Million Dollar Christmas Bride - Holly Rayner Page 0,24
the door.
The sound of her phone ringing surprised her, midway down the front steps. As usual, her heart leapt up into her throat with the fear that something had happened to her mother.
When she saw Jackson’s number on the caller ID, she was able to lay that fear aside.
“Question for you,” Jackson said, after they’d greeted each other. “Last night, you went into some very detailed particulars about a dog park in your area. You weren’t making that up, were you?”
“Nope,” Bianca opened the back door to her car and Peaches leapt inside eagerly. “It’s a real place called Dove Meadows.” She couldn’t help but laugh at the coincidental nature of his inquiry. “Actually, I’m heading there now to let Peaches romp around before my work shift. Why? Are you in the market for a new place to take Rufus?”
“It wouldn’t hurt,” Jackson said. “And also, I want to see you. I have something to run by you, if you don’t mind.”
Bianca felt her energy lift as anticipation swept over her. She quickly took inventory of her outfit—which was barely fancier than the lounge clothes she’d slept in the night before. At least she wasn’t still in sweatpants, but she wasn’t exactly dressed to impress either. The faded jeans and white tee shirt were old, casual attire that she usually wore on days when she knew she’d soon be changing into her scrubs.
She glanced over her shoulder at her front door with the idea of running back to change, but quickly realized that she didn’t have time. She was due to leave for work in an hour, and if she didn’t leave the house that very moment, Peaches wouldn’t get the exercise she deserved.
“Um… yeah, I mean… no, I don’t mind. I’d like to meet up with you. Do you need directions?”
“I’ll look it up on my phone,” Jackson said. “Rufus and I are already out for a drive, so we’ll head in that direction. Should be there in about twenty minutes.”
“I’ll look for you by the entrance,” Bianca said.
The sensation of anticipation built into a stirring, stormy sense of anxiety as she drove the short distance to the dog park.
She felt a visceral excitement about seeing Jackson again. There was no doubt in her mind that she was extremely attracted to him. Every cell in her body yearned to be closer to him when he was near, as if he was exerting some kind of gravity that pulled her in. Despite this, his words made her uneasy. He has something to run by me, she thought. Is it another scheme?
She wished that Jackson had called just to say hello. She wished, desperately, that he wanted to meet up with her just for the sake of spending some time together. Instead, he seemed to have some further business arrangement on his mind.
Nothing in life is simple, Bianca thought to herself as she made the right into the Dove Meadows parking area.
For the next few minutes, she lingered by the entryway, scanning the lot for signs of Jackson. She didn’t even know what car to look for, seeing as he’d been in a different car each time she’d seen him, so she examined every flashy car that pulled into the lot.
Finally, she saw him, driving the same red Porsche that he’d picked her up in on the night of the riverboat cruise.
When he stepped out of the car, Bianca was sure she saw some of the women in the area turn their heads. A sense of defensiveness coursed through Bianca—how dare they look at my man like that!—before she realized that she had no right to feel anything of the sort. Of course they can look at him, she thought. We’re not dating!
Jackson wore a dark polo shirt, jeans, boots, and a baseball hat. He carried a tennis ball in one hand, and his tan-and-black rottweiler, Rufus, kept his eyes focused on the ball.
Jackson smiled in Bianca’s direction as he opened the gate that led into the park. He hurled the ball into the distance, and Rufus took off like a shot after it. Bianca grinned as Peaches, who’d been sniffing around a bush nearby, joined in on the tennis-ball chase.
“He usually moves like an old man, even though he’s only seven,” Jackson said. “But then when he sees a ball, he acts like a puppy.” He shrugged.
Bianca laughed. She began walking away from the entrance, which was the busiest area of the park.
Jackson fell into step beside her. “This place