“No, you won’t,” she said calmly.
He hurt you, and that’s unacceptable to me. “I might,” he argued.
Micah knew there would never be a permanent good-bye for him and Tessa. Just like Beatrice had predicted, Tessa was the only woman for him. He might be hardheaded, but he wasn’t stupid. Somehow, he’d find a way to make her his for the rest of their lives.
“Breakfast?” she murmured.
She was worried about feeding him, and he was worried about keeping her forever. Somehow that seemed ironic, since he was usually the one who was thinking about changing the subject when a woman tried to get into heavier things. Maybe it was some kind of fucked-up karma that he’d finally found a woman he couldn’t live without, and all she wanted was to make him breakfast.
He let go of her reluctantly and helped her off the table. “I’ll call Julian.”
Tessa cupped his cheek. “Everything will be all right, Micah. Xander will find his way back to us. He was a good guy. That man is still there. I think Xander just needs to find himself again.”
He took her hand and kissed her lightly on the forehead, aching to take her back to bed and lose himself inside her. “I don’t suppose you’d like a nap first?” he asked suggestively.
“Absolutely not. You’re still recovering. You should have eaten by now. I’m already beating myself up because I let you . . . you know . . .” She let out a disgusted sigh.
Then, she turned on her heel and headed for the kitchen. Micah was not the least bit surprised that she was worried more about him than indulging in a morning session of bliss that he knew they both enjoyed. Because that was his Tessa, and he couldn’t help but grin as he watched her try to keep his shirt closed—a garment that was now minus the buttons—as she started on breakfast.
CHAPTER 15
Later that afternoon, Tessa smiled as she picked up the buttons of Micah’s shirt from the floor. Jared’s wife, Mara, had kindly loaned her a pair of yoga pants and a shirt that she said were too small for her anyway, and had left the guesthouse a short time later with a look that told Tessa she definitely wanted to know the scoop on her and Micah being shacked up together. But Mara had been too polite to ask.
She took the buttons and set them on the kitchen table along with the clean shirt that she’d washed, refusing to throw it away. She’d put the buttons back on, and if Micah didn’t want it, she’d keep it. Or maybe she just wouldn’t ask him. He’d said she could have it. The shirt had good memories, and that would eventually be all she had of her time with Micah Sinclair.
She heard the door of the guesthouse open and turned to see Micah coming through the door. He looked well recovered from his migraine, and almost boyishly excited.
As she looked and saw the dog he was crooning to at his side, her jaw dropped in surprise. She didn’t know that he had a dog, much less one that looked like it belonged to a questionable pedigree. In easier terms, she’d say he was a mutt, maybe with some Border collie and Labrador. The canine was adorable, though, with floppy ears and an intelligent stance as he sat and looked up at Micah with something akin to hero worship.
“I didn’t know you had a dog,” Tessa said excitedly as she approached dog and man. “Is it friendly?”
Micah grinned at her and handed her the leash. “For you, he definitely will be. He’s yours.”
She shook her head in denial, but at the same time dropped to her knees and sunk her fingers into the dog’s silky coat. “He’s adorable.” She wasn’t lying. The animal might be mixed breed, but his brown-and-white coat was well groomed, and when his dark eyes turned attentively to her, she smiled. “I’ve always wanted a dog, but I always traveled too much when I was younger. When I got older, I was so busy that it didn’t seem fair to leave an animal home alone so much.” She glanced up at Micah with tear-filled eyes. “I’d love to have him, but I don’t know if I can.”
“You won’t have to leave him alone.” Micah held out a scrap of material to her. “Homer is a service dog. A certified hearing dog, to be exact.”
Tessa grabbed the cloth and noticed that it was a dog jacket that was stamped with “Service Dog” on the side.
“Homer?” she asked, still stunned by what was happening.
“He was a rescue dog. Apparently, he wasn’t treated well as a pup, but he’s so smart that they were able to train him. The staff thought all he wanted was a good home, so they named him Homer.”
Tessa’s eyes dropped from Micah’s face to the dog she was unconsciously stroking. “Poor guy,” she crooned as the dog sat at attention, as though he was waiting for a command. “What does a hearing dog do?”
“I think Homer just wants affection. He’ll do most anything for you. If there’s somebody at the door, he’ll get your attention and let you know. He’ll warn you about any dangerous noises. Hell, he’ll even be your alarm clock if you set an alarm, and get you up when it goes off. He’s a pretty capable mutt.”
A lone tear fell from her eye, and the dog immediately licked it from her cheek.
“I didn’t know hearing dogs even existed. They provide ears to deaf people?”
“They do,” Micah responded. “There are organizations that take in rescue dogs and train them. I was lucky enough to get Homer. The person who wanted him backed out, and they called to tell me I could take him since I was on the waiting list. He just got here this morning in my private jet. They sent him with a trainer, and she helped me put him through his routine and training so I could teach you. Watch this.”