Nyght's Eve (13 page)

The four dogs scrambled to their feet with a
clatter of nails dancing against the wooden floor. Evie considered what Nikita
said after she left the room with the dogs trailing happily in her wake. “That
makes sense. I mean, he’s used to having multiple patients, and doing whatever
else he did while he was deployed. I know it would drive me crazy not having
something to do.”

Zoe sighed. “Great. Two control freaks
getting together. This should be interesting.”

“I wish she would talk to me,” Becca
whispered, tears stinging her eyes as she continued to stare at the front door
her sister had just walked out of.

Evie reached out and gripped Becca’s hand. “I’m
sorry, sweetie.”

“Experiences change who we are,” Zoe said
softly. “And it seems like bad experiences change us more than the good. I
didn’t know Niki before I moved here to Breakers, but I can see whatever she’s
been through has affected her. She reacts like this every time we bring up her
past. I think to her it might be like us saying that we don’t accept who she is
now.”

“I don’t mean that!”

“We know you don’t,” Evie assured Becca. “None
of us mean that. You know we all love Niki, and I know you love her more than
anything. But you said it yourself. She’s not the same person she used to be.”

Zoe nodded. “What she said about Dare, I
think it’s the same for her. I think she stays here for you, Becca. If that’s
not love, than I don’t know what is.”

Becca wiped the tears from her eyes. “I know,
it’s just that she doesn’t talk to me like she used to. There are parts of her
life that she completely shuts me out of, and I don’t understand why.”

“She’s not doing it to hurt you,” Zoe said
gently.

“I know...I just want my twin back.”

Evie didn’t have the heart to tell her friend
that she suspected that the twin Becca once knew was long gone. What Zoe said
made sense. Experiences changed a person, and the past couldn’t be wiped away.

She knew that better than most people.

Life was too short to worry about what ifs. She
wasn’t a coward, and she swore to herself that she never would be. Maybe it
wouldn’t work out with Dare, but maybe there was a chance it would. She’d dealt
with enough returning vets to see Dare was struggling with his own personal demons.
It was there in his eyes. And if what Zoe suggested was true, then he was also
coming to terms with realizing he wasn’t the same person he used to be.

The truth was, she liked who he was now. He
may be surly and somewhat irritating at times, but she could tell he was a good
man. At least a good enough man to want to get to know better to see if there
was more than just sexual attraction between them. Deep down, Evie thought she
could help Dare heal, if he let her. Perhaps, because of what he’d been
through, he could help her as well.

And if she ended up being stupid and letting
Dare into her heart...she’d damn well find a way to make him love her back.

Somehow.

Evie got a late start the next day.

Still feeling the effects from the night of drinking
with her friends, she was glad she was working the late shift at the rescue
center, but went in early anyways to get a jump on some paperwork. Over the
next few hours, she worked in her office and she thought over what she wanted
to do about her...thing with Dare. Evie was good at organization and management,
and figured there had to be something she could come up with to help give him
something to do. She’d been mulling things over since last night, and thought
she’d come up with the perfect task to involve him in.

Now, it was time to see if he would
cooperate.
 

Evie looked at her watch and muttered a curse
as she realized how much time had passed while she was lost in paperwork. If
her plan was going to work, she needed to move quickly. She hurried out of the
office and found Dare out in the main kennels where he was helping clean out
the cages.

It gave her a secret thrill to see Dare
working with the dogs she loved so much. When he was focusing on his tasks, his
face lost that guarded edge. It made him look younger and more approachable. Well,
at least a little bit. She knew the moment he became aware of her approach as
she watched his body stiffen, then his head turned and those dark-gray eyes
locked with hers.

“Huh. You don’t look any worse for wear.”

“Excuse me?”

Dare flashed a grin at her. “Princess, I love
it when you say that. I meant after your girl party. Kali told us she was
missing out on the drunken revelry. I didn’t know you ladies still had
sleepovers.”

“We do when it involves mass amounts of
wine,” she said with a laugh. “It’s a good thing I’m on the evening shift
tonight.”

“I got a late start myself. I ate so much
last night I practically put myself in a food coma. I think I scared Kali with
how much I consumed.”

Evie couldn’t help but laugh at that. “I
think she’s used to it since she feeds Hammer all the time now.”

“True. She sent us off on a walk down by the beach
with Ranger and Tink while she cleaned up. Damn, do those dogs have some
energy. We offered to stay and help Kali, but...”

“Kali doesn’t like anyone else in her
kitchen. It drives her crazy when Hammer moves things or puts stuff back in the
wrong place.” Deciding she’d stalled long enough, she looked around to make
sure no one else was near, then asked, “I was hoping I could talk to you about
something. Actually, it’s a favor.”

His voice lowered to a seductive rumble.
“Does it have to do with more of what we started last time we were together?”

“What? No!”

Dare took a step closer and Evie forced
herself not to back away. “I told you a taste wasn’t enough, princess. I want
more.”

“Why are you talking about me like I’m a
piece of pie?”

“Not a piece, sweetheart. I want the whole
damn pie.”

“Comparing me to food...how flattering,” she
said drolly. “This is serious.”

“It is,” he agreed. “I want you, Eve.”

Her pulse skittered at the intense look he
seared her with. Jesus, the man was potent. “I...that’s not my name.”

“I think it suits you. You’re not Evie to me.
Evie is someone’s friend. Eve is the woman I want screaming my name while I’m
inside you.”

Oh
my God...

She found herself swaying towards him until she
realized where they were. Looking around, she saw the other people in the
kennel were pretending like they weren’t trying to listen in, but she knew
better. In defense, Evie grabbed Dare’s hand and pulled him towards the break
room. She was aware that he let her drag him after her, and she was relieved to
see the room was empty.

