by Dena Blake
When Carly had gone back inside, she’d searched the restaurant for Wynn. She wanted to talk to her and possibly explore the kiss they’d shared, but she was gone. Suzanna had told her Wynn had left soon after she’d gone outside with Jordan. She’d also told her to think carefully about which sister she wanted to become involved with, because she wasn’t above severing their friendship if she fucked them both. Carly would never do that. So many stories of messed-up relationships flashed through her head. One of the points she stressed more than once to some of her clients was that you weren’t invested if you were thinking about someone else while you were kissing another. Carly was clearly thinking about Wynn. She’d had a great time with Jordan but couldn’t get the kiss with Wynn out of her head. Now she was reevaluating that advice because she honestly didn’t think she’d been invested in either one of these women until tonight.
Jordan was smooth and confident, the kind of woman she wanted to date—a partner who would take responsibility for her life. The sophisticated aura she exuded was hot as fuck. Wynn, on the other hand, was just as hot physically, but she seemed nervous and self-conscious, traits Carly saw all too often in herself. Her shy demeanor only drew Carly in, making her want to find a tiny crevice to slip through and learn more about her. She truly wanted to get to know Wynn better, but Wynn had left without even a good-bye. Was a slight bit of courtesy too much to ask? Maybe so, considering the circumstances. Perhaps the feelings were one-sided, and she’d read too much into the kiss.
Her stomach bounced when she heard the text message chime. She opened her clutch and took out her phone. The message was from Jordan.
I had a great time getting to know you tonight.
My thoughts exactly.
Can we continue tomorrow night, perhaps?
She contemplated a date with Jordan Jamison, tried to talk herself out of it, but totally failed. I’d love to.
I’ll pick you up at 8.
Looking forward to it.
She tossed her phone onto the bed. Looking forward to it. What the hell kind of answer was that? Couldn’t she be a little more personal? Sexy, even? Of course not. Jesus. She was so inexperienced at being cool.
Chapter Thirteen
Wynn had been awake for hours when her phone buzzed on the nightstand, and she saw the notice of a voice-mail message from Jordan on the screen. The sunrise had been spectacular this morning. She’d watched it through her bedroom window, enjoying the beautiful burnt orange and red colors. If the same day was beginning again, she intended to enjoy the little things.
She started typing a message to Carly, then hit the back button and erased it. It was now fully apparent she wasn’t moving on from this day until she fixed a few things. To do that, she needed to keep her mind clear. She dropped her phone onto the nightstand and whistled for Shadow, who didn’t answer, as usual. She went into the living room and scooped her out of her bed, totally sleepy-eyed, and carried her back to bed with her.
“You and I have to make a plan.” She stared into bleary black eyes. “As soon as the shelter opens we’re going to get Buttercup.” Shadow’s ears perked up. “You remember her.” Shadow licked at her nose, and she chuckled as she got out of bed. “Come on. Let’s go outside, and then I’ll get you some food.”
Her phone chimed with a message from Evelyn, but she ignored it. She would recreate and email Evelyn the proposal from yesterday with a few tweaks. The changes probably wouldn’t make a difference, though. Leadership wanted much more than she’d thought, and she wasn’t up to having her confidence crushed two days in a row. Today was going to be a day about saving Buttercup from however many more months in the shelter. At least that would give her some feeling of worth. She remembered the beautiful chocolate Lab from the shelter when she picked up Shadow. Wynn had been looking for a younger dog she could train, so she’d adopted Shadow, who was still a puppy.
She also remembered Jack saying yesterday that he’d adopted Buttercup from the shelter six months ago. Wait. No. That wasn’t yesterday. That was next year. Her life was getting so complicated, and it was all blurring together. Jack didn’t have Buttercup yet, because he’d adopted her in the future, one where Maria had left him sometime during the year before, which would mean Buttercup had stayed in the shelter for an additional six months after Wynn had adopted Shadow.
She shook her head. It was all so confusing. She felt like she was living out someone’s bad idea of a screenplay. At least she had some control of the dialogue.
