Miracle Road: Eternity Springs Book 7 (40 page)

Read Miracle Road: Eternity Springs Book 7 Online

Authors: Emily March

The dog dashed up to Liam, then plopped down at his feet. The woman scowled down at the dog, who studiously ignored her. “It’s only been two days. It’s bound to get better.” Then she extended a hand toward Liam. “I’m Gabriella Romano. Gabi. I’ll be pet sitting next door for the next few months while the Fontanas are on an extended vacation.”

His neighbors were named Fontana, although he had yet to meet them. Maybe she wasn’t a paparazza after all. Maybe.

“I’m Liam.” He shook her hand, then spoke his new name publicly for the first time. “Liam Brogan.”

Sounds good, he decided. Not weird at all. An underlying tension about his name-changing decision that he hadn’t previously recognized evaporated. He had done the right thing.

“Nice to meet you, Liam. Do you service next door, too?”

He blinked. “Excuse me?”

She closed her eyes and her cheeks stained pink. “Oh, jeez. That didn’t come out the way I intended. Pool service. Are you the pool guy for next door, too? The Fontanas didn’t leave me that info amid all the other numbers. If you are, there is something growing in the water. I was really bummed because I wanted to swim this morning, but once I got a good look at the pool … it’s nasty. I’ve never owned a pool, so I’m not sure what it needs.”

She thinks I’m the pool boy.
If Liam was 100 percent certain that this wasn’t a setup, he’d enjoy this exchange a lot more. “I’m afraid I don’t clean the Fontana’s pool.”

“Oh. Well. I’ll figure it out. I’m resourceful.” Then she stared down at the dog and sighed. “Except when it comes to a certain Samoyed puppy, I guess.”

“He’s a Samoyed? I think of Sammys as cold-weather dogs.”

“Yes. Well.” Her lips formed a rueful smile. “Don’t get me started. He sheds everywhere. He jumps on everything. He barks constantly and chases and nips at everything that moves. He’s as stubborn as my brother Max, and believe me, that’s saying a lot.”

“Love your job, do you?”

“I sound awful, don’t I? I do love animals, dogs in particular, and he’s a sweet little guy … honestly … for about five minutes every hour. We’re in an adjustment period. He’s a puppy being a puppy. I’m sure it will get better.”

She reached beneath the lounge chair for the dog, but before she could grab hold of him, he scooted out the other side. With that, he was off. She darted after him. “Bismarck!”

Liam should have set down the pool skimmer and attempted to help, but two things prevented him. First, while he tended to think otherwise, the dog-sitter thing could be a ploy. Second, and of more immediate concern, he couldn’t drag his gaze away from the lovely sight of a scantily dressed, long-legged beauty racing across his lawn.

The dog ran back through the hedge, and before she dashed after him, Gabriella Romano paused and waved. “Nice to meet you, Liam. I’ll be seeing you around.”

Liam watched her disappear into the hedge, her voice bellowing out “Bismarck!” He set down the pool skimmer and prepared to dive into his pool, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.

Gabriella Romano. Dog sitter or snoop? It served his best interests to find out.

Of course, he could surely find out everything he needed to know in five minutes on the Internet, followed up by a couple of phone calls. But where was the challenge in that? Liam was a sucker for puzzles, and one had just blasted through his hedgerow. Maybe he’d play the game a little first, rather than skipping ahead to the finish line.

With that, Liam executed a sleek racing dive into the deep end of the pool, and before he’d completed his first lap, he had a germ of an idea for how to conduct his investigation. By the time he finished his swim, he had a full-blown plan.

Liam showered and changed in the pool house, then strode inside wearing gym shorts, a T-shirt, and a smile.

This was going to be fun.