I turn away with a smile, unable to contain my blush as we keep feeding the pups.
“So, now what?” he asks as he looks over the kennel. “They look like they’ll be busy for a while.”
“Now we get to take care of the other end of things,” I joke, handing him a plastic bucket and a small shovel. “This is the fun part.”
Scott doesn’t complain and takes the poop kit with firm hands. “Where do I start?”
“I’ll show you,” I answer, picking up my own kit. “Don’t worry, it’s not too bad.”
We’re about ten minutes into the job when May comes out and waves me over. “Hey, Aunt May. How’s Furby?”
May nods her head. “Good, good. The chain was in a tangle and not embedded in the skin, thank goodness. He’ll be all right soon enough.” As she talks, her eyes watch Scott. “How’s he doing?”
I glance over at him, admitting, “Working hard. He’s doing everything exactly like I ask, and I swear the grass looks spotless where he’s scooped.”
May looks at me. “He seems like something else. How serious are you two? This isn’t exactly a first-date kind of thing.”
She isn’t saying anything that I haven’t asked myself a million times since all this started. I don’t know if Scott is playing a game, but he’s damned good at it if he is.
“I don’t know, Aunt May. He’s pursuing me pretty hard, pretty fast. I keep pinching myself and warning my heart that I’m going to wake up any moment and find out all this is a dream. Because this isn’t like me, and he admits that it sure as hell isn’t like him either. Not sure what that means.”
May pats me on the back, smiling. “I think it means that it’s something different and exciting for both of you. So don’t get in your own way. Just enjoy it . . . whatever it is, for however long it lasts. If he’s just after your body, give it willingly and often. If he’s after your heart, give it cautiously and slowly.”
My eyebrows shoot up when she basically tells me to have sex with him, but her advice about being careful with my heart is spot-on. And timely, because I suspect he’s taking big chunks of it without my even realizing it.
She pats me on the shoulder. “Anyway, when you two are done out here, I need your help with some paperwork and Scott can give the puppies some attention. We’ll introduce him to Maple and Syrup too, see if he passes their exam.”
I nod, leaving and going back to Scott, who’s scooping up another happy package. “So . . . you two done talking about me?”
“What?” I ask, heat creeping up my neck. “We weren’t—”
“Liar.”
I glare at him open-mouthed. “Did you just call me a liar?” I mean, he’s right, but damn . . .
“Yep,” he says, popping the P sound. He grins and crowds into me, taking my mouth in a quick smack before talking quietly into my ear. “This isn’t a dream. And I like May’s advice about giving yourself to me willingly and often.”
I lean back, gobsmacked again. “You heard?”
“Every word,” he says, laughing. “You think it took me that long to scoop this big pile of shit? I was staying close by to hear you two gossiping about me. Insider information can be quite valuable,” he says sagely.
I can’t help but burst out laughing. “Well played, Mr. Danger. As for that big pile, it’s probably from Biggie, the Newfie you saw inside. Big dog, bigger poops.”
“Yeah, well, I think I’ve had enough of this side of the job,” Scott says, holding up his full bucket. “So where do we dump?”
I show him the main barrel, explaining when he lifts an eyebrow, “May helps make ends meet by selling the barrel to a local organic farm. You know, fertilizer and all. It’s sort of a virtuous cycle.”
“A stinky ass cycle,” Scott grumbles, emptying his bucket. “Okay, so now what?”
“Now, I’ve got some paperwork to help May with, and you get puppy play duty,” I reply.
“I like playing with puppies.” Scott leers, reaching for my chest and making me laugh, backing up.
“Not those! Down, boy, before I have to put you on a leash.”
Scott stops, shaking his head. “Not likely. Listen, after that, how about we go somewhere?”
“Where?” I ask, intrigued and excited. This day isn’t over yet, it seems.
“It’s a surprise. But trust me . . . you’ll like it.”