The Summer of No Attachments by Lori Foster

Chapter Two

Ivey stood with Hope in the driveway, taking in the outside of the one-bedroom house. She loved the setup for Hope, and judging by her friend’s expression of awe, Hope loved it, too.

Though it no longer rained, steady drips fell from everywhere, leaving both women damp. The difference was that Hope’s glossy, baby-fine hair only went a little limp, while Ivey’s turned to dandelion fluff.

“There are no outside stairs, which makes it a little more secure,” came a deep male voice from around the house.

Ivey took in the congenial smile of an extremely handsome man, then transferred her gaze to the boy following behind him.

“You enter from inside the garage,” he said, gesturing toward it. “Either by using your garage door opener, or there’s a keyed lock on the door around the side. I can show you how to manually open the garage door, too, in case the power goes out, but that’s only likely to happen in bad weather...like today’s storm.”

Going mute, Hope stepped a little closer to Ivey, leaving her to do the introductions.

Ivey held out a hand. “Hello. I’m Ivey Anders. I work with Hope and came along to see the place.”

Six-plus feet of striking masculinity stepped forward. The humid breeze had mussed his brown hair, and his golden-brown eyes smiled. “Corbin Meyer. Nice to meet you.” His much-larger hand held hers only briefly before he reached back and gently brought the boy forward. “This is my son, Justin.”

Wearing a ball cap backward, hands shoved into the pockets of his loose cargo shorts, tennis shoes a little ratty, Justin muttered, “Hi.”

In the normal course of things, Ivey didn’t pay that much attention to men, but she was shopping around again—right? Not that a single father seemed like a great idea...unless he looked like Corbin.

Hope nudged her.

“Oh yes. Sorry. It was a long day.” She worked up a smile to cover the awkwardness. “This is Hope Mage. You spoke with her. She’s actually the one interested in the place.”

“I hope you like it.” Flexing some nice muscles, Corbin easily lifted the double garage door. “Room for two cars, or whatever. I believe the previous owner had a car and a golf cart. They were elderly and used the golf cart to get to and from the lake for fishing. By the way, if you do take it, you’re welcome to do that. Fish, I mean.” He waved toward a spiral staircase in the far left corner. “That leads up to the main living area.”

Ivey glanced at the boy who, instead of following, stepped over to the side of the driveway and lifted a wiggling earthworm that had washed up with the rain. Fascinated, she watched him carry it to the base of a tree where an exposed root broke through the grass.

When he released it, Ivey put a hand to her heart. “What a heroic thing to do.”

The boy glanced at her in surprise. So did Corbin and Hope.

“What you just did was so kind. Thank you for that, Justin. I always do the same when I see the poor things out of the ground.”

“You pick up worms?” Justin asked.

“Absolutely. For the same reason you just did.”

“Because they dry out otherwise.”

“Indeed they do. Birds like to find them, so sometimes it’s okay. Circle of life and all that. But I can never resist saving them when I can.”

Swiping his hand on his shorts, Justin sidled closer. “Do you save bugs, too?”

“Of course.” She nodded at Hope and said in a conspiratorial whisper, “Neither of us are squeamish about bugs.”

“Even cicadas?” Justin looked at Hope with glee. “Do they make you scream?”

Hope laughed. “I don’t mind most bugs, but yes, those little devils are creepy. I don’t scream, but I do dodge them when I can.”

A huge smile broke over Justin’s sweet face. “My mom used to scream real loud.” He straightened his shoulders. “I always had to get the bugs before she squashed them.”

His mom used to? Ivey wondered about his mother, but of course she didn’t ask. “I imagine here by the lake, you’ll find a lot of insects. Snakes, too. Are you familiar with snakes?”

“We didn’t see none in the city.” He turned to scrutinize Corbin. “You afraid of snakes?”

Without missing a beat, Corbin said, “Remember I told you my brother and I grew up near a lake? We saw a lot of snakes. Snapping turtles, too. It’d probably be a good idea for you to know the safe ones from the ones you should avoid.”

“Avoid them all,” Hope suggested. Then to Ivey, “I’m so glad we don’t deal with reptiles.”

“I’m a veterinarian,” Ivey explained to Justin. “Meaning a doctor for animals. Mostly dogs and cats, but also farm animals. As Hope said, we don’t treat reptiles.”

Blue eyes widening, Justin asked, “You get to work with dogs and cats?”

