7.

R OOSTER

"Good girl," I told Sushi, Madison's dog, before I gave her one of the treats I held in my hand.

"She looks so sad!"

"That's what I'm going for," I said as I glanced over at my daughter who was lounging on my couch with Bo and Luke, my dogs - a German shorthaired pointer and a border collie. Both were smart enough to learn the same trick I was teaching Sushi, but they were much larger and didn't fit the role as well as Madison's dog, a teacup Yorkie who was spoiled beyond reason by everyone who came into contact with her. "Let's try it again, Sushi. Awww."

Sushi lifted her left front paw off the ground and hobbled toward me. As if she was made for the role, she even let out a pitiful whimper.

"Who's a good girl?" I whispered as I took a few steps backward. She followed me, whimpering again, and I swear I could see tears in her eyes when she looked up at me. I squatted down in front of her and gave her a treat before I whispered, "You're not nearly as useless as I thought you were, furball."

"Does Aunt Mads know what you're teaching Sushi?"

"No, she doesn't, but I don't think she'll mind."

"Why are you teaching her to limp?"

"Because she's cute and needy. Women love small, furry animals who need help. It's the perfect ruse." Kerrigan raised an eyebrow and looked at me exactly how her mom had a million times over the years. "What? It could work."

"I know what would be even better! We can pretend I'm lost in the woods. You go over and ask her if I'm inside her house while you freak out. She'll say that she can help you look and then run into the woods with you."

I tilted my head and asked, "And then what?"

"You take her to your magical cave and give her the poison apple so she falls asleep, then you kiss her to wake her up so you can marry her and have seven kids."

"It's really disturbing when you roll all of your favorite movies into one. When you're a little bit older, I'll pick apart everything that was wrong in that sentence." I thought about it for a minute and then asked, "What fairy-tale movie has a cave?"

" The Goonies. "

I stuck my fist out, and she bumped it as I said, "That's my girl."

"Now what do we do?" Kerrigan asked. "Is Sushi ready?"

"I think so. Here's the plan . . ."

◆◆◆

ROSIE

I tried my hardest not to look over at Rooster's cabin on my walk back to my own but wasn't successful. I knew that the bar didn't open for quite some time, so he was probably at home. However, I also knew that I wasn't quite strong enough to see him just yet.

I was running on way too little sleep and had the scenes from my book flipping through my head, so I didn't want to confuse reality with the fiction I was creating. I tore my eyes away from his cabin where he was probably sleeping soundly, naked beneath the sheets of his king-sized bed with the covers pushed down far enough to show his solid frame with just a hint of abs - not enough to make him look like one of those models who spent way too much time in the gym, but more like a real working man who was strong and solid.

His hair would be tousled and . . .

The second I turned up the walk to my own cabin I spotted the cutest little dog, and without even thinking, I said, "Awww! Look at . . ." When the adorable puppy limped toward me, my heart melted. I couldn't help but rush toward the porch and swoop her into my arms. "Where did you come from, little one?"

She snuggled in and looked up at me with her soft brown eyes. I was a goner. The poor baby was out here alone, so close to the woods that anything could have happened. I knew her owners must be beside themselves with worry.

There was no doubt in my mind that she was a much loved pet - the cute little bow perched over one ear along with her well-maintained silky coat told me she was pampered and well taken care of. However, she was all alone at my cabin door, and I couldn't stop myself from taking her inside for just a minute before I walked her down to the main building and asked for help in finding her owners.

I had just unlocked my door when I heard a little girl's voice call out, "Sushi! Where are you?" As I turned around to look for the girl who was obviously searching for the dog I was holding, I heard her panic as she said, "Dad! What are we going to do?"

"We'll find her, Chickadee. Don't you worry!"

I recognized that voice and barely had time to brace myself before he walked around the corner of my cabin and stopped when he spotted me.

The little girl squealed in happiness and said, "There she is!"

"Is this your puppy?" I asked as I knelt down so I was face to face with the little girl when she stopped in front of me.

"No," she said as she pulled her from my arms. "I'm babysitting."

"I think she's got a sticker in her paw. She was limping."

"She'll be fine," the little girl said, completely dismissing my worry. "I'm Kerrigan Mannin. What's your name?"

