Truth About Men & Dogs

by Andrea Simonne

  After a moment’s deliberation, I decided their handshakes were acceptable.

  “It’s nice to meet you both.” I gave Philip a quick smile, trying to hide my embarrassment. “Thank you for your help with the dogs.”

  “No problem.”

  “Oh, don’t go yet!” Eliza’s topknot wobbled. “You’re the first person we’ve met since we arrived.”

  The dogs were getting restless, each of them yanking in a separate direction. Soon it would be anarchy again.

  “We’re renting the house for the month,” she continued. “You should come over and join us for dinner sometime.”

  “That sounds nice,” I said, still struggling with the leashes. “But I really ought to get going.”

  Philip gave a short whistle from the side of his mouth. Three little demon heads turned in his direction. He didn’t say a word, just pointed at the ground. To my amazement, they each trotted back over.

  “Wow,” I breathed. “That’s a trick you’ll have to teach me. Maybe next time.”

  I started to move away. Unfortunately, there was a sharp pain in my left ankle as soon as I put my full weight on it.

  “Hey, wait,” Philip asked with concern, stepping toward me. “Are you hurt?”

  I waved my hand. “I’m fine. I twisted my ankle a little when I fell, but I’m okay.” I continued to hobble toward the beach with the dogs leading the way. I was desperate to leave. They seemed like nice people, but I wanted to get out of here. Besides needing a shower, mascara, and a change of clothes, Ivy would be by soon to pick up her dogs.

  “Maybe I should drive you,” he offered, following me.

  “Oh, I couldn’t put you out like that.” The dogs, happy to be leaving, had begun to drag me along the beach while I limped behind them like some kind of freak.

  “We’ll both drive you!” Eliza clomped up beside me. I noticed for the first time how she wore floral rain boots.

  Philip was still following me and reached down for the dog leash handle. “My sister and I would be happy to take you home.”

  “Um, that’s okay. Really.” I resisted his attempts to take the leash.

  “I think she’s in pain,” Eliza said, turning toward her brother. “You should carry her to the car.”

  “What?” I squeaked. “That’s not necessary. I’m totally fine!”

  His eyes roamed my length as we continued the tug-of-war for the dog leash. He appeared to be assessing me, probably wondering whether I’d break his back. I wasn’t exactly Dumbo, but I was a curvy girl, and let’s just say I hadn’t seen single-digit jean sizes since sixth grade.

  To my amazement, he moved in closer. “Maybe I should carry you.” His eyes were still focused on my body, and it looked like he was studying the front of my hoodie.

  “No!” I gulped. “That’s okay. I wouldn’t want you to have a heart attack or aggravate your hemorrhoids.”

  “My what?”

  “We can’t let her walk off with an injured foot!” Eliza’s topknot bounced frantically. “She needs our help. We have to do something!”

  I continued to stagger down the beach, trying to get away from them as fast as possible. Before I knew it, the dog leash was snatched from my hand, and to my utter astonishment, Philip had swooped in and plucked me right off the ground.

  “Aaaah!” I shrieked, my arms flailing out. “What are you doing? Put me down!”

  “But you’re hurt,” Eliza lamented. “Please let us take you home.”

  My God, are these people crazy?

  Chapter Three

  ~ Claire ~

  “I can walk,” I insisted. “Seriously!”

  “It’s no trouble,” Philip said as he moved us both toward the front of the house.

  I could barely believe this was happening.

  Despite my stream of complaints, I had to admit the whole thing was pleasurable. He didn’t seem to have any difficulty carrying me at all, and he smelled really good. A clean, crisp guy smell that was doing something funny to my insides.

  It had been a long time since a man carried me. Not since my wedding day nine years ago when Ethan brought me over the threshold for our honeymoon.

  “Don’t strain yourself,” I said, wrapping my arms tighter around his neck, trying not to enjoy the ride so much or the feel of his strong body. “I wouldn’t want to aggravate your high blood pressure.”