* * *
Wynn decided to take Shadow with her to the shelter, probably not the wisest decision, considering she didn’t have a cover for the backseat of her Jeep or barrier to keep her from getting into trouble. A wire crate would be ideal, but she’d decided to let Shadow have her freedom and hadn’t bought one for the house. She was seriously rethinking that decision as she heard but couldn’t see Shadow exploring the floorboard behind her. It was all new to Shadow because Wynn hadn’t taken her many places other than her parents’ house yet.
When they arrived at the shelter and she turned off the engine, Shadow immediately launched from the backseat onto the console between the front seats. She was eager to get out, but once they neared the door to the building, she seemed frightened to go inside. Wynn picked her up, held her closely, and rubbed her ear. “It’s gonna be fine. We’re going to get your buddy.”
She walked straight to the girl she saw working behind the counter, who seemed familiar, even if it had been a year since she’d been there.
The girl looked up at her and smiled. “Hey. It’s good to see you again. Are you and Shadow doing okay?” She must have sensed Wynn’s confusion. “I mean, you haven’t called.”
Damn it. She wished she remembered names and faces better. “Sorry. I’ve just been busy.” She returned her smile. “I saw a dog here last week when I adopted Shadow. I think her name was Buttercup.”
“Oh, yeah. She’s the sweetest girl.”
“Is she still here?”
She nodded. “Yep. We keep her in one of the viewable slots in the visiting area. She’s had a tough life in a puppy mill and deserves a good home.” The girl led her to the viewing area. “Everyone wants puppies, but no one wants the mom.”
Her stomached dropped. “No one told me any of that when I was here before.” It hadn’t dawned on her that she was Shadow’s mom. No wonder they loved each other so much. “I didn’t put the two together since Buttercup is a chocolate Lab and Shadow is a black one.”
“Most people don’t. Chocolate is a recessive gene. You can’t get black puppies from two chocolate parents. Shadow’s dad must have been black.”
When Buttercup came into view, Shadow immediately started squirming to get out of Wynn’s arms. “Hang on.” She set her on the floor, and the two dogs scratched at the glass between them. “Can you bring her out?”
“Sure. We’ll need to do it in here, though.” The girl led her into a visitation room. “I’ll be right back.”
When the door opened again, Buttercup bounded in, nails slipping and clicking on the tile floor. She immediately went to Shadow and sniffed every part of her. Thankfully all mothers didn’t do that. It seemed a little—no, a lot, invasive. Wynn chuckled at the way they danced around each other and how Shadow grabbed at Buttercup’s snout with her front paws. They were adorable together. Shadow followed Buttercup as she searched the room, appearing to look for more puppies. That pulled at Wynn’s heart, but Buttercup soon turned around and sniffed at Shadow again. Tails were wagging like windmills, and Buttercup let out a yip as Shadow slipped in and out of her legs. She seemed elated to see her baby. That sealed the deal. No way Wynn wasn’t going home without Shadow’s mom.
“I want to adopt her.” She watched the girl’s face change. “Is that okay? I can adopt two dogs, right?”
“Absolutely.” The girl chuckled. “It’s just unusual for someone who hasn’t had pets before.” She’d forgotten she’d told her that. “I’m still available to help
out if you need advice or hands-on assistance.” She nervously bit her lower lip.
Now Carly remembered why she was so familiar. She’d had pets growing up but had never really cared for one herself. She’d been ridiculously nervous about the whole thing. This girl had given Wynn her phone number, and Wynn had indeed called her for help. That had turned into a whole lot more than just puppy help but hadn’t lasted more than a few months. What an ass she was for not even remembering her name. Note to self…do not call her no matter how lonely you are.
The adoption process went even faster this time, since Wynn had been vetted the week before, when she’d adopted Shadow. They even gave her a bag of Buttercup’s favorite food to take home.
