Page 31 of More Than a Fling
“I know you will,” Annie said.
“Listen, when you get to the bar on Friday, tell the bouncer you’re with me, I’ll make sure you are on the list,” he said.
“Can’t wait.”
“Me either, seems like a month since I saw you, and it was only two days ago,” Gabe said.
“I know,” she agreed. “I am so looking forward to it. Frankly it will be the only thing getting me through the next two days of my grueling schedule. I don’t know what I was thinking when I overbooked myself like this. I’m not sure how I’m going to make it,” Annie said.
“I’m happy to be the danglin’ carrot for ya. I’ll see you Friday…and Annie?”
“Yes?”
“You’re always near, no matter what I’m doing I feel you, sometimes you are like music turned way down low and then the next minute cranked up high, but the radio is always on, I miss you.”
“Night Gabe,” she replied softly.
“Night Annie.”
Annie paused after hanging up the phone, wondering where this budding romance was going to lead her. She hadn’t been expecting it, nor had she asked for it, yet here it was…she could feel her heart opening to this man a little more each day. She had never been a slouch in the confidence department, but then, she had never had to compete for a man’s attention. She felt a bit intimidated by the inevitable groupies that were sure to follow a guy as gorgeous and charming as Gabe.
She had a feeling she would be tested, as would Gabe. She guessed that was the name of the game when it came to romantic entanglements. Each had their challenges. Time would tell if they would be able to go the distance and it was much too soon to speculate for that matter. Sighing, she turned the television volume back up, refocusing on her favorite house fixer upper show.
All three dogs chose that moment to raise a ruckus, barking at something real or imagined lurking in the backyard. She got up from the couch to investigate, peering out into the dark night.
“What is it guys?” she said. “What’s got your hair standing up? Hmm? You are the very best watch dogs. Good babies,” she said praising them. “So brave, you want a biscuit?”
Their ears immediately perked up at the word biscuit, only Fannie remained warily focused on the backyard.
“It’s OK girl, come get your treat. There is nothing to worry about,” she said as Fannie let out a deep and menacing low growl, one that made the hair on Annie’s neck tingle.
“You’re creeping me out.” she told her canine companion. Annie strained to see in the dark night, but nothing looked out of order, so she crossed her fingers that there were no skunks and let the dogs outside, after calling out to scare off any unwanted critters. The dogs went tearing off at full speed toward the woods in the back corner of Darcy’s lot.
Annie stepped outside in her night shirt to stand on the deck, the air cool against her bare legs. She loved being away from the city lights, the sky was so much darker and the stars so much brighter. She could see the Big Dipper, the Great Bear and the Little Bear.
One of the few good memories she had of her father was a camping trip he had taken she and her sisters on. Her mom, who hated camping, had stayed at home, so they had a rare chance to be alone with their dad. After setting up camp they had taken a night hike to an open field for sky watching. Spreading out the blanket they had brought along, they lined up on their backs, side by side, she, her three sisters, and their dad…Annie crossing her fingers and wishing with all her heart to see a shooting star.
That evening he had taught them how to find the Great Bear by finding the Big Dipper’s handle, which was the Bear’s tail. He then showed them that you could find The Great Dog by finding Orion, The Hunter. She had always held on to that memory of her father, he was so whimsical and kind to her that night, away from the toxic relationship he and her mother had shared, he had shown a tenderness that she held inside even all these years later. It made her feel sad that she had been cheated out of more moments like that with her father.
“See that Freddie? That cluster of stars is called the Great Dog, just like you,” she said, laughing when he looked at her like he understood what she was saying. Whistling, she called the other two canines inside and closed and locked the sliding doors.
“Fannie girl, I told you there was nothing to worry about,” she said. Turning the TV off she led the parade of four to the bedroom and the dogs quickly jumped onto the king-sized mattress. They were already snoozing when Annie joined them a few minutes later. She fell asleep immediately without giving another thought to the dogs’ earlier warning.
16
“Knock knock,” Pepper called out to Gabe as she entered his cluttered office. “Looks like you’re in the thick of it.
“Pretty much,” he laughed, “What can I do for ya?”
Pepper glanced furtively behind her then moved further into the office pulling the door shut, “I’m a little uncomfortable coming to you with this, and I absolutely hate tattling, but I thought you should be aware, a couple of times this week I have found the water trough overflowing with the hose still left on, then when I was throwing a flake of hay in for Kizzy, I found this tucked behind the bales,” she said, pulling an empty pint bottle of Southern Comfort from under her shirt. “Maybe they aren’t related but then again…”
“I see,” Gabe said thoughtfully. “I’ll take care of it, and your name will be left out of the conversation.”
“I’m sorry, I know you already have a lot on your plate. Speaking of…when is Sam getting home?”
“Next Wednesday, thank God. Can’t happen soon enough.”
“I hope they had a great time. I can’t imagine a whole month in Italy, can you? I turned Kizzy out, oh… and I shut off the water and rolled up the hose,” Pepper said.