Winter's Wonder: Pine Point, Book 2 (2 page)

Chapter Three

“Aren’t you ready yet?” Ella stood at the bathroom door, tapping the toe of one stiletto brown suede boot.

Becca yanked a brush through her curls with one hand and tried to apply mascara with the other. “Five minutes.”

“You said that five minutes ago. And five minutes before that.”

“Relax. It’s not like we’re going to the Oscars. Last time I checked, there wasn’t a limo waiting downstairs.” Becca dropped the mascara and the brush at the same time. Whatever look she had going on now would have to be good enough.

“No, but it’s also not like there are actual parties in Pine Point on a regular basis either.”

Ella had a point there. Becca scurried into her bedroom and stared into her closet. “What should I wear?”

Ella followed her. “Something that doesn’t look like you’ve been mucking stalls all day.”

“Mucking—” Becca shook her head. “There aren’t any horses at the shelter, El.”

Her sister waved a hand. “Whatever. You know what I mean. Something sexy.” She rifled through the hangers.

“We need to go into your closet for that.”

Ella strutted into her adjoining room. “Yes, we do,” she called over her shoulder. Thirty seconds later, she reappeared holding something that looked like black lace and a bikini and not much else.

“What is that?”

Ella laid the outfit on Becca’s bed, shooing away Laurel and Hardy. “Leggings and a bustier. Put a camisole underneath and you’re good to go.”

“A bustier? It’s like five degrees outside!” Her fingers had only begun to thaw about an hour ago, after cleaning cages and dog runs all day and walking back and forth between the outside kennels and the warmth of her office. “Forget it.” She pulled clean jeans out of her bottom drawer.

“You are not wearing jeans to a Christmas party.” Ella wrestled them away from her.

“It’s at a gym,” Becca pointed out. “Don’t you think you’ll be a little overdressed?”

“It’s still a party.”

“Fine,” Becca said. “I’ll compromise.” Instead of the bustier or leggings, she pulled on the jeans but added a low-cut black sweater. The necklace she rarely took off, a silver paw print, dangled against her bare skin. She added large silver hoop earrings and a pair of black boots—not stilettos, but with a manageable yet stylish two-inch heel. Then she turned in a circle. “There. Acceptable enough?”

Ella bounced up. “Yes. How you got those boobs when I’m flat as a pancake, I will never understand,” she said as she walked out into the hall.

Becca wouldn’t either, but she wasn’t about to complain. She fed her rabbit, checked on the sleeping gerbil and then followed her sister. She wasn’t the party type, but she had to admit, after two ten-hour days at Pine Point Paws, it was kind of nice to be wearing something other than work clothes.

Twenty minutes later, they swung Ella’s two-door Honda into a parking spot at the very end of Main Street. “See?” Ella said as they hurried down the sidewalk. The wind cut through the buildings and took Becca’s breath away. She pulled her coat around her neck and wished she’d worn a hat. “I told you there’d be a lot of people here.”

They pulled open the steamed-over front door of Springer’s Fitness. Rock music, animated conversation and the smell of spicy, tangy foods washed over them.

“Hello, welcome, thanks for coming!” Mike Springer, a guy of about thirty, squeezed his way through the crowd. He kissed Ella’s cheek and nodded at Becca. “You can put your coats over there—” he pointed at long racks set up near the locker rooms, “—and help yourself to food down by the aerobics room.” He gestured at the far side of the gym. “Good to see you!” he boomed over the music.

Becca smiled in response. They’d met once or twice, though she’d never held a conversation with the man. He had enormous arms and shoulders, a square jaw, blond crew cut, and looked like the perfect person to own a gym. Rumors held that he’d run into trouble while living down south somewhere, and that he’d come back to Pine Point looking for a clean slate, but Becca didn’t put much stock in rumors. Anyway, he’d made a success for himself, so it looked as though he’d found that clean slate after all.

Ella wriggled through the crowd and disappeared at once. Becca sighed. Of course. She hung up her coat and looked around for familiar faces. Even though she’d been back from college almost two years, most of her friends from high school had left Pine Point, moved on to bigger or warmer locales. Her only close friend still here in town was home with the flu and a cranky one-year-old.

Becca straightened her sweater and ran a hand over her hair to smooth it. Cat Hunter was standing behind the DJ table, flirting with one of the Hadley sisters. A few girls she recognized from high school milled around the food table. Balloons hung from the ceiling, and streamers ran through the rails of the treadmills and elliptical trainers. The place was nice, clean and efficient-looking.

Might as well get some food
. The last thing she’d eaten was a slice of cold pizza around two o’clock. She walked past a group of teenagers writhing in place to the music and wondered how the four kittens were doing that had arrived at the shelter that morning. Found under the porch of an abandoned house, they looked to be three or four weeks old. No mother in sight. She’d gotten them set up in the quarantine wing, tended to them all day, and Shirley was coming in at eight to bottle-feed them again, but Becca still worried.

