Hot Stuff (Hot Zone 1)

He stepped around her. "Then let's go inside."

"No!" She cleared her throat. "I don't want to interrupt Nick and Mara," she explained. "I think they're…busy."

"Aaah." He nodded in understanding. "Then let's take a walk and talk?"

"I just came from doing that, but you can never get too much fresh air in the summertime." She tipped her head toward the exit. "Let's go."

They took a different route, this time toward the parking lot. Since Boris refused to go down, Vaughn was forced to hold him while they walked. Annabelle couldn't help but notice his discomfort with the dog, though he had come a long way since he'd yelled at her in front of her apartment building about bringing the animals.

"What did you want to talk about?" Vaughn asked.

"What's your real problem with pets?" Annabelle wondered aloud at the same time.

He stopped and leaned against a parked car. His dark gaze met hers. "What is it that you like about animals? Besides the unconditional love?"

She narrowed her gaze, unsure of where this was headed. "I don't know. I suppose I like taking care of them," she said. "I like that they need me," she slowly admitted.

Vaughn nodded. "Exactly. Remember the fish I told you about?"

"T.D." Annabelle said, surprising Vaughn.

"I'm shocked you remember his name."

She shrugged. "It seemed important to you. What about him?" she asked.

"A kid wins a fish at a carnival. He has to read the instructions to feed him properly, doesn't he?" Vaughn winced at the memory, the pain of discussing this episode harder than he'd ever imagined.

"Or he can ask an adult to read it for him…" Annabelle's voice trailed off.

No doubt she'd just recalled the grown-ups in Vaughn's childhood and drawn the obvious conclusions. "Right," he muttered. "And after I killed my first pet, I decided it wouldn't be a good idea to let anyone rely on me again."

She reached out a hand and caressed his cheek, offering him the kind of understanding and caring he'd never been given before. Not even, he knew now, by Laura. In his first wife, he'd mistaken education for understanding. The realization now helped him put some of his anger and resentment to rest. Something else for which he owed Annabelle.

"You need to trust yourself more," she said softly. "I trust you." She leaned close and brushed her lips lightly over his.

Boris barked madly, forcing them apart.

Annabelle jumped back fast. "He's jealous," she explained.

Vaughn scowled at the dog. "Are you sure you're male? Cause if you were, you'd know where I was coming from."

Annabelle chuckled, lightening the mood and he took the opportunity to change the subject. "Since I know you didn't come here to talk about my childhood pets, what did you want to discuss?" he asked.

"A charity to correspond with the lodge. I don't know your financial situation of course, but I thought if we booked an appearance or something big for you, we could donate the proceeds and create a scholarship for children suffering from dyslexia. We could discuss ages and requirements later, but I was wondering if the idea appealed to you at all?"

He paused in thought. He'd flatly refused to do any publicity on the summer camp, then Annabelle had taken charge and turned things around for him. She was making sure the lodge didn't suffer while they finished construction and the police investigated. Her instincts were strong. Yank had every right to exude pride in his nieces.

This niece in particular. "Yes, the idea appeals to me."

Annabelle let out a pleased and shocked whoop of glee. 'Thank you!" She started toward him for a hug, then catching Boris's glare, she backed off, laughing. "I'll just save that for tonight." She winked at Vaughn, then ran off to do her job, just one of the things she did best.

Unfortunately she left him alone with Boris, who'd decided he loved Vaughn and wanted to express it with licks and kisses, every chance he could.

Vaughn groaned, yet he ended up laughing. The dog made him laugh just like Annabelle made him smile. All things he'd done too rarely before she'd come into his life.

AFTER AN AFTERNOON of making phone calls regarding advertising opportunities for Vaughn and catching up with her sisters by cell phone, Annabelle leaned back in her chair, exhausted.

She raised her arms over her head and stretched backwards, feeling the pull on her cramped muscles. "Boy it's been a long one."