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She’d dubbed his car Beauty?
It certainly suited the car. And it suited the woman who’d just driven it.
‘You do see that, don’t you?’
He let out a breath and nodded.
She reached forward and clasped his hand briefly. ‘Thank you.’ She turned to survey the dog again.
He stared at the hand she’d clasped. He closed it to a fist and tried to stave off the warmth threatening to flood him.
‘Do you think he doesn’t like me because I’m so big?’
‘You’re not big!’
Astonished sage eyes stared into his.
He clicked his fingers. ‘Bandit.’
The dog immediately rose and leapt up the steps to sit at Mac’s feet. ‘See—I’m bigger than you and he’s fine with it.’
‘But you’re a man, and I’m big for a woman. I expect animals sense those kinds of things.’
‘Nonsense.’
‘He likes you.’
Her crestfallen face told him that she had indeed bought the dog for herself, and not some attempt to lure him out of whatever dark pit of depression she imagined him in.
‘His previous owner was a man, so it only stands to reason that he’s used to men.’
‘I guess...’
‘Besides, he’ll be missing this Mr Cole of his and not understanding what’s happening.’
‘Oh, yes, the poor thing.’ She reached out and gave the dog a gentle hug and a kiss to the top of his head.
Mac’s heart started to thump when he imagined—
Don’t imagine!
He cleared his throat and tried to clear his mind. ‘Once he works out that you’re the person who feeds him you’ll win both his undying love and his loyalty.’
‘Are dogs really that simple?’ She gave a funny little grimace. ‘I’ve never had one before.’
‘Feed them and treat them with kindness and they’ll love you. End of story. You just need to give him some adjustment time. I’d suggest you set him up a bed in the kitchen or the laundry, so he doesn’t try and wander off at night to find his old home.’ He shrugged at her questioning glance. ‘Russ and I had dogs when we were growing up.’
‘Thank you.’
She suddenly leaned away from him and it made him realise he’d been talking to her, facing her, with his scar in full view.
‘What are you doing outside anyway? Were you waiting for me to get back? Oh, I didn’t worry you, did I? I didn’t mean to be longer than twenty or thirty minutes but then—’
‘Not at all.’ His heart pounded. Hard. ‘I was just going for a walk.’ People went to hell for lying as well as he did.
She pressed a hand to her chest. Her lovely, generous chest.
‘That’s a relief. I was worried you’d think I’d made off with your fabulous car.’ She bit her lip. ‘I don’t suppose Bandit and I could come on that walk too?’
What could he say to that? He glanced out at the beckoning sea, the field of winter grass and wild native flowers, noted the way the breeze rippled through it all and how the sun shone with winter mildness and tried not to let it filter into him, relax him...gladden him.
‘Sure.’
‘I suspect, though, that you should wear a sunhat to protect you...’ She touched the left side of her face to indicate that she meant his burn scar. ‘From sunburn.’
He should.
‘You go get a hat and I’ll put Beauty in the garage.’
They both rose. Bandit looked at Mac expectantly. Her face fell almost comically.
‘You’re not taking that fleabag in my car again,’ he said to mediate her disappointment at the dog’s reaction.
‘So much for “It’s just a car, Jo”,’ she muttered, but her lips twitched as she said it. She patted Bandit on the head. ‘You be a good boy. I’ll be back soon.’
She folded herself into the car and her face broke into the biggest grin when she started it up again. She touched the accelerator just for fun and the car roared in instant response.
He turned on his heel and strode through the house to hide his sudden laughter. ‘Bandit, I hope one day your new mistress gets herself her dream car. She’ll know exactly how to enjoy it.’
Bandit wagged his tail, following Mac all the way through the house and up to his bedroom.
Mac rifled through drawers, looking for a hat. ‘Don’t look at me like that, dog. I’m not your master. She is.’
Bandit just wagged his tail harder. Mac shook his head and slathered sunscreen across his face. What on earth did Jo think she was going to do with a dog?
She was waiting on the veranda when he finally returned. She wore a basketball cap. ‘I always have one in The Beast,’ she explained when he glanced at it. ‘Sunstroke is no laughing matter on a survey camp.’