A dark, broad back rose up in front of her, and she ran into it before she had a chance to stop herself. “Uff!” Her jaw clamped down hard, and she pin wheeled backwards.

The owner of the back turned, reached out a hand and grabbed her arm to right her. A minute later, Becca realized she was looking up into the face of Zane Andrews. Piercing, dark brown eyes met hers.

“Sorry. You all right?”

Her face grew hot. “I’m fine. I should probably apologize to you. I wasn’t looking.” Typical. Head in the clouds, mind on her animals, she had blinders on when it came to the real world around her. For just an instant, she got lost in his gaze, a curious mix of interest and appreciation as he took in her outfit. He wore a tight-fitting black T-shirt with a denim shirt open over it and faded jeans. Didn’t show much skin, but he didn’t have to. Muscles were evident on every single inch of this man’s body. Five o’clock shadow, mussed black hair and a faint dimple that punctuated his half-smile, and Becca knew instantly why every red-blooded woman in Pine Point wanted to jump into bed with this guy.

“Well, sorry,” she said again, and went to walk past him.

But he didn’t move. “Where do I know you from?”

Oh, God. He didn’t remember? She clenched her hands into fists at the thought of what had happened two days earlier. Of course he didn’t. She’d been bundled up against the elements, and it had been dark outside.

“I was at Mountain Glen the other night trying to find a stray dog.”

His eyes widened. “That was you?” He leaned closer. “Ah. The blue eyes. Now I see it.”

She took a step back. Zane Andrews didn’t need to be looking at her eyes. Or any other part of her. Self-conscious, she crossed her arms over her chest at the same time his cologne teased her nostrils. Oh, this man smelled yummy. “Have you seen it again?” she asked to distract herself. “The dog?”

“Nope. But it gets into the residents’ garbage all the time. I’m sure it’ll turn up.”

“Please don’t shoot it.”

His eyes widened. “Hell, I’m not an animal killer. I wouldn’t do a thing like that.”

Her shoulders scrunched up to her ears. “Sorry. There are some pretty cruel people out there. You’d be surprised.”

“Actually, I probably wouldn’t be. But you don’t have to worry. I’m not gonna take it home and adopt it, but unless it comes after my jugular, I’ll leave it alone.”

“Next time you see it, just give us a call,” she said, looking up—way up. How tall was this guy, anyway? “We have a couple guys who can come take care of things like that.”

Zane gave her a half-grin. “I like to take care of things myself.”

She bet he did. Desire rushed through her again.

“Anyway, nice seeing you.” He winked. “Enjoy the party.”

Face still flushed from their exchange, she made her way to the food as her mind vacillated between admiration at the way Zane filled out a pair of jeans and worry over the dog finding a way to stay warm in the freezing temperatures. She piled a plate with mozzarella sticks and potato skins. She thought a minute and then added some carrot and celery sticks for an effort at nutrition. Finding a space by the aerobics room, she leaned against the wall and surveyed the crowd. Cat had switched to holiday tunes, and now a large group of people swayed to “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” in the middle of the gym. Near the women’s locker room, she could make out her sister’s teased blonde hair. Ella pointed above her to a swatch of mistletoe and then laughed as her ex-boyfriend, Derek, leaned over for a kiss.

A wave of nostalgia came over Becca. She’d always liked Derek, and though Ella had broken up with him half a dozen times in the last year, he always came back. Truly, Christmas made the world seem more magical; despite the sadness and cruelty she saw all year long, the crisp air of December, carols on the radio and people’s genuine good cheer made up for the rest of the year. She smiled and tapped her toe to the music. It wouldn’t matter that she didn’t have someone to kiss under the mistletoe. She had all her fur babies, both at home and at the shelter, and they were enough to keep her warm and happy.

“Having a good time?” Out of nowhere, Zane materialized beside her. Becca almost dropped her plate in surprise.

He held out a plastic cup. “Punch?”

She eyed it suspiciously. “What’s in it?”

He chuckled, and her insides almost came apart at the warm, sensual sound. “I’m not sure. Knowing Springer, some kind of protein mix and all-natural fruit puree. No alcohol.” He winked. “Though I’m sure we could get some if you wanted.”

Dear God, was this man flirting with her? Becca took the cup and tried to steady her hand. “No, I’m good,” she lied. Actually, a shot of vodka was just what she needed right now. Her pulse spiked as Zane leaned against the wall beside her.

“Haven’t seen you around town much.”

She took a sip of the punch. “Wow, do you use that line on everyone?” Then she bit her bottom lip.
Too snarky, Bec.

But he just smiled. “Not everyone. Just people I haven’t seen around town much.”

She smiled. “I’m at the shelter most of the time.”