“What a perfect way to put it. Yes, I get to. Isn’t that wonderful?”

“Yeah.” He shot another sly glance at Corbin. “I’ve never had a pet.”

Again, Corbin seemed to skate right through the awkwardness of that disclosure. “How about you and I discuss it, maybe after we’ve shown the house?”

Justin’s mouth fell open, his expression turning to exhilaration. “You mean it?”

Now with a smile to rival his son’s, Corbin nodded. “I won’t ever say anything I don’t mean, okay?”

Such an odd exchange. To Ivey, it almost seemed like father and son were strangers. She and Hope shared a brief look.

Corbin ignored it. “Right up these stairs.”

Ivey took the lead, followed by Hope, Justin and then Corbin.

“I had it cleaned, but not much else,” Corbin said. “The paint still looked okay to me, but if you take it, feel free to brighten it up.”

The stairs opened with a three-piece bathroom to the left, the only bedroom straight ahead, and a living room/kitchen combo to the right.

The space was small but had definite charm. Ivey watched Hope and saw the way she glanced into the bathroom, then moved more quickly into the bedroom as her excitement built. A mirrored closet ran the length of the wall opposite from where the bed would probably go.

Ivey followed Hope as she entered the corner kitchen that was certainly big enough for one petite woman, but would make entertaining difficult.

Not that Hope ever entertained, not even to date. She kept to herself and other than occasionally grabbing a meal or seeing a movie with Ivey, she spent her evenings at home. Alone.

In the living room, sliding doors opened to a deck over the garage. All the windows made the rooms feel bigger, and with the woods off the back and one side, the lake on the other, the small house offered plenty of privacy.

Hope turned to where Corbin stood back, arms folded, just outside the kitchen, giving her a chance to look around. “I love it.”

“Glad to hear it.” He moved closer but still gave Hope plenty of space. “Justin and I only recently moved in ourselves, and we still have a lot to do to the main house, but I figured this place was ready to go.”

“It is, and if you don’t mind, I’ll take it.”

“Well, that was easy.” He glanced down at Justin. “We don’t mind at all, do we?”

Taken aback by the question, Justin lifted his narrow shoulders in uncertainty. “Guess not.”

Casually but also with caution, Corbin put his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “We were going down to the lake to check it out, and we already have plans over the weekend. Monday and Tuesday I have errands to run and I don’t know how late I’ll be. We could finalize paperwork next Wednesday, if that works for you.”

“I understand. You’ll want to do a background check.” Hope dug into her purse. “I brought my proof of income and a letter from my employer.”

“Me,” Ivey said, lifting one hand.

As Corbin accepted the paperwork, he fought a grin and lost. “So Wednesday works?”

“Yes...as long as you promise to hold it for me?”

“Consider it yours.”

Blowing out a deep breath, Hope laughed. “Thank you.”

Ivey grinned, too. Obviously Hope loved the place. She knew it was as much the private location as it was the nearness to work. Hope liked people, dealt well with pet owners, but she didn’t socialize and preferred not to run into locals after work.

Just as they were heading out, Ivey’s phone started ringing. She saw it was Geoff and rejected the call. Before she could get it back in her purse, it rang again. Locking her jaw, she silenced the phone.

When she looked up, she found Corbin watching her. The man had the most compelling brown eyes. His irises were caramel, circled by a darker brown. Thick black lashes, too. Kind eyes, she thought. But also...bedroom eyes.

When his mouth quirked, she realized she’d just been standing there staring at him. Heat flooded her face. “Sorry about that. I was just...taking in the view.”

“The view?”

She gestured lamely at him, up and down his body, then she realized what she was doing and dropped her hand. “I’m sure you’re used to it.”

Clearly holding back a grin, he nodded at her purse where she’d stuffed the phone. “Everything okay?”

“Just dandy.”

Her tone sent one of his thick eyebrows up but he looked more amused than offended.

“Sorry.” It wasn’t Corbin’s fault that Geoff was a pain in her backside. “Just a pesky ex.” Oh my God, just shut up, Ivey.

“Not taking no for an answer?”

Appalled at herself, she pressed her lips together. This was why she needed to go it alone for a while. It seemed when it came to men, she had no filter. Geoff claimed that was one of the things that had annoyed him most. The ass had rattled off a list once she told him she was done. As if by naming all her faults, she’d suddenly...what? Realize she was to blame for their failed relationship and be thrilled to have him after all?

