Rescued Hearts Novelette Page 2

  “Great.”

  They stopped in front of his stall, and Nick started to introduce Beth to Dee and Abbey.

  “Oh, hi Beth.” Dee passed Beth a lemonade. “I heard about the new kick-arse stall at the markets, but I didn’t realise it was you.”

  “Yep, it’s me.” Beth turned to Nick. “I met Dee the other day when I dropped into the salon to drop off some fliers. When I’m not tying myself up in knots, I’m a dog walker and sitter. Dee, thanks for the leads the other day. I appreciate it.” Beth took a long sip of the lemonade. “Oh, that is good.”

  Everyone agreed, and for a second the group was silent as they drank.

  Dee finished hers and put her empty back on the tray. “Nick, we got the fliers done this morning too.” She turned to Beth. “Don’t suppose you want a puppy?”

  Beth choked on her lemonade. “A puppy?”

  “We all volunteer for Stonecrest Bay Animal Rescue, or SBAR for short,” Abbey explained. “Nick’s been helping us with one of our mumma dogs. Dee and I took our doggy family over to the vet surgery this morning to get their check-ups.” She pulled a flier from her bag and held it up, so Nick and Beth could read it.

  “Giveaway puppies, cattle dog cross, 12 weeks old. Apply within,” Beth read aloud. “Hmmh, a puppy.”

  Nick, Dee and Abbey exchanged excited glances. They’d worked in rescue for a while now, and that was the voice of precontemplation.

  Maybe rehoming the seven wiggly puppies who were unexpectedly calling his place home wasn’t going to be as hard as he’d imagined.

  “RIGHT.” DEE COLLECTED all the tankards. “Four o’clock this afternoon for triple S?”

  Was this another Western Australian thing? Beth looked from Nick to the others and finally asked, “What’s triple S?”

  “Suds, snags and smiles.” Dee, Abbey and Nick all spoke at the same time.

  “There’s a weekly meetup at the beach for the local dog owners. We take the hydrobath down and for a gold coin donation the rescue volunteers will wash your sandy dog. We have a sausage sizzle, a bit of local music. Lots of smiles.” Dee grinned. “Want to come?”

  “I’d love to.” Beth didn’t hesitate. “But doesn’t that affect you at the salon?” The Funny Bone was Stonecrest Bay’s only dog grooming salon.

  “You’d think, but it’s just the opposite. We get repeat business at the salon from people we first meet at the beach.” She paused. “But more importantly, the more dogs we wash down at the beach, the more dogs we can help on their rescue journey.”

  “It’s loads of fun.” Abbey chimed in. “More if you’re comfortable getting wet.”

  “You only get wet once,” Dee laughed. “Then you’re wet.”

  It did sound like fun. A chance to meet new people, help the dogs. And, the added benefit was the more people she met, the more dog sitting she’d be able to do. And right now, the more she earned, the sooner she’d be free of her ex and his deceptions. And all the people he’d conned, that she needed to pay.

  She took a big breath and said, “I’ll see you at four.”

  “Great.” Dee and Abbey turned to leave. “See you at four.”

  Two o’clock, and the close of the market, rolled around all too soon. Beth’s larger wall hangings had sold, and all that remained were a few of the smaller ones, a few plant hangers and bookmarks. She hadn’t counted properly, but she was pretty sure she had enough cash to pay the account at the produce store cum petrol station back home.

  At least then, if she did ever end up back at Simpson’s Flat, they’d let her fill the car up.

  “You’ve done well.” Nick wrestled one of the sculptures into a crate.

  “I know.” Excitement bubbled in her chest. “The cruisers bought heaps. How about you?”

  “Yeah, not bad. All little pieces today, anything that would fit in their luggage.”

  Beth finished loading her car and dithered for a second. She didn’t really want to leave. Talking with Nick had left her hungry for more, but her small taste of success made her realise she needed to get knotting, and also find out when the next cruise ship was due. She didn’t have the luxury of being able to dally, not if she was going to spend the afternoon and the evening out as well. “Thanks for this morning. It was great.”

  Yet, even though she was ready to go, she didn’t leave.

  A strange emptiness descended, leaving her flat.

