One Summer by JoAnn Ross Read Free Book Online

Which gave him no choice but to take it from her.
    She was gone longer than a “sec.” Every Marine had a clock in his head, and Gabe figured she was pushing on five minutes when she finally returned. It was a good ploy, given that the dog had literally put its muddy paws around his neck again and was happily licking his face while its tail wagged to beat the band. Damned if the two of them weren’t ganging up on him. But a guy who’d survived war zones wasn’t going to be taken down that easily.
    “As I said, we’re full up,” she announced. Surprise, surprise. “I was considering getting down one of the travel crates I use to take animals out to the shelter for him to spend the night in, but the poor little guy’s been through enough. After I dip him, he might as well come upstairs with me.”
    “You live here?”
    “It’s a big place. It used to be a bed-and-breakfast, and when I saw it online, I fell in love. And the commute’s a lot better than the one I had in Chicago.”
    “You’re not a local?” Genuine and easygoing, she seemed to fit here, as if she’d been born to the place.
    “No. I’ve only lived in Shelter Bay about eighteen months. But I visited once while growing up. My mother was married to an Oregon architect for a while and I have a stepbrother who’s currently in the military, whom I’m close to. So, when I started looking for a change in scenery, and a place to put down roots, well, this town, where I spent the best summer vacation of my life, just felt right.”
    After giving up on that fanciful idea of having a little woman waiting for him at home, Gabe had decided roots tied a person down. But he also understood that his was probably a minority opinion.
    “Well, I’ve already taken up enough of your time.” If he was to be perfectly honest, he’d like to take up more, which was all the more reason to leave. Now.
    He put the nine pounds of matted black fur back onto the table. “If you’ll just tell me how much I owe you.”
    “I’m afraid I can’t do that.”
    “Why not?”
    “Because I have no idea what I may find after I bathe and clip him. He might have skin disease, more road rash, even ringworm. And he might need more tests.”
    “Why don’t you make an estimate?” Gabe suggested. He pulled out a stack of twenties he’d picked up that morning at the gas station ATM. “Here’s three hundred. I’ll call tomorrow, and if it’s more than that, I’ll send the rest.”
    When she didn’t immediately respond, Gabe wondered if she was worried about getting stiffed on her fee.
    “You really should give the little guy a fair chance,” she said. “See how he cleans up before you reject him.”
    “I’m sure he’ll look just dandy. But I’m not in the market for a dog. And if I were, a foo-foo dust mop of a canine would be the last breed on my list.”
    The dog sitting on its haunches, looking up at him with a ridiculously adoring gaze, was about as far from a manly dog as Gabe could have imagined.
    “I’m surprised.” She looked him straight in the eye as she patted the mutt’s head. “I wouldn’t have expected a big bad Marine to have masculinity issues.”
    “Low blow, Doc.” She was doing it again. Laughing at him. He should have been annoyed, but for some reason he’d think about later, Gabe wasn’t. “And way off the mark.”
    She lifted her chin. “Prove it.”
    “How?”
    “By taking him home tomorrow. Just for a test run. There’s no need to do any in-depth personality testing, because he’s already proven himself to be amazingly easygoing. We’re only talking one day. If he still hasn’t won you over after he’s cleaned up, then no harm, no foul.” She shrugged. “What can it hurt?”
    Hell. Gabe had been up against Taliban fighters who weren’t as tenacious as Dr. Charity Tiernan.
    “I’ve got work to do tomorrow.”
    “You’re not going to shoot that many photographs in the middle of the day.” When he arched a brow,