Snowbound Summer (The Logan Series Book 3) (9 page)

Even though he had told her not
to, she’d waited up for Nick the previous night—only giving up on him when her
eyelids were drooping with fatigue. She’d turned off the oven, and crawled into
bed. If he came in some time during the night, she hadn’t heard him.

She pushed open the door of the
bedroom and stepped out.

A bark. “Fella!” The dog trotted
over and shoved his nose into her outstretched hand. His tail whipped back and
forth in a frenzy of delighted welcome. She crouched, and rubbed the dog’s head,
crooning to him.

“Good morning.” Nick stood in the
kitchen, holding a mug. “You want some coffee?” He looked different this
morning. Less angry.

“I sure do.” She walked over, Fella
at her side. “I thought he was staying in at the vets.”

“There’s no need. He doesn’t need
any more medical attention—what he needs is a home, to gain weight, to become
acclimatized to people. We don’t even know if he’s ever met any children, and
it’s unlikely he’d fit into an average family. There are too many variables
against him finding a home through normal channels.” He shrugged. “If he goes
into the pound, he’ll end up on death row. I couldn’t face that so I’ve adopted
him.” His mouth curved into a smile. “Darned dog snuck under my defenses.”

Summer’s heart felt as though it
had swelled in her chest. She couldn’t stop smiling. “That’s brilliant.” She
rubbed Fella’s ears. “I can’t think of a better person for him to live with.”

They’d brought the basket with
them; it sat against the wall in the kitchen. “So I guess I’ll have to beg
another lift from you. Up the mountain. The repair crew is probably fixing the
electricity today.”

Nick leaned back against the
counter. His gaze met hers and held. “Would you stay for a while longer? The
practice are having their Christmas party tonight, I’d like you to come.”

“You would?” She thought he
wouldn’t want anything to do with her after yesterday—he’d been so angry after
overhearing the stupid lies she’d told her parents.

“Yeah, I would.” He picked up his
coat from the chair. “We need to talk. But right now, I have to go in to work.
Can I leave Fella here with you?”

Chapter
Eleven

The entire staff of Brookbridge Veterinary filled one huge
table at
Buona Vita
, and all of them had dressed up for the occasion.
Nick and Summer were last to arrive; heads swiveled at their entrance. After a
quick introduction, they took their seats. Evie was sitting on Summer’s right,
and before long they were deep in conversation.

The small Italian restaurant was
packed full; it had become a much-loved place to eat in the couple of years
since it opened. The murmur of muted conversation and low lighting soothed away
the cares of the day as Nick reviewed the menu and made his selection.

“Hi, Nick.” He’d taken the
waitress, Elaine, out a couple of times the previous summer. She was tall,
slender and blonde—great fun, but they’d both realized fairly quickly that
there wasn’t enough of a spark between them, so they settled on being friends. “Long
time no see.” She rested a hand on his shoulder. “Have you decided?” She leaned
over and pointed at the menu. “We’ve added a few things since you were last
here. I know you love fish—the salmon ravioli is to die for.”

“I’m divided between that and the
beef medallions.”

She shook her head, flirting for
real now. “You need to get out of your comfort zone. You always have the beef.
How about calamari deep fried, with tomato and garlic?”

“Take everyone else’s order
first, Elaine. I’ll think on it.”

She went around the table taking
everyone’s orders, then returned to him. “Okay, boss, what’s it to be?” Her
hand rested on his shoulder again.

“You sold me on the salmon.” He
grinned.

Sean had ordered wine for the
table so he filled his glass then turned to Summer. “White or red?”

She was looking at Elaine, who
was scribbling down his order. And she didn’t look happy. “White, please.”

He filled her glass.

She lowered her voice. “You must
come here often, if the waitress knows your favorites.”

“Elaine and I dated a couple of
times.”

“Nick has dated most of the women
in Brookbridge,” Evie teased. “Except me. My husband wouldn’t approve.”

“Oh yeah, he’s a real
heartbreaker,” one of the vets, Alison, said. “I think I’ve only been safe
because we work together.” She leaned over to Summer. “Or maybe it’s because I
don’t go for his type.”

“Type?” Summer’s voice sounded
faint, as though she couldn’t believe she’d fallen into the middle of this
discussion.

“You’re making it sound as though
I’m a man-whore,” Nick said. Sure, he’d dated most of the single women in
Brookbridge, but he’d lived here forever. And there weren’t that many of them
anyway.

“What type is Nick, then?” Summer
asked again, looking more than interested in Alison’s answer.

“Male.” Alison grinned. “I only
date women.”

“So you’re not married?” Evie
tilted her head to the side as she quizzed Summer. She always had to know
everything about everyone—was obviously keen to rip away the veil of secrecy
and find out what exactly Summer was doing in Brookbridge.

“No. I’m just out of a
relationship.”