  He didn’t say anything, and I wondered if that was it. High blood pressure. It made sense, and it explained why his mom and sister were trying to force him to take a vacation—especially if he was a workaholic.

  We arrived at a silver SUV parked in front of the house, and he gently put me down on my feet. My breath caught.

  “I’m sorry I’m so heavy,” I said, flustered.

  He gave me a strange look. “You’re not heavy.” Then he opened the passenger door for me.

  I gawked at him again, though luckily he didn’t see me this time.

  As he held the door, I climbed inside. Eliza had the dogs behind the SUV and was telling them to hop in, which they did enthusiastically. The demon dogs loved car rides.

  Philip went to the driver side, but apparently neither of them had the keys.

  “I should tell mom we’re leaving,” Eliza said, clomping away toward the front door. “I’ll be right back.”

  I was sitting in the passenger seat now with Philip in the driver side. There was an awkward silence between us. I shifted in my seat. My left foot ached, and I thought about work, hoping this wouldn’t be a problem. Even the dogs were silent waiting for the car to start moving.

  Philip’s arm rested on the steering wheel as he gazed out the front windshield.

  “So what do you do?” I asked to be polite.

  He turned to me. “Huh?”

  “What do you do for a living?”

  “I’m in finance.”

  “Doing what?” I was no expert, but I knew that covered a big area. My best friend Leah used to work in finance.

  He went quiet. “You could say I find opportunities.”

  Eliza came out from the house, but she wasn’t alone. A middle-aged woman with shoulder-length salt and pepper hair followed behind her.

  “What kind of opportunities?”

  He smirked as his eyes met mine. “All kinds.”

  Eliza swung open the passenger door. “My mom wants to meet you.”

  I smiled at their mom and introduced myself again. They sure were a friendly bunch, if not a little eccentric.

  “I’m Sylvia,” she said, taking my hand in a firm and steady grip. “It’s nice to meet a neighbor. Truth Harbor is a lovely town.”

  There was a snort from Philip’s direction.

  I glanced at him with surprise. Granted, my hometown was small, but everybody thought it was charming with its beautiful harbor along the waters of Puget Sound. Over the years it had turned into something of a tourist destination during the summer months. Unfortunately, there were rumors that a real estate group was trying to buy up half the town. They wanted to build a shopping mall. They also wanted to build condos and hotels along the waterfront. It would change our town’s entire character. It had become a controversial issue among locals.

  “Thank you,” I said. “I grew up here, and I’ve always loved it.”

  “My nephew moved here a few years ago,” Sylvia told me. She had the same light blue eyes as her children. “It was on his recommendation that we decided to come here on vacation.”

  “That’s right!” Eliza exclaimed. “I forgot to mention our cousin lives here. Maybe you know him?”

  I smiled politely. Truth Harbor had grown, and there were enough new people that I very much doubted I knew their cousin.

  “His name’s Doug Bradley. He owns a small contracting business.”

  I opened my mouth in surprise. “Doug, the owner of Bradley Wood & Paint?”

  “Yes, that’s him!” Eliza jumped up and down. “You do know him!”

  “Doug is your cousin?” I met him
a few months ago when my stepmother, Violet, hired him to build some bookcases for her. She kept inviting him around, and I finally realized she was trying to fix us up. I liked him, but not in a romantic way. I’d hired him recently though. “He’s doing some work for me. I’m finishing a second room so I can use it as an office for my business.”

  “You have a business?” Philip shifted toward me with interest.

  “Yes, it’s a maid service. Mostly private homes.” I nodded toward the house they were renting. “I call it Your House Sparkles.”

  “Those can be profitable.” His gaze was penetrating. The blue in his eyes was the exact color of the sky above us. “Though the competition is fierce, and job turnover is high. It’s often difficult to maintain quality employees, and you need good insurance, which can bleed into your bottom line. How long have you been doing it? What’s your valuation?”

