Love After All Read online

  Bash shrugged. "We got along fine for a while, until I realized she had a habit of pouting when she didn't get her way, and yelling at me whenever I had to cancel a date. So yeah. Maybe you're right, Jane. She was too young for me. Clearly she has issues."

  Emma looked angry, too. "Clearly. So what are you going to do with Lulu?"

  He looked over at the dog, who was happily curled up against Chelsea. "I have no idea."

  "You're keeping her, right?" Chelsea asked, cuddling Lulu close. "I mean, you can't just abandon her."

  Bash stared at Chelsea. "What am I going to do with her?"

  "Raise her. Love her. Be patient with her. Everything you're supposed to do, Bash."

  All eyes landed on him, and rather expectantly, too. Even Luke, who just shrugged in sympathy.

  Chelsea handed Lulu back to him. "She's yours now. Be good to her."

  Shit.

  He glanced down at Lulu, who raised her head and looked up at him as if to say they'd both been hosed by Gerri, so they were going to have to deal with it together.

  "Okay, Lou. I guess it's you and me against the world now, girl."

  Chapter 3

  Bash left Lou--because no way in hell was a man like him having a dog named Lulu--in the care of one of the waitresses, who he promised to pay extra tonight while he made a mad dash to the pet store for food, bowls, a collar, a leash, toys, treats, a crate, and a dog bed. An extremely long damn list provided to him very sweetly by Emma.

  Lou wasn't all that thrilled with the crate, but she finally settled in at his feet while he managed to get his job done.

  At least Chelsea, Emma, and Jane took off to go to the movies or a girls' night out or something, leaving him in peace about the dog once he promised them he intended to keep and care for her. Luke lingered for a while, but then he had to go home to check on his and Emma's dogs.

  Chelsea seemed relieved when he told her he was keeping Lou. Not that her opinion mattered. He just wasn't the type of guy to abandon a dog. And okay, maybe Chelsea's opinion mattered a little. All of their opinions mattered. Emma told him to bring Lou in to the vet clinic on Monday and she'd look her over.

  So after the bar closed, he loaded Lou and all her new belongings into his truck and drove home.

  He was bone-weary, and he still had the busiest night of the week at the bar tomorrow night.

  He pulled up in the driveway and got out, then pulled Lou's crate out, taking it into the house. He set it down on the floor in his living room.

  "Be right back. Chill here for a few seconds, okay?"

  Lou lay there staring up at him. He dashed outside and grabbed the bag of supplies and food, then came back in.

  No barking. Nothing.

  Yeah, Lou just hadn't liked Gerri, no doubt because Gerri was high-strung and nervous all the time. Dogs could read that kind of tension, and they reacted to it.

  He let Lou out of her cage, connected the leash to her collar and took her outside, where she did her business in a hurry. He walked her around a bit to let her stretch her legs some, then they came back in.

  He disconnected the leash to give Lou an opportunity to wander around.

  Instead, she sat on his foot, shaking.

  Bash shook his head. "My guess is she didn't exactly give you the run of her place, did she, pal?" he asked, then figured if Lou wasn't going to go exploring on her own, he'd help her out. He turned the light on in the living room, then took off toward the kitchen, taking it slow.

  As he suspected, Lou followed along, keeping her body right next to his feet as they moved past the living room into his kitchen, where he hit the light switch and opened the fridge, pouring himself a glass of water.

  He'd brought the bag of supplies, so he got out Lou's bowl, put water in it, and set it down against the wall in the kitchen. Lou went over and sniffed it, then lapped up a couple sips. He leaned against the counter and waited a bit, hoping Lou would explore on her own.

  She didn't, moving back over to his feet after she'd taken a drink.

  "Okay, pal, let's go see the rest of the house."

  He walked her through every room, including the bathroom, and ended up out in the backyard, where she peed--again.

  "For a tiny dog, you have a great bladder. Let's see if you can hold it all night, okay?"

  He let her back inside and found his water. He sat on the sofa, kicked off his shoes, and laid down, and turned on the TV. He'd already had his fill of sports from the bar, so he decided on an old action movie and settled in.