Corbin was still watching her, so she said, “Conversation is only important if he’s talking. Otherwise, he doesn’t listen.”

“Then I imagine he misses a lot.”

Why the hell was she detailing her breakup to a perfect stranger? “Ignore me. Sometimes I speak without thinking.”

“Or with sarcasm.” He grinned.

Ivey did a double take. “I wasn’t being sarcastic when I said you’re hot.”

He actually laughed. “Somehow I missed you saying that.”

“But you knew what I meant. Why else would I stare?” Her phone buzzed with an incoming text. Growling, she turned it completely off.

“I meant,” Corbin said carefully, “you were a little sarcastic about your caller. But I’d say you’re allowed, especially when provoked.”

Doing her utmost to rally, Ivey hitched her purse strap over her shoulder. “I promise, I’m better with animals.”

“And rescuing bugs. Two admirable traits.”

Admirable? She realized Hope was heading back down the stairs, Justin following her, so she felt safe whispering, “If you do decide you’d like a pet, let me know. I can point you in the right direction.”

His gaze warmed even more. “Thank you, Ivey.”

The way he said her name, all deep and husky while looking into her eyes, started a slow burn. My, oh my.

Was he flirting? Or was she just desperate for an ego boost?

And seriously, did she want a single dad flirting? At the moment, she didn’t understand his and Justin’s dynamic at all. He seemed like a terrific, very attentive father, and then suddenly he and his son were like visitors instead of family. Very odd.

Before she got ahead of herself, she should find out more about him, and with that decision in mind, she headed down the stairs.

Aware of Corbin right behind her, she carefully descended then stepped out of the garage. An early evening sun broke through, turning the wet surfaces into a sauna and making her hair frizz even more. If she were flirting with Corbin, that would bother her.

But she wasn’t. No, definitely not. Her rioting hair didn’t matter and was an inescapable fact, anyway.

Oblivious to the weather, Justin hunkered down on the lawn to look for more bugs. He was a cute kid, with his innocent blue eyes and loads of curiosity.

“If you find any that are dead,” Ivey suggested, “put them aside and you can feed them to the fish later.”

“Found one,” he said immediately, and to everyone’s consternation, he stuffed it into his pocket.

Corbin winced. “Guess I better go find him a container. Thank you both for coming out. I’ll see you Wednesday, Hope.” His gaze shifted to Ivey, lingering a moment. “And maybe we’ll see you around town.”

Despite everything she’d just told herself, she sort of hoped he did.

Corbin was a little disappointed that Hope came alone on Wednesday. Did that mean she trusted him? He doubted it.

He had a feeling something had happened with her that made her noticeably reserved with men, so trust would be slow in coming. He was careful to keep his distance in the open garage and to ensure Justin was within range. A kid, Corbin was fast discovering, changed the undercurrents of everything. Mostly in a really great way.

Hope’s background check was fine, not that he’d expected anything different. And Ivey made a nice reference. It hadn’t taken more than a single trip into town for groceries to hear about her animal clinic and all the amazing work she did. On the way to get fishing equipment, he and Justin had driven by the clinic. Her small gravel parking lot had been packed.

He heard a crack and leaned out of the garage to see Justin using a stick to hit rocks toward the lake. It struck him that his son had a good swing, plenty of speed and strength. He also had accuracy, so the rocks didn’t come anywhere near the guesthouse and the main house was to the left and behind him.

“Have you played ball?” Corbin asked him.

“Just in the street with friends.” Justin tossed a green walnut into the air, swung his makeshift bat and sent it soaring.

With a whistle, Corbin watched it disappear past the trees. So some baseball equipment would be next on his list. He wondered if the town had a team...

“This is so wonderful,” Hope said, drawing his attention back to her. “Am I able to move in right away?”

“Whenever you want.” He handed over two sets of keys and a garage door opener. “Also, these are my numbers. One for the landline at the house, the other my cell. As I said, we haven’t been here that long, so I don’t know of any problems. But if something should come up, feel free to call. I’ll be working mostly from home, so you shouldn’t have any trouble reaching me.”

Corbin kept the offer as impersonal as he could, and still her gaze avoided his.

Forging on, he said, “This is a refrigerator magnet with all the local emergency numbers. I imagine you already know them, but the realtor gave me two, so I’m sharing.”

“Thank you.”

“Justin and I picked up kayaks, fishing equipment and floats a few days ago. We’ll probably use the lake often, but if you want some privacy there, either for a party or just a few friends—”

“I won’t.”

