I Kissed a Dog (2 page)

It never did.

Chapter 3

When I pulled into my self-proclaimed parking spot, my outlook had improved dramatically.
I was looking forward to my schedule.

On Mondays I spent time with the park’s Capybaras, the world’s largest rodents. The
new capy babies squealed in delight anytime I approached. I know for certain their
cries equal delight, because I can see what they’re thinking. My smiling face to them
is all about food and a good behind-the-ear-scratching-session. Not to mention, the
jumbo-sized rodents wouldn’t try to maul me like Butch.

I grabbed my bag from the backseat and stretched, taking a moment to soak in some
morning rays.

“You’re looking pretty pleased with yourself,” Rhonda scoffed with a sneer, her backside
glued to the hood of her older model Jetta. She sucked down smoke as if tar and nicotine
were the elixir for eternal life.

Geeze I’d expected her to pick up where she’d left off, but not before I left the
parking lot. If I wasn’t careful, she’d deflate my good mood like a pin popping a
balloon.

“I thought
you
were going to quit?” I snapped. According to Hank the Chimpanzee, Rhonda was enemy
numero uno. He’d get no argument from me on that revelation.

She’d planted herself in front of Hank’s enclosure and proceeded to have a nice, long
chat with herself — about little ole me. Hank, with the promise of a ripe banana,
had shown me the one-sided conversation in its entirety. In addition to her raging
jealousy, Rhonda pretty much thinks I’m a crazy bitch with the ability to manipulate
Luke into obeying my every whim. Don’t I wish! Luke obeying me would be damn convenient.

“Any theories on who’s killing those guys?” Rhonda flicked her cigarette away. “I
knew them both.”

So much for not brooding over the stabbings; Rhonda wouldn’t be the only one analyzing
the unsolved crimes today.

To my relief, our conversation was cut short by the purring engine of a vintage Corvette.
The Wildlife Park wouldn’t open for an hour. This gleaming red car didn’t belong to
any local resident. I would have remembered that muscular arm resting in the open
window...

“Wow! That’s what I call a
real
man.” Rhonda stared, her gaze hungry.

“Good morning, ladies.” A deep voice drew my attention away from the pristine paint
job.

After a quick glance at our visitor, and a near heart attack, I bolted toward the
entrance, hating myself for my ridiculous reaction.

Rhonda offered her eager assistance.

There was no denying he was the same smoldering, hot hero who just yesterday saved
my butt from a good lion chewing. I’d seen plenty of good looking men, even dated
a few, but for some reason, the stranger in the parking lot had rendered me speechless,
and feeling stupid.

As a rule, I’m quick with my words and have no trouble socializing with the male species.
Not that I’ve found one worthy of my undivided time and attention, but I enjoyed flirting.

What I’d just seen of our guest made my stomach twist and my heart race. I could feel
the heat rising up my neck. At least my toffee-colored skin would camouflage the evidence
of my blush.

Talk about a schoolgirl reaction.

The newcomer had to be at least six five, with piercing brown eyes and strong arched
eyebrows. Those chiseled cheekbones made the bottom frame for those eyes.

Glancing back, I caught another peek at my lion-rescuer. He was also blessed with
long, tousled, blue-black waves that spilled over his broad shoulders, as untamed
as the lion. I forced my eyes away from the broad shoulders that tapered into a narrow
waist and rock hard butt and hurried through the familiar park entrance, abandoning
my need to thank him.

“Here’s my favorite girl.” Luke unlocked the gate, holding it open in his normal,
gentlemanly fashion. I stumbled in, almost meeting the pavement with my face.

Used to my clumsiness, Luke scooped me up at the last moment. “Chloe, Chloe.” He shook
his head, reminding me how much I depended on him.

Knowing he wouldn’t expect a thank you, I demanded, “Who’s the big dude with the rock
star hair?” I needed to know. How could I focus with Mr. Muscle around? The more nervous
I was, the more dangerously clumsy I became. “Why is he here today?”