  It didn't take more than five minutes to hear the whimper from the floor. He tried ignoring it, but apparently Lou was an expert whimperer.

  He took a peek over the edge of the sofa to find her sitting on his shoe, looking up at him with her sad, dark eyes.

  "No sofa for you. Go lay down in your crate."

  He resumed watching the movie. For another five minutes, anyway, until the whimpering started up again.

  "Christ." With one hand, he scooped the dog up and laid her on his stomach, where she turned around in a circle three times, laid down, and promptly went to sleep.

  "Fine. But don't get used to this."

  Bash was asleep a few minutes later.

  Chapter 4

  Chelsea pulled up in front of Bash's house and turned off the engine, then wondered what in the world she came there for.

  To check on the dog, of course. She'd seen the indecision on Bash's face last night. He didn't want that dog, and he'd ended up stuck with her. And then she, Jane, and Emma had had to leave, so she hadn't had an opportunity to follow up and make sure the poor little thing would be well taken care of.

  Not that it was any of her business, really, but she couldn't help herself. One look at the sweet little pup's face and she'd fallen madly in love. She'd thought about her all night, worrying about her, and she just wouldn't be able to run her errands today until she was sure the dog was well settled.

  She went up to the front door and rang the doorbell, smiling when she heard the sharp little bark. She waited, but didn't get an answer, so she rang the bell a second time. And again, another bark. After a minute, the door opened and Bash leaned against the doorway, wearing his boxers, a sleeveless tank, and nothing else.

  Chelsea held her breath. Oh, did Bash have a body. She normally saw him in jeans and a T-shirt, so this was the most skin she'd ever seen exposed on him. He was tall and lean, but well-muscled, with great legs, amazing shoulders, and those arms ...

  "Chelsea. What do you want?"

  She finally exhaled and looked down at his bare feet, where the adorable dog sat perched next to him.

  "I wanted to check on Lulu."

  "Lou is fine, as you can see. And it's eight goddamn thirty in the morning."

  "I know what time it is, Bash. Shouldn't you be up by now?"

  "I don't close the bar until two. By the time I clean up and get home, it's after three."

  She'd sort of forgotten about his crazy hours. "Oh, right. Sorry."

  The dog wriggled against his foot. "Shit. Hang on a second while I put some pants on. Or just ... never mind. Come in since you're already here."

  He walked away, and Lulu--or Lou--followed him. Since he'd left the door open, she went inside, closing the front door behind her.

  She'd been to Bash's house before when he had a party one night a few years back. She remembered she'd brought a date.

  That had been a disaster. The guy had gotten so drunk in the first hour that Luke had driven him home and Chelsea had ended up begging a ride home from Megan Lee that night. She'd been so embarrassed she'd hidden out in a corner with her friends.

  Bash had been dating some hot blonde at the time who'd hung on him all night long.

  So not a surprise, since Bash was always dating some hot woman. There were so many women in and out of his life on a regular basis, no one could ever keep track of their names.

  But none of them had ever dumped a dog on him.

  He came out of what
she assumed was his bedroom. This time, he had on pants and a T-shirt. "Come on," he said to her. "I need to take Lou out back."

  The dog stayed right next to his feet as he walked from the hallway toward the back door. When he opened the door and stepped outside, Lou went with him.

  Obviously, the two of them had already formed an attachment. Chelsea supposed that was a good thing.

  While Lou ran outside to do her business, Chelsea took a seat on one of the chairs on the patio.

  "You look terrible," she said to him.

  He ran his fingers through his hair. "Let's see how you look on four and a half hours' sleep."

  "Sorry. Again. I wasn't thinking about the hours you keep." She was an early riser and tried to maximize her weekend time. Which made her very happy that she'd added the "nine-to-five job" on her perfect-man list. A man like Bash, with the hours he worked, would never do.

  Though watching Lou, who pranced her way back to Bash and happily sat while he scratched her ears, made her wonder about revising the small-dog thing on her list. She didn't seem yippy at all. In fact, she was awfully cute and had only barked when she rang the doorbell.