  Nick was still packing up and she wandered over to the cart, which he’d parked in the shade. The tiniest of whimpers came from inside and she couldn’t resist.

  She peeped in and her heart nearly exploded.

  She put a hand to her chest and watched as the mumma dog lazily opened one eye and regarded her. There was a tiny bit of movement in the puppies, but they stayed asleep. She covered them back over and stood, blinking back the tears.

  Nick walked over, and it hit her what it was she’d smelt earlier. Puppy smell. That sweet, wholesome scent that made sensible adults do things they shouldn’t.

  Like adopting baby puppies.

  “Do you want to see some photos? Lucy’s done a great job, if I do say so myself.”

  “Lucy, I like that. It suits her.” She smiled. “You sound just like a proud daddy.”

  He pulled his phone out of his pocket. “Well I am. Lucy was found at the truck stop a few months ago. Skinny as, she was. Scared too. Brought her home to start fattening her up. But then she started getting really fat and I realized I’d fostered a ready-made family.” He flicked through to his photos. “Of course, she’s not a foster anymore.”

  “Uh-oh, a foster fail.” Beth laughed. “She’s landed on her feet with you.”

  Nick grinned. “One look at Lucy and I was lost. I couldn’t have turned her away. So, you interested in taking a puppy?”

  She desperately wanted to cuddle one of the snuggly little pups, but she knew if she did it would be a recipe for disaster. “You know, I wouldn’t mind having a dog. Haven’t had once since I was a kid. My ex didn’t like pets.”

  Nick gave her a strange look then stared out at the ocean. “I reckon there’s something wrong with a person who doesn’t like dogs.”

  Beth nodded. “Yeah, you’re right. Took me a long time to see it.” Mentally, she kicked herself all over again. Actually, she hadn’t seen it. Not even when he’d skipped out on her, leaving a trail of debt and destruction in his wake.

  But she didn’t want to mess Nick around by getting him involved in her disaster. “I’d love to have a better look, maybe a cuddle. But I’m not sure that I could take a dog right now.” She decided to be truthful. “Money’s a bit tight.”

  “No worries.” His lips pulled back into a thin smile, and she wasn’t sure if he was disappointed she wasn’t going home with a pup, or grateful she hadn’t done something stupid by asking for one.

  Probably a bit of both.

  “Let’s start at the beginning of Miss Lucy’s journey.” He started with a photo of a scared, skinny cattle dog and scrolled through photos on his phone. Lucy, almost smiling, in a timber whelping box, with a colourful knitted blanket. Then a jumble of tiny black and grey bodies, snuggled together, legs, tails, muzzles and ears so entwined, it was hard to tell where one puppy ended and the next one began.

  “Oh, they’re gorgeous.”

  “It gets better.” He scrolled to a photo with all seven puppies lined up, sleeping. Nick pointed out the tiny handmade collars. “My Nan in Perth makes rag rugs, and she braided some scraps to make these. We needed to colour code the pups to help us tell them apart. In order; Jet, Denim, Forrest, Sunny, Amethyst, Ruby and Rose.”

  “A rainbow of puppies.” Beth’s repressed maternal instincts swelled, bursting forth in a wave of emotion. “How on earth are you ever going to give them away?”

  Nick’s face twisted as he stared down at his phone. “If I had my way, I’d keep them all. But I can’t. You know the old saying, when you love something—sometimes you have to let it go.”

  A sh
udder worked its way down Beth’s spine. “Yeah, I know all about letting things go.”

  Nick stared at her for the longest time. Whatever he was thinking, it wasn’t anything to do with puppies. Heat pooled in her belly, then spread upward and outward. Her cheeks burned.

  Then he dropped his gaze and said, “Best we get back to it.”

  DEE CHAMBERS WAS THE queen of understatement, if the number of cars parked out on Beach Road was any indication. Beth had expected maybe ten or twenty people, but she’d had to park about a kilometre up the road. More people were driving in every minute.

  The spur of the moment decision to relocate to the other side of the country had never seemed more logical than it had today. Stonecrest Bay oozed something Simpson’s Flat never would.

  A sense of community.

