Authors: Ava Armstrong
“Hello there, can I help you? I’m Rebecca Hanson.” Her handshake was warm.
“Yes,” Ella gushed as she shook Rebecca’s hand. “We saw the sign.”
Ella noticed the little smirk on Ray’s face. “What kind of puppies do you have?” He asked with a trace of excitement.
“Beagle mixed with Dachshund,” Rebecca replied.
“Well, you don’t say…” Ray remarked. “Can we take a look?”
Rebecca led them to the side yard to the fenced in area where the puppies were roughhousing as the mother rested near them.
“You can step inside,” Rebecca smiled, “They’ve been playing out here for a while. The mother’s name is Sadie. She’s very laid back.”
“The best thing to do is just sit on the ground,” Ray whispered. “The pups will come to you. And, the mother won’t think you’re a threat. She will come over and sniff you.”
Ella copied Ray and sat on the grass as the puppies wobbled one by one toward her filled with curiosity. And, just as Ray said, the mother dog came over wagging her tail and sniffed Ella and Ray. Ray murmured, “Good girl,” in a soft low voice. The female beagle seemed to really like him. Her whole body was wagging, not just her tail.
“She likes you,” Rebecca laughed. Then the puppies, all eight of them, climbed onto Ray and Ella. Ella was smiling, then laughing. “They are so tiny and cute! How old are they?”
“Eight weeks right now. That one on your lap is the only one not sold yet.” Rebecca replied. “It’s a male, and he seems to have a sweet disposition.”
Ella examined the tiny brown puppy on her lap. He was looking up at her with dark eyes and she felt her heart might burst. The tiny ball of fur kept nuzzling her hand and she stroked his soft coat with her finger. Puppy fur. She couldn’t restrain herself. She wanted the puppy so much.
“I want him!” Ella gushed as she lifted the puppy to her face and gazed at him with tenderness. “He’s beautiful.”
Once Ella purchased the puppy she felt an infusion of pure joy. They both thanked Rebecca and walked toward the car.
“Why don’t I drive and you hold the puppy,” Ray suggested. Ella was thrilled.
“We need to stop and get some dog items,” Ella suggested.
“Just tell me how to get there,” Ray smiled and got behind the wheel. Ella couldn’t wipe the smile from her face. She gave Ray directions to the local pet store.
It was the first genuine smile Ella had experienced since her father’s death. She felt her father was somehow looking down upon her
wanting
her to feel this amazing delight. She wouldn’t have stopped if it hadn’t been for Ray suggesting it. She glanced at him while driving and felt thankful that he noticed the sign. He had a serious look as he drove but maintained an air of cheerfulness. And, she was ever so grateful that Ray offered to drive so she could hold the tiny new life in her arms enjoying his soft fur, the love emanating from his eyes, and the smell of puppy breath.
~ Ray ~
Ella’s demeanor became lighthearted, a side of her that Ray hadn’t experienced. He felt a shot of happiness run through him as he shared the moment of joy with her as she talked about going to the pet store.
In the car Ella was actually showing signs of excitement and happiness. She couldn’t wait to get to the pet store to buy the necessary items for her new companion. It seemed the shroud of grief had lifted, temporarily, and Ray was happy he could sit next to her and listen to her soft feminine voice as she gushed over the puppy. He expertly parked the car at the pet store while enjoying the happy tone of her voice.
“I kept Maverick’s dog bed,” Ella informed him. “But, I need a leash, bowls, dog food…” Ray grabbed a cart and loaded every item into it that she mentioned. Once all of the dog toys were selected Ella paid for everything and Ray loaded the bags into her Honda. He watched as Ella slipped the little harness onto the puppy and attached the leash. She kissed his nose.
“Oh, he’s so
cute
!” Ella was bubbly.
“We need to give
him
a name.” Ray suggested.
“How about Max?” Ella placed her finger on her cheek and looked like a little girl thinking for a moment.
“Aw, you don’t want a name like that. That sounds like an old man’s name.” Ray teased her. “How about Boomer? It was my nickname as a kid. When I started playing hockey my dad called me that because I was so rough and it just stuck with me. Actually, that name followed me all through college. My old friends still call me Boomer.