  “My what?” I stared at him.

  “Philip, leave the poor girl alone,” Sylvia interjected. “She doesn’t want to discuss her business with you. And you’re supposed to be on vacation, so try and act like it.”

  “How many employees do you have? What does your SWOT look like?”

  “Um….” I glanced toward his mom and sister, who both had pained expressions on their faces.

  “Maybe you should show me your financials.” He lowered his voice. “I’ll bet I could help your bottom line.”

  My financials? And why did it sound like he was asking to take a peek under my skirt?

  Sylvia smiled helplessly. “I apologize for my son. He seems to think we all exist on the same data-driven plane as he does.”

  “It’s okay. I guess I should know all that stuff. My company is new and pretty small. I only have three employees, including myself.”

  Although I wondered if I even counted as an employee. I wasn’t sure. I’d have to ask the accountant I’d spoken with about how to save on taxes.

  “It was very nice to meet you,” Sylvia said, still smiling at me.

  “Same here,” I replied. “I hope you guys enjoy your stay.”

  On the car ride home, Eliza chattered exuberantly from the back seat. She told me how she’d just started her summer break from college and how she’d been switching majors for a few years but had finally settled on drama.

  “I even got a television commercial recently. My first acting job that’s paid!”

  “Congratulations.” I turned to look at her. “What’s the commercial for?”

  “A lighting company. I play a young mom who’s putting her baby down for the night. Do you want to see it?” Eliza pretended to hold a sleeping infant in her arms. She gazed at it lovingly, then gave me a fierce look. “Night light for a good night.”

  I took in her performance, trying not to smile.

  She grinned. “That was my line. What do you think?”

  “I like it.”

  “They told me I won the part over three hundred actors. Can you believe it?”

  “I can see why. You’re very talented.”

  “Oh.” She shrugged and seemed embarrassed, glancing toward the window. “I’m okay. It was nice to earn some money. I’m putting it toward tuition.”

  “I told you that’s not necessary,” Philip’s deep voice growled beside me.

  “It is necessary. I want to start paying my own way.”

  He was silent, and I suspected it was a discussion they’d had before. “Turn here.” I pointed at the driveway that led to the main house. Luckily the black wrought-iron gate was open.

  “Wow, this is where you live?” Eliza’s voice was breathless behind me as we approached Sullivan House. “It’s amazing.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Your maid service must be doing very well,” Philip commented as he pulled into the circular driveway near the front entrance.

  “Oh, it’s not like that. I grew up here. My father bought the house before I was born. It’s over a hundred years old.”

  “What does your father do?”

  “He is… or was an attorney. He passed away three years ago.”

  I glanced toward the house. It was definitely impressive. Two stories with a sweeping colonial facade. Six bedrooms situated so they all looked out onto the harbor. People always commented on its beauty.

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” Eliza said, and I could tell she meant it. “That must have been hard for you.”

  “It was.” I didn’t say anything more. My father’s death wasn’t something I liked to discuss. “You can pull off onto that side lane there. I don’t live in the main house.”

  Philip followed my instructions and turned onto the small dirt road that led to the carriage house tucked out back in the woods. At one point it had been an artist studio, but now I lived there.

  There were already two cars parked in the dirt driveway that led up to my tiny house. My own turquoise Kia, which had the Your House Sparkles logo on it, and a red BMW parked right beside it that belonged to Ivy. I wasn’t sure why she’d parked down here.

  We pulled up behind my Kia, and Philip turned to me with a grin. “Would you like me to carry you to the front door?”

  My eyes drifted down to his neck and shoulders, the strong feel of them still fresh in my memory. I was tempted to say yes but knew that would be weird. “No, I can manage. Thank you for driving me.”

  He nodded.

  Eliza and I both got out of the car, and I waited as she opened the back to let the dogs out.

  “Wow, this is really where you live?” She took in the cottage and the surrounding woods.