Wynn put the dogs in the back, and the ride home was uneventful. They’d been quiet, so she’d thought they were sleeping. But when she opened the back door of the Jeep, dog food spilled from the seat to the ground. Both Buttercup and Shadow were chowing down like they hadn’t eaten in weeks.
“What the hell?” Two guilty puppy-dog faces looked up at her like they had no idea who had created this monstrous mess. It would’ve been the perfect Christmas-card picture if she hadn’t been so pissed. “Everybody out. Right now.”
Uneaten chunks of dog food spilled from Buttercup’s mouth as she slinked out of the Jeep onto the driveway and sat perfectly still, cowering like Wynn was going to hit her.
She sighed and dropped to her knees. “It’s okay, baby. You must’ve been hungry.” She scratched her neck and kissed the top of her head. Buttercup’s ears perked up, and she gave Wynn a sloppy kiss on the cheek. She swept what food was left in the back of the Jeep onto the driveway, deciding to leave it for the birds. “Okay. Let’s go inside, girls.”
After racing back and forth through the house, exploring it thoroughly, Buttercup finally circled several times on the pallet Wynn made for her and fell asleep. Shadow was propped up against her in the most adorable position. She grabbed her cell phone and snapped a photo. This would be her Christmas-card picture. How could she not love these two babies? She raked her fingers through her hair and got real with herself. It wasn’t about loving them. It was about handling their energy and destruction without killing them both.
After taking a nap, Wynn opened the front door to see if Jack was home. She spotted him sitting on his porch drinking a beer. It was past the time for the destruction at Sexton Technologies to have occurred, and apparently Maria had already given him an earful and left.
“Come on, girls. Let’s go meet Jack.” Both dogs sprang up and ran to her. They followed her across the yard to Jack’s porch, where each of them found a place near Jack’s feet and immediately went back to sleep. So much for her being the favorite.
“Hey. I need a favor.”
“Why not? I’ve got nothing better to do. I adopted another dog today, Shadow’s mom, and I need you to watch them. I have a thing tonight, and I don’t think I can leave them at home alone.” She watched them sleeping at Jack’s feet, amazed at how harmless they seemed now. “They’ve been pretty rambunctious since I brought them home.” Destructive was a more accurate word.
“I don’t like dogs.”
“Why not?”
“Too hairy, and they slobber.”
“Seriously? You’re going to use that as a valid reason?” He was using his bad mood like a four-year-old, disagreeing with everything.
He pulled his eyebrows together. “You know about the plan to cut people at work, don’t you?”
“I do.”
“I suppose you get to keep your job.”
“Nope. I’m on the list to go.” She had no idea if she was or not, but if the multiple voice-mail messages from Evelyn were any indication, she had been. It didn’t matter anyway. If her life started from this point on, she wouldn’t stay at Sexton. “You’ll find another job quickly. Your plan to restructure the service desk was really good.”
He smiled slightly. “Thanks.” He reached down and petted Buttercup’s head. “How old is she?”
“Around three or four. They weren’t really sure at the shelter. They rescued her from a puppy mill. Maria likes dogs, right?”
He shook his head. “She’s afraid of them.”
“Buttercup’s harmless. I bet she’ll like her.”
“Not sure she’ll like anything until I get another job.” He drained the last of his beer. “I’m sorry you got caught in the layoff plan too.”
“Looks like job hunting is in both our futures.” She didn’t want to think about that right now. If the loop ended now, she’d be unemployed tomorrow. If not, she’d have another chance to fix it all. “Maybe the dog will provide a good distraction?” She let her voice lilt up, hoping for a positive answer.
“Fine, but just tonight.” He smiled slightly as he petted Buttercup on the head. “Keep me in mind when you’re checking the online job sites.”
“Definitely. I owe you.” She patted each one of the dogs. “You be good girls for Jack.” Then she turned and sped back home. She had to devise a new plan for work and get ready for the party in the next three hours.