  "So you're keeping her?"

  Bash yawned. "What?"

  "Lou. You're keeping her?"

  He shrugged. "For now, I guess."

  "What does that mean?"

  "It means that as of today, I have a roommate." He pushed off the railing he'd been crouching against and stood. "I need coffee."

  He walked to the back door and went inside, Lou following him. And, of course, he'd left Chelsea, which she supposed meant that was an invitation for her to follow as well.

  He was such a terrible host. She sighed and went inside, again shutting the door behind her.

  "You want coffee?" he asked.

  She shook her head. "I've already had a couple of cups. But thanks."

  He ignored her while he dragged out a saute pan and started pulling things from his refrigerator, so she decided to ignore him as well. She sat on the floor in between his kitchen and dining room, trying to coax Lou to come to her.

  At first, the dog wouldn't leave Bash's feet. But eventually, she came over and crawled onto Chelsea's lap.

  She was so tiny, and kind of adorable.

  "Do you have the capability to care for a dog?" she asked.

  Bash turned away from the stove to shoot her a look. "She survived the night, didn't she?"

  "It requires a commitment of more than one night, Bash. She isn't one of the women who slide in and out of your life."

  He waved the spatula at her. "Funny. And yes, I'm aware of what it takes to care for a dog. I had several when I was a kid."

  She looked around at his spacious house. The kitchen was open and led into a dining and living area that afforded awesome entertainment space. The kitchen was tiled and the other rooms had wood floors. Much better than carpet, especially with a dog.

  "You've had this house for how long now?"

  "About four years, I guess."

  "So how come you never got a dog before?"

  He shrugged. "Never got around to it, I guess. Plus I work odd hours."

  "Aha. So what are you going to do with Lou while you're working?"

  He got two plates out and set them on the kitchen island, then laid bacon on the plates, as well as the eggs he'd made. "Come on and sit."

  She'd had no idea he'd cooked breakfast for her as well as himself. "I didn't expect you to cook for me."

  He frowned. "You're here. Why wouldn't I cook for you?"

  First he ignored her, then he fixed her breakfast. She could not fathom Bash at all. She stood, placing Lou on the floor. "What if I'd already had breakfast?"

  He smiled at her. "Then I'd have eaten your portion."

  He poured out food for Lou, who dashed over to her bowl and started chowing down. Chelsea took a seat at the breakfast bar and Bash got out some orange juice, hovering over her glass, giving her a questioning look.

  "So have you eaten yet?"

  "Well ... no."

  He poured juice into her glass. "Okay, then. Let's eat. I'm hungry."

  She dug into the food, which was surprisingly good. Maybe she should have added "a man who can cook" to her list. It wasn't too late to revise it, or add items. It was, after all, her list. She could do anything she wanted to it.

  "Maybe you could become the cook at the bar," she said. "What did you do to these eggs?"

  "It's a secret recipe. I can't divulge the ingredients."

  She shot him a look. "Seriously."

  "I am serious. Besides, if they're that good, I might consider using the recipe for the bar."

  "You'll serve eggs at the bar?"

  He shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe I'll do an 'after midnight' menu, with breakfast choices."

  "It's not a terrible idea."

  His lips curved. "Thanks for the vote of confidence. Anyway, I have to give the customers something to eat besides burgers."

  "Well, thank God for that." She studied him as she ate. "You're serious about expanding the bar."

  He leaned a hip against the counter, his plate in his hands as he scooped the last of the eggs onto his fork. After he took the bite, he swallowed and nodded. "Yeah. It's something I've been working on for a while. I needed to save the capital first, and work out a design scheme that made sense, but I think I'm ready. I've already got the permit work started and a contractor picked out. Once that's all in place, it shouldn't take more than three to four months to get the project finished."

  "Do you know who you'll hire to cook for you?"

  "Jason Longmire. He works at Tadashi's in Oklahoma City as a chef right now, but he was raised in Hope. We went to school together. Do you know him?"

  She shook her head. "The name doesn't ring a bell. I know the restaurant, though. It's a good one. Why would he want to leave there and work at your bar? No insult intended."

