Page 3 of Sit, Stay, Love
‘Then nope. That stuff packs a punch and I have to drive sometime this century. Plus, I have a deadline tomorrow. Water’s fine.’
He nodded and disappeared into the kitchen, returning with an unlabelled brown bottle in one hand and a glass of water in the other. He handed her the glass. ‘Is the deadline for that funeral place?’
Sera wrote copy for anyone who would let her. She’d learned not to be fussy early into running the rescue, when she realised her small cash inheritance was being quickly eaten up by her assortment of animals. When she was younger, her writing dreams had involved being a journalist like her dad, or penning a bestselling novel and touring the world on a glamorous all-expenses paid book tour. Now, her reality was writing about the pros and cons of various coffin styles and how to honour a loved one’s last wishes. It wasn’t what she’d planned – nothing in her life was what she’d planned – but with money in short supply, she didn’t have a choice. Every monthseemed to bring more lost and unwanted animals than the last, pushing costs up and up. Her house was old, and the roof needed repairs, and she’d just spent more cash than she had to spare on ensuring that the barn at the end of the paddock didn’t fall down in the next storm. Money went out three times faster than it came in. But she had to keep Rose’s Rescue going; the alternative kept her awake at night.
‘Sure is,’ she said, adding a dramatic sigh. ‘I’m still surprised they gave me the job after I laughed when they said they wanted their website to be “livelier”. Honestly, how could that not have been a joke?’
Toby chuckled as he dropped onto the couch beside her, stretched out his long legs and put his sock-clad feet on the coffee table. ‘I hope they pay well.’
‘They do, and they’re super nice, so I want to get it right.’
‘Dead-on, one might say.’
‘Don’t want to bury the lede.’
‘Be your funeral if you did.’
‘There’d be grave repercussions.’
They burst out laughing.
Buffy barked, charged from the room and down the hall towards the backdoor just as the front doorbell rang. ‘That dog’s an idiot,’ Toby said as he put his beer on the table. He slapped Sera’s thigh and pushed off the couch. ‘I ordered for you. I’ll get the food, you get the plates.’ He offered her his hand and hauled her up with an exaggerated grunt.
Sera’s stomach grumbled as she rummaged through Toby’s kitchen cupboards. She was starving, but still sleepy after her short nap. Chances were high that with a tummy full of pizza she’d pass out on the couch watching whatever movie they picked for the night. Half the time theybothcrashed out before the movie ended. She’d woken up drooling on Toby’s shoulder more times than she could count. It was lucky they were only friends because she’d be way too tired for romance anyway.
She headed back to the lounge room with a roll of paper towel, and the plates and cutlery they wouldn’t use. ‘You better have ordered extra…’ She trailed off, freezing as her gaze fell on the man standing beside Toby.
The absolutely drop-dead, stop-you-in-your-tracks, gorgeous man whodefinitelywasn’t the pizza guy.
He was Hemsworth-level tall and built, with biceps that overfilled his sleeves, artfully messy sandy brown hair and eyes so blue, their brilliance popped from across the room. His square jaw was covered in exactly the right amount of stubble and his mouth was a rosy pout that she instantly wanted to kiss.
Her breath hitched. Twice.
Toby cleared his throat, and she blinked.
‘It wasn’t the pizza,’ he said. ‘It was Ethan.’
She blinked again, her brain in a fog of Holy Hotness, Batman.
Toby nodded at her, as if prompting her to recognise the Adonis standing there casually glowing. ‘Ethan… James? You know. The actor. The movies with the dragons?’
Ethan sauntered towards her, a smile slowly spreading across his delectable lips. ‘Don’t worry. No one recognises me without the sword and bearskins.’ A pair of deep dimples popped in his cheeks as he grinned.
Sera sighed before she could stop herself.
‘Let me help you with those,’ he said, his blue eyes twinkling.
He gathered the plates from her arms, his large, warm hands brushing against her fingers, sending a tingle shooting across her skin.
‘Throne of Kings,’ she blurted. ‘You’re Lord Jasper. You’re right, without the sword and fur and stuff, you do… uhh…’ She flapped a hand in his direction. ‘I mean you don’t… um… uhh…’ She could feel her cheeks burst into flames.
Toby shot her awhat the hell is wrong with you?expression. ‘Ethan has a bit of a problem,’ he said.
Ethan set down the plates and nodded. ‘There’s a dog in my backyard. I’ve been up on the Gold Coast for work, and I just got home and there’s this huge, angry dog stalking around on my lawn. My neighbour said it’s been there since yesterday. He thought it must have been mine. God knows how it got over the fence.’ He shook his head. ‘Anyway, I didn’t know who tocall, what with it being a Sunday night. My neighbour suggested I call you, Dr McManus. Said you might be able to help.’
Toby pulled his phone from his pocket and checked it. ‘Sorry, did I miss your call?’
Ethan scratched his head, causing the hem of his t-shirt to lift just enough to flash a hint of taut waist and smooth, tanned skin. ‘Ah. No. I’m just down the hill near Turimetta Beach, so I thought I’d come straight here and… Look, I’m going to be honest with you. Dogs freak me out, and this one’s angry. It’s snarling and barking and frothing at the mouth.’
