Chapter 12
Shane pulled Cinnamon off his shoulder for what had to be the fiftieth time. "You want to hold her?"
"Sure." Alisyn flashed her beautiful smile as she reached for the little ball of energy. Their hands brushed as he passed off the little pet. It was just a simple touch but it ignited a rush of energy through him. He wanted to take her hand and intertwine his fingers around hers again like they had the night before when skating. But now there was no good reason—other than that he wanted to be close to her and hoped she did too.
Alisyn laughed as Cinnamon crawled from her shoulder down into her hood to join the little gray ferret. His heart skipped a beat. She was so gorgeous. As she opened her eyes, their gazes locked and everything around them disappeared—as though only they existed, and he wanted more of her.
Shane took a step closer, leaving almost no space between them. Her deep green eyes reminded him of a tropical sea on a warm, sunny day. The light, fruity scent of her perfume made him feel as though he were there. He leaned closer, leaving only about half an inch of air between her full lips and his. Shane couldn't resist her sweetness a moment longer. He closed his eyes and brushed his mouth against hers lightly at first, and when she didn't pull away, he cupped her chin and pressed with more force.
She gasped, and he pulled back. "I hope that was okay."
Alisyn tilted her head, holding his gaze for a moment. Then she pressed her soft, minty mouth on his. Shane's heart soared as he closed his eyes again. Just as quickly as the kiss began, it ended. Alisyn pulled away, her joyful expression matching the excitement running through him.
Behind her, Shayna smiled at him, holding a bunny. He turned his attention back to Alisyn. They held each other's gazes, neither speaking. Shane wasn't often short on words, but she had a way of leaving him speechless.
Nicole returned and peeked at Alisyn's hood, which had two little fuzzy faces poking out. She rubbed Cinnamon's head and arched a brow at Alisyn. "Have these two found their forever home by any chance?"
Alisyn's eyes widened. "Oh, I… I'd love nothing more, but I don't have anything for them. My old ferrets' cage and other stuff, it…" Her voice trailed off and her eyes shone with tears. "It was ruined. I can't afford to replace it."
Shane's heart broke into pieces as he realized all her ferret supplies had burned in the fire that had killed her parents and destroyed everything else she owned and loved. He wanted nothing more than to kiss her again and try to remove some of that pain. Instead, he turned to Nicole. "I'll purchase all of that for her."
Alisyn's mouth gaped. She stared at Shane.
He nodded with determination. "She adores the little fuzzies and they clearly feel the same way. Why should something as stupid as money get in the way of that?"
"But, Shane," Alisyn protested.
He reached for his wallet. "But nothing. You want them, right?"
"Well, I'd love to but—"
"I said, but nothing. They need a home, and you're obviously the right person for the job." He dug out a credit card and handed it to Nicole. "Put everything those ferrets need on there."
"Are you sure?" Alisyn asked. "What if your parents don't want ferrets in their house? I live there."
"If they have a problem with it, they can talk to me. Tell them I wouldn't take no for an answer."
Nicole looked at Alisyn for the final word. Alisyn glanced back and forth between Shane and her, before finally saying a hesitant "Okay."
"Thank you very much." Nicole took Shane's card over to a cash register on a plastic table.
Alisyn took his hand and stared into his eyes. "Are you sure? We can still back out."
He laced his fingers through hers and shook his head. "I'm not backing out. They make you happy, and you deserve all the happiness in the world."
Pink filled her cheeks. "You make me happy, too."
He leaned over and brushed his lips across hers. "Good, because you have the same effect on me." He closed the ferret kennel, strolled over to Nicole, still holding Alisyn's hand, and signed the receipt, not bothering to check the price. "Is it okay if we pick up the cage and stuff later?"
Nicole smiled and handed him back his credit card. "Sure. I'll put your name on it, Shane. That way if I'm on break, any of the volunteers can get it for you." She leaned over and petted the ferrets again in Alisyn's hood. "So, are you going to give them new names?"
Alisyn scrunched her face, looking deep in thought. "Probably not. I think they're both fitting."
She beamed. "I think so, too. Are you going to walk around the fair with them? I can get the leashes."
Shane raised an eyebrow. Ferrets used leashes?
"Nah," Alisyn said. "They'll be fine. Thanks!"
A guy stopped by and placed a hand on Nicole's shoulder. He smiled at Alisyn and Shane. "Hi, I'm Brent, and I run the shelter. Did you talk about ferret-proofing the room where they'll be staying?"
"Oh, I know all about that," Alisyn assured him. "I'll check every nook and cranny to make sure there isn't any little crevice they can sneak into. After one of my old ones got into the couch, we learned our lesson." She laughed. It was a beautiful sound.
"In that case, congrats on your new pets!"
Brent and Nicole waved before turning to a teenage volunteer.
Alisyn and Shane found the kids and Shayna still holding bunnies. Lacie's mouth gaped wide open. "Are we getting those guys?"
Shane put his arm around Alisyn. "She is, but I bet if you're really nice to her, she'd share."
All four kids crowded around her, all giving her compliments.
She laughed. "Do you guys want to pet them?"
"Yeah!" they all cried.
Alisyn knelt down so they could easily reach her hood. Shane stepped back, giving them room. They patted the ferrets, laughing and shrieking. Cinnamon and Dusty didn't seem to mind the noisy kids.
A family strolled by, eating caramel apples and sipping cider. The aromas made Shane's mouth water. "Who's up for cider and snacks?"
The kids all cheered and backed away from Alisyn. She rose and smiled at him before taking his hand.
Shayna came over next to him and whispered, "Think you'll be staying in Romance?"
He shrugged. "A barista can find work anywhere." And Romance, Oregon was definitely becoming more appealing by the minute.