“Sounds like a pretty great deal. So what’s the issue?”

  “We’ve gotten . . . close.”

  “Ah. So you are having sex.”

  “Yes. The mutually consensual kind. He’s pretty hot, Sandy.”

  “If you’re both open to it without sacrificing the biz end of your deal, I don’t see the harm as long as both sides get what they need and want out of it.”

  “Except . . .” She let the sentence trail off, unsure of where she was going with that word.

  Sandy arched a brow. “Except that now you’re developing feelings for this guy?”

  And there was the sentence she was afraid to say out loud. “I don’t know. Maybe. I like being around him. Beyond just the sex part. He’s awesome to talk to, he listens, and the dogs all love him.”

  “Dogs are stellar judges of a person’s character, ya know.”

  “Yes, I know that all too well. Remember when I brought my first foster home, when I was still married to Andrew?”

  Sandy got up and wound her way around her cat, Plato, who was lying on his back sleeping in a patch of sunlight on the kitchen floor. She grabbed an empty water bowl on her way to the sink, refilled it, then brought it back and set it down. Gordon got up from his nap, stretched slowly, and made his way to the bowl, taking a few delicate laps of water before heading back over to Mitzi and curling up beside her for his next round of naps for the day.

  Sandy brought over some chips and salsa and set them on the table. “I will never forget you calling me crying, telling me how angry Andrew was because you, and I quote, defied his orders and brought a dog into the house.”

  Just the memory of it made a knot form in her stomach. “Yeah, he was a real peach.”

  “But you didn’t back down and you kept Lucille for three weeks until we placed her in her forever home.”

  “Andrew pouted that entire three weeks. I knew then we were not going to make it. Too bad I didn’t know about the money thing back then.”

  “Yeah, that part’s too bad. But you’re rid of him, and looking back doesn’t do you any good. Besides, you learned a lot about yourself in the process, and now you’re on the right path.”

  “Not yet, but I’m getting there. Since Linc is letting me live in the house rent-free, I’m putting away all the money he pays me so I’ll have first and last month’s rent saved up, plus be able to buy some essentials and get the dogs settled.”

  “And how’s that going? The moving-on part?”

  “Okay, I think. There are some rentals that could work, and the money Linc is paying me is decent, and since I don’t currently have any expenses, I’ve been able to save it all. I think once he’s done with the renovations and he’s ready to put the house on the market, I’ll have the money saved to do a lease on a house.”

  “That’s great.”

  “Yeah.” Saying the words out loud made her feel calm, that first realization that she really could do this on her own. “It’ll be nice to have the dogs settled somewhere.”

  “Speaking of the dogs, we’re doing an adoption event first of the month. You’ll bring yours?”

  She cringed inwardly. Adoption events were typically well attended, and often resulted in animals being selected. The thought of losing any of her babies . . .

  But they’re not really yours, are they, Hazel? The dogs, just like every other thing in your life that matters, are only temporary.

  She shook it off, knowing it was the right thing to do for the pups. She offered Sandy a bright smile. “Sure. We’ll be there.”

  She had to focus on the dogs’ futures. And her own. Because she was starting to think she needed some permanence in her life.

  It was time to think about setting down roots. And, now that she had a plan in motion, she knew she could get there.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Linc was trying to finish up flooring in the dining room and kitchen today, so Hazel had taken the dogs out for the day so they wouldn’t be in the way. He’d told her they could just hang out outside, but she wanted to be sure to remove herself and the pups. He’d said that it wasn’t necessary, but, hell, when the woman got an idea in her head, there was no arguing with her.

  Still, he had to admit flooring was coming along faster than he’d anticipated, especially since he’d hired a guy to assist him. As it was, it looked like they’d have the living, dining, and kitchen flooring in before the end of the day, which suited him because flooring was at the bottom of his list of fun activities.

  By the time they laid the last board, his back and knees were screaming. He paid Miguel and thanked him for working his ass off alongside him, then cleaned up his tools and went into the house to wash up. Then he changed into his board shorts, sent a text to Hazel to let her know he was finished for the day, and tossed his phone on the table. After that he made a beeline for the pool and dived in. The cool water felt amazing on his hot and tired body and revived him considerably, though if he were honest, he could have just as easily face-planted in the bed and passed out for the night, even though it was only six p.m. or so.

  After he swam a few laps to stretch out his cramped muscles, he got out, grabbed a towel to dry off, and checked his phone, frowning when he didn’t see a reply text from Hazel. Then again, she might be driving, so he figured it might take her a while to respond. Or she could be on her way home, which would be even better since he was starving. She’d fixed him both a breakfast and a lunch sandwich and put them in the fridge before she’d left this morning, but that had been hours ago. He decided he’d go upstairs and shower and then take her out to dinner.

  The hot shower felt great on his sore muscles. He could have stood in that steamy water for hours, but he finally washed, rinsed, and dried off. He walked out of the bathroom, giving his bed a lingering, regretful look before getting dressed and going downstairs.

  Penny greeted him at the foot of the steps, her tail whipping back and forth in her excitement.

  Linc crouched down to pet her. “Hey, girl. Did you have a good day today?”

