Truth About Men & Dogs

by Andrea Simonne

  I let out a shout of amusement. I should probably have ridden slowly, but I didn’t. I was naturally competitive and suspected she wouldn’t like it if I let her win anyway, so I sped up and passed her easily. I rode around the path. It veered to the left, and I figured I’d wait there for her at the park entrance and ask for a winner’s kiss when she arrived.

  But then something strange happened. Just as I rounded the corner, Claire came out of nowhere right at the entrance. I couldn’t believe it.

  “How the hell did you do that?” I asked, laughing as I slowed down and stopped beside her. I glanced around. “Did you find a wormhole?”

  Claire was out of breath and laughing now too. “Sort of.” She pointed to my right, and I saw a narrow opening that ran straight through the woods and let out here. “It’s a secret path. It used to be dirt, but they paved it a while ago.”

  “Damn, I can’t believe it. And here I was ready to ask for a winner’s kiss.” I let my eyes linger on hers. “I guess I can’t do that now.”

  Her smile turned shy. She was still catching her breath, and I watched as she licked her bottom lip. “It turns out I’m the winner.”

  “I’d be happy to offer you one.” I moved closer. She didn’t back away, and I got as near to her as I could with the bikes between us. I gently tugged on one of her braids. “I like these.”

  “You do?” She was watching me with that same smile.

  I nodded, my voice rough when I spoke. “Very much.” And then I leaned down and lightly brushed my lips against hers. They were soft and minty. She responded right away, her mouth like velvet.

  We kissed for a short while, until I felt myself getting aroused and drew back. I gazed down at her. She was pretty with her braids and cheeks flushed from bike riding. The classic girl next door. Something about her still reminded me of unicorns and rainbows, but I decided I liked it. “You’re cute,” I said.

  “Thanks.” That dimple appeared. “So are you.”

  “I’m glad you think so.”

  We continued to study each other. She licked her pink lips, and I was tempted to kiss her some more. I wanted to. Except I didn’t want to deal with an erection while wearing bike shorts. I forced myself to look away and motioned toward the center of the park. There were people and food vendors, the aroma of fried onions drifting toward us.

  “Do you want to stop and get something?”

  She nodded. “That sounds good.”

  We headed over and claimed a bench, parking our bikes next to it. I asked her what she wanted and told her I was buying. “No refusals allowed.”

  She gave a dramatic fake sigh. “All right, fine. Get me a bottle of water.”

  I got in line while she stayed with the bikes.

  I came back with not only water bottles but a couple of soft pretzels. “Here you go.” I handed them over as I took a seat on the bench beside her. “Nourishment.”

  She took them, blinking prettily at me. “Thank you, my sugar daddy.”

  I chuckled. “I think you’re a little mixed up about what a sugar daddy is.”

  We sat eating our pretzels and drinking water. It was a sunny weekend, so the park was filled with people out enjoying themselves. Some of them were picnicking in the grass while others played Frisbee. There were kids and dogs everywhere. I swear, it felt like I’d landed in Mayberry.

  Claire was eyeing me. “I have a confession to make.”

  I squeezed mustard from a packet onto a corner of my pretzel and took a bite.

  “I looked you up on the internet last night.”

  I nearly choked. “You did?”

  “I hope you don’t think I was spying. I was curious about you.”

  For a split second, I went into a panic. “What did you find?”

  I tried to think of the worst it could be. Mostly women. I wasn’t a dog, though some might disagree. I’d dated a lot in the past. The vapid women my sister was always complaining about. They usually didn’t show up until at least page three or four on a search though. The first couple pages were typically stuff about NorthStone with various bios of me and some of the most successful investments we’d made.

  She brushed some of the salt off her pretzel. “Leah was right about you and Gavin. It turns out you are a big deal.”