"I'm Rosie. It's a pleasure to meet you, Kerrigan," I said before I glanced up at Rooster.

"You're beautiful," Kerrigan said with a big grin.

"So are you!" I took in her bright pink hoodie and colorful leggings that matched the large bow attached to the messy bun and said the one thing I thought every little girl wanted to hear, "You look like a fairy-tale princess."

"Thanks, but I don't want to be a princess."

"You don't?" I asked in shock. Every little girl her age that I'd met wanted to be a princess of some sort. I knew that was just good marketing, and there were so many other things they should aspire to, but the magic of movies and the romance of it all seemed to appeal to young girls.

"No way," the girl said honestly. "I think it would be a lot more fun to be the bad guy. They're way cooler, and I like their clothes."

"Um.Okay," I stammered.

"Ursula's my favorite, but I really like Cruella too. She's got good hair." I looked up at Rooster in shock, and he just smiled proudly. "Who is your favorite?"

"Well . . . I guess I've never really thought much about it but . . ."

"Dad's favorite is Hades."

"Hades?" I asked in shock.

"From Hercules. I guess if I had to be a princess I'd be Megara. She's pretty cool."

"Oh.Yeah.I like her."

"Who is your favorite villain? That says a lot about a person, you know."

"It does?" I asked.

"Yeah. Who do you like the most?"

I thought about it for a second and then said, "Maleficent."

"Good call," she said with a grin before she nodded at Rooster. Suddenly, she walked past me into my cabin and said, "I've gotta pee."

"Good morning," Rooster said as I stood up in front of him, completely dismissed by the little girl who had just vanished.

"Your daughter is adorable."

"Thanks, but you can say it - she's a little dark and twisted."

"I like that, though. She's definitely unique."

"That's what we think. Obviously, she's living up to her name." Rooster cleared his throat as he walked up the steps until we were eye to eye. "I'm sorry about my reaction last night, Curious. I was shocked to see you and handled it very badly."

"Thank you. I guess I could have handled it better myself."

"No," Rooster said as he slowly shook his head. "I deserved to have the door slammed in my face, but I'd like a redo."

"Well, um, I'm not sure . . ." I tried to stay strong, so I looked past him as I settled on the one thing I thought would be a good subject to pursue. "What did you mean when you said your daughter was living up to her name?"

"When we were choosing names, I put my vote in for my first movie crush who just happens to be the villain. Dianna loved the name so we ran with it."

"A movie villain named Kerrigan?" I thought about it for a second and then gasped when the realization hit me. "From Casper?"

"We spelled it differently than the character's name in the movie, but yeah, she was the bad guy."

"I've been in love with Devon Sewa since I was a kid," I whispered, shocked at the coincidence.

"Who is that?"

"Casper. When he came back as a boy to dance with Kat at her party."

"What are the odds?" Rooster said with a laugh. "Do you have plans for lunch?"

His question took me off-guard, so I answered honestly. "No. I was going to work through lunch and then . . ."

"Can I bring you lunch? I have to drop Kerrigan off at gymnastics and then run some errands, but we'll be back before noon."

"I'm not sure if . . ."

"Are you allergic to anything?"

"No."

"What do you hate?"

Without thinking, I said, "Assholes and politicians."

Rooster burst out laughing and said, "Well, I can't think of a single restaurant with either of those on the menu, so I guess we're safe."

I smiled because the sound of his laughter gave me butterflies, but his smile . . . oh, his smile had me feeling something deep in my core that I didn't want to think about right now.

"Let me be more specific. What kind of food do you hate?"

"I like pickles but only when they're cold, so I hate them on my burger, and anything with olives, black or green, needs to be thrown in the trash."

"I'll make note of those things," Rooster said as he looked over my shoulder. "Come on, Chickadee. We've gotta get on the road, or you're going to be late."

Kerrigan thrust the little dog toward me, and I didn't have a choice but to take her again. I had just settled her into my arms when Rooster asked, "Do you mind watching Sushi until I get back? I don't have time to take her over to Mad's before we leave."

"I can take her over to Madison," I offered.

"This is her busiest time of day," Rooster said as he reached for his daughter's hand and turned to jog down the steps beside her. "I'll see you in a few hours."

"But . . ."

"Bye, Maleficent! It was nice to meet you!"