“Big dude with the hair, that would be me,” a smug masculine voice replied from behind.

If I had been a flower, I’d have wilted on the spot.

Somehow, I managed to locate my composure and put on my biggest, brightest, and fakest
smile — courtesy of my mother’s handy, hide your emotions “training.”

“And who might
you
be?” I demanded, raising my gaze to meet his. I tried to keep my focus on his mouth
so his eyes wouldn’t distract me. I failed.

“I’m Dr. Zane Marshall, the new vet.” He held my gaze. His eyes, flicked with gold,
were almost as dark as his hair. He raised an eyebrow.

“Isn’t this great!” Rhonda squealed, oblivious to my discomfort. “Our very own hero.”

I spun to face my boss who had a sheepish grin on his All-American face.

“When were you going to tell me I was getting a new partner?” I blurted.

“Hold on, Chloe; no one knew. Dr. Marshall gave me his answer an hour ago. It’s about
time we have a full-time vet.

You can diagnose the animals’ problems, but then we have to call in people to fix
those problems. Our system worked fine during the winter, but summer’s too busy. Besides,
he did you quite the favor yesterday.”

Luke was right on both accounts. Zane had done me a huge favor — keeping me alive.
There were very few wildlife vets that worked on call anymore. It was expensive to
get one here right away. We’d been using a retired wildlife veterinarian who’d been
mauled to death by his own cougar.

Luke turned his attention back to the new vet. “Now that we’ve figured out why Dr.
Marshall …”

“Mr. Snider, I prefer Zane.”

“I’ll make you a deal, call me Luke and I’ll call you Zane,” Luke suggested, sounding
pleased with his newest employee.

“Call me confused,” I huffed. “I’ve got a busy day. The Capys need my attention.”

“Hold on.
Today
, you can show Mr. … Zane around and get him acquainted with our park procedures.”
I could tell by Luke’s crossed arms and narrowed eyes that this was an order not a
suggestion.

With a loud sigh, I communicated my disapproval and marched off to my storage cubby.
I could hear other employees arriving, followed by more introductions.

Why did this Zane have to be drop dead gorgeous wearing Levis that hugged his muscular
legs? I’m a leg girl. Powerful legs and a tight bum were a major turn on. His presence
gave me heartburn. It looked like I’d have to invest in some strong antacids.

As a rule, I don’t worry much about my appearance during work hours, but today was
different. Dr. Zane Marshall had changed all that when he roared into Plum Beach in
his spiffy sports car. My always-trustworthy instincts screamed warnings, while my
body shouted something downright pornographic.

This newfound physical attraction was just plain inconvenient. Staying distant and
professional was going to be a top priority. Especially since the other time I’d experienced
a reaction even close to this was with Jordon, and that hadn’t ended well for either
of us. I still had some serious emotional ghosts, as Melanie called them, haunting
my heart.

“Hey, I didn’t mean to be so gruff.” Luke caught up as I tried to slink from the women’s
restroom, where I’d applied lipstick, for the first time I could remember. I moved
on to the coffee maker.

He was pretty much in tune to my routine. Organize cubby. Visit the restroom. Drink
too much coffee. Then work. Always in that order.

Predictability was one theme I appreciated about my job. The information the animals
broadcasted had the potential to interrupt my calm façade, but otherwise, work was
my safe place. Now, without warning, a new man had upset the one place where routines
kept me grounded and semi-sane. Sure, on my extended commute I’d wished for something
exciting to happen, but Zane wasn’t what I had in mind, and work wasn’t the place.

“I’m sorry,” Luke pressed, eager to restore peace.

“You didn’t even tell me you’d interviewed someone,” I accused. Luke had always been
upfront with me. I guess I felt slighted, although I knew that was silly. Consulting
with me wasn’t in his job description. But, still —

“I’m not sure what it is about our new employee that has you so rattled. I figured
you’d like the help. This guy is good. You should see his references.”

