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  He measured the distance to the door. Definitely a possibility. Only, he didn’t have Tuck’s cell number memorized, and he doubted there was a phone book inside. If there was a computer in the house, he could look up the assisted living facility and contact Tuck that way. He could also call information or 911. But he hated to get Rip branded as a biter. Tuck loved the dog. At eighty, the old man didn’t have a whole lot left that he cared about. His Idaho ranchland was long gone. His former life in Crystal Falls had ended. All he really cared about now was his granddaughter, his horse, and that dog. Tanner didn’t want to disappoint Tori by missing her play, but he guessed she would survive if he couldn’t get there.

  Not that he was surrendering yet. Surely, he could outsmart a dog. Rip guarded the steps. Maybe if Tanner slipped off the side of the porch, the blue heeler wouldn’t get upset, because he was unaccustomed to people going that way. He tried that tactic, and Rip plunged into the flower garden to nip at his remaining pant leg. He shot back onto the porch.

  After collapsing on the top step again, he thought about making a dash for the front door. Only what if there was no landline? He decided there probably wasn’t and studied his brown pants. Already ruined. He’d never be able to wear them again, so they’d be the better choice. If he pulled his belt from the loops, wadded the trousers into a tight ball, and used all his strength, how far would he be able to throw them? He concluded that he’d never know the answer until he gave them a toss.

  The nearest neighboring house was about a quarter mile away. Tanner doubted that anyone would be watching Tuck’s place. Feeling ridiculous, he worked the uniform pants off over his work boots. He fastened the belt around his waist, not because it now held anything up, but because he’d paid fifty bucks for it and knew Rip would chew on it if he got half a chance.

  He rolled the ruined britches into the tightest ball he could; then he teased Rip with it until the blue heeler grew excited and became focused solely on getting it. Tanner stood, planted his feet on two different steps, and assumed a pitching stance. He needed to put all his strength into this and send the garment flying far enough that Rip would have a lot of ground to cover in order to double back to the gate.

  “One!” Rip yipped in excitement. “Two!” Rip growled. “Three!” Tanner threw the wadded pants. “Go get ’em, Rip!”

  The dog darted after the brown missile. Tanner charged toward the gate. He was almost there. So close. Maybe only five feet to go. Then Rip sprang into his path, teeth bared, saliva hanging in frothy white strings from his jowls. Shit. Tanner wore no pants now, only his boxers. This time Rip might bite his legs, not uniform cloth.

  Tanner grabbed the front of his shirt with both fists. Buttons went flying as he jerked off the garment. He dangled it in front of Rip as he walked backward toward the porch. “Here you go. Look at the shirt, Rip. Stay focused. You’ll have so much more fun with it. Legs are boring.”

  Just as Tanner reached his destination, Rip lunged, grabbed the shirt, and yanked it from his hand. Tanner sank onto the top step again, only this time he was naked except for his belt, boxers, and boots. He glanced down and saw that he was wearing the boxers that Tori had gotten him for Christmas.

  Shit. They had puppies all over them. What would Crystal think when she saw them? And she would see them. He was stuck where he sat. No more brilliant plans for escape came to him. He’d still be here when she got home.

  And he’d be naked. Well, almost naked. But he was close enough to the mark to score in a game of horseshoes.

  Chapter Five

  On the way home Crystal almost drove to the assisted living center to talk with Tuck again. She ached inside and wanted nothing more than to make peace with him. But although she regretted everything she’d done and was sorry for a dozen different reasons, she wasn’t a person who was quick on her feet, especially not when someone was angry with her. If he started to yell at her again, she’d never be able to apologize coherently. She’d just flub it all up—again.

  The invisible-fencing kit was scheduled to arrive today. Her evening would be well spent at the end of a shovel. She did her best thinking while she worked at a mindless chore. Tension would ooze out of her with the sweat that seeped from her pores. It always had. Hopefully she’d be able to analyze everything, consider all the different ways that she’d transgressed against her grandfather, how she’d made him feel, and be fully prepared to talk to him in the morning.