“Ah.” He drank his own punch and looked at the crowd. “You ever take time off?”

Why? Was he going to ask her out? Her heart rate continued to skyrocket. No. Of course he wasn’t. Zane Andrews could have his pick of any woman in town. He was probably just making polite conversation. Or Ella had sent him over to keep her company.

“It’s hard,” she finally managed to say. “Always something to take care of there. Homeless animals don’t really follow a nine-to-five schedule.”

He nodded and said nothing.
Well, that’s that
, she thought. She shouldn’t be surprised. After all, she hadn’t been particularly nice to him the other night.
But he’d had a gun
, she argued with herself.

While the voices in her head warred, Zane took another appreciative look at her. One corner of his mouth lifted. “I was wondering—”

Becca’s cell phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out to read the text from Shirley.
“Need you here ASAP. Trouble with the kittens.”

She dropped her half-full cup in the trash can beside her. “I’m sorry. I have to go.” She pulled in a deep breath to keep the panic at bay. She still wasn’t used to these emergency calls.

“You just got here,” Zane said. He glanced at her phone. “Everything okay?”

Not even close.
“It’s the shelter.”

He chewed his bottom lip and said nothing.

“They’re helpless animals,” she added. “Homeless kittens we just found this morning. There’s no one else. The manager left early this week, and I’m filling in until they hire a new one.”

“I’ve known plenty of animals in my time,” he finally said. “They had pretty good intuition. Knew how to take care of themselves.”

She gave him a long look. “Just because they know how to doesn’t mean they should have to.” With that, she went in search of her coat and to tell her sister goodbye.

Chapter Four

Two days later, Zane slipped out of the security booth as soon as Sue drove up in her beat-up Chevy Blazer. Usually, he spent an hour or so after his day shift updating paperwork or shooting the shit with the maintenance guys. The TV in the shed was always tuned to a game or a reality show, and the coffee stayed hot around the clock. But today he had someplace to be.

“Anything I need to know?” Sue asked as she settled her bulk into the single captain’s chair of the booth. She glanced at the cameras, then at Zane.

“Nope. Quiet day.”

Sue nodded and pulled out a stack of women’s magazines. “Hope it stays that way through midnight.”

“Can’t imagine it won’t.” He touched two fingers to his forehead in goodbye and then jogged in the direction of the maintenance shed. He pulled off the requisite blue security hat and ran one hand through his hair. Needed a cut, and badly. It fell into his eyes and made the back of his neck scratch.

Halfway to the shed, Zane froze. “You little shit.” Directly in front of him stood the stray dog. Looked like some kind of German shepherd mixed with mutt, with long, skinny legs and a long, skinny snout. It cocked its head at his voice, and its tongue lolled out of its mouth for a second. Then it licked its chops.

“Lookin’ for food?” he said, slowing his gait. “C’mon, buddy,” he said. He held out one open hand, trying to coax the animal closer, but the dog took one step back. The wind blew, ruffling its short brown fur, and Zane could see every one of its ribs.

Next time you have a problem, call us. We’ll take care of it.
Becca’s voice flashed into his head.

Like he’d told her, though, he preferred to take care of his own problems. One of the maintenance guys opened the door of the shed and gave him a quizzical look.
I got it
, he mouthed. The guy shrugged and headed toward the pool building with a bucket and a squeegee.

“C’mon…” Zane said in a low voice. He walked closer. The dog watched him. No tail wag, but no growl either. It wasn’t wearing a collar. Zane wondered where the hell it had come from. “Hey, buddy, just let me—” He leaned in to grab it around the neck, but it took off.
Damn
. The dog dashed a few yards away and then turned and looked over its shoulder, panting.

Zane threw up his hands. “Fine. You win this time.” He turned and walked back to the shed. Stupid animal. It had to be starving. And cold. Why the hell didn’t it let him take it inside, instead of fending for itself against the elements?

Inside, he stripped off his long-sleeved blue shirt, ditched the blue uniform pants for comfortable faded jeans and pulled on a Clemson sweatshirt. He glanced out the single window that faced the complex, but the dog was long gone. Wind buffeted the building, and Zane scowled.
I shouldn’t
. The thing had obviously taken care of itself this long, right? The wind whipped again, and that decided it. He pulled open one of the storage closets in the back of the shed where the guys kept rock salt and birdseed and—yep, there it was. A big bag of cheap dog food.

“Don’t think he’ll care if it’s the generic brand,” Zane muttered as he dumped some into a plastic bowl. Feeding strays went against his better judgment, but if he could get the animal to come here for food instead of rummaging through the residents’ garbage, at least he could get his hands on it and take it over to the shelter.

He hoped.