"It was nice to meet you, too, Ursula," I said as I smiled at the girl.

"You're pretty cool. I don't think you're mean enough to be the evil stepmother, so you should really work on that."

Rooster grinned at me over his shoulder and said, "See you soon, Curious. Have a good morning."

I stood there stunned as I watched the two walk down the gravel drive toward Rooster's cabin. He opened the back door of his truck and helped his daughter inside before he shut the door behind her and then turned to wave at me. I waved back automatically and then dropped my hand when I realized that I'd done exactly what I convinced myself was a bad idea last night.

I had just opened the door to more interaction with the one man I was sure could break my heart into a million pieces, and now I was anxious to see him again.

This was not going to end well.

I shook off the dread I felt and let the excitement about seeing him take over. There was no sense dwelling on what couldn't be when right now what could be - a short-term relationship that I'd probably dream about for the rest of my life. I'd been accused more than once in my life of being too focused on reality, which was odd considering how much I loved a good romance novel. I felt like I was in the middle of the opening scene of a very good book right now.

As much as I was convinced that I would end up heartbroken by the final chapter, somehow I knew that if I didn't let it play out, I'd regret it for the rest of my life.

◆◆◆

ROOSTER

"How did it go?" Madison asked as soon as she finished giving the customer his change. She looked at the next one in line and smiled as she rang up her purchase and then ran the credit card and pushed a few buttons before she called out over her shoulder, "I'll be right back, Angela."

Angela, the young single mom who had been working for Mads since she opened the cafe, smiled at the next customer in line and took over seamlessly as Madison walked around the counter to join me. When I left to take Kerrigan to gymnastics, there had been a line out the front door, but now, the coffee shop was full of people who were seated and enjoying their Saturday morning with their drink of choice. Weekends were Madison's steadiest days, whereas weekdays consisted of an early rush before the town's residents headed to work and then a trickle of customers until she closed.

"Tell me everything!" Madison said as she grabbed my hand to drag me into the foyer that connected the coffee shop, the restaurant, and my bar. "Dianna will want to hear it too."

"What happened?" Dianna asked. She glared at me for a second before she asked, "You didn't let your mouth fuck it up did you?"

"Such faith," I muttered.

"She's still got Sushi?" Madison asked.

"Yes."

"Good. I was afraid that she'd bring her here, and then I'd have to lie. You know I'm not good at that."

"Thank God," Dianna mumbled. She smiled at Mads and said, "It's all good, though. You know she'll take care of Sushi."

"She's probably spoiling her rotten. What is it with women and dogs like that? I just don't get it."

"Yorkies just have a way about them that makes people fall in love," Dianna said with a grin. "Especially teacups like Sushi."

"She's not spoiled!" Madison argued.

"You have a selection of purses to carry her around in, Mads. That's spoiled."

"Whatever! So, what did she say?"

"I'm going to take her out for lunch in a bit."

"Don't jack this up," Madison said seriously. "She's nice, but I think if you push her too much, she'll bury you in the woods and then help look for your body."

I burst out laughing before I said, "Sounds like my dream woman!"

"You're not going to do all this work just for a fling, right?" Dianna asked. She of all people knew that I hadn't seriously dated in years - not since I met her. After our divorce, I was content with a fling now and then but had never pursued a woman the way I was planning to pursue Rosie.

"There's something about her that I just can't explain," I said honestly. "I've thought that since the moment I met her."

"You saw her from across the room and fell in love!" Madison said cheerfully.

"Actually, I watched her verbally emasculate a full-grown man and thought she was perfect for me."

"You wouldn't like her if she was a doormat," Clark said as he walked up behind his wife and put his arms around her shoulders. "Apparently, we have a type."

Considering he had his arms around my ex-wife, a take-no-shit kind of woman, I knew he was probably right.

"Did you settle on something to make for their lunch?" Dianna asked as she reached up and clasped her hands in his.

"Lobster mac and cheese with a salad, garlic knots, and chocolate cake for dessert."

"That sounds delicious!" Dianna whispered. "Did you make enough to . . ."

Clark kissed her on the cheek before he said, "I sure did."

"God, I love you," Dianna said as she spun around in his arms.

"There they go," Madison said as she shook her head and looked at me. "Since lunch is taken care of, what are you going to do next?"

"I have no freaking idea."