“I’m not worried about his references or his skill level. I’m worried about his cocky,
know-it-all attitude,” I huffed.

How else could I explain what I was feeling?

Gee, Luke, the guy is the hottest thing I’ve seen, ever. He makes me uncomfortable.
Yep, that word — uncomfortable — still harassed me like an un-exorcised demon. And
I owe him my life, that’s always a plus in any relationship.

“Everyone else seems to like him.” Luke filled another cup with steaming coffee.
He had the nerve to sound offended.

His unexpected defense of Zane infuriated me more.

“Good for them! I don’t.” I knew I was acting like a spoiled brat, but I didn’t care.

Grabbing my mug, I marched away, not bothering to clean up the brown liquid I sloshed
onto the floor. I could imagine what Luke was thinking. He was aware I was prone to
an occasional emotional tirade, but my rant today far exceeded anything he’d witnessed.
He’d have something more to say later, once he figured out how to approach me.

I could count on it.

Careful to calm myself before entering the central courtyard, I tried breathing through
my nose then out my mouth, while counting from one to ten. Most of the time, the method
worked. Realizing ten wouldn’t be enough, I continued to twenty, which proved to be
the magic number, allowing me to walk, not stalk, to my usual bench.

The concrete slab featured a name plaque engraved with one of the wildlife park’s
founding families. I avoided sitting on the engraved wording. Not only did it offend
my behind, but it also felt kind of sacrilegious.

From my perch, I sipped my coffee, wishing for more sugar, and listened to the awakening
animals. Chirps, growls, and a few roars chorused, signaling the start of a new day
at Plum Beach Wildlife Park.

For a blessed moment, I forgot my new partner.

My bliss flipped to frustration as Dr. Zane Marshal strode into the courtyard surrounded
by several admiring female workers, including Rhonda, and a small troop of men eager
to prove their worthiness to this god of men. Ridiculous! It was like high school
all over again.

Attempting to ignore the commotion, I willed myself to listen to the animals, hoping
to catch a clear impression. In most cases, I had to be focused on one specific creature,
yet the canine patrol dog had confirmed I was getting better at communicating from
afar.

Shutting my eyes, I forced all nagging thoughts away and listened.

She’s one beautiful bitch.

What —? My eyes flew open in time to see one of the park’s free-wandering goat’s lips
part, ready to nibble.

I lifted the goat’s head and gazed into her eyes.

I’m so hungry. I’m so hungry. Just a little bite …
The goat’s mind reflected her desire to chew on my clothing, just as I’d expected.
Goats weren’t the most intelligent beasts on the block.

I scanned the area. The one animal looking my way was a beastly but very human veterinarian.

I couldn’t read humans, no matter how hard I tried. After discovering my post-coma
ability, I’d expended a ton of energy attempting to reach my own species. It just
didn’t work. So, what or
who
had formulated such a crude thought?

For the first time, which added to the mystery, there weren’t any pictures accompanying
the words. In general, animals didn’t use words in the traditional sense. Their thinking
revolved around their senses, and what they both saw and heard, sort of like a video
preview. With this latest development, I’d entered uncharted territory.

Today, I’d heard, without a doubt,
the
worded
thought of an animal. My gift was expanding, transforming again. The capricious ability
seemed to evolve without notice. An animal using the “B” word was beyond baffling.
It was bizarre.

“Sorry to interrupt your coffee break, but I thought we should get moving. We’ve got
a lot of ground to cover.” Zane’s commanding tone implied that he was used to getting
what he wanted.

I gasped, almost spilling my coffee.

Towering over me, it was evident he’d left his newfound followers to their own work.

How such a large man could approach with such stealth was unnerving. He’d advanced
without my knowledge — something that never happened. Having a cop for a parent had
taught me to be ultra-vigilant. Bottom line: I should have heard him.