The quick, firm denial stymied him for a moment before he continued. “Or if you and Ivey want to swim uninterrupted, just let me know in advance. There’s plenty of property between us, but both our paths converge to the lake and there’s only the one dock.”

“I’m not much of a swimmer, but thank you.”

At a loss, he finally said, “Well, Justin is. I think the boy is part fish.”

Hope hesitated, then cautiously said, “You and your son... He hasn’t always been with you?”

Nice that she would come right out and ask. He’d prefer that over curious assumptions any day. Corbin looked to ensure Justin wasn’t within hearing range. He found him swinging from a tree limb, luckily not more than a few feet off the ground.

So many things about his son made him smile.

“It’s a relatively new situation. Actually...” He hesitated, but Hope would be living close, so she’d be seeing Justin again. He didn’t intend to spill his guts, but the words just came out. “I wasn’t aware I had a son until his mother brought him to me. She wanted time to herself.”

What an understatement. Darcie had claimed she had a right to her own life and he could do the parenting gig from now on. Justin had stood there, his head down, hearing it all.

Corbin felt anger surging inside him again, but he had only to look at Justin—his son—and gratitude overwhelmed him instead. True, he hadn’t wanted a child, and to that end he’d done his best to prevent it. Not once, not even as a teen, had he indulged in unprotected sex. Clearly, condoms weren’t foolproof, because Justin was here now, and he was his. Corbin knew he’d spend the rest of his life being the best father he knew how to be.

As Hope looked at Justin, empathy darkened her eyes. “Wow, I’m so sorry. This must all be really hard for him.”

“He keeps it to himself, but I think, I hope, we can work through it together.” He looked down at Hope, at the way she avoided his gaze. She’d parted her baby-fine hair neatly in the middle, and silky bangs fell over her forehead. She had a slight figure, was incredibly shy, at least around him, and her blue eyes were shades darker than his son’s.

She commiserated with his son, and Corbin commiserated with her. Maybe because, in some indefinable way, she reminded him of Justin. Every bit as wounded, wary and guarded. Already he felt protective of her, but then, that was part of his nature. His mother, bless her, hadn’t tolerated apathy of any kind. The adage “boys will be boys” was pure nonsense, she said, and there was no excuse for boys to be less compassionate, less aware, than girls.

From what he’d gleaned so far, Justin’s mother had pretty much left him to raise himself. She’d explained that he was a handful, headstrong and determined to run wild. Corbin saw no evidence of that. Yes, Justin was a healthy, active ten-year-old boy with plenty of energy. But Corbin had once been the same, so he didn’t see that as unusual.

Hope shifted beside him. He realized he’d been quiet too long, lost in thought. “Sorry.”

Her gaze shot to his in surprise, but didn’t stay there long. “For?”

“My mind wandered.” Looking up at the mature trees of every kind, at the bluer-than-blue sky, Corbin breathed deeply and smelled the lake and the wild honeysuckle that grew along the perimeter of the woods. “It’s been a lot to take in, but I’m hoping this place will be good for us.” Maybe it would be good for Hope, too.

She gave him a tentative smile. “It is very peaceful here.”

“There’s plenty to do, a lot of ways to keep an active boy busy.” And they were far from the city and Darcie. He believed Justin’s adjustment would be easier without his mother’s insults, not that she’d mentioned any plans of visiting him anyway.

She’d been clear that she was handing him over—for good.

When he saw Justin bring his legs up to climb the tree, he knew he needed to wrap it up. Stepping away, he said, “I won’t hold you up any longer. Remember, if there’s anything you need, just let me know. It’ll be terrific having you as a neighbor.”

“Thank you,” she said. “For everything.”

After a nod, he joined Justin, smiling at how easily he scaled the tree. Standing near enough to catch him but unwilling to inhibit him, Corbin said, “When I was your age, I had a tree house.”

Now hanging upside down, Justin eyed him. “For real?”

“My brother and I built it with my mother’s help.”

“Your dad didn’t help?”

It amused Corbin to have this conversation with Justin upside down. “Dad had already passed away, but Mom took up the slack.” He’d given Justin a condensed version of his family already, but he didn’t want to overwhelm him with details yet. “What about us building one?”

Eyes lighting up, Justin swung around and dropped to his feet. Then he scowled. “I don’t know how to.”

“I do, and I’d enjoy showing you.”