  When she reached the farm, she saw a Courier Express van outside the gate. As she parked her vehicle, she stared at a nearly nude man sitting on the steps. Until that instant, she’d believed that she’d never met Tanner Richards, who, she now knew, had been assigned the Mystic Creek rural route. Oh, dear God. He’s the deliveryman I met at the medical supply store right after Tuck got hurt. She recalled that meeting in vivid detail. A beautiful little girl had been with him. And, as embarrassing as it had been at the time, Crystal had been bowled over by him. It wasn’t often that she met a man so attractive that just meeting his gaze made her skin tingle with awareness.

  Staring at him through the sun-washed windshield, she still thought he was a hunk. Especially without clothes. His shoulders, arms, and chest were well padded with muscle—not like a weight lifter’s, but more the physique of a man who labored for a living. She guessed that delivering heavy parcels kept a guy in superb condition.

  No, she told herself, this isn’t really happening. She was imagining things. Maybe he was there. . . . Okay, she’d accept that . . . but almost naked? No way. She struggled to collect her thoughts. Why was he nearly naked? She tried to push the likely answer straight out of her mind. Only, it barged in anyway. Rip. He must have caused this! She wasn’t sure exactly how, but she knew the dog was behind the odd situation. What would she say? How would she apologize? Why hadn’t he read the letter she’d posted on the gate? Rip turned into Attila the Hun when he encountered someone in a uniform.

  Her mouth went dry, and her palms got sweaty. She cut the car engine, grabbed her handbag, and climbed out. A breeze scented with pine and spring grass played with her long hair. She thought about calling out a friendly hello. Except that would have been stupid. No one who’d been stuck for God knew how long on someone’s porch, with the added frustration of not being dressed, was interested in a polite exchange. He wore only a belt, boxers and boots. And he looked as if he’d been sitting there for a long while, possibly hours. He’d clearly encountered Rip in terrorist mode and lost the battle.

  “I can see you didn’t read the dog instructions,” she yelled out in greeting, and immediately wished she’d said something else. But she hadn’t, and now all she could think to do was run with it. “Why on earth didn’t you?” She pointed at a gnarly old oak that stood like a sentry just outside the fence. “I have a sealed bag of dog biscuits in a knothole of that tree for anyone who needs them.” She paused, hoping he’d say something, but he didn’t. That unnerved her. She tried again.

  “I’ve heard of men saying, ‘Come naked and bring beer,’ but I’ve never known a man who reversed the roles. And where’s the beer?” She’d meant that as a joke, but he didn’t laugh. Why did she always say the most inappropriate thing possible when she was upset or nervous? It was like some kind of social-gaffe disease. He’d gotten in trouble for taking Tuck beer. Now he would think she was jabbing him about it. She pretended to clean a blackboard with an invisible eraser. “Nix that. I know Rip, and I’m very sorry. He’s a sweet dog. Well, I’ve seen him be sweet to other people. But he’s seldom nice to me, and I think you must have arrived in a uniform. Did he tear it off you?”

  He studied her with sky blue eyes that made her feel as if the thoughts racing through her brain were words on a computer screen that he could read. “I didn’t look at the note because it’s a new route for me, and I was running late. I’ve also been a deliveryman for years, and I know the drill with dogs. Three biscuits was all I’d ever needed.”<
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  “Except with Rip.”

  “Yeah, except with Rip. But how was I supposed to know he lives here?”

  Crystal took a step forward. “By reading the note on the gate printed in large block letters?”

  He shrugged. “You wrote a whole book, and I was in a hurry.” His gaze moved slowly over her. “So, your name is Crystal Malloy. I regretted that I never thought to ask your name when my daughter and I met you.”

  Crystal’s stomach tightened. “You remember that?”

  “Oh, yeah. You were wonderful with my daughter. She still talks about the pretty lady with long red hair. And she hasn’t let my mother cut hers since. I think she wants straight hair like yours, though, and hers is curly.”