He twisted the top of the dog food bag back into place and picked up the bowl. At the last minute, he grabbed a few clean towels from the pile near the bathroom. Then he went back outside and arranged the towels and the bowl against the one protected corner of the shed where the wind didn’t howl. Zane planted his hands on his hips and scowled again. He hoped he wasn’t inviting a party of wild animals out of the woods. Last thing he needed were skunks and groundhogs taking up residence in prestigious Mountain Glen.

He dusted off his hands and headed for his truck. No more worrying about it. Whatever creature wound up here, he’d take care of it. He had more important things to do right now.

Miranda Lambert started singing about doing somethin’ bad as Zane pulled out of Mountain Glen and headed for town.
Wouldn’t mind doing somethin’ bad with that chick
, he thought with a grin. His groin stirred, but it wasn’t the thought of the country singer doing it. Nope, he’d had a tough time keeping his mind off a certain other blonde since the night at Springer’s party.

He eased the truck down Red Barn Road. His gaze skimmed the broken-down homes that lined the left side of the road, relics from another generation deserted and boarded up now.
Too bad.
Some of them could’ve been something, probably were something all those years ago. Grand colonials with balconies and wide porches now sat with broken windows and crumbling chimneys and trees and shrubs so overgrown it was hard to see what lay behind them. Except for one, the grand Thompson estate. Zane slowed as two deer bounded across the road and then raised a hand at Damian Knight, one of the men who’d helped rebuild the Thompson place last year. Summer herself stood on the front porch, wearing a parka and holding a mug. They both waved at Zane, and he sped up again. The dashboard clock read almost four-thirty, and he was pretty sure the shelter closed its doors at five.

He took County Route 78 until he reached Garrison’s Feed ’n Seed near the interstate. Best place in town to buy anything from hunting equipment to tools to rabbit food, the store had been a fixture in Pine Point for three generations. A handful of pickups parked in the lot, but Zane pulled around back to the Christmas tree display.

“Hey, man,” Reid Garrison said as Zane walked up to the rows of pines. “What’s going on?” He grabbed Zane’s hand in a hearty shake. “I hear you’ve been kissing up to the lonely housewives out at Mountain Glen.”

“Shit.” Zane whistled. “This town loves its gossip, doesn’t it?”

“Is it true? You been warming beds out there?” Reid grinned. They’d played ball together back in high school, before Zane had dropped out, and they’d had more than their share of fun when it came to warming beds.

“Nah. Trying to keep a low profile.” He walked down the line of trees. He wasn’t sure how tall might be too tall. Six feet? Seven?

Reid followed him. “Doesn’t sound like a whole lot of fun.”

Maybe not, but Zane had faced his share of jealous boyfriends and angry husbands in the last ten years. He’d vowed to stick to single women from here on out. “How much?” he asked, pointing to one full spruce. A little shorter than all the rest, it made up in fullness what it lacked in height.

“Forty bucks. I’ll trim and wrap it for you too.” Reid hefted the tree onto his shoulder and carried it across the lot. “Need anything else? Wreath? Stocking stuffers?”

“Nah.” Zane wasn’t much for the holidays. Didn’t have anyone to celebrate with, anyway, now that his mother and sister had moved down south. He waited, paid, helped Reid toss the tree into the bed of his truck and then picked up a tree stand at the last minute. “Thanks, man. See you around.”

Reid waved and loped back inside the Feed ’n Seed. Zane took the back roads into town. The wind had picked up, but the forecast still had zero snow for another few days.
Shit.
He could do without the bone-chilling temperatures, especially if they didn’t bring anything good for skiing or snowmobiling. As he neared Main Street, he checked the directions he’d jotted down. A right turn onto Jefferson Avenue, then a left onto Lower Road would bring him where he wanted to go. He checked the clock again. Ten minutes to five.

Just before he turned onto Jefferson, he swung into the drive-through of the local coffee place and, on impulse, ordered two large hot cocoas. “Yes to the whipped cream,” he said with a grin when the barista asked.
Down boy
, he told the stirring in his jeans, but that part of him had never listened to reason when it came to women.

Five minutes later, he was negotiating the pot holes of Lower Road until it came to an abrupt dead end at two long, low buildings.
Pine Point Paws
, read a small sign near the front door of the larger one. Peeling white paint outlined a cluster of paw prints at the bottom of the sign.
Animal Abandonment is a Crime!
read another bright red sign.
Punishable up to $2500
. He didn’t see a single soul, human or animal, anywhere. A chain-link fence lined what looked like a dog run on one side. A walking path wound behind both buildings and disappeared into the fields beyond. Two overflowing garbage cans sat beside the curb near a pile of crates and carriers of all sizes. Even through his closed windows, he could hear the sound of barking, from high-pitched yelps to low, throaty woofs. What had he gotten himself into?

Well, he’d come this far. And he was more than a little curious to see where Becca Ericksen spent her time. Zane parked, took a deep breath, grabbed the two cups of cocoa and headed inside with his best grin on.