Truth About Men & Dogs

by Andrea Simonne

  But I didn’t say anything.

  I didn’t say anything because I was a greedy bastard and wanted her for myself.

  “Philip? Are you still there?”

  “Yeah, I’m here,” I muttered, rubbing my forehead.

  “Geez, I hope she’s not interested in someone else. Do you think that’s why she tried to back out of our movie date?”

  I paused. “Why would you say that?”

  “I just worry, that’s all.” I could picture his hangdog expression as clear as day. Those big doe-like eyes. “That some other guy will come along, someone more flashy than me, and steal her away.”

  “Well, maybe you should get back here, then,” I said irritably.

  “I’m trying!” Doug let out a shaky breath. “At least Daphne came out to help us find a new house.”

  “Daphne?” That name was familiar. “Wait a minute, Claire’s sister is there in Seattle?”

  “My mom wasn’t too happy about her showing up here, I can tell you that. But now the two of them seem to get along great. Daphne’s been driving her everywhere and even taking her to her doctor’s appointments.”

  “Is that right,” I murmured.

  “She’s been a big help. Hopefully I’ll be done here soon.” He sighed, sounding as beleaguered as always.

  Eventually we ended our conversation with my agreeing to tell Claire about the time he won a fourth grade essay contest for writing about his cat. “See? That way she’ll know I’m an animal lover.”

  “Sure,” I said, feeling guilty. “I’ll tell her.”

  After we hung up, I kept the phone in my hand. I brought up Claire’s number. She answered on the third ring.

  “Hi, it’s me, Philip.”

  “Yes, hi….” Her voice drifted off, and I sensed awkwardness.

  “I just wanted to let you know I’ll be by tomorrow morning.” I told her how I had a guy scheduled to come and lay down the laminate.

  “Oh, that’s great.”

  We both went quiet. I could hear her birds twittering in the background.

  “So how are the little pirates doing?”

  “They’re fine, though Quicksilver is causing trouble as usual.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “He likes to chew. He just chewed through a wooden perch I got him. That bird has a wild streak.”

  I grinned. “You have to understand that’s a good trait.”

  “It is?”

  “Sure. It means he’s strong-willed. He can’t help going after what he wants.”

  “Hmm… maybe.”

  She quieted again, and I tried to think of something else to say. I knew she’d built this wall around herself and wasn’t planning to let anyone in. I’d never been someone who gave up easily though.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow,” Claire said, like she was ready to hang up.

  “Wait, listen… do you know how to ride a bike?”

  She paused. “Yes.”

  “Great. Look, I need your help on Saturday. We’ve been approached by a business looking for growth funds, and we need someone who can ride.”

  “I don’t know. I’m not really interested.”

  “Come on, it’ll be fun. Gavin and Eliza will be there. You can see what a young company does when they’re trying to expand.” It was low-hanging fruit, but I also knew it would get her attention.

  “Oh?” Her voice lifted. “What kind of business is it?”

  “It’s a….” I racked my brain for something that sounded legit. “A bike company that’s selling a new safety feature. It’s hard to explain exactly. It has to do with the gearing system.”

  “How long do you think it will take?”

  “Not long. Maybe an hour of us riding together.” I couldn’t believe I was making up this preposterous story, but what choice did I have? I wanted her to come bike riding with us, and I knew she’d say no if I asked her outright. “Just keep Saturday available. Believe me, it’ll be worth your while.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  ~ Claire ~

  “What?” Leah screeched. “You kissed Philip North!”

  “Technically he kissed me,” I said primly, picking up my glass. I didn’t know why I was being so prim because, let’s face it, I’d kissed him like there was no tomorrow.

  “Holy cow,” Theo said. “I think my ears just caught fire.”

  I laughed. The three of us were sitting at Bijou's for our regular dinner, and I was the hot topic of conversation.

  “Wow.” Leah seemed both dazed and impressed. “I always thought Philip North was so cool. A little more brooding and serious than Gavin—though, don’t get me wrong, he’s hot too.”

  I took a sip from my water and put it down. “Gavin seemed nice enough, but he’s not really my type.”

  Leah’s eyes bugged out. “Are you telling me you met the other half of NorthStone?”

  I told her how Eliza had invited me over for dinner and game night a couple days ago, and they were both there.

  “I don’t believe this. You were actually playing Monopoly with Philip North and Gavin Stone?” Leah sounded incredulous.

  “You’d think they were rock stars or something,” Theo said, turning to me. “They’re just some boring business guys, aren’t they?”

  Leah shook her head at our apparent ignorance. “They’re better than rock stars. I may not be involved in finance anymore, but those two are geniuses.” She leaned forward. “What was it like to hang out with them?”

  “Pretty crazy,” I admitted. “Fun too though.”

  Leah studied me. “I can’t believe it. You and Philip North. This is so freaking cool!”

  I shook my head and laughed. “Are they really that big of a deal?” I thought about Jocko the flying squirrel-bat and the way they were cracking jokes all night. Admittedly they were intense, but mostly they seemed like normal guys.

  “Yeah, they’re a pretty big deal.” She sighed. “This is amazing. I haven’t talked to you in a week, and it turns out you’re living the glamorous life.”