  “I suppose.” I took another bite. I didn’t like to think of myself that way. I’d seen how someone could get screwed up when they stroked their own ego, telling themselves they were better than everybody else. If you were lucky, it only turned you into an asshole. If you were unlucky, it turned you into something far worse. Unfortunately, my mom, Eliza, and I had to experience that shit firsthand.

  “I guess I should listen to you about changing my business name. You probably do know what you’re talking about,” she muttered.

  I grinned at her with affection. After everything she’d read, I liked that she still used the word “probably” about me. She was smart enough to want proof. “Let me ask you something. How big do you see your maid business growing?”

  “I’m not sure. Why do you ask?”

  “Because the name you chose is fine for something small. If that’s what you want, then I wouldn’t worry about it. Keep the name. But if you want to take it all the way, you need a different one.”

  She went quiet, her brows drawing together as she considered my words. I took a sip of water and continued to eat my pretzel.

  She stared at me with determination. “I want to take it all the way.”

  I nodded, not surprised. Claire struck me as someone who was ambitious but only recently seemed to understand this about herself.

  “Then do me a favor,” I said. “You don’t have to take my word for any of this, but make a list of your top ten competitors across the board. The most successful maid services, franchises—all of them. Then compare your name to theirs.”

  She nodded, swallowing a bite of food. “I could do that.”

  “That’s information you should know anyway. Always know your competition.” She didn’t comment, but I could tell she was listening. I waited as she finished the last of her pretzel. “Do you want to head out again?”

  “Okay.” Claire put the cap back on her water bottle, nodding. “Maybe we can catch up with Gavin and Eliza.”

  “They’re probably down by the harbor.” I thought about my sister and Gavin, remembering the pest’s squeals of laughter from earlier. “Can I ask you something?”

  Her brow creased. “What is it?”

  “I feel weird even bringing this up, but do you think there’s something going on between my sister and Gavin?”

  “Like something romantic?”

  “Yeah.”

  She tilted her head. “I don’t think so. To be honest, I don’t know.”

  “You seem to have become friends with her. Has she mentioned anything?”

  “No, not at all.”

  I felt relieved, even though this was hardly definitive.

  “Why do you ask? Is it bad if they get together?”

  “Hell, yes, it’s bad.” I snorted. “He’s my best friend. I don’t want him dating my little sister.”

  “Don’t you trust him?”

  “Of course I trust him. But he’s too old for her. There’s an eleven-year age difference.” I shook my head. “He’s like a brother to me, and we know everything about each other.”

  She nodded. “I doubt Eliza sees him as a brother. I think they kind of flirt a little.”

  My relief evaporated. “They do, don’t they?” I glanced around the park in frustration. “Dammit, I knew I wasn’t imagining things.”

  “I don’t know if it’s an actual romance though.”

  “This is unacceptable.” I frowned. Gavin definitely knew better. He knew I wouldn’t want him going after Eliza. So what the hell was he thinking?

  Claire was watching me. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re kind of a control freak, aren’t you?”

  I didn’t reply right away. It wasn’t ex
actly the first time I’d heard that. “I just want the people I love to be happy and safe. Does that make me a control freak?”

  “It does if you’re trying to control them.”

  “You don’t understand.” I shook my head. “My mom and sister have been through enough. I want to protect them.”

  “From what?”

  I let my gaze wander around the park again. Mayberry. Filled with perfect families, but not all families were perfect—especially not the one I grew up with. But I didn’t want to get into all this right now.

  “Nothing,” I said. “Let’s go ride some more.”

  Her gaze lingered on me, but thankfully she didn’t push further.

  We walked our bikes as we headed out of the park. Just before we reached the edge, there were some trash containers and a kiosk with information about the town. I threw my water bottle into a recycle bin across from a large poster announcing a town meeting.

  “I think I’m going to that.” Claire stopped in front of the poster. “Something needs to be done about all this. Did you know a bank in Hong Kong owns the land that’s for sale here? Isn’t that crazy?”

  I didn’t say anything. Obviously I knew who owned the land.

