taxi.”
Dominic’s eyes narrowed just the slightest bit. “Is this the same Ken you’ve mentioned before?”
Sam nodded.
“She talked about me on your honeymoon?” Ken asked. “Nice.”
They ignored him. “I guess you didn’t want to take one of the cars in the garage?” Dominic asked next.
“The idea never crossed my mind.”
“Surely you have a car of your own?”
“My car is in the shop. I left it there before I flew to New York, figuring I’d take care of it next week.”
“I see.”
Obviously he didn’t see at all because he crossed his arms tightly over his chest. If she didn’t know better, she’d guess he was jealous. She tried not to smile.
Ken looked around. “Nice place you’ve got here.”
“Thanks,” Sam said with a sigh. “Let me see you to your car so I can get the rest of my things.”
“I’ll get your things,” Dominic offered, and before she could stop him, he was ushering Ken out the door, staying close on his heels.
She watched the two men. Dominic was at least an inch taller. Ken’s shoulders were maybe that much broader. She didn’t know what to think about seeing them together. Twilight Zone came to mind. It was Dominic who held her full attention, though: the fire in his eyes, his determined stance, his easy confidence.
Dominic reached inside the trunk of Ken’s Camry and grabbed all of her things. The two men exchanged a few words.
She couldn’t tell by their expressions what they were talking about or whether there was a problem, but before she could step closer for a better look, Dominic was coming up the stairs toward the house.
She followed him inside, watching him take her things to their bedroom.
Shakespeare meowed. Too tired to worry about Dominic, she opened the carrier. Her white Persian cat wanted nothing to do with living in a new house and had to be coaxed out of the cage.
Dominic reappeared with a smirk on his face and a dog at his side, which prompted her cat to dart off in a flash of white fluff. The dog barked and gave chase.
Sam ran after the animals, following them into Dominic’s bedroom. Shakespeare was on top of the bed, clawing at the pillows and blankets.
“Is this your dog?” she asked loud enough to be heard over the barking.
“Rex,” Dominic commanded as he came rushing into the room behind her. “I keep him in a kennel when I’m gone.” He pointed to the cat. “That thing is getting cat hair all over my pillows.” He reached for the animal. Shakespeare hissed at him and he pulled his hand back. “That’s not a cat. It’s a tiger.”
She snorted as she watched his dog bark and paw at the edge of the blankets, pulling the covers halfway off the bed. “Call off your dog!”
Too late. Rex pounced onto the bed.
Shakespeare leapt into Sam’s arms, scratching her before jumping to the cushioned chair nearby. The dog took chase, almost knocking her over in the process. The animals ran in circles around their legs as Dominic examined his pillows. “I’m going to be sneezing all night.”
Ignoring the chaos around them, Sam plunked her hand on her hip. “You’re allergic to cats, but not to dogs?”
“That’s right. Romeo needs to go.”
“His name is Shakespeare and he’s not going anywhere.”
“I’ll definitely have a rash by morning.”
“Well, that’s too bad. Shakespeare stays,” she said as the dog chased the cat under the bed this time.
Dominic finally caught Rex and held the dog by his collar while Sam scooted under the bed so she could grab the trembling cat. “Isn’t there somewhere you can put Rex for a few minutes while I get Shakespeare situated?”
“A phone call would have been nice,” he said.
Shakespeare didn’t want anything to do with her. He wrestled from her grasp and darted from the bedroom, running for his life. Dominic kept a good hold on Rex, a small black lab who seemed friendly enough despite his eagerness to run after her poor cat.
She looked out the door. The
Dominic’s eyes narrowed just the slightest bit. “Is this the same Ken you’ve mentioned before?”
Sam nodded.
“She talked about me on your honeymoon?” Ken asked. “Nice.”
They ignored him. “I guess you didn’t want to take one of the cars in the garage?” Dominic asked next.
“The idea never crossed my mind.”
“Surely you have a car of your own?”
“My car is in the shop. I left it there before I flew to New York, figuring I’d take care of it next week.”
“I see.”
Obviously he didn’t see at all because he crossed his arms tightly over his chest. If she didn’t know better, she’d guess he was jealous. She tried not to smile.
Ken looked around. “Nice place you’ve got here.”
“Thanks,” Sam said with a sigh. “Let me see you to your car so I can get the rest of my things.”
“I’ll get your things,” Dominic offered, and before she could stop him, he was ushering Ken out the door, staying close on his heels.
She watched the two men. Dominic was at least an inch taller. Ken’s shoulders were maybe that much broader. She didn’t know what to think about seeing them together. Twilight Zone came to mind. It was Dominic who held her full attention, though: the fire in his eyes, his determined stance, his easy confidence.
Dominic reached inside the trunk of Ken’s Camry and grabbed all of her things. The two men exchanged a few words.
She couldn’t tell by their expressions what they were talking about or whether there was a problem, but before she could step closer for a better look, Dominic was coming up the stairs toward the house.
She followed him inside, watching him take her things to their bedroom.
Shakespeare meowed. Too tired to worry about Dominic, she opened the carrier. Her white Persian cat wanted nothing to do with living in a new house and had to be coaxed out of the cage.
Dominic reappeared with a smirk on his face and a dog at his side, which prompted her cat to dart off in a flash of white fluff. The dog barked and gave chase.
Sam ran after the animals, following them into Dominic’s bedroom. Shakespeare was on top of the bed, clawing at the pillows and blankets.
“Is this your dog?” she asked loud enough to be heard over the barking.
“Rex,” Dominic commanded as he came rushing into the room behind her. “I keep him in a kennel when I’m gone.” He pointed to the cat. “That thing is getting cat hair all over my pillows.” He reached for the animal. Shakespeare hissed at him and he pulled his hand back. “That’s not a cat. It’s a tiger.”
She snorted as she watched his dog bark and paw at the edge of the blankets, pulling the covers halfway off the bed. “Call off your dog!”
Too late. Rex pounced onto the bed.
Shakespeare leapt into Sam’s arms, scratching her before jumping to the cushioned chair nearby. The dog took chase, almost knocking her over in the process. The animals ran in circles around their legs as Dominic examined his pillows. “I’m going to be sneezing all night.”
Ignoring the chaos around them, Sam plunked her hand on her hip. “You’re allergic to cats, but not to dogs?”
“That’s right. Romeo needs to go.”
“His name is Shakespeare and he’s not going anywhere.”
“I’ll definitely have a rash by morning.”
“Well, that’s too bad. Shakespeare stays,” she said as the dog chased the cat under the bed this time.
Dominic finally caught Rex and held the dog by his collar while Sam scooted under the bed so she could grab the trembling cat. “Isn’t there somewhere you can put Rex for a few minutes while I get Shakespeare situated?”
“A phone call would have been nice,” he said.
Shakespeare didn’t want anything to do with her. He wrestled from her grasp and darted from the bedroom, running for his life. Dominic kept a good hold on Rex, a small black lab who seemed friendly enough despite his eagerness to run after her poor cat.
She looked out the door. The
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