  “I wouldn’t say it was glamorous. It’s actually been kind of stressful.” I told them both about what happened on Saturday and finding Ethan drunk in my house.

  Leah’s eyes sparked with anger. “That asshole! Why didn’t you call me? I would have come over and helped. I’m sure Theo would have come too.”

  “Sure, I would have.” Theo nibbled a french fry and raised an eyebrow. “If it happens again, I say we alibi each other and bury the body.”

  Leah laughed, nodding in agreement. “Sounds good to me.”

  “It’s okay. Philip was there, and he helped me get Ethan back home.” I explained the rest of the story, the way Ivy and Violet acted like I was still in love with him. “I didn’t know what to do, so I lied and told them Philip was my boyfriend.”

  “I wish I could have seen their faces.” Leah grinned. She knew the way they were always calling me “poor Claire” and how much I hated it. “Do they know who he is?”

  “No. Why would they? They think he works for Doug.”

  “You’re kidding.” She burst out laughing. “Really?”

  “Well, he’s been coming over making sure my room gets finished. So it’s like he sort of is working for Doug.”

  “He’s doing all that?” Her brows went up. “Damn, he must really like you.”

  “He’s not doing it for me. He’s doing it for his cousin.”

  “And that’s why he kissed you? For his cousin?”

  “No.” It was actually quite strange the way Philip went from telling me I should date Doug one minute to kissing me the next.

  “This is so exciting.” Leah dug into her plate of food. “I can’t wait to hear what happens next between you two.”

  I glanced down at my left hand. After two years, I’d finally gotten used to my bare ring finger. “Nothing is going to happen between us. I can’t get involved with him.” I thought about the bike riding thing on Saturday, but that wasn’t a date.

>   Leah looked up at me from her plate. “What? Why not?”

  “You know why.”

  Her expression grew panicked. “Now let’s not be hasty. At the risk of sounding like a gold-digging mama, I should inform you that Philip North is what’s commonly known as a catch.”

  I shrugged. “So what? I don’t care about that.”

  “So what?” Leah rolled her eyes. “He’s super hot, super rich, and from everything I’ve heard, he and Gavin are actually nice guys. He’s basically perfect.”

  “Maybe you could just have some fun with him,” Theo said. “It doesn’t have to be serious.”

  How did I explain my fear to them? That when I imagined spending more time with Philip, giving him my trust, it scared the crap out of me.

  “This is Philip North we’re talking about.” Leah put her fork down. “Think before you say another word.”

  “Why don’t you just use him for sex?” Theo chimed in. “Would that be so bad?”

  “Yeah,” Leah agreed adamantly. “At least do that!”

  While the thought was tempting, I also knew it was impossible.

  The next morning I went up to the house for breakfast. I wasn’t sure why though, since it was only Violet and me, as Daphne was still in Seattle. But Violet texted me about joining her, and I got the sense maybe she was lonely. I knew it had been hard for her without my dad.

  Only two seconds into the meal, I realized my mistake.

  “I’ve been thinking about you and your new boyfriend. Why don’t you invite him over for dinner tonight?” She sat serenely with her newspaper and plate of food.

  “Um… tonight?” Panic shot through me.

  “Yes, tonight.”

  “Sorry, he can’t. He’s going back to Seattle tonight.”

  She paused, considering me. “You two haven’t broken up, have you?”

  “No, of course not.” I waved my hand like that was the silliest thing in the world. “Everything is fine.”

  “Good.” She nodded. “I want to set up something with Ethan and Ivy soon. I thought it would be nice for you to patch things up.”

  The last thing I wanted was to spend time with Ethan and Ivy. “Unfortunately I have a really busy week ahead.”

  Violet’s dark blue eyes contemplated me.

  “In fact, I should probably get going.” I took a large swallow of coffee that burned the roof of my mouth. There were blackberry scones laid out on a plate nearby, and I grabbed one. Paused. Grabbed a second one. I wrapped them both in a napkin as Violet watched me.

  I nearly made it to the dining room door when she started talking again. “I’ve been approached by a couple of civics groups I’m involved with. They want to know if I’d consider hosting a summer party here at the house for Pirate Days.”

  I knew Violet was on the town council. I stopped and turned around. “Are you serious?”

  She nodded. “I told them I needed to consult with you, since you’re half owner.”

  A sharp longing pierced my heart, remembering all those parties I grew up with, the ones my dad hosted. “Gosh,” I said, finding my voice. “I can’t afford something like that.”

  “You wouldn’t have to pay for it. It would be a fundraiser with local businesses sponsoring it.”

  “A fundraiser for what?”

  “They’re trying to raise money to have the downtown area declared a historic district.”

  “Wow, really?”

  “Hopefully it will prevent any real estate deal from disturbing the area. It takes time and money though. However, I believe your father would have approved.”

  I nodded. He would have definitely approved. “Okay, I’m fine with it. I’d like Your House Sparkles to be listed as one of the sponsors.”

  “Certainly.” Violet nodded. I was ready to leave, but I got the sense she had more to say. Her voice softened. “I have to tell you, Claire, I’ve been thinking about selling the house.”