  I studied the poster. It had a replica of the town on it with the areas for sale outlined in red. It showed what sort of development was being planned. I’d seen similar blueprints from the real estate group Gavin and I met with.

  “How did that even happen?” Her hands flew up with exasperation. “How did a bank in China come to own half our town?”

  “I’m sure they bought it from a domestic bank as part of a larger holding.” In fact, that was exactly how the bank in Hong Kong had acquired a large chunk of the town.

  “It doesn’t seem right,” she said. “Somebody way over in China deciding our fate. Hopefully we can stop them.”

  “I doubt it.”

  “There is a way.” She told me how the town was planning to become a historic district. I listened, though I had to admit I was skeptical. “In fact, we’re having a Pirate Days party at Sullivan House next month as a fundraiser,” she continued. “The first in ages. You should come!” But then her expression changed. “I mean, if you’re still here.”

  “Sure, I’d love to come.”

  She smiled. “You would?”

  “Definitely.” I smiled back, pleased to get an invitation. Hopefully it meant those walls she’d built were starting to come down.

  “Shall we head out now?” she asked, putting her bike helmet back on.

  “Sounds good.”

  I looked at the poster again, and just before I was ready to slip my helmet overhead, something caught my eye. At the bottom it listed all the companies that were bidding on the land. My gaze locked on one name.

  Geldnor Investment Group.

  “Are we riding down to the harbor now?” Claire asked.

  My blood ran cold. I hadn’t seen that name in a long time.

  “Philip, are you all right?”

  I was being sucked underwater, her voice coming at me from a great distance.

  I should have known.

  It was my father’s company. And I shouldn’t have been surprised to see they were bidding on the land here. They specialized in commercial real estate—one of the reasons I’d consistently steered NorthStone away from it.

  “Philip?”

  Finally, I dragged my eyes back to Claire.

  “Is everything okay?” She glanced at the poster and then back to me with concern.

  I put my helmet on, ignoring the poster. “Let’s bike down to the harbor. I’ll buy you another rum raisin ice cream cone.” I tried to smile, though it felt false.

  “Oh no, you don’t. I’ll buy you one.”

  I nodded, getting settled onto my bike. “Whatever you want.”

  She gave me a strange look. “Are you sure you’re all right?”

  “Yeah, I’m good. No problem at all.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  ~ Philip ~

  Claire and I headed back down the trail together, and while I tried to put that name out of my mind, to forget about it entirely, I couldn’t. It was like a mosquito buzzing in my ear. Incessant.

  After we found Eliza and Gavin down by the harbor, I pulled off on my own for a minute and texted Sam. I told him to dig up all the information he could about Geldnor Investment Group and send it to me ASAP.

  All these years, I’d avoided having anything to do with my father. I never followed him in the press or the papers. Back when I was a teenager, I decided to find him, a part of me still not wanting to believe what he’d turned into. It was a mistake though, and one I’d never forgotten.

  “Should we go out for dinner?” Gavin asked, glancing around the harbor as we all met up on our bikes. “I see a few restaurants.”

  “I don’t think so.” Eliza smoothed her forehead with the back of her hand. “I’m too sweaty in these bike clothes.”

  “Me too,” Claire agreed. “I don’t feel dressed up enough to eat out.”

  “How about we all head back to the house and barbecue,” I offered. “There’s a grill on the back deck we haven’t used yet.”

  “Who’s going to grill though?” my sister asked. “Mom’s going out for dinner with Elliot tonight.”

  I opened my mouth in surprise. “She is?”

  Claire smiled. “I’m so glad those two are seeing each other.”

  “Wait a minute,” I said. “Who the hell is this Elliot guy? I don’t want Mom going out with someone I’ve never met.”

  The pest shrugged. “I’m sure we’ll meet him if she wants us to.”

  “That’s unacceptable. I don’t know anything about him. What if he’s an asshole?” Claire’s eyes were on me. In fact, everybody’s eyes were on me until I felt like the asshole. “Am I the only one concerned that some strange guy is making a play for our mom?”

