So she did know when I kissed her. The insight made me want to try again. Too bad Rachel was watching.

“When did Clay leave? I thought he’d still be here after you said I shouldn’t hurry home.” Rachel kicked off her shoes and flopped sideways on the chair.

Gabby turned off the movie. “Nah, I turned my back, and he took off on me.”

She patted me on the head, and I snorted. If I would have stayed, she would have been the one running out the door.

“It’s okay, though, I have my favorite guy here.”

Inside, I soared.

“He was a little scary looking if you ask me,” Rachel said.

Scary? That was the clothes, not me.

When Rachel reached over to pet me, I moved slightly and arched a brow at Gabby. She better say I wasn’t scary.

Gabby looked like she wanted to laugh.

“When I first met him, I told him he looked like a crazy man. I still think he’s crazy, but he’s also nice and dependable.”

I sighed. I was scary, crazy, nice, and dependable; but the idiot repairman had been hot?

“So does he ever act like Scott?” Rachel asked.

“No way,” Gabby said quickly. “Most guys talk about themselves to try to impress me, or they just act scary obsessive. Clay’s different. I don’t think I affect him like I do other guys.” She paused for a long moment. “I think he just likes being with me.”

Finally! She got it.

“And I’m grateful that I get to be normal around him.”

Rachel laughed. “You sound like you’re really serious about him. Why didn’t you talk about him before this? And why didn’t you say the dog had the same name? We could have changed it.”

I watched Gabby, wondering how she’d explain around that.

“I wasn’t sure if or when he’d make an appearance. And I like the name Clay. Besides, he doesn’t mind.”

Rachel made a small noise neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

“We should probably talk about overnight visitors,” Rachel said. “What rules do we want to set?”

“Um...no loud noises?”

“Come on!” Rachel laughed louder. “I meant, weekends only? Maybe guests till midnight on weekdays? Notice needed? You know, that kind of stuff.”

Rachel’s grin said she was up to something. It probably had to do with Peter, who’d been standing outside the front door the whole time.

“I don’t know. I trust you and your judgment, and you can trust my lack of a social life. I really don’t think I’ll see Clay very often, so you don’t need to worry.”

“Oh, he’ll be back. I saw the way he watched you. Are you sure the only rule you can come up with is no loud noises?”

“Yeah, I think we’re fine.”

“Great!” she said with a huge grin. Then she cupped her hands and yelled, “Peter!”

The front door immediately opened, and a sheepish looking Peter entered.

“You were supposed to text me,” he muttered uncomfortably.

Gabby laughed. “Come on in, Peter. Clay and I were just going to bed.”

Definitely. I jumped off the couch, and Gabby moved to follow me.

“Night, guys,” she said as we walked into her room.

“Another early Friday night for us,” she whispered after she closed the door.

She got into bed, and I jumped up on the end. I didn’t mind an early night if it meant lying with her.

Gabby stayed awake a long time, and I wondered if she could hear the giggling and other noises coming from Rachel’s room, too.

Chapter 11

Gabby shuffled out of her room. She hadn’t fallen asleep until early morning. I hadn’t slept well either, thanks to the love noises coming from Rachel and Peter.

I followed Gabby closely, unhappy that Peter was not only still in the house but also taking a shower. Gabby didn’t seem to notice. She went straight to the fridge, stood in front of the open door for several long minutes, then looked around the room. Her gaze locked onto the orange juice container in the recycling bin.

She glanced at me, and I wanted to shake my head in denial. I had nothing to do with emptying that drink. I had tried a sip of it once, just to see why she liked it so much. I’d left it alone after that. She shared enough with me already.

A noise in the bathroom diverted Gabby’s attention. She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes in that direction, and I heaved a sigh of relief.

“Great. Another non-coffee person,” she said.

She shuffled to the faucet, grabbed a glass, then tipped the handle. She started to mumble as she jiggled the handle in earnest. It wobbled loosely, and the water didn’t come out like it usually did.

“Looks like I’ll have to call the hottie plumber back,” Rachel said as she walked into the kitchen.

“No, thanks,” Gabby said quickly. “And no big guy showing two inches of crack, either.” She turned off the tap with only a third of her glass full. “I was going to go pick up Clay later, anyway. I’ll have him look at it.”

Excitement coursed through me. She wanted me to wear my skin again.

Rachel looked up in surprise from the coffee tin. “Really? No-talk, leave-early Clay?”

Quiet woman, I thought, not liking the skepticism in her tone.

“Yeah, that one. Not the dog.”

“I believe you said you didn’t think he’d be around much,” Rachel said with an odd grin.

She really needed to stop talking. I didn’t want Gabby to remember that.

“Don’t remind me. I’m probably going to need to beg.”

Not likely. I doubted Gabby would need to beg me for anything ever.

“Does he know much about plumbing?” Rachel asked as she moved to the sink to fill the coffee pot.

“Don’t know...we don’t talk much.”

Although she said it with humor, I knew that really bothered her. I watched her set her glass aside.

Soon, Gabby. We’ll talk soon.

After Peter and Rachel left, Gabby emerged from her room dressed for the day.

“Wanna come shopping with me or stay here?”

Silly question. I walked to the door, and she drove us to the grocery store. As usual, I waited in the car as she strode across the parking lot.

It took almost an hour for her to reappear; and when she did, she moved fast as if she expected someone to come tearing after her. I watched behind her closely. No one was following her.

She caught my gaze and smiled at me. Then her gaze drifted to the truck pulling into the spot next to us. I turned and saw a man getting out. His determined, possessive expression had me tensing. What was it with human men around Gabby?

“Hi, there. Need a hand?” the man said as Gabby stopped her cart near the trunk of our car.

“No, thanks. I got it.”

The man didn’t move away.

“My name’s Dale. I own Dale’s Auto Body on South Mitchell. You should bring your car by. It looks like it might be due for an oil change.”

What? I’d just changed it. Don’t believe him, Gabby, I thought to her.

“That’s a nice offer, but my boyfriend does the oil changes,” she said as she opened the trunk, momentarily blocking my view. My heart seized for a minute. Did she know?

I ducked down and watched them in the narrow strip at the bottom of the window. Gabby didn’t look upset, just in a hurry. Probably because Dale still hadn’t left.

“He’s a handy guy, then?” Dale asked as he grabbed the potatoes and set them in the trunk, a move that brought him closer to Gabby.

I shifted my paw into a hand, ready to open the door if need be.

“Yes, very,” Gabby said. Her pulse remained steady, indicating she believed what she said. I wanted to shift fully but not because of the man outside.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name,” he said.

Gabby met my gaze and rolled her eyes. Although she found the man’s attempts at courting her humorous, I did not.

“Gabby,” she said, closing the trunk. “Thanks for helping me with the groceries, but I need to get going. My dog’s been in the car for a while already.”

Gabby swiftly shoved the cart into the empty space beside us and turned toward her door. She hadn’t been fast enough. Dale now stood between her and the car door. I hopped from the back seat to the driver’s seat, ready to let myself out and remove the man.