Part 19 (1/2)
”This is for love, Izzy. Love! Would you buy a guy on the clearance rack? No, you would not.”
”Um, I wouldn't buy a guy at all.”
”It's a metaphor! You want him new and s.h.i.+ny and expensive.”
Izzy went back into her purse. ”A buck fifty in change,” she muttered. ”That's all I've got. It's going to have to be enough.” She closed her eyes, her brow furrowed in concentration, then she opened her eyes and tossed in the money.
Both women held still a beat.
”Nothing,” Izzy said in disappointment. ”Told you.” She turned away from her friend to stalk off and ran smack into Sean, who'd come out of the pub.
His hands went to her arms to catch from falling to her a.s.s. He looked down into her face with concern. ”You all right, darlin'?”
Izzy blinked up at him looking dazed. ”Um . . .”
Her friend stuck her head in between them. ”Yes,” she told Sean. ”She's okay. She just can't talk in the presence of a hot guy. Especially one she wished for.”
He smiled, though it was muted. ”You work at the flower shop, right?” he asked Izzy.
She nodded emphatically.
”Well come into the pub and have a drink any time,” he said.
Izzy gave another emphatic nod.
”That means yes. And thank you,” her friend translated and dragged Izzy away. ”Oh-em-gee, the fountain totally works!”
Pru watched them go and had to laugh. Luck was where you made it for yourself and she knew that. She'd wished for love for Finn, and she still wanted that for him but she was realizing that would mean letting him go.
She had to let him go.
Sean looked at Finn. ”Need to talk to you,” he said.
Finn, face blank, nodded.
”I'll meet you inside,” Sean said.
Finn nodded again.
When Sean walked way, Finn turned to Pru.
”Work calls,” she said with a small smile.
”Story of my life,” he said. ”About last night.”
Her heart skipped a beat.
”We were onto something.”
Her nipples went hard. ”Were we?”
”Yeah. And you liked it too.”
She felt herself blush a little. ”Maybe a little.”
”Just a little, huh? Because I still have your fingernail imprints in my scalp.” He was out-and-out smiling now, a naughty sort of smile that made her thighs quiver. ”I wasn't finished with you, Pru,” he said softly. ”I had plans.”
Oh boy. ”Maybe I had plans, too.”
”Yeah?” Closing the gap between them, one of his hands went to her hip, the other slid up her back to anchor her to him. ”Tell me. Tell me slowly and in great detail.”
She laughed and fisted her hands in his s.h.i.+rt, but just before her lips touched his, someone cleared their throat behind them.
”Dammit,” she whispered, her lips ghosting against Finn's. ”Why do we keep getting interrupted?”
”That is the question,” he murmured.
With a sigh she pulled free and turned. ”Jake,” she said in surprise. ”What are you doing here?”
In Jake's lap was a box and on top of that box sat Thor, one ear up, one ear down, his scruffy hair looking even more thin and scruffy than usual, sticking up in tufts on his head.
”Brought you the last box,” Jake said. ”Never seen anyone stretch a move out so long.”
”Yes, well, hiring movers was cut from the budget.” Pru scooped up her Thor, kissing him right on the snout. He panted happily, wriggling to get closer, bicycling his front paws in the air, making her laugh and hug him.
”I'm taking him for a grooming at South Bark,” Jake said. ”He's past due.”
”Also cut from the budget,” Pru said. But she traded Thor for the box. ”Thanks.”
”I'll bring him to work when he's finished,” Jake said.
And then he didn't roll away.
Pru gave him a long look, but Jake's picture was in the dictionary under pig-headed so he didn't budge. ”You're going to be late,” he told Pru in his boss voice.
With a sigh, she turned to Finn. ”I picked up an extra Sunday s.h.i.+ft today. I've got to go. Hope you have a good day.”
”In case it's our last you mean?”
”You don't think Sean will get the license paid tomorrow?” she asked.
”If he wants to live, he will.” But Finn's attention was on Jake.
Pru forced a smile. ”Okay, so we're all going off to our own corners now, yes?”
”Go to work, Pru,” Jake said.