struggled for a
professional smile and said,
“I'm with someone
at the moment. If you'll have a seat in
the waiting room, I'll be with you
when I'm finished.
“Sure, he said,
looking a little taken aback by her
tone.
So much for tact today. First, she'd
attacked Cecil on
behalf of womankind, and now she was
giving Ian the
deep freeze. After giving Wal y his
shot, she put the dog
back on the floor and said,
“Stacey's at lunch, so we'll send
you a bil .
115
INGLATH COOPER
“Sure thing, Doc.
I'l be sure and tel Myrna you said
hello, he said with a grin.
She smiled and shook her head.
“You do that.
Once Cecil left, Colby took a moment
to gather her
composure. Cool, calm, poised. That
was the picture she
would present. She didn't want to
provide Ian with another
reason to think she'd given a second
thought to his surprise
fiancée. Tucking her hair
behind her ears, she stepped into
the room and found Ian sitting on
one of the benches with
Don Juan stretched out beside him,
the dog's head in his
lap. He stood up and smiled at her.
“Very diplomatic. I'm
surprised Myrna didn't hit him over
the head with the frying
pan a long time ago.
Colby shrugged and met his gaze
head-on. “I guess
some men don't realize how their
words or actions might
be perceived by others.
Ian shoved his hands in the pockets
of his jeans and
looked more than uncomfortable.
“Including me, right?
Look, Colby, I should have said
something about being
engaged Friday night. I started to,
but once I figured out
what Phoebe and Frank had in mind, I
didn't want to
embarrass them or you. As it turns
out, Mabel played a little
part in al this. I threatened to
hide her kitchen step stool if
she ever did it again.
As hard as she tried not to, Colby
smiled. He made it
difficult to stay angry with him.
After all, he'd been under
no obligation to tel her anything
about himself.
116
GOOD GUYS LOVE DOGS
“I never meant to
deceive you, Colby, he said.
“Everything about
that night caught me off guard. I guess
I was just enjoying myself and. . .
.
They stood for a moment looking at
each other, and
she found herself wishing he would
finish the sentence.
But he didn't. “Well,
he said, running a hand around
the back of his neck. “I'd
better be going. I just wanted to
stop and thank you for the pie. It
was all gone by last night.
I couldn't keep Luke out of the
refrigerator.
“You're welcome.
The least I could do to repay you for
carting me around. Not to mention
getting your car stuck in
the mud.
“That was my
fault, he said, smiling suddenly. He
stood there for a few moments,
watching her, before
saying, “Okay. I
should go.
“Yeah. I've got
things to do.
Still, neither of them moved. They
just stared at one
another until he finally backed
away, then turned and pushed
through the door. Colby heard him
pul off and told herself
that it made no difference that he
semi-redeemed himself by
apologizing as if he really meant
it. The man was engaged.
And even if he hadn't been, she
wouldn't be fooled by some
too-handsome, too wel -off,
out-of-towner who was nothing
if not a surefire prescription for
heartbreak.
117
19
n the way home, Ian stopped by
Thurman's
OHardware to pick up some paint. In
the back,
leafing through sample chips, he
overheard a
conversation with his name in it. He
stretched his head
around the corner and saw two older
men in bib
overalls standing by the cash
register. He recognized
them as the Nolen twins, Dillard and
Willard. The other
times he'd been in the store, he'd
noticed them sitting
on the wooden bench where locals
gathered to talk.
Willard had just reached into his
pocket for a pack of
tobacco when Dillard said, “It's
a shame to see the place
go to weeds like that. I'd hoped
whoever bought it
would get it back in shape.
“Yeah, that's
some of the best farmland around,
Willard
professional smile and said,
“I'm with someone
at the moment. If you'll have a seat in
the waiting room, I'll be with you
when I'm finished.
“Sure, he said,
looking a little taken aback by her
tone.
So much for tact today. First, she'd
attacked Cecil on
behalf of womankind, and now she was
giving Ian the
deep freeze. After giving Wal y his
shot, she put the dog
back on the floor and said,
“Stacey's at lunch, so we'll send
you a bil .
115
INGLATH COOPER
“Sure thing, Doc.
I'l be sure and tel Myrna you said
hello, he said with a grin.
She smiled and shook her head.
“You do that.
Once Cecil left, Colby took a moment
to gather her
composure. Cool, calm, poised. That
was the picture she
would present. She didn't want to
provide Ian with another
reason to think she'd given a second
thought to his surprise
fiancée. Tucking her hair
behind her ears, she stepped into
the room and found Ian sitting on
one of the benches with
Don Juan stretched out beside him,
the dog's head in his
lap. He stood up and smiled at her.
“Very diplomatic. I'm
surprised Myrna didn't hit him over
the head with the frying
pan a long time ago.
Colby shrugged and met his gaze
head-on. “I guess
some men don't realize how their
words or actions might
be perceived by others.
Ian shoved his hands in the pockets
of his jeans and
looked more than uncomfortable.
“Including me, right?
Look, Colby, I should have said
something about being
engaged Friday night. I started to,
but once I figured out
what Phoebe and Frank had in mind, I
didn't want to
embarrass them or you. As it turns
out, Mabel played a little
part in al this. I threatened to
hide her kitchen step stool if
she ever did it again.
As hard as she tried not to, Colby
smiled. He made it
difficult to stay angry with him.
After all, he'd been under
no obligation to tel her anything
about himself.
116
GOOD GUYS LOVE DOGS
“I never meant to
deceive you, Colby, he said.
“Everything about
that night caught me off guard. I guess
I was just enjoying myself and. . .
.
They stood for a moment looking at
each other, and
she found herself wishing he would
finish the sentence.
But he didn't. “Well,
he said, running a hand around
the back of his neck. “I'd
better be going. I just wanted to
stop and thank you for the pie. It
was all gone by last night.
I couldn't keep Luke out of the
refrigerator.
“You're welcome.
The least I could do to repay you for
carting me around. Not to mention
getting your car stuck in
the mud.
“That was my
fault, he said, smiling suddenly. He
stood there for a few moments,
watching her, before
saying, “Okay. I
should go.
“Yeah. I've got
things to do.
Still, neither of them moved. They
just stared at one
another until he finally backed
away, then turned and pushed
through the door. Colby heard him
pul off and told herself
that it made no difference that he
semi-redeemed himself by
apologizing as if he really meant
it. The man was engaged.
And even if he hadn't been, she
wouldn't be fooled by some
too-handsome, too wel -off,
out-of-towner who was nothing
if not a surefire prescription for
heartbreak.
117
19
n the way home, Ian stopped by
Thurman's
OHardware to pick up some paint. In
the back,
leafing through sample chips, he
overheard a
conversation with his name in it. He
stretched his head
around the corner and saw two older
men in bib
overalls standing by the cash
register. He recognized
them as the Nolen twins, Dillard and
Willard. The other
times he'd been in the store, he'd
noticed them sitting
on the wooden bench where locals
gathered to talk.
Willard had just reached into his
pocket for a pack of
tobacco when Dillard said, “It's
a shame to see the place
go to weeds like that. I'd hoped
whoever bought it
would get it back in shape.
“Yeah, that's
some of the best farmland around,
Willard
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