plenty of wear. He might be stopping for dinner at the Bristlecone most nights these days, but he still hadn’t managed to find his way to the barbershop. His hair brushed his shoulders now, curling slightly on the ends.
And dang it, her fingers itched to play with those thick silken strands.
Until he turned a wickedly amused gaze her way and dashed her hopes about his hearing. “Sorry about the noise. That piece of lumber slipped right out of my hands. You know …” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I have to tell you that, while men are often accused of thinking with body parts other than their brains, this is the first time I’ve ever heard women admit they have parts that think for themselves, too.”
He heard, all right. Nic closed her eyes and flushed with embarrassment. They not only think for themselves, they blush.
Sage saved her by laughing. “You like basketball, Gabe?”
“Not the same way you ladies do, apparently.”
“We’re just having a little fun. Would you care to join us? I promise we’ll keep all our leering to ourselves.”
“You know, I’d enjoy that, but I’m up to my gym shorts in drywall upstairs.”
“I haven’t looked beyond this room for a while,” Sarah said. “How’s the cleanup progressing?”
“Pretty good. We’ll finish up restoration this week, and we should be able to tackle the north wing rebuild right after Christmas.”
“That fast?” Sarah asked.
“Celeste was able to articulate what she wanted, and the town delivered the permits all wrapped up with a bow.” He focused on Nic as he added, “I was hoping to talk to you, Nic.”
Oh?
“You have to do something about that dog.”
Oh. “Tiger?”
“What other dog roams this town at will and always manages to get in my way? This must be the last town in America not to have leash laws on the books.”
“Actually, I agree with you about that. It’s not safe for the animals, and it’s something Eternity Springs will need to address once we have more visitors to town. What did he do now?”
“I had a breakfast meeting at the Mocha Moose this morning. He was sitting at the door when I left, and he followed me back here. He’s been hanging around all day. You were supposed to find a home for him. That was the deal, was it not?”
“Yes, and I’m still trying.” She licked her lips, then offered a smile just shy of sheepish. “Dale Parker has agreed to consider taking him.”
Gabe jerked his stare away from her mouth as he asked, “So why is he underfoot every time I turn around?”
“I explained that to you before. He’s adopted you.”
“He’s a dog. It’s not his choice!”
“Oh, for crying out loud,” Sage said. “Give it up, Callahan. I saw you slip that dog a hunk of your sandwich earlier. Way to chase him away.”
Gabe didn’t bother defending himself, but watched Nic for a long minute before asking, “And where might I find Dale Parker?”
“He owns the Fill-U-Up.”
“That grumpy old son of a gun? No wonder the mutt has taken to hiding out with me. Is he the best you could do?”
She watched it register on his face the moment he realized the mistake. Nic decided to take pity on him, mostly because her embarrassment lingered and she needed distance. “Where’s Tiger now?”
“Here, at the foot of the stairs.”
“He can stay with us.” She lifted her voice and called, “Tiger? Here, boy. C’mere, boy.”
Four paws’ worth of nails clicked against the wooden floor. The boxer paused in the doorway and rubbed up against Gabe’s legs. “Awww,” Sage crooned as Sarah said, “He’s so cute. Gabe is right. He’s too sweet to hang with Dale Parker.”
Nic dropped her hand and wiggled her fingers. Reluctantly the boxer approached. “You willing to take him home, Sarah?”
“I can’t. Daisy and Duke are all I can handle. You know that.” She referred to the three-year-old golden retrievers who refused to leave the puppy stage behind.
Nic scratched the boxer behind the ears and said, “What about you, big guy? Wanna watch the basketball game with us?”
When the boxer climbed up on her knees and licked her face, she smiled and looped a finger through his leather collar. “We’ve got him. Sorry for the trouble, Callahan.”
Gabe nodded, then glanced at the television and fired a parting shot. “You do know that Coach Romano has a twin brother who coaches at Southern Cal, don’t you?”
Seated at the lunch counter at the Blue Spruce Sandwich Shop, Gabe sipped his coffee and watched