said softly, reaching out. She took the still puppy into her hands and gently massaged. “Come on. You can do it.” Her voice was clogged with tears.
The puppy gave a jerk and then started yipping. Relief swept through her. “Oh, thank God.”
Poe sat back and grinned, taking the puppy from Callie and checking its sex. “It’s a female.”
Owen reached out and grasped her forearm. “Thank you for coming. Thank you so much!”
Poe nodded and patted his hand absently. “Let’s get them to nurse, and then everything should be fine. I want to make sure the little Harlequin is okay and is nursing well before I leave.”
All the puppies latched on and began drinking. Jill recovered from her labor and started licking them. At first the little Harlequin had a tough time with it, but once Poe expelled some of the milk, she latched on and started sucking.
“She looks okay, all pink and white and black. Keep them warm and let Jill take care of them. I see that you have a very nice cozy whelping box.” Poe dislodged a blanket and she peered beneath it. “Callie, isn’t that your Judith Leiber clutch?”
“It is? Do you suppose that’s the pillow and quilt from the two other tenants?”
“Yup, and looks like there’s the dinosaur quilt you told me about, Callie. Owen, apparently your dog can open doors,” Poe said. “Clever girl.”
Owen shook his head. “Jill was the thief?”
Poe rose and went to clean up. When she came back, she gave Owen instructions. “Now you guys are free to talk. I do think you have more than puppies to discuss.” She squeezed Callie’s shoulder. “Call me if you need me.”
Callie nodded. She hadn’t moved from Jill’s head. When the door closed behind Poe, Owen turned towards her.
“Callie,” he stepped forward, and the utter agony on his face made her heart soften. “I don’t want Celeste. But she’s a good business manager, so I was trying to let her down gently when you showed up. I would have never hurt you like that.”
Callie rose and walked over to him. “I thought—”
“No! Maybe I do have a reputation with women, but what we experienced was extraordinary. I would never do anything to jeopardize it. I care—”
She cut him off this time with a hard, fast kiss. Which led to another longer, slower kiss. “I’m sorry I overreacted, but I feel exactly the same about you.”
He took her into his arms. “Well, then we have a dilemma, or actually two.”
“Oh, and they are?”
“First, love me, love my dog. And we both know she’s a wanton hussy who gets into trouble when you least expect it.”
“Well, with Jack in the picture, I would say that guarantees there will be more puppies in the future.”
“Promise me the births will be easier. Although the fact that you have a vet on call makes that a little easier to handle. And, as long as your parents take the litters, that will be fine with me. In fact, could your parents take this litter? I don’t know what I was thinking. All these Danes in this loft would make it very crowded.”
“I promise. As soon as they can be moved. And what’s your second dilemma?”
“I don’t want you across the hall. I want you here, with me.”
“Is that so?”
He nodded and kissed her again.
She smiled then. “Well, isn’t it handy then that my brother had already developed a plan for knocking through that wall over there and making this loft and my loft into one?”
“This sounds like an even better plan.” He traced his fingers down along her nose, and across her lips. It made her sigh and tingle all at the same time. “We’ll need the space for three Great Danes.”
“Three?”
“Yes, I saw the way you looked at that little Harlequin. It was love at first sight. I bet you even have a name for her.”
“I do, Mr. Smarty.”
“Let’s hear it.”
“Golden Diamond Girl’s Miracle.”
“Nice. And her call name?”
“I was thinking Tilly.”
He blinked rapidly and she watched as he
The puppy gave a jerk and then started yipping. Relief swept through her. “Oh, thank God.”
Poe sat back and grinned, taking the puppy from Callie and checking its sex. “It’s a female.”
Owen reached out and grasped her forearm. “Thank you for coming. Thank you so much!”
Poe nodded and patted his hand absently. “Let’s get them to nurse, and then everything should be fine. I want to make sure the little Harlequin is okay and is nursing well before I leave.”
All the puppies latched on and began drinking. Jill recovered from her labor and started licking them. At first the little Harlequin had a tough time with it, but once Poe expelled some of the milk, she latched on and started sucking.
“She looks okay, all pink and white and black. Keep them warm and let Jill take care of them. I see that you have a very nice cozy whelping box.” Poe dislodged a blanket and she peered beneath it. “Callie, isn’t that your Judith Leiber clutch?”
“It is? Do you suppose that’s the pillow and quilt from the two other tenants?”
“Yup, and looks like there’s the dinosaur quilt you told me about, Callie. Owen, apparently your dog can open doors,” Poe said. “Clever girl.”
Owen shook his head. “Jill was the thief?”
Poe rose and went to clean up. When she came back, she gave Owen instructions. “Now you guys are free to talk. I do think you have more than puppies to discuss.” She squeezed Callie’s shoulder. “Call me if you need me.”
Callie nodded. She hadn’t moved from Jill’s head. When the door closed behind Poe, Owen turned towards her.
“Callie,” he stepped forward, and the utter agony on his face made her heart soften. “I don’t want Celeste. But she’s a good business manager, so I was trying to let her down gently when you showed up. I would have never hurt you like that.”
Callie rose and walked over to him. “I thought—”
“No! Maybe I do have a reputation with women, but what we experienced was extraordinary. I would never do anything to jeopardize it. I care—”
She cut him off this time with a hard, fast kiss. Which led to another longer, slower kiss. “I’m sorry I overreacted, but I feel exactly the same about you.”
He took her into his arms. “Well, then we have a dilemma, or actually two.”
“Oh, and they are?”
“First, love me, love my dog. And we both know she’s a wanton hussy who gets into trouble when you least expect it.”
“Well, with Jack in the picture, I would say that guarantees there will be more puppies in the future.”
“Promise me the births will be easier. Although the fact that you have a vet on call makes that a little easier to handle. And, as long as your parents take the litters, that will be fine with me. In fact, could your parents take this litter? I don’t know what I was thinking. All these Danes in this loft would make it very crowded.”
“I promise. As soon as they can be moved. And what’s your second dilemma?”
“I don’t want you across the hall. I want you here, with me.”
“Is that so?”
He nodded and kissed her again.
She smiled then. “Well, isn’t it handy then that my brother had already developed a plan for knocking through that wall over there and making this loft and my loft into one?”
“This sounds like an even better plan.” He traced his fingers down along her nose, and across her lips. It made her sigh and tingle all at the same time. “We’ll need the space for three Great Danes.”
“Three?”
“Yes, I saw the way you looked at that little Harlequin. It was love at first sight. I bet you even have a name for her.”
“I do, Mr. Smarty.”
“Let’s hear it.”
“Golden Diamond Girl’s Miracle.”
“Nice. And her call name?”
“I was thinking Tilly.”
He blinked rapidly and she watched as he
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