The Dalmatian Dilemma

by Cheryl Harper

  “Anything good?” Brisa asked from behind him. “I can’t remember what I told the caterers. They do all these events, so it’s almost autopilot at this point.” She frowned. “I should try to give contracts like these to a veteran.” She rubbed her forehead. “If I’m ever asked to contribute to anything Montero ever again. I’ve always gone with the chef from the Cutler Bay Club because that’s the Montero standard.” She said the last with a sniff. “I wanted to be a rebel, but I hated to rock the boat and...” She held her hands out at both sides before miming turning the lock on her lips. Light glinted off the sequins of her deep pink cocktail dress as she moved. In a sea of dark suits and subdued matrons, Brisa had chosen to match the sunset.

  The dress she’d chosen for Reyna was the perfect contrast, a pale pink with more sway than sparkle.

  Not that he’d spent entirely too long watching Reyna out of the corner of his eye, but he’d taken a spot so that he could see her but not appear to be staring.

  Like a creeper. Wonderful.

  “Great dress. Nervous?” Sean asked as he picked up one of the crackers with some kind of spread on it. He would pretend everything was normal. After tonight, he’d know what normal could be. “Can I get you something to drink?”

  Brisa reached out to snag a glass of champagne as a waiter walked by, then immediately gulped it.

  “Quick reflexes. I’m impressed.” Sean noticed all eyes were on Luis and Reyna as they moved through the crowd. Luis’s grin was wide and satisfied. He was convinced things were working out as he’d planned. Reyna was composed, her hair perfectly controlled in the light breeze. Sean saw the wink of a delicate gold chain around her neck and wondered if she was wearing the rose pendant.

  As usual, she was giving nothing away. It was no wonder she’d made it to officer status.

  And the guy trailing behind Reyna? The one who was smiling and nodding with every introduction? Sean didn’t recognize him, but his salt-and-pepper hair and the complete lack of suitcoat suggested he was too rich to be bothered by any rules, written or otherwise.

  Somehow, Reyna had managed to do exactly what her sister said she should: find a man who could not be intimidated by Luis Montero.

  Sean’s only consolation was that he wasn’t getting any romantic vibe off the two of them. Their faces read business, polite business. The guy was only a part of the game plan.

  “I can do this,” Brisa said, then turned big brown eyes Sean’s way. “I can do this, can’t I? I don’t give speeches. I can sing, dance a little, but I don’t deliver budget numbers.” She gripped his arm and Sean refused to wince. He’d been caught off guard by how delicate Reyna had been. The power of Brisa’s grip was shocking, too.

  “You’ve already done the hard part. Now you execute. Easy.” Sean waited for her eyes to meet his and calmly returned the stare with as much certainty as he could. “Remember negotiating with the shelter? That was money. You nailed it. You can do this.” Her grip eased.

  “I need to run downstairs to let the dogs in.” Her forehead wrinkled. “As soon as Dad steps up on the stage, I’ll go.”

  “And then all you have to do is hold on. Follow Reyna’s lead and this is going to work.” Sean held out his plate. “You should eat something, in case the champagne hits hard.”

  Brisa immediately grabbed the shrimp and took a bite. He had to admire a woman who took him at his word, even if she was also taking his food.

  “Listen,” Brisa said after she swallowed, “you know that foolishness I mentioned at the shelter that day? Of course you do—you reminded me of how I negotiated the adoption fees away.”

  “From the nice charity, yes,” Sean drawled, wondering where she was going. She’d obviously been correct. Reyna had the chance to ask him to be her plus-one, and here he was, hovering near the buffet. Alone.

  “It was trash. Don’t tell my sister this, but I do have a small streak of my father in me.” She grabbed his arm again. Sean did not wince. He didn’t want to distract her from her train of thought. “I think I know what’s best for other people, even if I forget important pieces of information sometimes.”

  “Like what?” Sean asked, ready to follow where this was headed.