Skepticism showed through the excitement. “You mean it?”

Every damn thing he offered, big and small, Justin treated like an unexpected gift he couldn’t quite trust. Of course a dad would build a tree house with his son. Sooner or later, Justin would come to expect some things as his due.

“Why not?” Hoping to break through his son’s invisible wall, Corbin put his arm around him. He tried to make the gesture casual, but it wasn’t. He literally ached to touch his son, to roughhouse, to hug him, to feel the little-boy-softness of his skin and to breathe in the sunshine in his hair.

For now, he’d call it progress that Justin didn’t shy away from the nonchalant touch. “Let’s go explore and see if we can find a tree closer to the main house that will work.”

Bolting ahead, Justin yelled back, “I know a good one.”

Laughing, Corbin broke into a run, too.

Friday afternoon, using her only break to drink tea and devour an egg salad sandwich, Ivey considered what Hope had shared a few days ago. It made sense, given the relationship she’d witnessed between Corbin and Justin.

All things considered, Corbin seemed a very attentive parent, and Justin didn’t seem any more temperamental than many kids his age.

Corbin hadn’t yet contacted her about a pet, but the man had certainly been busy.

By now, everyone in town knew that they’d moved in, and the rumors were that Corbin was made of money. He spent enough to give that impression, buying things that most people collected over time. Kayak, paddleboard, floats, lawn furniture, a wrought iron patio set, fishing gear, sports equipment... It was as if he’d moved in empty-handed and then filled every space for entertainment.

According to Hope, they were now building a tree house, too. From one of her windows, she had been able to see them in the tree, putting up a platform, both of them shirtless.

She’d been very complimentary in her description of Corbin’s chest. Ivey had been imagining that ever since.

When did the man work? And what type of work did he do?

Because Sunset was a small town, she knew that he’d hired landscapers for the lawn and a few locals to expand the dock. And...

Honestly, she spent far too much time thinking about him. So much time, in fact, she hadn’t given any other guys the time of day. Just as Corbin’s presence had gone through the gossip mills, so had her newly acquired status of single. A few locals had tried to engage her in conversation, and one had even offered to buy her coffee.

She’d been carefully polite in turning them down, claiming a busy schedule. After all, she’d die if anyone thought she was still pining for Geoff. The truth was that she only thought of Geoff when he contacted her, and with him, she wasn’t quite so gracious.

When would she see Corbin again? Maybe she could—

Hope stuck her head into the office. “Sorry, but you have company.”

Ivey’s heart leaped and for a single second she thought that Corbin had stopped by to see her. Maybe she’d conjured him with her daydreaming. Quickly tamping down her expectations—and needlessly smoothing her hair—she decided he probably wanted to find out about a pet. She was already smiling when Geoff stepped in and closed the door behind him.

Well, hell. All her expectant joy evaporated.

No way could she block the scowl from her face. “What are you doing here?”

His charming smile never slipped. “You won’t take my calls, so what choice did I have?”

“You could get the message that we’re over.”

“Right.” Moseying in like a man without a care, he propped a hip on the edge of her desk. “And I have. I get it. We’re over.” With false humility, he added, “I screwed up.”

Cleaning her hands on a napkin, then gulping down the last of her herbal tea, Ivey shrugged. “Wonderful. So why are you here?”

The charming smile warmed another watt. “Since our old relationship is over, I thought we might try a new relationship.”

That had to be a joke. She wasn’t known for her diplomacy, so surely she’d gotten her point across. But just in case, she looked him in the eyes and stated, “No,” without a single blink.

“Don’t be so hasty, babe. We’ve known each other a long time, we’re friends, right?”

Hearing the endearment made her mouth flatten.

“Come on, Ivey. You were attracted to me once.”

Once...past tense. Yes, Geoff was a good-looking man. Fit, tall enough so that she didn’t feel gangly beside him, his brown hair neatly trimmed and his blue eyes sparkling.

She didn’t care anymore. Never again would she be romantically involved with him, but something more casual? If he truly meant mere friendship, she could probably handle that.

To make sure, she asked, “Friendship? Certainly. Not yet, but sometime in the future, that would be fine.” She pushed back her chair. “Unfortunately, we’ll have to discuss the finer points another day. I have patients waiting.”

When she started around him, he caught her arm. “Ivey, wait.” His thumb rubbed above her elbow in a not-so benign way. He stepped up close behind her. Too close. “If I have to start as friends, hey, I can work with that.” His voice dropped and his warm breath teased her temple. “But we could be friends with benefits, don’t you think?”

