Once Upon a Pet Show (A Redpoint One Romance) (13 page)

Damien laughed. "Not a chance. Her and the
rest of the Naughty Knitters Club view themselves as the epitome of
sanity, and prove it by showing us how it's really
done."

"Including your job?" Her rich voice lilted
with humor.

"Not so far, but they have gone so far as
finding and bringing us people they think should work for the
department. Sad thing is, so far they've been right. It's driving
the boss crazy."

The night air filled with her uninhibited
laughter. Such a pleasing sound, and one he'd not heard, but now
having done so, he wanted to hear it again.

He mentally chided himself for his interest.
Soon the pet show would end and Vallory would be off on her next
nomadic adventure. Away from Redpoint One, and unlikely to
return.

Yet, he found himself sharing tales of the
Naughty Knitters Club. Their matchmaking with Rachel. Daisy's
rummage sale finds, including the time she found an alien bug in
stasis that she and the previous owner thought was a statue. Siggy,
Velda's neurotic but lovable dog.

By the time they arrived at the Northstar Bed
& Breakfast, he had her constantly laughing. A sound he was
quickly becoming addicted to. Her hand lay relaxed on his forearm.
He wished they could continue walking, but time to get her settled
for the night. Also time for him to get back to Hotel Circle to see
if he could figure out some other cause for the stink. Preferably
before it spread to the other hotels.

Also time to see if he could sweet-talk Velda
into the bed Vallory needed for the night. Might not be as easy to
do as making Vallory laugh.

Velda opened the front door after the first
ring of the chimes, dressed in a ruby-red and ivory white Chinese
silk-screened dress that fell off her trim frame in elegant waves,
tucked in at just the right places. The bleach-blond woman may be a
legal 'senior citizen,' but she still knew style and wore it
well.

Her eyes alit. "Damien! To what do I owe the
pleasure?"

Siggy looked around from the back of her
ankles to woof up at him. Damien took her hand and bent to kiss the
bony knuckles. "A pleasure, as always, Velda. You look
lovely."

Her eyes narrowed, taking in him, the bot and
cart, and Vallory. Specifically how Vallory's hand still rested on
his forearm. "I know bamboozling when I hear it. Okay, what do you
want?"

Damien grinned, unrepentant. "I recall Rachel
mentioning the room you are refurbishing above the kitchen
addition. This is Vallory Schist, and she's in desperate need of a
bed for the night."

"Anything to do with what was described to me
as 'a stench even high heaven would not suffer gladly?'" Velda
asked sweetly. "I've had three hotels call me in the last
hour."

His smile disappeared. "That would be the one.
Vallory has pets in the Exotic Pet Show, and as you know, tomorrow
starts the active judging." Now, why did that make her hand tense?
"She doesn't need much. Just a bed."

Vallory nodded vigorously. "Yes, just a bed.
When I'm out in the field, all I usually have is a tent, so I don't
need much."

"A tent?" Velda echoed even as Damien's heart
clenched. A nomad. Of course she was familiar with tents. "Well, no
tent here. The room was just painted, but the new floor isn't in
yet. Still, it will do."

Velda stepped back and motioned them inside.
With regret, Damien let Vallory's hand fall away from his arm. Just
as well. He was liking it there far too much.

As he grabbed the luggage from out of the back
of the cart, he realized part of what he'd just thought. Liked
walking with her with her arm crooked into his. A formal way of
walking, but with Vallory it felt right. No informal holding of
hands with her. It wouldn't feel right.

How long had it been since he yearned for the
simple company of a woman for something as simple as a walk? Lord,
he could be in trouble here.

He followed the two women into the stately
two-story house as Velda guided Vallory towards the stairs leading
to the upstairs room. A rounded shape zipped by his feet, to come
to a hovering halt just behind Vallory. Siggy dove to the floor in
surprise, then jumped up and started barking furiously at Damien's
bot.

"Siggy, enough," Velda said, without even
looking back. With one last indignant woof, the little dog pattered
off after the women, wandering from one side to the other, as if he
were incapable of walking in a straight line.

His bot? It left the cart to follow
Vallory?

His bot? Yes, he might be in trouble here if
even his bot was besotted with the fiery woman.

Fiery, but passionate with a healthy dose of
volatile. Compassion, caring, so soft around the edges even while
taking on someone like cantankerous Mr. Pyman. Not a combination he
was usually attracted to, but he wouldn't have Vallory any other
way.

"Here we are," Velda announced at the end of
one of the halls on the second story. She turned on the inside
light and hurried in. "Just give me a minute to make the bed and
store a few of the supplies away."

"Oh, it's not a problem at all. What a cozy
room," Vallory said, following her in.

Damien trailed behind all of them, his arms
filled with Vallory's luggage except the one she'd managed to grab
from him when unloading the cart. Setting them beside the door, he
took the time to take in the room.

The walls and ceilings angled, following the
lines of the roofline and dormers. A paned window with a seating
nook looked out over gardens highlighted with lights hidden in the
foliage. Newly painted walls gleamed in the overhead light. A brown
substrata covered the floor, ready for whatever flooring Velda
picked out. Vallory helped Velda make the large bed with four tall
corner posts pushed into a corner.

