’d see the smug smile of victory, or maybe a question of how this arrangement fit into her burning need for independence. It fit well, she rationalized, since his assistance meant she didn’t have to beg Kilcannons for help.
“That sounds great,” she said. “And tomorrow, we can bring Stella and Kookie over to Waterford in the morning and drive down to Charlotte and see whoever we need to see.”
“We can.” He put his hand on hers and added the slightest amount of pressure, enough to make her struggle with her next breath. “Thanks.”
“No problem.” Well, yes, it was a problem. Those delicious lips were a problem. That strong hand was a problem. Those shoulders and that smile and the fact that Darcy wanted to kiss him so much s
And this we business could be a problem, too.
But Ricardo arrived with a plate of tiramisu oozing with cream and covered in shaved chocolate, changing the tenor and tone of the table, moving things into the happy, easy laughter that came with the anticipation of something sweet and wonderful.
But, no surprise, Darcy couldn’t eat a thing.
Chapter Ten
After saying good night, Josh and Darcy headed out of Ricardo’s and paused as they stepped onto the brick-paved street outside.
“I’d suggest we walk through Bushrod Square instead of Ubering back to the building, but…” He pointed at the shoes he hadn’t forgotten about all night. “I better get us a ride.”
“Are you kidding? These babies are like slippers, and it’s a perfect summer night in Bitter Bark.” She gestured toward the green space that took up at least a square mile in the heart of town. Inside the stone walls of the square, dozens of hundred-year-old oaks and pines twinkled with white lights, and plenty of late evening walkers strolled with dogs. “I love this place at night.”
“You love your town, don’t you?” he observed. “I mean, for a person who seems to like travel so much, you have quite the heart for home, too.”
“Oh, I do. In fact, that’s one of the best parts of traveling—the joy of coming home. Also, I love the start of a trip, too. So much potential. And the thrill of new discoveries and adventures.” She tipped her head in gratitude. “So thanks for the opportunity to have another.”
Was that what his invitation was to her? For him, it was an impulsive idea that he couldn’t resist. “Happy to help.”
“So,” she said, inching a little closer as they passed a small group of tourists and their dogs, “what do you really think? A thing or not? Dating? In love? Or just friends?”
He replied with a surprise blink. “Should I know that now?”
“Oh, come on, HL. I know I can count on you for the unvarnished truth. What is the nature of this new romance? Maybe I’m seeing things that aren’t there, though, but I need to know what to tell my family. Is it just sex or the real deal?”