  “You know how the rest of us see Reyna? Like she’s some kind of perfect model of service and honor and being really smart?” Brisa asked, her nose wrinkling at the suggestion. “Or maybe that’s only me, but I’ve run into enough Montero haters to know that Reyna has, too. People who think they know us because of what they can see on the outside. Montero money. In her case, we can see her success.”

  Sean nodded. Right. So far, she was repeating what she’d said at the shelter, not wiping it away.

  “The part I forgot is that Reyna doesn’t see things how I do or you do or all those haters do.” Brisa sighed. “Reyna has always been so logical. Sometimes that seems like a lack of emotion. Now that she’s home and we’ve gotten close again, I understand it better. For her, all of those successes, they’re logical. To her, it’s just a day. To me, this cocktail party, without a speech, would be just another party, even if I had to talk her into putting on the perfectly lovely dress I chose instead of a pantsuit.” Her scandalized face would have made him smile, but she was serious.

  Sean nodded. He thought he was following. “So what does that mean about who she deserves to be with?” That part he couldn’t get. Brisa wouldn’t be going this far out of her way to tell him Reyna was too good for him, would she? Not again.

  “That means my sister—my smart, hotshot, beautiful sister—wants nothing more and nothing less than what all of us want.” Brisa bent closer and met his stare. “Someone good and strong. She was never distracted by some of the things that dragged me off course, like money or power to stand up to Luis Montero. She’s always been enough. All along, she’s known there’s only one kind of man to change her whole world for.”

  “And who is that guy?”

  “The one who makes her confident and better and braver. She got a job she couldn’t handle at Sawgrass Station. Who helped her learn what she needed to work with Dottie? She would have given everything up because she couldn’t see her own way out. Who waded into the mess instead of walking away?” Brisa poked him in the chest. “On a whole planet full of people who can’t be bothered to help the person next door, much less the men and women who come through on their way to somewhere else, there aren’t many men like you, Wakefield. I say silly stuff. Don’t let that keep you from what you know is right.”

  Sean wrapped his hand around her poking finger. “Have you been working out?”

  Brisa laughed and balled her hand into a fist. “Tell me you understand.”

  He held up both hands in defense. “I get it. Stop the violence.”

  Brisa started to answer but Luis Montero stepped up on the stage. “Gotta go,” she whispered and disappeared into the crowd.

  Sean moved closer to the railing to lean against it. The show was about to start and he didn’t want to miss a thing.

  “Good evening, friends.” Luis Montero nodded at the quartet and the music stopped. “I hope everyone has had a chance to fill a plate and grab a drink. We wanted this to be an easy gathering, filled with family, as we celebrate the first year of operation of Concord Court.”

  Polite applause filtered through the crowd.

  String music might not be Sean’s idea of a good time.

  Disco balls and the collected hits of ABBA and the Bee Gees were fun. Watching dogs chase waves at the dog beach was fun.

  String music might not be fun, but it was rich.

  And perfect.

  So when Brisa cut through the crowd with a small wave of veterans and three dogs following in her wake, there was no record scratch, but it was easy to imagine.

  From where he stood, Sean could see Bo, his last rescue, with the vet who’d adopted him. New dogs, old friends, the reporters
converging on the low stage. Brisa and Reyna had set the scene perfectly.

  Luis Montero frowned at Brisa, but Reyna was still there, smiling at his side. That must have been enough to convince him that whatever this disruption was, he was still going to get his way. It was sad. Any guy who was committed to being that wrong was someone to pity.

  As Sean looked at Reyna and found her watching him, he realized that he didn’t want to be that guy. He was guilty of trying to make decisions for Reyna, as well. Brisa had changed her mind when she’d figured out she was wrong. He could, too.

  “Let me introduce you all to my daughter Reyna. If you haven’t met her yet, I haven’t listed all of her Air Force accomplishments for you, but I will.” Luis waited for the crowd to chuckle, but he lost the microphone as Reyna stepped up and gently shouldered him aside.

  “Thanks, Dad. We’ll have copies of my résumé available on the way out. Let’s keep this party moving,” Reyna said with a brilliant smile.