Yes, it would be a nice room for guests when
completed and fully furnished. For tonight, it would make do for
Vallory and provide an easy walk to the pet show in the
morning.

With the bed made, Velda frowned at the room
as if displeased with it. "At least a nightstand tonight. I'll be
right back."

Siggy stayed behind to explore the suitcases,
growling at his bot. Then turned around and licked it as if a
friend.

Vallory pushed her hair off her face as she
straightened from tucking in the last of the sheets, giving him a
smile he felt right down to the pit of his stomach. "Thank you for
finding a bed for me. I was worried I would have to sleep in the
spaceport."

"I think you'll find this much more
comfortable." Damien motioned to his bot. "Come on, time to get
back to work."

His bot gave him a saucy whistle and chirp,
voicing its objection. Still, it did as he asked, retreating out to
the hall.

"You have a cute bot," Vallory said with a
grin just as saucy.

Cute wasn't how he would describe how it was
acting. "In the morning, take the main path back to the pet show.
If you have any questions about directions, just ask
Velda."

Vallory nodded, clasping her hands in front of
her dress. "Of course. Heading out now?"

"Yes, before Velda gets back here and gets any
big ideas." He didn't plan to give Velda time to recover from her
shock of him arriving at her doorstep with a request to take care
of a woman.

"Should I guess what type of big ideas?"
Vallory asked, taking a step towards him.

He took a firm step backwards. "And don't you
give her any ideas. She doesn't need any help. None of the Club
do."

Vallory laughed, the infectious melody echoing
off the bare walls of the room. "Thinking they may try to duplicate
their success with Rachel?"

Damn, she'd thought of it, too. He took
another step backwards, putting him at open door. "The women are
known for their matchmaking. I'm shocked Velda didn't try from the
time we arrived."

Which only increased the mischievousness in
her eyes. Maybe he made a mistake bringing her here. Velda might
corrupt her further. Yes, time to make an escape.

"Have a good evening." Damien turned and fled,
nearly tripping over his bot and Siggy in the process.

***

The expression on Damien's face when he fled made
Vallory smile the rest of the night. The word 'fled' was a good
description. The poor man nearly tripped over his bot.

It kept her smiling even as she found herself
lonely for his company. Silly thing to feel, considering they'd
hardly spent any time together. Her mind kept straying to the short
walk. Walking side by side, her arm tucked under his with her hand
laying on his muscular forearm. It had felt so right, in a way
she'd never experienced before.

She wanted more, and she had no right to want
or expect it.

Her soft smile continued into the next day,
through getting ready the next morning, and checking on her
daubpups before the meeting. No rumors of more missing pets, thank
goodness.

Once the meeting started, though, she forced
her mind back to business. With it came the dread of the coming end
of the pet show with something new added to her previous
worries.

Now the sadness of leaving Damien behind
joined the worry about the daubpup's future. Of her own future and
future happiness.

She wished she had an answer for any of
it.

CHAPTER NINE

"WE BELIEVE SHE would make an excellent addition to the
crew," Velda finally finished, beaming at everyone on the
maintenance platform. Hair in place, just right, makeup precisely
applied. Dressed to kill, and still she managed a completely
innocent expression. As if she didn't know the trouble she was
causing.

Like all the others, Damien stared at the
three women in shock. To one side stood the Naughty Knitter's Club,
a slightly overweight woman with a friendly face and gently curled
blond hair. He had to give the woman credit. The focus of the
entire room, but she held herself straight and kept a smile on her
face, even if it was a little strained.

They'd done it again. Showed up in the middle
of the morning meeting with another person in tow, announcing to
the rest of them that they'd found someone new for the maintenance
department. Confident in the fact.

Damien glanced around the room, expecting to
find a bot come flying out of one of the back rooms to gaze
adoringly at the new human it had chosen. None moving yet, but that
didn't mean anything. One could pop out at any moment.

Finally, Zane's voice cut through the silence
filling the room, demanding, "Do you do this every day?"

Daisy grinned, a felt dark-blue hat perched on
her silvery-gray hair with a iridescent spiky feather sticking out
the back. "Only when we've found someone suitable."

"You're lucky our latest interviews have gone
so well," Eddie said with a firm nod. "We turn away most of
them."

Arthur leaned a hip against the railing of the
raised center platform, crossing his arms over his chest. "We need
to discuss protocol if you are going to continue with
this."

"Of course. Why don't you, Tish, and Rachel
and her beau come by this Friday for dinner at my place? We'll
discuss it in detail." Velda grinned like a cat who had just eaten
a bowl of cream. Oh great. Arthur just admitted defeat, only not in
so many words.

"And Zane," Daisy quickly added, adjusting the
hat when it started slipping to the side. "Zane must come. We will
make his favorite desert."

"I doubt I'll be here," Zane said just as
quickly.

Which earned a frown from Eddie. "Of course
you'll be here, dear. There's simply too much to repair on the
station for you to leave anytime soon."

Damien's eyes narrowed at how Zane went stiff
at the comment. Did he really hate this place so much?

"What about me?" Rachel asked, coming in
through the main door of the maintenance platform. She stopped,
taking in the new arrival standing to the side and gave an audible
groan. "You're up to it again?"