Reluctant Romance (15 page)
Authors: Leighann Dobbs
Connor crossed the room and was standing in front of her in an instant, the heat of his body so close to hers made her feel dizzy.
“Please hear me out.” Connor’s eyes pleaded with hers. “I’ve been a total fool.”
Risa’s eyes narrowed as she wondered what, exactly, he was trying to say.
“I came to Healthy-Pet with the job of evaluating the company. In order to do a thorough job, I needed to look into everything. Especially if something seemed off or inconsistent.”
Risa nodded, thinking back to the way she’d acted that first day. She could hardly blame him for thinking something was off.
“At first, well…you did act a little strange,” Connor continued, looking down at the floor. He paused, then brought his head up, gazing directly into her eyes. “But that was before I got to know you.”
Risa was captivated by the sincerity in his blue eyes. She felt her anger at him fading.
“I wasn’t even going to read the report from the private investigator, but then Jim called about the accounting discrepancy and I started to get nervous. I figured I’d better look at the report and when I did, I thought the worst. I guess I went a little crazy. I thought you were trying to pull something funny and for that I sincerely apologize.” Connor rubbed his face with his hands. “I guess I let my past experiences get in the way of my better judgment. I didn’t want to get hurt again and I was still gun-shy from everything Francesca did to me. I acted like a jerk because I was too scared to admit to myself that I was falling in love with you.”
Risa’s heart jerked wildly in her chest.
Did he say “love”?
Connor put his hands on her arms, his blue eyes studying her face intently. “Can you ever forgive me?”
Risa’s mouth went dry, her tongue stuck to the roof like she’d just eaten a cup of peanut butter. It seemed like an eternity before she finally squeaked out one word.
“Yes.”
The look of relief on Connor’s face melted Risa’s heart. “But I don’t understand,” she said. “
You’re
the one who donated the money for the clinic?”
Connor nodded. “After what happened with Picasso, I couldn’t stand by and let the clinic close. I was wrong to recommend we close it in the first place-it was a knee-jerk reaction to everything that was going on. So, as long as Dunn International owns Healthy-Pet, the clinic will stay open-even if I have to donate my own money to make it happen.”
Risa’s stomach flip-flopped as he reached out and traced a line on her cheek with his finger. “I’m hoping you’ll stay on and work in the clinic.”
Risa smiled. “I’d like that.”
Connor let out a heavy breath and pulled her to him. “And I also think we have some unfinished business to tend to.”
He gave her a look that started a warm tug in her lower belly. She tilted her face up, and his lips took hers in a toe-curling kiss that made her forget they were standing in a restaurant in front of a table set for lunch. When her arms found their way around his neck, the last thing on her mind was eating that lunch.
Epilogue
Risa dangled her feet from the tall stool at the breakfast bar as she sipped her beer.
The smell of homemade pasta and seafood made her mouth water almost as much as watching Connor cook it did.
“I finally broke 80 at the Derryfield course,” Risa’s father announced proudly.
“Oh, that’s a par 72, isn’t it?” Tristan Dunn responded.
Risa’s eyes started to cross from the golf talk, but not before she saw Connor sneak a wink in her direction, causing her stomach to go all gooey inside.
Their fathers had become obsessed with golfing and talked about it continually, especially since the Healthy-Pet buyout had afforded Risa’s father the means to travel to different courses.
As if reading her thoughts, Dan Kennedy said, “You kids have done a great job with Healthy-Pet. Selling it was the best decision I ever made.”
“It was a smart move to put Connor in charge of the division. I’ve never seen him happier,” Tristan said. The knowing look he gave Risa caused her cheeks to burn.
“I agree wholeheartedly,” Connor said, coming over to Risa and putting his arm around her shoulders. “It allows me to spend all my time in Gardner’s Grove with my favorite people.”
“And I get to focus on the clinic, which is all I really wanted to do anyway,” Risa added.
“Thanks to Dana, we have a few new product lines coming out and we’ve expanded the clinic operations. This year should be a record year for us.” Connor moved back behind the counter and grabbed two large bowls of food, then brought them over to the kitchen table.
“Okay, well soups on. Let’s eat!”
Risa moved to the table and took her place among the three men.
Her father raised his glass. “To acquisitions and new friends.
Who knows where they may lead!”
Risa clinked with her father, Tristan, and Connor. She felt happier than she had in years. Her job was so much better now that she’d handed over the reins of the company to Connor. Her father was happier than she’d seen him in years and Tristan was becoming one of her favorite people.
Connor slid his hand over hers, and she smiled at him, her heart skipping a beat.
Who knows where it may lead, indeed?
###
Picasso and Bailey sat underneath the kitchen table keeping their eyes peeled for falling crumbs.
“I do believe it’s your turn,” Bailey signaled to Picasso when a chunk of roll fell from Risa’s hand to the floor. Like most dogs, Picasso and Bailey used telepathic communication to get their points across, so they didn’t actually need to speak (or bark, as the case may be).
Picasso craned his neck, sticking his long tongue out to scoop up the crumbs.
