A Match Made In Bliss. Diann Walker

As Garrett walked down the stairs, he wondered how on earth he could endure the next couple of weeks with five strange women and a cross-eyed hairball.

      Chapter Three

      A sense of restfulness greeted Lauren the moment she stepped into her room. The pleasing scent of cinnamon wafted from a dainty dish of potpourri. Compliments of Garrett’s daughters, no doubt.

      She wondered about these girls who had lost their mother. Her heart squeezed with compassion for them. She looked forward to meeting them. They had to be beautiful if they resembled Garrett in any way. Thick dark hair crowned his head with soft curls, stopping short of wide, dark eyes. She would not have been surprised to learn he had Greek ancestry. His manner seemed cautiously friendly, almost business-professional with a smidgen of warmth thrown in for good measure.

      She didn’t need to be thinking about the hotelier’s good looks.

      She lowered Nocchi’s carrier on the floor and glanced around. Earth tones covered the bed, plump pillows and window tops. Color-coordinated pictures depicting woodsy scenes hung here and there against the pine-paneled walls. A heavy wooden rocker with thick cushions added the perfect touch to this rustic yet inviting bedroom. At one corner a door led to a good-sized bath area, complete with a roomy shower.

      Lauren took a deep breath. She was glad she had come—this was exactly what she needed. Picking up her cell phone, she decided she’d call Gwen, since Candace had already left for London.

      Punching the numbers, she waited while the phone rang.

      “Hello?” Gwen answered with her usual enthusiasm.

      “Hi, Gwen. This is Lauren. Just wanted to let you know I made it to the B and B and it is wonderful, just as you and Candace said.”

      “Oh, I’m so glad, Lauren!” Gwen said, her chewing gum snapping as she talked. “I think you’re going to have a wonderful time.” She popped a bubble. Lauren couldn’t understand for the life of her why Gwen—a grown woman—still insisted on chewing bubble gum. To her credit, she did try to chew discreetly, but a bubble here and there always managed to pop during a conversation, giving her all the grace of a junior high school student. “I’m praying for you.”

      “Thank you.” Despite her gum and party attitude, Gwen had a way of making those with whom she talked feel as though they were the most important people in the world. Lauren’s heart warmed as the two discussed her trip to California and how much fun she was sure to have. “I don’t know what I’d do without you and Candace.”

      Gwen’s gum stopped snapping and she seemed to grow pensive, something she didn’t do often. “We have a special friendship. We’re always here for you, just as you’ve been there for us. “Now,” she said, her perky voice back in place, gum popping, “you get some rest while you’re there, okay? No more doom and gloom!”

      “Will do. And Gwen?”

      “Yeah?”

      “Thanks again.”

      “You’re welcome.”

      Lauren put her cell phone on the nightstand and lifted her luggage onto the bed. Nocchi whined, obviously wanting out of her prison.

      “Oh, dear, I forgot about you, didn’t I?” Lauren walked over and opened the small door of the carrier. Scooping the eight-pound, black shih tzu into her arms, Lauren cuddled the dog, then scratched the white stripe that went from just under the dog’s chin down to her belly. “I’d better take you outside before you get too comfortable.” Nocchi snuggled her head into Lauren’s neck, a gesture that brought them both sheer pleasure.

      “Okay, let’s go.” Lauren adjusted Nocchi’s hat, latched a leash onto her collar, walked her out of the room and down the stairs. She saw the owner bent over paperwork at his desk. Nocchi veered a little too far over and bumped into a stand. Garrett looked up.

      “Sorry,” Lauren said to Garrett while tugging at the leash to pull Nocchi to her. She rubbed Nocchi’s noggin. “Is this a good time to take her out?”

      “No problem.” He stood and started toward the back door. “Come this way,” he called over his shoulder.

      Lauren followed him through the dining room, into the kitchen and out the back door, taking in his long strides, tall, lean frame, sweatshirt and jeans. Something about him made her want to put on a sweat suit, scrunch into a blanket and cuddle with someone under the stars. Jeff Levinger’s face popped into view, causing an ache in her heart. Six months, and she still hurt as if they had broken up only yesterday. People don’t just fall in and out of love—it takes time to get over the pain. She remembered her promise to herself to wait a year before starting another relationship. Not that there was a problem. She didn’t exactly have men waiting in line to take her out.

      “Why don’t you hold on to Nocchi, and I’ll keep Bear chained, but we can let them get to know each other a moment. Would that be all right?”

      His voice chased away the ache in her heart—for now. “Well…” She bit her lip and thought a moment. “I suppose it would be all right.” She followed him over to the doghouse, where a black Lab ambled out of the opening, his tail wagging. A good sign, she thought.

      Nocchi started barking like crazy. Lauren and Garrett worked to calm their dogs.

      Once Nocchi quieted, Lauren listened as the man soothed his dog. That spoke well of him. Men who were good to animals were true heroes in her book. This trip might be worthwhile after all.

      “I think Bear’s ready,” Garrett said, motioning for Lauren to bring Nocchi over.

      Carefully she stepped close to Bear and squatted down so the dogs could sniff one another while Nocchi stayed in her arms. Bear’s tail continued to wag. Nocchi sniffed back, her tail wagging with a trace of caution.

      “You want to put her down? I’ll see that Bear behaves.”

      “If he doesn’t, I’m afraid I’ll have to hurt you,” she said with only a hint of teasing before gently placing Nocchi inches from her on the ground.

      Garrett studied her a moment. Almost as if he considered taking her on.

      “I’m kidding.”

      “Good thing. I haven’t worked out in a while.”

      “Oh, now who’s the comedian?” she kidded before adding, “Like I could hurt you.”

      He straightened his back. Had she imagined it, or did she see him flex?

      “Well, you could try,” he said, quirking an eyebrow and flashing a biceps.

      They both laughed. “Hey, it seems they’re hitting it off,” Lauren said, looking at the dogs. “Guess you’re safe.”

      “Well, would you look at that?”

      “You’re surprised?”

      “You have to admit they’re very different. I’ve never seen Bear take to a little dog before. I knew he wouldn’t hurt her, but I didn’t expect him to actually like her.” The two dogs appeared instant friends.

      “Must be the clothes. I mean, an outfit can make all the difference,” Lauren said while examining a slight chip in her red nail polish. “I looked a long time before I found a clothing site for dogs on the Internet that I could be happy with.” She looked up to find Garrett gaping.

      Garrett snapped his mouth closed. Men just didn’t appreciate the finer things in life.

      “She’s a little self-conscious about the whole cross-eyed thing, so I thought some nice doggie clothes would make her feel better.” Lauren smiled. “Isn’t that right, Nocchi,” she cooed, patting the dogs’ head.

      He stared at her a moment then lifted a weak smile.

      They engaged in a friendly chat while they watched the dogs interact. Lauren told him she was a corporate attorney