  As soon as she was out of the car Beth could smell the sausages, and she followed her nose towards the main hub in the parking bay near the amenities.

  “Beth?” A tall, muscly guy wearing a purple T-shirt emblazoned with SBAR waved.

  She nodded and walked over.

  “I’m Harley. Dee told me you’d be coming. Here you go.” He tossed her a plastic wrapped T-shirt. “Pop that on. Dee said you know Nick, so I’ve partnered you with him.” He guided her through the production line of volunteer dog washing. Each pair took a dog from the waiting queue, washing it in the hydrobath, then towel dried it before returning it to its owner. Once their dog was finished, the pairs went back to the start and ran another one through.

  It sounded simple enough.

  Half an hour later, though, she wondered if there was any possibility she could be sacked for incompetence. Honey, the golden retriever, was not nearly as impressed with her bath as she had been by her run on the beach, and was letting Nick and Beth know about it.

  “No,” Beth laughed, as Honey tried for the fortieth time to get her paws up on the side of the hydrobath and jump out. Then Honey shook, and suds went everywhere, even in Nick’s mouth.

  “Ptttthhh.” He spluttered. “Honey,” he warned in a stern voice, but that lasted about a second before he too burst out laughing. Honey made another break for freedom and Beth held on to her for dear life.

  Five minutes in, she’d been worried about the wet T-shirt competition she was unexpectedly participating in, especially with Nick as her partner. Now, she’d be happy if she survived the night, and didn’t lose any dogs.

  Or any teeth.

  Dee appeared at Nick’s side and tutted softly. “Honey Bee, stay down, or you won’t get your hair done,” she admonished. Honey, clearly recognising Dee, gave her the look of the long-suffering dog, and settled immediately. “Right, you two, my best guess is you’ve got sixty seconds. Maybe ninety. Go hard.”

  And laughing, they did.

  IT WAS FRANTIC AND messy, and her fingers were so pruney they might never recover, but Beth couldn’t remember the last time she’d had so much fun. There was nothing quite like the joy of a dog who’d run hard at the beach, or the instant flip to a look of suffering as they realised they were headed into the hydrobath.

  Unless it was the warmth from the glances Nick was giving her.

  “Dee,” Nick called his mate over as the sun started to dip towards the horizon and the crowd started to thin. “Beth’s not seen a sunset over the ocean. Any chance we could finish up now, so I could take her down?”

  Dee flipped her gaze from Nick to Beth and then back to Nick.

  Slowly she nodded. “You could do that, if you want to?”

  A bit of joy of the day drained out of Beth.

  What was that about?

  “We don’t have to,” she offered, even though she did really want to go.

  Nick shot Dee another glance. “Yeah, I’d like to.”

  Dee arched a brow.

  Beth grabbed a towel and wiped her hands. “I’ll let Harley know we’re finishing up.” She scooted off, giving Dee and Nick the opportunity to talk freely.

  As she crossed over to Harley, a lightning bolt struck, and she stumbled to a halt.

  Was Nick unattached? She hadn’t thought to check, because this morning they were just fellow stall holders on a Sunday morning. Her cheeks burned at the thought that maybe she’d fallen for Nick’s charms when she shouldn’t have.

  More correctly, maybe he shouldn’t have offered them up.

  Well, there was only one way to find out. Beth straightened her shoulders and kept walking. “Hey Harley, Nick and I are heading out now.” She gestured to the T-shirt he’d loaned her earlier in the night. “I can wash this, and return it.”

  “Or, you could wash it and keep it. You did great tonight. We’d love to have you on board with the rescue.”

  “Thanks.” She smiled at the unexpected praise. “I will.”

  “Great. If you’ve got time, call past the salon tomorrow and we’ll hook you up with a volunteer registration form.”

  “Will do.” She was struck again how welcoming the community in the bay was. She was no longer ‘that poor woman’ or ‘that poor Beth’. She was just Beth, and that suited her just fine.

  Nick and Dee were still talking quietly when she returned, so she spoke well in advance of breezing up to them. “I guess it’s official. Harley let me keep the shirt. Meet SBAR’s newest recruit.”

  “Sensational.” Dee’s smile was genuine, and Beth’s unease lessened. “Welcome aboard.”