  Most men she’d met would have been mortified to be caught in his state of undress, but he seemed to be comfortable in mostly only his skin. And with a second downward sweep of her gaze, she could understand why. He had a gorgeous body. Six-pack abs. Well-muscled legs. His skin was caramel brown, but just under the sag of his boxers at the back of his upraised thighs, she saw two tan lines that melded into paler flesh, lightly furred with hair that matched the dark swath of curls that arrowed down from his chest. She pictured him working in his yard wearing only shorts that rode high on his legs. How did his female neighbors manage not to stare out their windows?

  She scanned the area for Rip. “Where is the little monster?”

  “Under the porch, tearing my uniform shirt to shreds. He can make sure from there that I stay put while he lies in the shade.”

  Crystal fished in her purse for dog biscuits. She wasn’t foolish enough to think she could go through the gate without Rip demanding a payment.

  “You’re kidding,” Tanner remarked. “He bites you if you don’t give him toll cookies? Sorry. Tuck calls them that. But he also told me that he’s Rip’s chosen one, the only person, except for someone in a uniform, who has to play the game.”

  Crystal opened the gate. Rip came racing out from under the porch. She bent to give him a treat. “That was true before Tuck fell off the porch at his house in Crystal Falls. After that, I became more than just a cook and housekeeper. Rip and I live together now, and I’ve become another chosen one. Tuck says I should feel honored.” She shrugged. “Rip has never really liked me, so I don’t feel privileged. Mostly only put-upon.”

  “Rip is probably jealous of you. He knows Tuck loves you, and he doesn’t want to share him with you.”

  Crystal had never considered it that way. Jealous? She scratched the dog behind his ears. Rip growled. A smile curved her lips and caught her by surprise. She knew the heeler loved getting scratches, and he allowed her to administer them, but he couldn’t resist letting her know he didn’t like her while he accepted the petting. “Jealousy. That makes sense. Only, how do I overcome that?”

  Despite the electrical charge she felt in the air between her and Tanner Richards, she found it easy to talk to him.

  He shrugged. “Rip is just Rip. There’s no understanding him. Sometimes I think he’s brain damaged. I’ve never met another dog like him.”

  As Crystal crossed the yard, she fished in her purse for another biscuit, knowing that she would have to bribe Rip again in order to reach the porch. “Neither have I. How long have you been trapped here?”

  “I got here about noon.”

  It was six in the evening. Crystal’s breathing hitched. “Oh, my God. Six hours?”

  “Six hours and a sunburn. The sun finally sank low enough behind the house that the veranda overhang is casting shade. Fortunately, with my skin, I’ll tan and not blister.”

  Crystal gave Rip another biscuit for the privilege of trespassing on the bottom step. “I am so sorry, Tanner.” A tight feeling seized hold of her throat. “For everything! For Rip’s behavior, of course. But I also got you in trouble at work by filing that complaint. I wish I could undo that. Tuck says the route change means you can’t spend as much time with your kids. I never intended to hurt you or your children.”

  He propped his thick forearms on his upraised knees and let his big hands dangle. “I know. I’ve talked with Tuck. He says you got railroaded into filing a complaint by the facility administrator.”

  Crystal blinked. She almost said, “Run that by me again?” If Tuck truly believed Patricia had forced her hand, why on earth was he so furious with her? Her heart sank as the answer came to her. Her grandfather was angry, not because of how everything had boomeranged that night, but because she had betrayed him by refusing to accept his decision to give Patricia no information and grabbing his phone to take the choice away from him. Oh, how she regretted that moment. She took a deep breath and slowly released it.

  “You okay?” Tanner asked.

  Crystal shook her head. “No, not really. I think I’ve destroyed my relationship with my grandfather, and I love him more than anyone or anything.” She couldn’t think why she would bare her feelings like this to a stranger. “Sorry. More than you need to know. It’s my problem.”

  “You haven’t destroyed the relationship. Tuck’s just pissed, and, knowing Tuck, he’s teaching you a lesson you’ll never forget.”