Evie tried to let go of his hand, but he held
onto it, pulling her closer. “I...can’t do this here. I’m the boss. You can’t
just go seducing me when I’m working—”

“But I can later?”

She had to laugh at the hopeful tone in his
voice. “Maybe. We’ll talk about that later. About that favor...”

Dare let out a sigh. “What did you want to
ask me?”

For a moment, Evie forgot what she had wanted
to discuss with him as he ran his hands up and down her back in soothing
strokes. It made her want to curl into him and rest her head against his broad
chest. The man really had a talent for making her forget herself. “Oh, umm...I
was wondering if you were going to be hanging around here this afternoon.”

“That depends.”

Frowning at his cryptic response, she
continued. “I was hoping you could do me a favor if you’re staying. There is
this young boy Shane Diaz, I think you met him and his older brother Nate the
other day. They’re my friend Anna’s nephews.”

Dare nodded, looking wary now. “I remember
them.”

“The thing is, Shane’s been having a tough
time lately. Their father, Anna’s brother, was a Marine who died overseas. A
few months ago, we found out their mother and her boyfriend were abusing the
boys. The mother had gotten involved with drugs and the boyfriend was some
dealer in Dallas. On New Year’s Eve, the boyfriend got angry at Shane for
something and nearly beat him to death, then he kicked the poor boy down a
flight of stairs.”

“Son of a bitch!”

Dare let go of her and stepped back, his
hands clenching into fists as he thought about what that young boy had been
through. He wished he could find the motherfucker who did that to the kid and
tear him apart with his bare hands.

Bastards like that didn’t deserve anything
less.

“I know,” Evie said softly. “The boyfriend,
Bill Hollis, was high, and went after Nate with a kitchen knife, but luckily he
wasn’t too hurt. The police got there in time. The thing is, Shane spent a long
time in the hospital recovering from internal injuries. He’s better now, but since
this all happened, Shane hasn’t really spoken.”

“Were his vocal cords damaged?”

“No. The doctors said Shane would talk again
when he was ready. The only thing that really seems to interest him is coming
here to play with the dogs. The trial is coming up and Anna says that Shane is
pretty nervous about it. They had to delay it a few times already. After Bill
was taken into custody they had to wait because Nate fractured the guy’s jaw
during their fight.”

“So, the fucker is all healed now?”

Evie pursed her lips. “Not exactly. While
Bill’s jaw healed, an incident happened when a few other inmates attacked him
after they found out he had abused the kids. I have a feeling some of the men in
town made sure that information got spread around.”

Dare’s eyes glittered with satisfaction. “Good.”

“I thought so, too. But now the trial is
coming up again. Nate is all for putting that horrible man away, but I don’t
know if Shane is going to be able to testify.”

“Does he really have to?”

She shrugged. “It would be good for him. It
will give him closure, but they won’t force him if he can’t speak.”

“What happened to the mother?”

“She took off before the police showed up and
the boyfriend was arrested.”

“What a bitch.”

She couldn’t help but agree. Now, to get to
the point. “Anna told me the therapist she’s consulted with said it was good
for Shane to be here, but he’s still pretty timid around the bigger dogs. We’ve
been taking turns spending time with him, but there are only so many of us on
each shift and I can’t trust him to just anyone.”

“Ah, shit.”

Evie tried not to grin as she heard the
resignation in Dare’s voice. “Don’t be scared, he’s only a twelve year old
little boy. I just want you to let him help you when you’re working with some
of the dogs.”

“I’ll see what I can do.”

“Good,” she said as she beamed a smile at
him. “They should be here any minute.”

“Now? He’s coming here now? Christ, Eve!”

She wagged a finger at him and couldn’t help
but laugh. “You weren’t going to run off before he got here, were you?”

Dare scowled at her because that was exactly
what he was going to do. He and Evie turned as someone approached the open
doorway to the break room. Dare recognized Anna as the woman he met at the
bakery as she walked towards them with a nervous smile on her face. She was
carrying a large box with the Sinfully Sweet logo on it and was holding the
hand of a young boy with her other. Dare remembered him as the boy who hid
behind his big brother as they had watched him patch up Carly’s knee from the
doorway in the clinic the other day.

“Here we are, reporting for duty,” Anna said
cheerfully.

Evie greeted both Anna and Shane with a hug.
She kept her hand on Shane’s shoulder as she turned back to address Dare. “Shane,
this is my friend, Dr. Nyght. He’s the one who helped your friend Carly,
remember? Dare, this is one of our best volunteers at the center, Shane Diaz.”

“Hi, Shane,” Dare said, smiling at the young
boy who held tight to his aunt’s hand. Dare wanted to flinch as he saw the
wounded expression in Shane’s dark eyes when the young boy stared up at him.

It was a look he recognized every time he
looked in the mirror.
 

“Shane, you’re going to be helping Dr. Nyght
for a little bit today. Does that sound okay with you?”

Shane smiled shyly at Evie as he nodded his
head and she responded with a smile of her own. “Good! What do you have there,
Anna?”

Anna glance down at her nephew as Shane let
go of her hand. For a moment she looked lost before she cleared her throat. “Oh,
Shane and I picked out some cookies for everyone.” She turned to give Dare a
watery smile. “Dr. Nyght, thank you for letting Shane help you today.”

“Please, call me Dare. And it’s nothing.
Really.”

“Anna, I could use your help in the puppy
room today.”

Anna smiled at Evie, then she brushed a hand
over Shane’s head, the gesture filled with affection as she bent down so she
was eye to eye with him. “I’ll just be in the back, helping with the puppies.
You know where that is, right honey?”