  My stomach dropped. “What do you mean?”

  “Just what I said. I’m getting older, and this house is too large for one person. Daphne is only living here temporarily.” She fiddled with her teacup. “A sale could benefit you too. I know you’ve been struggling to pay the taxes and insurance every year.”

  My throat went tight. This was my home. Except for my time being married, I’d lived in this house or on this property my whole life.

  “I can see by your face this upsets you. I’m not planning anything right away, but I thought it only fair to mention it.”

  “Okay.” I tried to catch my breath. “Thanks for telling me.”

  By the time I made it outside, my head was spinning. Violet might sell the house? I stopped at the mailbox out front. If she decided to sell, I’d have no choice but to go along with it. There was no way I could buy her out.

  My phone buzzed, and I glanced down. There were a few voice messages waiting. I listened to them as I made my way down toward the carriage house, glancing through the mail, still in a daze about what Violet just told me. One of the envelopes caught my attention as its return address was an attorney’s office.

  The first voice message turned out to be one of our clients telling us she’d no longer be using our maid service. I didn’t enjoy hearing that, and she didn’t give a reason, but sometimes people canceled if their situation changed. The second message was from another client calling to cancel too. By the time I heard the third message from a client canceling, I knew something was wrong.

  I stopped walking. Three people canceling in one morning?

  The fourth message began, and it was Ivy using her sugary voice, telling me she’d no longer be requiring our maid services. She ended her message with “Have a nice day.”

  I realized then that the people who’d canceled were all ones she’d recommended. I shook my head, angry that she’d be so petty.

  “To hell with her,” I said. At least I wouldn’t have to deal with her and her snotty friends anymore.

  I continued down the driveway, opening the letter from the attorney with curiosity. It was addressed to me by name and was from a law office in Bellingham. To my shock, the letter informed me I was being sued by one Mona Hendricks for extensive damages to her floors and carpeting. She wanted them replaced, and their estimated worth was over twenty grand.

  I stopped and stared at the letter in shock.

  Mona Hendricks was fish-face Mona.

  What the hell? I read it again. Ivy had obviously put her up to this. I couldn’t afford to replace Mona’s floors and carpeting. And of course, I’d never damaged them in the first place. All I did was clean her stupid house. And she never even paid me for it. In fact, I should be the one suing her.

  My stomach clenched with fury. What was I supposed to do? I’d have to get a lawyer, not that I could afford one. My mind raced. I didn’t have the money for any of this. It could put me out of business. It was as simple as that.

  “Is everything all right?”

  My head whipped up. It was Philip. He was standing next to the back of Doug’s truck. I hadn’t even noticed him there. He must have arrived while I was up at the house with Violet.

  Immediately, I burst into tears.

  It was mortifying, but I couldn’t seem to control myself. Between Violet’s talk of selling the house and now all this, it was too much.

  His brows slammed together as he came to my side. “Hey, sweetheart.” He put his arm around my shoulder. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

  I only shook my head and continued to cry.

  He searched my face. “Tell me what’s going on?”

  I struggled to speak as he waited patiently.

  “I’m being sued,” I said between sobbing breaths. I hated that I’d lost control, but the tears kept flowing. After everything I’d gone through with Ethan, I was finally turning my life around, and now Ivy was trying to destroy it again. How could she? Why did she hate me so much?

  Philip took the letter from my hand. I watched as his eyes scanned
the paper, the muscles in his jaw tight.

  “I never ruined her floors or carpet,” I croaked. “It’s a lie. Mona never even paid me for the work I did. She’s a friend of Ivy’s. They’re trying to ruin me.” I told him about all the voice messages.

  “Do you have liability insurance?”

  “No. I had to cancel it because I couldn’t afford it.”

  “Claire,” he murmured, glancing at me. “That wasn’t smart.”

  “I know.” My voice shook. “But I didn’t have a choice. Between all the licensing fees and workers’ comp the state required, I had to drop it. I was planning to reinstate it as soon as I could.” I shook my head, feeling stupid and angry at myself. “I’ve worked so hard!”

  “I know you have,” he said quietly. He studied me, and I realized he completely got it. He understood.

  I burst into tears again.

  Philip pulled me in, wrapping his arms around me. It felt so good to be held. To have someone take care of me. He smelled amazing too—like soap, along with his own guy scent.

  “It’s going to be okay.”

  I didn’t respond, resting my head against his shoulder as he stroked my back. I felt sheltered and safe. It was only an illusion, but I didn’t care. I wanted it. Just for now. Just for this moment. I let myself enjoy it until my crying slowed.

  “Oh no, what time is it?” I pulled back with alarm. My nose was running, and I sniffed, wiping it with the back of my hand. “I have to clean Mrs. Lamb’s house this morning, and I’m picking up your mom on the way.”

  “My mom?”

  I told him how I was taking his mom over to meet Mrs. Lamb, who knew all about the history of Truth Harbor. “Remember she wanted to get some background on the town for her book series?”

  He nodded. “I do remember.”

  “Sorry.” I sniffed again and quickly wiped the tears from my cheek. “I have to get going.”