  Bash finished off his juice and set the glass on the counter. "None taken. His mom is selling her house and wants to move in with her daughter--his sister--in Tennessee. Jason wants to buy the house and live here."

  "He could probably get a job as a chef in one of the Tulsa restaurants."

  Bash laid his hands on the island. "Are you trying to find my chef another job?"

  She tore off a piece of bacon and slid it into her mouth, chewing thoughtfully before answering. "No. Just playing devil's advocate. I mean, the bar is basically a bar, not a restaurant."

  "Not yet."

  She studied him, trying to figure out his angle. Then it hit her. "You're thinking of expanding into the restaurant business and you need a really good chef to help you."

  "Maybe." His lips curved.

  She had no idea he had such grandiose plans. "How long have you had this idea?"

  "Awhile. You finished with this?" He motioned to her now-empty plate.

  "Yes, but why don't you let me do the dishes?"

  "Nah. I've got this." He pulled her plate across the island and went to the sink.

  Refusing to just sit there after he'd fed her, she slid off the barstool and went into the kitchen, taking a peek at Lou, who'd finished her food and was taking a snooze next to her food bowl.

  "Seriously, Bash. I didn't pop over for you to feed me breakfast and then clean up after me." She hip-checked him and shoved him out of the way of the sink.

  "Fine. I'm going to go grab a quick shower while you do that."

  "Okay."

  She looked down at the dog, who raised her head when Bash left the room. Lou tracked his movements, then looked up at Chelsea. Obviously happy to have someone in the kitchen with her, she went back to sleep.

  "You sure are cute," Chelsea said, going back to the dishes. "You know, I always thought I wanted a big dog, like a Labrador or a golden retriever. Maybe even a Great Dane, though those dogs are pretty big. I'd need a huge house for a dog that size. Anyway, I never wanted a little dog. I thought they'd be too noisy and high-strung. But you? You seem kind o
f mellow, Lou."

  After loading the dishes in the dishwasher and laying the clean pans in the dish rack to dry, she bent down to swipe her hands over the sleeping dog. "And you sure have taken to Bash in a hurry, haven't you? That says a lot about the guy, doesn't it?"

  The dog slumbered peacefully. God, she was cute.

  "Though he still has a lot of marks against him on my list. Not that I'd consider him, anyway."

  "What list, Chelsea?"

  Her head shot up and she saw Bash leaning against the doorway in the hall. He was wearing jeans and a T-shirt, with his hair still damp from his shower.

  And he'd obviously heard her talking to the dog about her list.

  Dammit.

  Chapter 5

  Chelsea straightened. "So, thanks for breakfast. I should be going now."

  He walked into the kitchen and grasped her wrist, his fingers on one very fast racing pulse.

  "What list Chelsea?"

  There was something about her that got to him in the most basic of ways. He dated a lot of women, and typically not for long. He'd known Chelsea for a lot of years, but she wasn't the type of woman he went out with. First, he figured she was high maintenance, with her fancy clothes and her high-heeled shoes and her ideas about men. They just didn't mesh.

  But there was chemistry between them--something he'd definitely been noticing a lot more in the past several months. And the way her pulse ticked up and her eyes dilated, and the way she licked her lips whenever he got close?

  Yeah, she noticed it, too.

  Plus, she had a fiery personality, and he knew damn well that would translate to a spitfire in bed. He couldn't deny he wouldn't mind experiencing a little of the wildcat Chelsea in bed.

  But he'd garnered enough from the conversations she'd had with her friends at the bar to know she was looking for a relationship. And that was the one thing he wasn't at all interested in. He didn't mind dating the same woman for a while, but he always made it clear he wasn't into anything permanent. Being married once had taught him an awful lot about what not to do. He wasn't ready for another round of bruised emotions and battered hearts. He was better off keeping things light and simple between him and women.

  But Chelsea? He couldn't seem to stop himself from teasing her. After all, they weren't dating. They were just friends, and had been for a long time.

  So when she didn't answer his question, he had to press the issue.

  "You were talking to my dog about your list. And the fact that I don't meet the criteria."