“Boomer…” Ella repeated softly, “
I love it!
It fits him perfectly!”
As Ray drove the Honda to Ella’s house he enjoyed listening to her as she spoke to Boomer. She had a way with dogs. Being a dog-person himself, he could see the puppy responding. They were already bonding. Boomer’s tail was wagging and he licked her face. If a puppy could smile, Boomer was doing so at that moment. For the first time in his life, Ray wished he was a puppy.
As Ella instructed, Ray pulled the vehicle onto a side rode, then took a left turn into a sub-division nestled into a wooded area that abutted a golf course. He parked in the driveway of a cookie cutter home. Ella mentioned the house was purchased by Bob before she met him. He wondered when she met Bob and how long she lived with him. But realized those questions were too intrusive.
The garden distinguished Ella’s residence from all of the others on the street. It was late in the season and everything was going to seed, but Ella showed Ray her garden because he asked her to. He told her it looked beautiful on her Facebook page. Although it was late afternoon, the sun was strong and warmed them.
Ella tenderly brushed the leaves off Maverick’s stone in her garden. When she stood and faced Ray the sun illuminated her features. An ethereal glow highlighted her porcelain skin which was flawless. Her eyes were bright and full of life. In the sun they looked more green than brown. Her lips were alluring, smooth and full. He had an overwhelming urge to kiss her, but kept that thought to himself. Instead, his eyes roamed over her lovely features and he whispered, “Your garden is beautiful.”
Boomer sniffed around outside and after a few minutes Ella swept him into her arms and kissed his ear. “Come on, I need to get your bed.” Ella murmured. She peeked over the puppy at Ray and smiled.
“Come inside,” Ella beckoned, “I’ll make coffee.”
“That would be great,” Ray tried to rein himself in. He couldn’t stop studying her. He felt as if he was in a dream state possibly imagining the whole experience. Ella brought him into the sunny kitchen and he sat at the table. She put Boomer on his lap.
“I’ll be right back, I’ve got to get his bed.” Ella stated. Ray’s hands held the puppy lovingly and he rubbed Boomer’s ears. Boomer brought back memories of his childhood dog, Bruiser, a French bull dog with a lot of heart.
Within a few minutes, Ella returned with a cozy fleece dog bed. She put it into the corner of the kitchen. Ray put Boomer on the floor and the puppy toddled toward Maverick’s old dog bed and sniffed it. Then he hoped in and curled up as if he knew he belonged there. Ella placed the dog toys in the bed with him. His ears perked up when Ella filled one bowl with fresh water and the other with a handful of puppy food. The moment he heard the food hit the bowl, Boomer tumbled out of bed and ate as if he couldn’t get enough. Then he slurped water loudly and climbed back into the dog bed.
“Oh look,” Ella whispered, “He’s falling asleep.”
Ray watched Boomer and imagined how happy he would be with Ella loving him. And, the thought entered his mind: how happy
he
would be with Ella loving him. He hoped her boyfriend knew what a wonderful person he had in Ella, but suspected Bob had no idea. What sort of boyfriend would leave town while the love of his life was grieving the loss of her father? What kind of guy would ignore the depression she was experiencing over the loss of her beloved Maverick? Some self-centered asshole, he imagined.
“I’m sorry, Ray.” Ella turned her attention to him. “I’ve been so distracted with Boomer. I wanted to have coffee with you. Where are my manners?”
He observed Ella as she poured the coffee and brought cream and sugar to the table. He wanted more than anything to ask her to have dinner with him, but wondered if that would make her feel awkward. He decided to stick to business and the task at hand ~ her father’s estate.
“I can put everything into a report for you tonight and e-mail it to you. Or, if you’d like, I can give you a thumbnail sketch now.” Ray offered.
“Yes, please, tell me now. What do you think I should do, Ray?” Ella sat across from him at the small table. With her face propped up on her hands, her eyes focused on him, she had an air of innocence about her. She pushed a stray tendril of hair away from her cheek. He became mute as he gazed into her beautiful green eyes in the dappled sunlight. Then his gaze dropped to her velvety lips again. He swallowed.