  Crystal nodded. If that was Tuck’s aim, he’d already been successful. Just then she noticed that Tanner’s boxers had puppy faces all over them. She was no expert on men’s underwear, but shorts with a puppy pattern were definitely a first.

  He caught her sidelong look. “A Christmas gift from my daughter. Since no one can see them under my clothing, I try to wear them once a week and make sure I tell Tori when I do. She wants a puppy in the worst way, and this was her idea of a frequent reminder.”

  “Do you live where she can’t have a dog?”

  “No, but my mom is helping raise my kids, and until Tori is old enough, a dog would be just one more thing for my mom to take care of. I think she’s doing enough.”

  Crystal stared down at Rip, who lay in wait. He knew she would try to go inside the house sooner or later, and he didn’t want to miss an opportunity to demand another treat.

  “It’s thoughtful of you to think of your mom’s workload, but Tori may not be able to understand your reasoning.”

  “Nope. She thinks she’s old enough. But she’s still forgetful. Tuck says I should get her a dog, that it will teach her responsibility. But I’m not sure she’s ready yet.”

  Crystal hadn’t been ready even at the age of twelve. She would never forget that, and thinking of it now made her heart squeeze. “You know Tuck well.”

  “Pretty well. He’s a rusty old nail, but I’ve grown very fond of him.”

  “‘A rusty old nail.’” She couldn’t help but smile. “That describes Tuck so perfectly.”

  “Do you call him Tuck?” At her nod, he asked, “How did that come about?”

  “When I was little and he came to visit, I loved for him to tuck me in at night. My father called him Tuck, and when I learned to talk, I’d tug on his jeans and say, ‘Tuck,’ when it was my bedtime. It somehow stuck.”

  * * *

  Tanner couldn’t believe he was sitting on a porch almost naked with one of the most beautiful women he’d ever seen. Since that day outside the medical supply store, he’d thought of this lady often. If not for Tori, maybe he would have forgotten that chance encounter, but his daughter frequently mentioned the pretty woman with the red hair, refreshing his memory again and again. A dozen times, at least, he’d wished that he’d asked for her name and phone number. Why, he didn’t know. He’d judged her to be way out of his league when he first clapped eyes on her, and seeing her again only drove that home to him a second time. Tall, slender, and stunning, she was what many men might call a traffic stopper. Tanner with his okay looks and mediocre job was so outclassed, it wasn’t funny.

  “Well,” he said, pushing to his feet, “would you mind getting me a dog biscuit so I can finally head home? I’ll miss my daug
hter’s play, but maybe I can get there in time to take everyone out for a celebratory dinner.”

  “What will you be celebrating?”

  Tanner scratched behind his ear, a nervous habit of his. And Crystal Malloy definitely jangled his nerves. She wore high heels—really tall, skinny heels. Choosing footwear like that for work when she probably spent hours a day on her feet struck him as being nuts. But he couldn’t argue with the result: a fashion statement that was totally classy. “We’ll make toasts to Tori for her stellar performance.”

  “But how can you know it’s stellar if you can’t watch the play?”

  The question told Tanner she hadn’t been around kids very much. “All performances by eight-year-old girls are stellar. Even if she forgets her lines or gets stage fright, we’ll make a big deal about how wonderful she was. My mom will take video clips. She always does. I’ll watch them over dinner. Tori’s playing a wolf. It’s wildlife-awareness month at her school.”

  “Since she loves dogs, she’ll probably knock ’em dead,” she observed with a smile.

  “Oh, yeah. She sounded pretty ferocious at breakfast as she practiced her wolf noises. We can say she was the best growler ever.”

  She dug in the pocket of her brown slacks and handed him a treat. As he took it, their fingers touched, and he could have sworn he felt the jolt clear to his elbow. Her eyes widened, a telltale sign that she’d felt it, too.

  “I’m so sorry Rip made you miss your daughter’s play.” Her regretful expression sharpened. “Will you get in trouble for not finishing your deliveries today?”

  Tanner hadn’t considered Mac’s reaction until now. “Probably not. My boss is an okay guy. And almost every delivery person has a horror story to tell about a dog.”