The truth.
Surprised, Nick
gazed at her. She’d worn her hair up in a twist and added long earrings that dangled
almost to her shoulders. Her black dress was subtle, revealing the long column
of her throat, the curve of her neck and dipping down to a hint of cleavage.
Hardly seductress wear, especially compared to the short skirt and plunging
neckline that Evie sported, but he found himself unable to look away. A beaded
necklace sparkled at her throat. Her slender arms were bare. His fingertips
tingled at the memory of how they felt to the touch. Soft, warm.

“You’re staying with Nick?”
Interest sparkled in Evie’s eyes.

“For tonight, yes.” Her gaze
flickered up to his, then returned to Evie. “My house—my parents’ house—has no
power at the moment.”

“You were lucky to be out of the office,”
Alison said. “We had Mrs. Malarky’s poodle in again.”

“Oh no. Not again.” The dog had a
penchant for chocolate, and on two previous occasions had arrived at the
practice and had to have its stomach pumped. “The usual?”

Alison’s nose wrinkled. “I caught
that one. You owe me.”

“Nick did great work with the dog
I found in the woodshed.” Summer took a sip of her wine. “If he hadn’t come
out, I think Fella might well have died. I can’t believe the difference in him
now compared to when I found him. He growled every time I came near, he wouldn’t
even let me touch him, but when Nick tried...”

“Aw, we don’t call him the pet
whisperer for nothing,” Sean said.

“Fella ran off after a rabbit
yesterday,” Summer continued.

Oh no, she wasn’t going to tell
this story was she? “Summer…”

She glanced his direction. One
eyebrow rose.

“I don’t think everyone needs to
know that story.” His behavior had been reckless. He’d be teased about that
escapade forever…would never hear the end of it...

“What story?” Evie’s eyes
rounded. “Tell!”

*****

Most people at her end of the table had stopped talking when
Evie spoke, but she wouldn’t continue without Nick’s agreement, so Summer
waited.

Eventually, he shrugged and
nodded.

“I’ve never seen an injured
animal move so fast,” she said. “But the moment a rabbit popped out of a hole,
he was right on it. I ran back inside and…”

“Woke me up,” Nick added, with a
frown that made everyone laugh.

“Anyway, Nick took off after
Fella, blowing a dog whistle.”

“I knew that whistle would come in
handy!” Alison leaned over the table to Summer. “He always carries it,” she
said in a stage whisper.

“I ran after them. The whistle
caught Fella’s attention when he was at the riverbank. He turned, then he lost
his footing and slid on the frosty bank, and slipped into the water.”

There was silence as everyone
pictured the scene.

“The current was flowing really
fast, and of course, the water was icy…then Nick stripped off his coat, pulled
off his boots, and dived in after him.”

“Jeez, that’s crazy,” Evie breathed.

“That’s what I said.”

“Huh, I don’t remember you saying
anything,” Nick pulled a face. “You screamed and shouted to wake the dead
though.”

“I couldn’t believe it, that’s
why.” Summer shook her head, remembering. “I thought for a moment that was the
end of both of you. I must admit I was wondering how on earth I’d explain
having lost both the patient and the vet.”

A ripple of laughter.

“I mean, can you imagine?”

“There would have been one hell
of a call-out charge involved if you’d had to make that call,” Sean said.

“So, what happened next?” Evie
was sitting on the edge of her seat.

“She wrapped her leg around a
tree stump and pulled both of us out.” Nick held up his glass of wine. “To my
savior. To Summer, everyone.”

Everyone lifted their glasses. “To
Summer!”

“You must have been freezing,”
Evie said. “I bet it was straight home to a hot bath—no, hang on, there was no
power…” A smile lifted the corners of her mouth. “How did you warm up?”

Oh crap!
She should have
seen that one coming. Summer felt her face heat, and knew she must be as red as
the marinara sauce on her pasta.

“I had to strip in the kitchen
and Summer shoved me under a quilt on the sofa.” Nick smoothed over the next
events with admirable aplomb. “Then it was hot tea, hot soup, hot water
bottles…”
Hot loving.

“Well, thank God you pulled him
out,” Sean said. “Life would be very boring without Nick Logan in the world.”

“And you,” Evie reached around
behind Summer to swat Nick on the shoulder. “We all know you’ve got an
overdeveloped protective instinct when it comes to creatures in trouble,” to
Summer, she confided, “he can’t resist helping animals that need him, never
could.” Then she directed her attention to Nick again. “You need to put
yourself first, boss. You matter too.”

“Damn right.” Sean thumped Nick
on the back. “Now I understand why you’re adopting Fella, you’ve got a lot
invested in that dog.”

Once the story was told, everyone
started to talk amongst themselves. Summer sneaked a peek at Nick. “That wasn’t
so bad, was it?”

“Thanks to my quick thinking,” he
said in a whisper. “I thought I better rescue you when Evie asked how I got
warmed up.” He smiled, but there was heat in his eyes, passion banked. “I think
we should keep that to ourselves.”