Oh good Lord. His attention now was so ironic, she could laugh. Seriously, she’d given him every opportunity to show interest, to find even a spark of chemistry, and he’d chosen to play games on his phone instead.

Now that she’d ditched him, he wanted convenient sex? Less than a month ago, she’d repeatedly offered convenient sex, and he’d turned it down.

She said with exaggerated humor, “No, I don’t think so. Thanks anyway.”

“We were good together, babe.”

She’d thought so, until he’d lost interest. Whenever she tried to initiate things, it had always been a toss-up whether he’d be agreeable or not. Lately, the scale had tipped to the negative and she had no desire to put herself through that type of rejection again.

“We might have been once.” Back in the beginning. “But not for a while.”

“Ouch. I’ll take that one on the old ego.” He put a smiling kiss to her temple.

Which prompted her to shove away from him. She was just turning to face him, ready to hit him with some hard truths, when another knock sounded on the door and it opened, bumping her in the back.

She moved forward, which brought her closer to Geoff, before she turned...and found Corbin and Justin standing there.

Corbin lifted both brows, and oddly enough, he appeared cheerfully determined. “Hope said it was fine to come on in. Maybe she didn’t know you were busy.”

Belatedly, Ivey realized that Geoff had both hands on her shoulders. She quickly shrugged him off and took a step forward again. Closer to Corbin.

Heart quickening in pleasure, she said, “Geoff was just leaving.” Had Hope sent Corbin in specifically to interrupt? Such a true friend. Pretending Geoff wasn’t there, she smiled. “It’s so good to see you both again. Come on in. I’m sorry I don’t have more room—Geoff, if you wouldn’t mind?” She nudged him away from the only extra chair.

Justin, being a sweet kid, jumped in with buzzing energy. “We’re here about a pet!”

It was nice to see him so animated. “Is that so?”

“You said you could give us some guidance?” Corbin casually stepped in front of Geoff beside Justin’s seat.

Really, there was no place for Geoff to go but out. He reached past Corbin and cupped Ivey’s cheek. “We’ll talk more about this later.”

Rearing back from his touch, Ivey said, “I’ll be busy all week.” The way she bared her teeth felt more like a snarl than a smile. “Thanks, though.”

Geoff’s face fell dramatically.

Yeah, she could have been a little smoother, but as she’d already admitted, that wasn’t her forte. Talking to animals? That she managed quite well. Dealing with worried pet parents? Piece of cake. Pushy exes? Not so much—especially in situations like this one where they were all crowded together in her office while her schedule backed up.

Geoff shot a look at Corbin, then an equally suspicious look at Justin before turning and dragging away. He acted like a defeated man, but she wasn’t buying it. He likely missed her comfy couch and the free food she provided more than he missed her.

The second he cleared the room, Ivey closed the door and fell back against it. “Whew. That was tense.”

“Was it?” Corbin asked, as if he hadn’t thought so. He glanced down at Justin. “What do you think?”

Justin shrugged. “I want a dog.”

Both adults laughed. The kid had a one-track mind that didn’t include adult problems.

“Tell you what. Give me fifteen minutes to catch up, then we can discuss it.”

“Or,” Corbin said, “we can come back when you’re finished here.”

“When I finish, I need to get home to Maurice.” So that Corbin didn’t misunderstand, she quickly added, “He’s my aging cat. Fifteen minutes?”

“Sure.”

“Perfect.” She opened the door enough to slip out. “I’ll be back as quickly as possible.”

As she worked her way through two routine office appointments, Ivey wondered why she was so giddy. Absurd. The man was here to discuss a pet for his son, not to see her personally. None of that stopped her from smiling her way through a dog’s vaccinations and a follow-up with a cat who’d been stung by a bee. Both animals were doing well and the pet owners were lovely people.

On the return to her office, Ivey realized that she should have sent Corbin to the break room where he and Justin could have gotten a drink or a snack. She hastened her step, opened the door and found them studying the graphs on the wall, some showing the skeletal makeup of cats and dogs, another showing the devastation of heartworms, and another listing types of dogs and their temperaments.

“That was quick,” Corbin said. “I hope that means the vet appointments weren’t for anything serious?”

“So far today, it’s been busy but ordinary. Hope can handle things for a while, so let’s talk about dogs.” She smiled down at Justin. “Big or small?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know.”