“Ray, are you all right?” Ella asked with a hint of concern.
“Oh, yes. I’m fine. Just thinking,” he inhaled deeply. He took a long drink of fresh coffee. “Let’s see, here’s what I think the properties are worth. The question is, do you want to keep them or sell them?” He thought he probably sounded like an idiot. If he looked at Ella he was so distracted he could barely stay on topic. He did his best to run through the numbers with her, jotting notes on a piece of paper. He was fine as long as he kept his eyes on the paper and executed mathematical equations. It was a crazy thought, but he felt as if Ella’s eyes were examining
him
with great detail. Usually a cocky piece of work, Ray Adriano was reduced to a shy quiet number cruncher at her kitchen table.
~ Ella ~
As she watched Ray jot numbers on a sheet of paper, she was amazed with his performance today. He was efficient while touring the properties. He seemed to know what he was doing. Ella was so thankful that he wasn’t some old guy peeking over spectacles with a bad attitude. What struck her was how compassionate Ray was when she got to the tavern and they rode the elevator to the top floor. She hadn’t expected to lose control like that and felt silly crying. But somehow, Ray made her feel comfortable. When he touched her shoulder and lightly embraced her, he instantly made her feel better. It was as if a beam of light came through him into her and she stopped feeling sad.
And she couldn’t stop thinking of Boomer. If it wasn’t for Ray, she wouldn’t have gotten a dog at all. Bob wouldn’t hear of it. As it was, she was thinking of what she’d say when he returned from his trip. Bob was allergic to dogs and would have a fit when he found out she’d gotten a puppy.
Once Ray finished talking, Ella gave her answer,
“I think I’d like to keep the properties. You have shown me the steady stream of income will be advantageous in the long run and they’ll only increase in value. Thank you, Ray. You’ve done a lot of work in a short period of time.” Ella was impressed with his expert on-the-spot presentation. He definitely had talent and intellect.
Ella watched him put the iPad away in his bag. She wanted to know more about him, but didn’t know where to begin. She didn’t want to come off as meddling.
“I’m glad you contacted me on Facebook before you arrived. It gave me a connection to you before meeting face-to-face.” Ella said softly. “What sort of life do you have in New York? I imagine you are busy in the city, there are so many things to do.”
“I spend a lot of time at work,” Ray answered. “Probably too much time.”
“What do you do on the weekends?” Ella asked.
“I bartend at Tony’s, a little Italian bistro a block away. I worked there through college and law school.” Ray replied.
“So, you really just
work
in New York?” Ella pondered aloud. “You don’t take your wife to musicals or your children to Rockefeller Center or the Museum of Modern Art or Central Park?”
“I don’t have a wife or children,” Ray answered matter-of-factly. “Actually, I avoid Central Park and I’m not a big fan of musicals. And, come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever been inside the Museum of Modern Art. No, I take that back, I was there once.”
His dark blue eyes held hers for a long moment. Ella realized this guy was a workaholic and possibly a lonely one.
“What about family and friends?” Ella persisted with her line of questioning.
“My two brothers are younger than me. One is married, the other is engaged. They moved out of the city. One is in New Jersey and the other one lives in upstate New York. I see them from time to time. I have a few guys I pal around with from law school. My dad spent some time in the marines and my mother passed away two years ago.” At that point, Ray stopped talking. His eyes dropped to the table.
Ella felt she overstepped a boundary. She was prying and it wasn’t polite to do so.
“I’m sorry, Ray, that you lost your mother. That must be why you’re so sensitive to my feelings about losing my father unexpectedly.” Ella whispered. “Thank you for being so kind today.”
~ Ray ~
The sun was heading toward the horizon and Ella seemed like she didn’t want to bring him back to the bed and breakfast. Just a hunch. Watching Ella’s lovely profile as she put the coffee cups into the dishwasher, he wondered what was happening to him. He had been in the presence of many beautiful women at the bar, but never felt quite like this. He was attracted to Ella, and not just a little bit.