  The back door opened and Hazel stepped in. “She did. We all did.”

  “Where are the rest of the pups?”

  “Upstairs passed out in my room. We went to the dog park, then stopped off at Sandy’s place where they ran amok with her dogs. It was hours of chaos.”

  He rubbed Penny’s face. “But you’re ready for more, huh, Penny?”

  Hazel laughed. “No, she smells french fries and doesn’t want to miss out on a chance for food.”

  His brows lifted. “Fries? There are fries?”

  “I figured since you were doing floors you’d have a full day, and I sure as hell had a busy one myself, so I picked up some chicken sandwiches and fries for dinner.”

  His stomach grumbled at the description alone. “That sounds perfect. I’m so hungry right now.”

  “Same. I’ll go pour us some iced tea. The food is on the table outside.”

  Fortunately, it had cooled off outside, which suited Linc. He spread out the sandwiches and fries on the plates, shoving a fry in his mouth as he did. Hazel came back from the guesthouse with two large glasses of iced tea, setting those on the table. They sat and started to eat while Penny laid her head on Linc’s knee, looking adorable with her sad, begging eyes.

  “Not a chance, girl,” Hazel said. “You had treats today.”

  Linc picked up a fry that Penny tracked all the way to Linc’s mouth. After he swallowed, he said, “Sorry, Penny. Mom said no.”

  With a look of disgust, Penny made her way to the shade and curled up, closing her eyes.

  “Gee, thanks, Hazel. Now she hates me.”

  Hazel laughed. “Penny doesn’t know how to hate. And the next time you have food, she’ll be right back here, head on your knee, giving you her sad puppy eyes.”

  “She’s very good at it.”

  “Of course she is, because sometimes it works. Don’t think I haven’t noticed how you slip her food.”

  He shrugged. “Can’t help it. She’s cute.”

  They finished their food, and Linc wrapped everything up and tossed it out. When he came back outside, Hazel was sitting by the pool, her legs dangling in the water. He went over to join her.

  “The floor looks amazing, by the way. I love the flooring you chose.”

  “Thanks. I think it looks good and makes the rooms appear larger.”

  “Agree. So what’s next?”

  “I’ll put cabinets in next, and appliances are due in soon. In the meantime, I’m going to start working on the bathrooms upstairs.”

  “Oh. You need me to get out of the way?”

  “I’ll do one at a time so we have one full working bathroom. I’ll likely start with yours, but you can share mine as long as you don’t mind.”

  “I don’t mind. I’ll move my stuff out tomorrow.”

  “Good, thanks. Fortunately, the floor tile’s in good shape in both bathrooms, and it’s modern enough that it won’t need replacing. But the guest bathroom needs a new tub and wall tile, and I’ll refresh the cabinetry and sinks along with the mirror and faucets. In the main bedroom I’m just going with a new shower like the one that’s there now. No need for a tub.”

  “I’m sure it’ll look amazing. How long will that take?”

  He gave her a long, studying look. “Trying to get rid of me?”

  She laughed. “Well, first, this isn’t my house, so I wouldn’t be getting rid of you. And, second, when you’re done here, I’m out, so the longer you take, the more money I can save for my own place.”

  “Noted. I’ll start working slower.”

  She nudged his shoulder. “You will not.”

  “Okay, I won’t. I’ve actually got a line on a few new houses to work on.”

  “You do? Where are they?”

  “One’s in Flagstaff. Another in San Diego. And one just outside San Francisco.”

  “Oh. Close to home. That could be fun for you.”

  She didn’t even balk or say she’d miss him. Then again, did he expect her to? They had never discussed their relationship. Did he even know how he felt yet? “Yeah. Fun. We’ll see.”

  “How do you choose? Is it based on location or the condition of the house?”

  “That’s part of it. The area has to have good sales statistics. And it has to be somewhere I actually want to work. Plus I need to be able to turn around the house in a reasonable amount of time, without draining a lot of money in the process or having to bring in a sizable crew to do the project.”

  “That makes sense. Will you go to the houses to look at them?”

  He nodded. “I have to do a walk-through to get a feel for each house. Then I’ll decide and buy the right one. At that point I’ll start ordering materials.”

  “Makes sense. So when will you be finished here?”

  He thought about it while also trying not to think about how soon he’d be leaving Hazel. “Maybe four weeks?”

  Her brows lifted. “Wow. That soon.”

  He thought he heard surprise—and maybe regret—in her voice. Or maybe that’s just what he wanted to hear.

  “Yeah, things are moving smoothly here, so it won’t be much longer.”

  “Okay, then. I’ll start making plans.”

  He reached for her hand. “You don’t have to move out today, Hazel. We can enjoy the time we have together while we have it.”

  “You’re right, of course. But at the same time I don’t want to be blindsided like the last time. I’ve already been looking for a place to live, but it’s good to have a timeline.”

  His stomach tightened. He wasn’t looking forward to the day when he wouldn’t be able to see her beautiful face anymore. But what the hell could he do about that? Their lives didn’t mesh at all. He traveled around constantly, and she needed a place where she could put down roots and take care of the dogs. And that could never work. They could never work.