Inspiration hit, and she said, “I have some puppies here. Would you like to see them?”

He nodded fast.

“This way.” As they walked to Daisy’s room, Ivey explained how she’d gotten her. “Her leg is okay now, but she’ll always have a scar because the fur won’t grow there. The puppies, however, are perfectly fine. They won’t be ready for adoption for at least another three weeks, but this way you’d have first pick.” She opened the door to the outside pen.

Daisy immediately perked up, then saw the unfamiliar people and shyly hunkered down. The puppies, however, charged forward, making Justin laugh.

Ivey and Corbin stepped back and watched in companionable silence. In the middle of the yard, Justin plopped down and allowed the puppies to crawl all over him.

Corbin stood close beside her. She could feel the heat of him, even smelled some masculine scent, like maybe soap or aftershave. It made her breathe more deeply. The way he watched his son, a small smile on his mouth, made her heart turn over. In so many ways, he was incredibly appealing, physically and emotionally.

“Thank you,” he said.

Good Lord. Had she given those compliments out loud? Ivey stared up at him in question.

“For this.” He nodded at Justin. “I’m hoping the dog will keep him company when I have to work.”

“Oh?” Seeing that as the perfect segue, she asked, “What is it you do?”

“I’m an IT program and project manager. I’m able to work from home, but there’s a lot of virtual meetings with technicians, teleconferencing and phone calls. When Justin joined me...” He shook his head, discontent with that phrasing. “When I realized I had a son, I took an extended leave of absence, but I have to get back to work eventually. I’m hoping a dog will keep him company when I’m unavailable.” He hurried to add, “I’ll be home with him, so of course I’ll be accessible if he needs me, but I’d rather he play outside—where I can see him—than just watch TV or play video games.”

He’d covered a lot of ground, as if assuring her that he understood his many responsibilities as a parent. “It can all be overwhelming, I’m sure.”

“Maybe. It’s been fun though. Challenging.” He rubbed his hands together. “He’s adapted so much better than I could have hoped.”

“Children are resilient. And you’re good with him, so I’m sure that helps.”

He glanced at her. “Hope told you the situation?”

“She did, yes. Is that okay?”

“Of course. I assumed she would.” He had his gaze on Justin, then his smile widened. “Such an amazing kid.”

Ivey managed to tear her attention away from Corbin’s profile to glance at Justin, then couldn’t look away. On his belly, inching forward, Justin held out a hand...to Daisy.

Ears flattened in worry, but with her tail swinging, Daisy sniffed his hand. She didn’t move away.

Stunned, Ivey whispered, “Daisy is afraid of everyone.” Her eyes went glassy with emotion, especially when the dog allowed Justin to gently pet her with only one finger. “Oh, he is an amazing little boy. Oh my.” She swallowed heavily. “This is incredible.”

Corbin kept his voice as low as hers. “He has a lot of love to give.” His gaze never left his son.

“Justin?” Ivey called softly.

The boy looked over his shoulder, his expression somber. “Are you keeping her?”

“I wish I could.” Ivey wished that so very much. “But Maurice is afraid of dogs. He’s old and—”

“I want her.”

Her heart positively melted. She had to draw deep breaths to keep from tearing up.

Looking every bit as fragile as Daisy, Justin asked, “Is that okay, Dad?”

Given the poignant expression on his face, Justin hadn’t called him that often. There was so much emotion evident. So much pride.

To bridge the moment, Ivey said, “She’s a Jack-a-bee. A mix of a Jack Russell terrier and a beagle. I’m guessing she’s around four years old. Twelve pounds, which is smaller than many.” Daisy hadn’t had an easy go at life so far, but finding a forever home would help her to blossom. “Once she warms up to you, she likes jumping and running, and she loves to howl.”

Justin stared at Corbin, waiting with mixed hopefulness and defiance.

“I think that would be terrific,” he finally said, his voice gruff. “Clearly she likes you.”

“Yeah.” Justin urged her into his lap, then put his cheek to the top of her head.

Ivey couldn’t help it. She leaned into Corbin, letting their arms touch. “We can’t separate her from her puppies just yet. They’re barely five weeks old.”

“I don’t mind waiting,” Justin said, and he laughed as one of the puppies tried to climb him and tumbled over.

“God,” Ivey murmured. “I really love your kid.”

“Yeah.” Corbin put his hand to the small of her back. “I’m pretty nuts about him, too.”