Blinded by Beauty (Doms of Destiny, Colorado 8)

He’d been lucky growing up in a wealthy African-American family. His father had been a lawyer and his mother a surgeon. He loved his parents very much. They never coddled him, pushing him to be all that he could be. When he’d told them about moving to Destiny, they’d been completely supportive. In fact, they had begun donating to Kaylyn’s dog training school.

He and Jaris made quite the team at her school. The work they did with dogs and the Boys Ranch orphans had given him much satisfaction. They were producing some very highly trained service dogs that would be helping people around the country.

Moving to Destiny had been the right thing for him for many reasons, but one in particular he held close to his heart.

I get to spend more time with Kaylyn.

Chance punched the button on his watch again.

“The time is 6:58 a.m.”

“Two minutes and counting, buddy.” The mirth in Jaris’s tone was obvious.

“Okay, Detective.” He laughed. “I got a nickel in my pocket that says she’ll be here on the dot.”

“You got a bet.”

He and Kaylyn had been friends for many years, working together to help the blind, but his feelings for her had moved beyond friendship.

He’d known for some time that he was in love with her.

Two Christmases ago he’d had too much wine at Kaylyn’s mother’s holiday party. Inhaling Kaylyn’s sweet aroma had ignited his desires. Standing in the doorway together, he’d placed his arm around Kaylyn’s shoulder. Someone near them had pointed out that they were under the mistletoe. Courage or foolishness had swept through him. Without thinking, he’d pulled Kaylyn in close and kissed her.

Her response seemed to be complete shock, crushing his hopes. “Wow. Chance, I—”

Realizing he’d overstepped, he released her. “Don’t say anything, Kaylyn. I’m sorry. Too much to drink.”

He’d left quickly, fearing he had damaged their friendship completely. But he hadn’t. The next day they’d gone back to work, talking about his new clients and her new pups but never mentioning what had happened the night before. He’d vowed that day to always keep his feelings for Kaylyn under control.

As much as he wanted to hold her in his arms and kiss her, he was certain the relationship they had would end if he ever told her the truth about how he felt.

He wasn’t willing to risk losing Kaylyn.

What they had together would have to be enough. It was absolutely better than not being with her at all.

Annie’s tail began wagging, hitting his leg. Her hearing was better than his, and seconds later he could hear the rumble of Kaylyn’s truck off in the distance.

“Listen, Jaris. You recognize that sound, don’t you?”

“I sure do. Looks like I owe you a nickel.”

Chapter Two

Kaylyn stepped out of the truck. She smiled, seeing Chance pouring her usual cup of coffee.

Her feelings for him had been growing for years despite all her efforts to keep them in check. She cared deeply for him. Her mind drifted back to the one kiss they’d shared. God, how I wish it had meant more to him. It sure meant so much to me. He’d never given any signs that she was anything other than a friend to him. She’d learned to keep her feelings in check, especially now that he and Jaris were part of her training team.

Jaris and the boys had the dogs harnessed and ready to go.

“Good morning, fellas.” She looked up. “This day is perfect. The clouds look like big puffy bales of cotton floating in the sky.”

“That’s painting a perfect picture for a blind man since birth, sweetheart.” Chance smiled, making her weak in the knees. “Thank you.”

“You’re always welcome, Chance.”

Having the bulk of her dog training at the Boys Ranch had been good. With Chance and Jaris joining the effort, she’d been able to find time to go on her band’s out-of-town gigs. God, she loved music almost as much as she loved training her dogs. Her life had really expanded over the past several months for the better.

“Good morning, Miss Kaylyn,” the boys said in unison.