“Oh, definitely.” She compressed
her lips to stop smiling.

“I want to talk you into staying
with me for a while.”

“You do?” She hadn’t seen that
coming. “I don’t need to. Once the power’s back on, the house will be very
comfortable.”

“Why be up there, alone, when you
could be sharing air with me and Fella?” He leaned close enough so that no-one
could overhear. “I’d like you to stay with me.” Close up, she could see the
darker flecks of green in his eyes. “Unless Michael is joining you.”

She shook her head. “He isn’t. I
just said that…I panicked.” Confessing felt good, felt right. “I didn’t want
them to be worried—didn’t want them to know it was over. I’ll tell them in
January.”

“So you will be alone.” Everyone
was packed so tightly around the table, Nick’s thigh brushed against hers. “I
don’t want you to be alone. You don’t even have any decorations up. Or a tree.
A house needs a tree.”

“You don’t have a tree either.”
She tried to not be so aware of him, but it was impossible. He was so close she
could feel the heat radiating from his body. If she leaned sideways a little,
her arm would brush against his…

“We could get one tomorrow.” His
smile would melt chocolate. It was certainly melting her. “Although bringing a
tree into the apartment and persuading Fella not to pee on it might be a challenge.”

She could say no. Stay up in her
parents’ house, worried about the future or she could accept his offer. It was
a no-brainer. “Okay.” She bit her bottom lip. “Let’s do it.”

*****

Everything between them had changed. Nick felt
schizophrenic—outer him was talking, laughing, sharing stories and paying
attention to the chatter around the table, while inner him was focused on
Summer. His ears were attuned to every sound that she made, every word, every
laugh. When she brushed against him reaching for the wine bottle, a sizzle of
sensation raced up his arm. He imagined he could pick out her scent above the
aromas of Italian food. He tried not to look at her, but kept finding he was.

Because tonight she was coming
home with him. In hours, they would be alone. And he didn’t care if she wanted
to keep secrets, wouldn’t believe her if she said it was just sex again. He had
time to change her mind. Had time to show her different.

She was talking—weaving Summer
magic—and the people he worked with every day were captivated. She fitted into
his life as easily as Cinderella’s foot fitted into the glass slipper. She didn’t
want to tell him anything more about what was happening in her life—didn’t want
to talk about Michael or the restaurant, and the compulsion to know had
evaporated like flaming brandy over a Christmas pudding.

He could wait.

She’d tell him when she wanted
to.

When the meal was over, the group
headed out of the restaurant, and in to the club next door.

“We won’t stay long,” Nick told
Summer. He wanted nothing more than to take her home—for them to be alone. But
the Christmas party was far from over yet, there’d be more drinking, some
dancing, before they could call it a night.

“Are you a good dancer?” She
grinned. “I don’t remember ever seeing you dance before.”

“In that case, you have probably
never seen me dance. I’ve been told my moves are unforgettable.”

“I’d believe that.” Her voice was
husky. She glanced at his mouth quickly, then looked away. “I’ve found your
moves unforgettable so far.”

He took her arm, and ushered her
to their table. The meal had gone on for a couple of hours, and as it was
Friday night, there were many people in the club already. The air was warm and
stuffy, and the bass of the music thudded through his chest. Everywhere, couples
were dancing.

The moment Evie reached the
table, she threw down her bag. “Sean. Dance?” Before he had a chance to
respond, she’d grabbed his hand and pulled him up to standing.

Sean was no better a dancer than Nick,
but he gave it his best shot, waving his arms around doing a half-jog on the
spot, a half-shimmy that was impossible not to smile at.
Better wait for a
slow one.

“Will we?” Summer’s eyes held a
trace of mischief.

“Let’s have a drink first.” He
handed her the list of cocktails, and waved over a waitress. He’d parked his
car at the rear of the restaurant, but had decided on his second glass of red
wine, to leave it there overnight and take a cab home.

The waitress took their orders
and brought them a couple of cocktails. A creamy concoction—brandy
alexander—for her, and a martini for him.

“I really like the people you
work with.” She sipped her drink, leaving a trace of cream on her top lip that
he wanted to lick off. “They’re all very open and honest.”

“Yes, they’ll get more honest and
open as the evening progresses. Last year, Susan told me all about her marriage
problems.” He winced. “In detail. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to listen if I
can help, but when it comes to discussing erectile dysfunction...well, I wish
she hadn’t shared. Luckily, she’d forgotten all about it by the next day.”

Summer’s mouth stretched in a
grimace.

“And Sean told us all about the
crush he had on Evie. The crush he spends the rest of the year pretending isn’t
there.” He glanced over. The music had shifted to a slow number, and Evie was
in Sean’s arms. He probably didn’t even realize he was stroking his hand down
her back. Or that once again he was staring into her eyes as if she was the
only woman in the world.