  “Nice.” Nick smiled as well, although she could still see tension in his shoulders from whatever Dee had said. “Many hands make light work.”

  “Thanks for tonight,” Dee said. “Enjoy your night.”

  They said their goodbyes, then Nick said, “It’ll be cold down on the beach. I’ve probably got a jumper in my car, if you’d like to borrow it.”

  Beth glanced at the horizon. “That’d be great. No way will I make it back down to my car and back.” She thought for a second. “And not that I’ve got anything else to wear.”

  They walked over to his Ute, and he delved into a beat up bag on the back seat. He offered up a well-worn hoodie, and took a chambray shirt for himself.

  “Here you are.”

  Beth hesitated. “I can’t take your jumper and leave you a shirt.”

  Nick grinned. “I’m getting the better deal.” He showed her the thick woollen lining of the shirt. “And it’s going to be cold out on the sand.” He pulled his rescue shirt up and over his head, and Beth’s mouth went dry. Smooth, tanned skin and muscle definition his T-shirt had only hinted at. She didn’t know where to look as he shrugged into the chambray. Heat flooded into her cheeks.

  Beth closed her eyes, trying to preserve the image of Nick without his shirt. She was feeling too hot to put on his jumper now.

  “Here.” He opened both passenger doors and boxed her in between them. “I’ll make sure no-one sees.” And he turned his back, closing off the space so she could get changed.

  “Thanks.” She crouched below window height, then ditched her shirt, the rescue shirt she’d stuck over the top and her bra. The sea breeze was cool on her damp skin and she pulled Nick’s hoodie on. It was a little long, but it was clean and dry.

  And warm.

  Best of all, it smelt like Nick.

  Beth closed her eyes and breathed in, savouring the combination of timber and tang.

  “Sun’s not going to wait,” he reminded her, without turning around.

  “Done. I’ll leave these here.” She tucked her wet clothes into the tray of his ute and they headed over to the sausage sizzle.

  “Modern Australian,” Nick said, as he came away with a tray of the Aussie classic, sausages in bread with onions and sauce. “The BBQ adds that smoky flavour, hard to replicate in the kitchen,” he added, doing a reasonable impression of a TV cooking show host. He held up some cans. “And drinks.”

  “Great.” Her mouth was already watering. She followed him down the narrow track to the beach.

  “Just in time.” Nick said as he chose a spot at the edge o
f the dunes.

  They sat in silence, side by side, munching on their dinner, as the sky morphed from blue to orange, then pink and then in a blaze of yellow the sun slipped below the horizon. The entire beach came alive, and the colours continued to change long after the sun said its last farewell.

  “That was awesome,” Beth said. “I wish I had my camera.”

  “There’s always next time,” Nick said.

  Next time.

  Just the thought of it sent shivers down her spine. Wearing Nick’s hoodie added a level of intimacy she wasn’t sure she was ready for. And there was still that conversation with Dee. She stared out at the water, uncomfortable to broach it, but unable to let it go. Potentially, if she’d challenged situations with pointed looks and thinly veiled comments back home, she wouldn’t be in the mess she was in now.

  “I hope you don’t mind me asking, but before, Dee looked a bit worried when you said you were heading down to the beach with me. Why?”

  Nick stiffened, then relaxed and laughed. “I’ve known Dee since she was five. She’s a bit overprotective of me.”

  “Oh.” There was overprotective, and then there was overreaction. Her gut was telling her Dee’s was the latter. “Anything I should know?” She said it lightly, but her stomach was churning.

  “Well, I probably should tell you ‘watching the sunset’ is bay-talk for parking on lover’s lane.”

  “Oh.” Heat flooded her face. “I actually wanted to see the sunset,” she stammered. “I wasn’t angling for anything.”

  “I know.” Nick took hold of her hand and squeezed. “It been a long time since I’ve been on the dating scene, or the social scene, and Dee was being a good friend. She didn’t want me to jump into something and get hurt.”

  It seemed like there was more. Beth nodded but didn’t speak.

  “I was married.” Nick’s voice was gravelly. “It didn’t end well.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry.” At least, in that, they might have common ground. “Is your ex still in town?”