  “Elliot’s not some strange guy,” Claire told me. “He’s really nice. And it’s obvious he and your mom are hitting it off.”

  “I think it’s about time,” Eliza said. “I’m so glad she’s finally dating someone.”

  I gripped my bike’s handlebars with displeasure and turned to Claire. “What does he do for a living?”

  “He’s a professor of archeology at the university. He travels all over the world searching for artifacts.”

  My sister seemed to think this was wonderful. “Wow, really? He sounds super interesting. I can’t wait to meet him.”

  Claire nodded. “You’ll like him. Elliot’s fun to talk to. Plus he’s sort of handsome and dashing. Some of the items he’s found on archeological digs are worth a fortune, but he always gives them to a museum.”

  “Great,” I muttered. “So our mother is dating Indiana Jones.”

  Everybody laughed, but I didn’t see the humor.

  “I suppose I could manage to barbecue,” Eliza mused. “I’ve seen mom do it.”

  “I’ll help,” Claire offered. “I’ve only done it once, but it can’t be that tough.”

  “What are you two talking about?” I said. “Barbecuing is men’s work.”

  “Yeah,” Gavin agreed. “Philip and I will handle the cooking.”

  The pest seemed amused. “You two? You must be joking.”

  “Don’t you remember our beef jerky? Gavin and I know our way around a barbecue grill.” Back in high school, one of our various entrepreneurial efforts was making beef jerky. Admittedly it didn’t go over so well.

  My sister looked appalled. “That gross stuff? It tasted like burnt shoe leather.”

  “It wasn’t that bad,” Gavin said.

  “Yeah.” I shrugged. “It was just a little chewy.”

  Claire watched us with a smirk. “You guys made beef jerky?”

  “A little chewy?” Eliza laughed. “Even Bailey wouldn’t eat it. And he actually did eat people’s shoes.”

  Unfortunately, that was true. Our dog, Bailey, wouldn’t go near the beef jerky no matter how
hard Gavin and I tried to convince him. In fact, nobody would go near it, human or animal.

  Finally, we decided the best thing was to bike back to the lot where our cars were parked and then hit the grocery store. Claire knew a shortcut through town, so the three of us followed her.

  An hour later, we were on the back deck getting everything set up to grill. Gavin and I still insisted on manning the barbecue, but we made burgers since they were easy. Claire and my sister were in the kitchen making a salad and putting together some side dishes.

  I told Gavin what I’d seen on that poster, how my father’s company was bidding on the land here.

  He took a sip from his beer. “I’m not surprised they want in on that deal. It’s going to make everybody a lot of money.”

  “I can’t believe they have that much cash.”

  He shrugged and flipped a couple of the burgers on the grill. “I don’t know much about them. Maybe they’re fairly liquid.”

  “Maybe.” I was quiet, mulling things over.

  He glanced at me. “Are you changing your mind about investing? Because the last I heard, Atlas was considering a partnership with a group in London.”

  “They are?” I turned to look out at the picturesque harbor.

  “It’s not official yet, but that’s the unofficial word.”

  Once the food was ready, the four of us sat on the back deck, talking, drinking beer, and eating the burgers Gavin and I managed to only slightly burn. At least there were plenty of side dishes we’d picked up. After dinner, Eliza said she needed to run lines for her play, and Gavin offered to help. I tried not to get irritated as I watched the two of them disappear inside the house together.

  At least it meant Claire and I were finally alone.

  The sun was low in the sky, the colors straight out of Monet. I leaned back on a deck chair. “The sky here is fantastic.”

  “It is,” she agreed. “Just wait until there’s a storm. You can see the weather coming from miles away.”

  I turned to gaze at her. Under a golden sunset, she was prettier than ever, her cheeks flushed pink from the sun, those braids making me crazy. “What should we do now?”

  I watched her glance at the darkening horizon. “I should probably get going.”