  They were a perfect mismatch.

  Didn’t that just suck.

  “A job like yours keeps you from getting bored,” she said, her focus on the dogs as she said that. “You don’t stay in one place too long, and you get to start over again all the time. That must be really nice.”

  “It’s pretty awesome, I have to admit,” he said as he leaned back on his hands. Mitzi came over and lay down between them. Hazel smoothed her hands over the pup. Then Lilith followed, climbing onto Linc’s lap. He caught Hazel’s approving smile. “But what about you and the dogs? Never a dull day with them around.”

  “That’s for sure. They keep me entertained, and they’re always a challenge. That’s what I love most about fostering them. I only wish I could do more.”

  “You mean have more dogs.”

  “Yes. But that’s a dream for far off in my future. Right now just finding a roof over our heads is paramount, and then a job for me so I can keep said roof. The job part is fairly easy because I can get one at a restaurant as a cook. And that’ll give me enough money so I can keep looking after the dogs. After that, it’ll be day-to-day. And someday.”

  “Understood.” He’d love to be able to design a home for her that gave her everything she could ever want. God knew she deserved it after what she’d been through. But that wasn’t his plan, and he needed to stick to the plan, which was to finish this house and move on to the next one.

  Then again, wasn’t he the one who’d told her they needed to enjoy each other while they had each other? So why wasn’t he taking his own advice?

  He leaned over and pressed his lips to her shoulder, earning a growl from Mitzi.

  “Oh, look at you,” Hazel said, sliding her hands under Mitzi to pick her up and cuddle her close. “Getting all comfortable and territorial already.”

  “Yeah, but was she growling at me or at you?” he asked.

  Hazel grinned. “I don’t know. But you should probably kiss me so we can find out.”

  “I’ll gladly participate in that experiment.” He leaned over, slid his arm around her, and tugged her close. Temporarily forgetting all about the dog, he put his mouth on hers, letting his tongue tease the seam of her lips. She opened for him and he slid his tongue inside.

  She moaned. He groaned.

  Mitzi gave a low growl, then climbed over onto his lap.

  He broke the kiss and looked down at the pup, then at Hazel.

  “Apparently, she likes you the best,” Hazel said.

  He shrugged. “And you’re surprised? You’ve seen my charm, my magnetism. I’m fucking captivating.”

  She snorted out a laugh and pushed off of him to stand. “Okay, Mr. Magnetism. I’m going to go unload the car.”

  He hopped up. “I’ll go with you and help. You can admire my floor work again.”

  “Yes, I’ll be sure to do that, Sir Charm.”

  He couldn’t help but grin.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  You don’t have to be here for this.”

  Linc shot her a look. “Yeah, you’ve mentioned that at least twenty times—this morning alone. I want to help. Besides, I’ve never been to a dog adoption event. I’d like to see how they work.”

  “Don’t you have work to do at the house?”

  “I’m allowed to take a day off. Besides, I’m on schedule.”

  “Fine.” Hazel pulled into the parking lot of the pizza place where the event would be held.

  It was a lovely, cloudy Saturday morning, and the tree-lined parking lot was an ideal location. Which meant they’d likely draw a large crowd.

  She should be happy about that. She wasn’t, because that meant that someone might want to adopt one of her babies.

  You have got to get over it, Hazel. These aren’t your babies.

  Fortunately, she’d left Mitzi and Gordon at the house today because not a lot of people wanted to adopt seniors, so they kept those to a minimum. Sandy was already bringing two of her seniors to show off today, which suited Hazel just fine.

  Linc helped her unload the crates. Penny, Lilith, and Freddie were hooked up in the back seat, so she and Linc got them out and took them for a stroll around the grassy area surrounding the restaurant so they could stretch their legs and do their business.

  “Looks like people are showing up,” Linc said.

  Hazel tracked where Linc motioned with his head, and sure enough, the parking lot was starting to fill up with cars. They made their way to the staging area, and she put the dogs in their assigned crates, which listed their names, ages, and breeds along with temperament and likes and dislikes.

  “Okay, kids,” she said. “Be on your best behavior and maybe you’ll find a new home today.”

  She hadn’t meant to end her sentence with her voice hitching like that. Hopefully, Linc hadn’t heard. Instead, she smiled and greeted people as they walked by and bent down to greet the dogs.

  Penelope, of course, liked everyone, her tail wagging profusely as she put on her brightest smile. Freddie barked loudly at every human, though he wagged his tail as he barked. Lilith, on the other hand, growled as each person passed by, causing Linc’s lips to curve upward, though he did his best to hide his smirk from the gathering crowd.

  “You shouldn’t encourage her growling.”

  Linc shrugged. “I’m neither discouraging nor encouraging it. I’m just standing here.”

  “You haven’t told her not to do that.”

  “She’s not my dog.”

  Hazel rolled her eyes. “Oh, right. Like you don’t scoop her up and cradle her against you every time you pass by her.”

  “Don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Can we see Penelope?”

  Hazel turned to see a young couple who looked to be in their mid- to late twenties. The guy was already down on the floor having a conversation with Penny, who wagged her tail enthusiastically.