  “It is,” I said, taking the leash handle from her. Obviously it wasn’t as impressive as the main house, but I loved my little home and was grateful for it.

  “It’s amazing. It looks just like a gingerbread house from a fairy tale.”

  “Thank you. It used to be an artist studio.”

  Eliza swooped in and gave me a hug. “I’m so glad we met today.”

  “Me too,” I murmured, surrounded by her youthful fragrance.

  She pulled back and grinned. “I hope we’ll be friends.”

  “That would be nice.”

  The dogs pulled on their leashes as I watched Eliza climb into the passenger side of the car. Glancing around, I didn’t see Ivy and figured she must be up at the main house visiting with her mom.

  I waved goodbye to them as they backed out of the driveway, then limped behind the dogs up the cobblestone path to my door. The cottage did look like a gingerbread house. It was brown with white trim and had a pointy roof and curling eaves. I’d planted flowers and climbing vines out front, which only added to the effect.

  I went to unlock the front door when, to my surprise, it opened on its own.

  “There you are!” Ivy was standing on the other side. Her long shiny blonde hair fell around her shoulders like a splash of light. “I was wondering where you were.”

  “How did you get inside?” I asked, angry to discover she’d let herself into my home without permission. “You can’t just enter my house whenever you feel like it.”

  “The spare key is in the same place it’s always been. I didn’t think you’d mind.” She bent down on one knee and began speaking baby talk to her dogs, who gathered excitedly around her.

  “Yes, I do mind. Don’t do it again.”

  She glanced up at me as if I were being unreasonable. “I don’t see the problem. You have a key to my house, after all.”

  I clenched my jaw. The only reason I had a key to her house was because she’d hired my maid service to clean it for her twice a month. Not that I went there myself or anything. I accepted the job because work was work, but there was no way I was going to clean her house personally.

  She stood up and wiped her hands on her designer jeans. “Whose car was that? I didn’t recognize it.”

  “It’s the people who are staying at the Talbots’ rental up the street.”

  “What?” Her slender nose wrinkled with distaste. “You let strangers bring my
dogs home?”

  “They brought me home too.”

  She sniffed but didn’t comment.

  Apparently it was okay if strangers brought me home, but the dogs were another matter.

  Typical Ivy.

  I pushed past her and limped into the kitchen, which was only a few feet away. My home was a small studio and nearly claustrophobic, but I preferred to think of it as cozy.

  Ivy glanced down at the way I was limping but didn’t comment on that either. “Thank you for taking the dogs for a walk. My mom told me you’ve been helping her with them. Ethan and I appreciate it.”

  I tried to say “you’re welcome,” but the only thing that came out was an irritated grumble. I walked those dogs to help Violet, not Ivy. The fact was I didn’t want her here. Not in my house, or my hometown, or sleeping next to the man who was once mine. Ethan and I had been high school sweethearts since our senior year. We married during college, where I helped support him while he got his accounting degree. I thought we’d be together forever, but forever turned out to be only seven years.

  I was over it, I reminded myself. And I was definitely over him. I wouldn’t take Ethan back if someone offered me a billion dollars.

  Why did they have to move back here though?

  Things were finally looking up. People in town had stopped giving me pitying looks, had stopped referring to me as “poor Claire” under their breath. It felt like I was starting to find myself again.

  And then Ivy and Ethan returned. After living in Bellingham for the last year, they decided to move back to Truth Harbor three months ago. They bought a house. Ethan set up shop as an accountant in town, and it was clear they intended to stay.

  Violet and my younger stepsister, Daphne, were thrilled to have Ivy here again. Over the moon. They tried to convince me it was for the best, that we needed to put what happened behind us, that we needed to move forward as a family. Forgive and forget.

  We, I scoffed to myself. What they really meant was me. I needed to forgive and forget. Except I could never forgive them for what they did to me. For Violet’s and Daphne’s sakes though, I tried to get along with Ivy.