She glanced at her custom wood blinds on the back window as she sat at the kitchen table. Buttercup had totally shredded them when she spotted a squirrel in the backyard. Between that and the trash strewn all over the kitchen, Wynn was ready for a break and definitely in the market for a covered trash can. To think all of this had occurred in the span of her two-hour nap. She kept reminding herself that dogs are pure, innocent, and everything good.
Chapter Fourteen
Carly’s stomach bounced when she saw Wynn heading their way. She’d been talking to Jordan on the patio for close to an hour. Jordan was charming and seemed perfectly put together in both her work and personal life, but something about Wynn intrigued her.
“I need to talk to you for a minute.” Wynn took her hand and tugged her toward the gate to the pier.
Jordan took Carly’s other hand. “That’s ridiculously rude. Can’t you see that Carly and I are having a conversation?”
Suddenly caught in what seemed like a tug of war between the two, Carly slipped her hands out of each of theirs, crossed her arms across her chest, and watched the drama playing out in front of her.
“Listen. I had a tough day today. I just need to talk to Carly.”
“It can’t be so bad that you’ve forgotten all your manners.”
“I got fired, okay?” She raised her arms and let them drop. “I was trying not to let it ruin everyone’s night, but there it is. Are you happy now?”
Carly’s stomach clenched. “Oh my gosh. Are you okay?” She hadn’t seen that coming at all.
Jordan glanced back at her. “She’ll be fine.” Then at Wynn. “Buck up, little one. You’ll find another job in no time.”
“Thanks for the support.” Wynn seemed really agitated, and rightly so.
Carly was stunned. She’d never seen Wynn upset before, and her situation tugged at her heart. “Can you excuse us?” She glanced at Jordan but didn’t wait for an answer before she took Wynn’s hand and led her onto the pier. She hadn’t expected Jordan to talk to her own sister that way. The exchange between them had been nasty at best. Family was supposed to build each other up, not tear each other down. At least that’s the way it happened in hers.
When they got a distance down the pier, Wynn stopped and gazed at the ocean. “I’m sorry. That was rude of me. I didn’t intend to ruin anyone’s evening. I just…”
“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.” She squeezed Wynn’s hand. “We can just watch the sunset.” It was filled with beautiful hues of reds, purples, and oranges that all seemed to move together with perfect synchrony.
“I’m not really upset about losing my job. Like Jordan said, I can find another one.” Wynn released Carly’s hand and clenched the pier railing. “My boss lost her job today too, and a lot of other people are going to be let go soon. People who don’t deserve it.” She shook her head. “I had a plan and
it didn’t work.”
“You can’t blame yourself.”
“Yeah. I can. I set the whole thing into motion. Got too greedy for my own good and couldn’t dial it back.”
“What do you mean?” Carly wasn’t sure, because Wynn seemed to have money, and her life seemed to be well put together.
“I promised myself I would be chief operating officer somewhere by the time I turned thirty.” She laughed at herself. “That’s tomorrow.”
“So, I guess you’ll be pushing that to thirty-one.” She grinned and got a smile in return from Wynn. “Sorry. I’m not trying to make light of what happened, but CIO by thirty is a huge goal. Most people haven’t even found their path by that age.”
Wynn shook her head. “I’ve been reconsidering that goal—actually reconsidering all of my goals. Time seems to be getting away from me. I think I’d rather work less and enjoy life more.”
“There you go. That’s the way to look at the positive side of things.” The jolt that shot through her when Wynn smiled was unexplainable. “What can I do to help?”
“You’re helping right now.” Wynn turned to Carly and leaned against the railing. Her eyes were glassy, as though tears were about to spill out.
The urge to protect Wynn from all the bad things in the world overwhelmed her, and Carly slipped her arms around Wynn’s waist and held her close. Rose, jasmine, and gardenia filled her head. Accompanied by a touch of patchouli, the scent was intoxicating, and it blended perfectly with Wynn’s style.
If she didn’t let Wynn go soon, she’d get wrapped up in something more and would want to forget all about the party. She took in a deep breath and reluctantly released her. “I’m sorry you’ve had such a rough day.”