  Sean raised his eyebrows when her gaze landed on him. Reyna had made a pretty good joke and that wasn’t her forte—she needed support in that moment and she turned to him first. He clapped silently, showing her she’d done well. She dipped her chin and they might as well have been the only ones in the room. In that heartbeat, Sean understood.

  Reyna was wonderful. She’d accomplished so much already.

  She set goals and had high standards, but she needed him. That made him a hero, too.

  “If we’ve never met, I’m the oldest Montero daughter and I’ve been running Concord Court since my retirement from the Air Force. I haven’t been doing that alone. Since day one, Mr. Sean Wakefield has been the strong backbone of Concord Court.” She pointed at the crowd. “There are a few veterans here who are lucky enough to call the Court home. Raise your hands.”

  Reyna waited and Sean spotted Mira, Peter, Marcus, Jason Ward, and a pretty brunette who had to be his professor, in the crowd. He had never questioned whether they’d let Reyna and Brisa down. He knew his friends.

  “And if you haven’t met the dogs at their sides, please make sure to introduce yourself. I’m standing here to tell you about the programs we’ve instituted at Concord Court this first year. With your generous support, we’d like to expand them.” Reyna cleared her throat and returned her gaze to Sean in the crowd. “In addition to the counseling services that have been a part of Concord Court’s programs since day one, this summer we’ve added job counseling, including interview preparation and coaching to build a professional appearance, and a pilot program called Shelter to Service. Sean Wakefield has given his extra time, talents and connections to train dogs from a nearby shelter to provide emotional support service dogs to vets. With the help of two important people, this is a program that will expand next year.”

  Reyna held out a hand toward the man she’d been leading around all evening. “Julius Stewart. It’s a name everyone knows, thanks to years of success at Stewart Foods. Julius has supported the Shelter to Service program since its inception and is poised to become an even more important donor to Concord Court. He has pledged significant funding for the next five years.” She held up her hands to applaud and everyone followed.

  The guy who’d been glued to Reyna’s side dipped his chin in acknowledgment and Sean finally understood why she’d gone with the plus-one she had.

  He also made a mental note to make a straight line for the guy to offer his heartfelt gratitude.

  Her father’s frown was growing.

  “And the other person who has come into Concord Court and changed everything is my little sister, Brisa Montero.” Reyna motioned her toward the stage. This was something they’d all agreed would happen, but Brisa seemed to be having second thoughts. She dragged her feet, but eventually, she stepped up between her sister and her father.

  Reyna held up a picture. “I’ve traveled all over the world in the service to my country and everywhere I went, I carried this snapshot. Brisa was a baby. We’d attended the Back to School Blowout at Bayfront Park. In those days, it was called the Miami Safety Fair or something like that. They’ve improved the show.” Reyna waved the picture. “Me, my father, my baby sister and a station dog for the Miami Fire Department, named Smokey. East Coast. West Coast. Hawaii. South Korea. This photo has been there. And now, because of my sister, I’m going to pursue my second dream. I’m going to be a firefighter for the Miami Fire Department, and Brisa is going to lead Concord Court. She has proven herself to be a creative thinker with well-placed strategic ideas and a person who does not quit until the job is done. Could you all give a round of applause to the newest manager of Concord Court, Brisa Montero?”

  Sean clapped as hard and loud as he could and was gratified when the vets in the crowd followed suit. He wasn’t sure this public showdown would accomplish what they hoped it would, but it didn’t matter. Brisa deserved the applause.

  Her nervous glance over her shoulder at her father drew Sean’s attention to Luis. Reyna had handed her father the snapshot she’d waved at the crowd and whispered something in his ear. He nodded once and then crossed his arms over his chest. Was he angry? It was hard to tell, and that was the best they could hope for.

