Free To Win Her Heart by Karen Witemeyer Page B

death in his eyes leapt from behind a pile of scrap metal to bar her path.

Chapter Nine

    Levi heard Ornery’s familiar growl behind him as he pocketed the fifty cents he’d just earned from replacing two shoes. He dropped his hammer and rasp into the toolbox at his feet and turned to address the mutt.
    “Quiet, boy. You don’t want to frighten . . .” The sentence disintegrated as he took in the scene.
    “I’m afraid it’s too late for that,” Eden offered in a plucky voice that quaked only a little. She made no move to face him, though. Ornery consumed her full attention.
    “He won’t hurt you,” Levi said as he stretched out his stride to cover the distance between them in as quick and nonthreatening a manner as possible.
    “That remains to be seen.”
    Levi moved up behind her, so close they were nearly touching. Eden leaned backward ever so slightly until her shoulders brushed his chest. The soft sound of her exhale stirred the air as she pressed against him. In that moment, he felt more like offering the dog a treat than taking him to task for his inhospitable manner. But he’d be a cad to take advantage of her fear, so he cupped her shoulders for a brief second to fortify her, then stepped away.
    “Quiet, Ornery.” Levi hunkered down and rubbed the dog’s ears. The growl gave way to a whine before Ornery surrendered to the pampering. With a small leap, he raised both front paws onto Levi’s raised knee, silently demanding that Levi scratch his belly, as well. “You big fraud.” As he reached down to bury his fingers in the fur on Ornery’s underside, Levi cast a reassuring glance in Eden’s direction.
    “Come pet him. He might look mean, but only . . . on account of him being . . . hurt by . . . virulent men.” He stopped rubbing Ornery’s stomach long enough to wave her closer. “Come on. I won’t let him hurt you. Prove you’re a friend.”
    Eden raised a skeptical eyebrow, but she inched forward. Levi grinned. The woman had gumption.
    “Here. I’ll hold him.”
    She bit her lip as she moved closer. Finally, she crouched beside him. “Should I pat his back or rub his belly?” Her hand hovered uncertainly.
    “Belly,” Levi said. “He’ll be a faithful devotee if you do that.”
    Eden tilted her head and gave him a curious look. It was the first time she had taken her gaze off the dog. Levi winked at her. Her cheeks flushed pink, making him feel like a young swain courting his first girl.
    She turned back to the dog and tentatively stretched out her gloved hand.
    “It might be better if you took off the glove. Let him . . . get to know your . . .” Scent, fragrance, odor? He was not going to use the word odor . But everything else had the dreaded S sound. “. . . your identifying aroma.”
    Again with the quizzical glance. “My scent, you mean?”
    Levi nodded.
    “All right.” She unbuttoned the fastener at her wrist and pulled each finger free.
    Levi blinked and refocused on the dog. When her slender hand crept back into his line of sight, he took hold of it and brought it close to Ornery’s nose. The dog sniffed and then ducked his head under their joined hands as if letting them know it was time to commence with the petting.
    Eden giggled. “I guess he approves of me.”
    “Yep.” The dog had good taste.
    They stayed hunkered beside each other for another two or three minutes as they rubbed and scratched Ornery until his manner more closely resembled that of an overgrown pup than a trained killer. Levi’s fingers occasionally brushed against Eden’s in the forest of scraggly gray fur, but she didn’t seem to mind. So it was only natural for Levi to take her hand and help her stand when Ornery finally grew weary of the excessive attention and bounded away.
    Her hand fit into the crease of his palm like a rivet in a customized hinge. It seemed a crime for her to slip it free. Nevertheless, he released his hold the moment she tugged. He stepped back