“Not much of a reward for what we had to go through to get these two together,”
Picasso growled to Bailey, his gaze trained upward in case more crumbs fell.
“I know,” she replied. “How is your leg, by the way?”
“Not too bad.” He shifted his position sticking the leg out. It was still in a cast, and Bailey looked at it sympathetically.
“Boy, the sacrifices us dogs have to make in order to get humans to see they are made for each other,” Bailey snorted.
“Ain’t that the truth,” Picasso answered, then slid his eyes sideways toward Bailey. “Sometimes it takes a little push for some of us to see that our perfect soulmate is standing right in front of us,” he added sliding his paw lovingly on top of hers.
The End.
A Note From The Author
Thanks so much for reading my humorous, contemporary romance “Reluctant Romance”.
I sure did love writing it (especially the parts about the dogs) and I hope you liked reading it.
If you did, and feel inclined to leave a review over at Amazon, I really would appreciate it.
Also, if you like contemporary humorous romance, you might like my Lexy Baker cozy mystery series which has lots of baking, a hint of romance and plenty of mystery (and, yes, it also has a dog!).
I have an excerpt from book 1 of the series at the end of this book
This book has been through many edits with several people and even some software programs, but since nothing is infallible (even the software programs) you might catch a spelling error or mistake and, if you do, I sure would appreciate it if you let me know - you can contact me at
[email protected]
.
Oh, and I love to connect with my readers so please do visit me on facebook at
http://www.facebook.com/leighanndobbsbooks
or at my website
http://www.leighanndobbs.com
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About The Author
Leighann Dobbs lives in New Hampshire with her husband, their trusty Chihuahua mix Mojo and beautiful rescue cat, Kitty. She likes to write romance and cozy mystery novelettes perfect for the busy person on the go. These stories are great for someone who doesn't have a lot of time for reading a full novel. Why not pick one up and escape to another time and place the next time you are waiting for an appointment, enjoying a bath or waiting to pick up the kids at soccer?
Find out about her latest books and how to get her next book for free by signing up at:
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Links to my other books:
Contemporary
Romance
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Lexy Baker
Cozy Mystery Series
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Dobbs “Fancytales”
Regency Romance Fairytales Series
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Excerpt From “Killer Cupcakes” Book 1 in the Lexy Baker Cozy Mystery Series:
“Sprinkles - no!” Lexy hissed at her dog who was wriggling through the gap in the backyard fence.
With a sigh of resignation, she padded out into the yard in her bare feet, her pink cotton pajama bottoms fluttering around her calves in the late night, summer breeze. The glow of the full moon lit the yard well enough for Lexy to see where she was going without a flashlight.
She reached the gap in the fence and turned sideways to squeeze through. Despite her slim size, she had to push to make it.
Rip!
Lexy looked down. Her favorite pajama bottoms - the ones speckled with cute images of fluffy cherry, topped cupcakes -
now had a gigantic rip in the side.
Perfect.
She felt an uncustomary flare of irritation at her dog.
Was it too much to ask for the dog to simply run out in the yard, do her business, and run back in?
Lexy had images of running through the neighborhood in the dark, her ripped pajamas flapping behind her, frantically chasing her dog while neighbors peered through their windows at the crazy lady. It wasn’t the way she had imagined meeting her new neighbors. Luckily most of them were elderly and, since it was 10:00 at night, hopefully they were all in bed.
She cleared the fence and emerged in the neighbors backyard just in time to see Sprinkles squatting in an impeccably groomed flower garden.
“No!” She hissed again, but the dog was determined.
Rushing over, Lexy grabbed Sprinkles by the collar and gave a silent thanks she had remembered to bring a poop bag. Whipping it from her pocket, she knelt down to scoop Sprinkles’s little gift into the bag, the sharp corners of the bark mulch poking into her bare feet.
A slight movement to her right sent a jolt of panic through her heart. Still squatting down, she turned her head and her eyes fell on a pair of thick, heavy, black boots. Men’s boots.
Lexy slowly scanned her eyes upwards.
Slightly faded jeans. Slim waist. Broad chest covered by an, almost too small, black tee shirt.
Was this one of her elderly neighbors?
Her eyes completed their upwards journey and stopped at a ruggedly handsome face. Slightly tanned with honey brown eyes and framed with dark, close cut hair.
Nope, definitely not elderly
.
Mr. Ruggedly Handsome, whoever he was, stared down at her with a smirk on his face. Suddenly, Lexy felt like a child who had been caught doing something naughty.
“Can I help you?” His voice sounded a bit gruff with a hint of annoyance.
Lexy felt her cheeks grow hot with embarrassment. Straightening her shoulders, she made an effort to stand and try to retain some dignity, or at least as much dignity as one could while squatting in cupcake pajamas to scoop a pile of poop.
She felt the bark mulch shifting under her feet, struggling to gain control, Lexy fell backwards her arms flapping at her sides like a bird trying to take flight. Mr. Handsome shot out an arm to steady her, but not before she crashed into the side of a large rhododendron, breaking off one of it’s branches. Lexy felt her cheeks burn even hotter.