  Brisa’s hand shook when she raised the microphone. “Thank you, thank you. Most of you, I already know. Expect me to make an appointment next week to ask for more generous donations, because I have great plans.” She laughed. “I’ve had them all my life. I never had the backing to make them work. If you ever need a crew to make dreams come true, look for veterans.” She flashed a brilliant smile around the crowd. Sean enjoyed watching the trees felled in the woods as a wave rippled through the crowd, a silent shuffle of reaching for checkbooks in their hearts, even if they hadn’t carried them with them.

  Sean was pretty sure Brisa would meet and exceed the budgetary goals she and her sister had set.

  “Next year is going to be an important year.” Brisa faced her sister. When Reyna nodded, Brisa straightened her shoulders. All she needed was backup and she was prepared to step out in front to lead. “We’re going to be launching a small-business lab for veterans. We’ll start with vets at Concord Court, but my new volunteer liaison, Reyna Montero, will work with local veterans’ groups to build a network of people with experience, mentors who can help, and eventually a portal to connect people searching for those businesses.” She glanced at her sister again. Reyna raised her eyebrows before nodding. They hadn’t discussed any of that. Brisa was either thinking on her feet or she’d had a few tricks up her nonexistent sleeves, too.

  “Concord Court has been a family labor of love to honor the men and women who have given their time to protect us. Going forward, I plan to open the doors to anyone who wants to come alongside the Montero family because the mission is still growing. Veterans need us. They answered when their country called and now that they’ve come home, it’s our turn to step up. Join us at Concord Court to be a part of that.” Brisa held out the microphone and barely waited for her father to take it before stepping down off the stage.

  Luis Montero shifted awkwardly back and forth for a minute and Sean was pretty sure everyone involved in this plan to perform a coup at Concord Court was on edge. Eventually he said, “Enjoy, everyone! There’s plenty to eat and to drink!” Then he switched the microphone off and waved an impatient hand at the quartet. Music immediately flowed and the partygoers returned to pleasant conversation, completely unaware that an earthquake rumbled all around them.

  Luis headed for his daughters, who had met in a corner of the rooftop. Sean followed suit. Whatever happened, he was going to be a part of it.

  And again, he and Luis skidded to a halt at the same time.

  Luis pulled the photo out of his jacket pocket. “Is this intended to convince me that I bear some of the blame for your new career choice?” He pushed the photo at them.

  “Blame? If we’re talking about blame, you bear a large piece o
f it for both of my career choices. I wanted to be free, so I chose the Air Force, but firefighting... Do or don’t take any blame for that. But I showed you the photo to help you understand that it didn’t matter where I was or what I was doing, my family was always there. I was always thinking of what it meant to be a Montero, and I knew I had a little sister who looked up to me and a father who expected the best.” Reyna snatched the photo out of his hand. “Understand, we are always Monteros, even when we don’t follow your orders. And what we make of ourselves is something you should be proud of. We couldn’t have done this without you, but we will do it in spite of you if we have to.”

  Sean sighed. “I came over here to defend your honor. You never need my help with that, do you?”

  Reyna laughed and wrapped her arm around his waist. “Not with that, no.”

  Luis’s clenched jaw twitched before he asked, “And you’re dating Wakefield now?” He motioned over his shoulder. “Better than Julius Stewart.”

  Reyna blinked up at her father. “What? Why? It doesn’t matter, does it? How many battles are we going to fight today, Dad?”

  Luis looked Sean up and down. “This one knows how to dress for an event such as this. That’s all I meant. None of this has been settled. Next week, we will discuss all at Concord Court.” Then he held out his hand for the photo. “Text me your schedule at the fire station. You, your sister and I will meet. I want to show this photo to some friends.”

  Reyna put it in his palm but didn’t let go. “Don’t lose this. I need it.”

  Sean watched them exchange a glance. When her father nodded, Reyna let go. Luis faded back into the crowd, an extra bounce in his step.

  Brisa covered her cheeks with both hands. “I think we pulled it off.”

  “Yep, although giving me a title was unexpected. We should definitely talk about these things before you volunteer me.” Reyna shook her finger. “Except this fits me perfectly, so, of course you can count on me.”