“And for that reason, is it not true that you have done everything in your ability to stop this town from increasing the flow of tourism?” Shane demanded.
“Why would I do that?”
“That you, in fact, used marker and paint to vandalize and deface personal and public property?”
He snorted. “That’s patently ridiculous.”
“Then will you explain the marker on your hand, in your trash, and on this Ashland Realty T-shirt?” He held up the shirt to a loud gasp from the audience.
“Why would I do that?” Ashland demanded.
“To keep the property value low!” Fisker screamed, joining Shane at the podium. “So I wouldn’t sell it, since I’ve asked you every year for a decade to tell me when the value would be right for me to sell. Several of the tenants have asked me about buying part of the land, and I’d like to sell, but you told me I’d lose too much money.”
That got the crowd going.
Billy was first, shooting to his feet. “I’ve wanted to buy that bar for five years, but Fisker wouldn’t sell!”
“We’ve made multiple offers to buy our piece of land.” That was Jane Gruen, owner of the B&B.
“I’d love to own my spa.” The bright red hair of Jeannie Slattery popped up from the back. “And if this is true, it’s a travesty.”
“It’s not, it’s not,” Dave said, turning from one side to the other like there had to be someone to support him. His gaze landed on Chloe, and his eyes narrowed. “It’s all her fault! She went through my trash and forged all this to make me look bad.”
Chloe stood. “I went through your trash to find the markers and paint you used to vandalize every business in Bushrod Square.”
By then, all three hundred people were up, and the place turned into a noisy free-for-all of insults and fury. Ashland stumbled backward, and Daisy started barking like gunshots through the assembly hall.
“Quiet!” Blanche smashed her gavel from the center seat on the dais behind Shane. “Return to order! Quiet!”
After a minute and a few more gavel drops, some semblance of order returned. Chloe quieted Daisy, and Dave Ashland started backing up toward the side door, holding out his hands.
“I can explain everything. I can show that I’ve been set up. I can—”
The side doors popped open, and two deputy sheriffs walked in. “Mr. Ashland, you are under arrest—”
The room exploded again, calling out their opinions as the officer finished his speech, handcuffing Dave. The other deputy came up to the stage to relieve Shane of the reams of evidence he had, and a low level of chaos ensued for another few minutes.
When it died down and Dave had been escorted out, Shane started to walk off the stage to get to Chloe, since she was all that mattered now that the work was done. He had to convince her to stay. But how?
“Just one minute, young man,” Fisker choked into the microphone.
Shane froze, not liking the sound of his voice. He turned and eyed the other man.
“I owe you a debt of gratitude,” he finally said.
Exhaling, Shane held up his hand. “It’s fine. And it wasn’t me, it was Chloe Somerset who realized what was going on. That’s Blanche Wilkins’s niece, right there. The tourism expert. The…” Woman I love. “The one who has a vision for this town.”
“Then I owe her, too,” Fisker said. “And I pay my debts. Just tell me how.”
“Seriously, you don’t have…” He let the words fade as an idea formed, and he took a step closer. “Mr. Fisker, you are the largest land owner in Bitter Bark, right?”
“I am.”
“So you would have some say about what goes on in this town.”
“I imagine.”
Shane returned to the podium, taking the man’s arm and inching him away from the mic, whispering in his ear. Fisker nodded, listening, and Shane continued.
Fisker drew back, blinking at him. “Stay right here next to me in case I forget something.”
Shane nodded, inching to the side and locking his hands in front of him while Fisker pulled the microphone closer to his mouth.
“Ladies and gentlemen.” Fisker’s reed-thin voice in the mic managed to silence the room. “I make a motion that we vote our esteemed Mayor Blanche Wilkins to continue her term for the next four years.”
After a second of stunned silence, the room burst into applause, making Blanche stand up and put her hand on her chest as if she couldn’t contain her heart. Shane looked at Chloe, who covered her mouth with two hands and locked on his gaze with gratitude.
“Thank you,” she said, blowing him a kiss.
He angled his head as if to say, There’s more.
“And,” Fisker continued, “I make a motion that we launch the Better Bark program to change the name of this town for the span of one year, during which time, under the direction of our mayor, we will undertake a massive promotional program to be known as the most-dog-friendly town in America.”
Another roar rose with applause, with several people standing in support of the idea.
Residents hooted and hollered. Someone—someone who wasn’t Daisy—did a loud dog bark.
Chloe leaned forward, her eyes glistening.
When it quieted, Fisker turned to Shane. “What was that last thing?”
Shane pointed to Chloe.
“Oh, oh, yes,” Fisker recalled. “And I make a motion to offer a job as director of tourism to…what was her name again?”
“Chloe Somerset.”
“Chloe Somerset,” Fisker repeated.
She stood slowly as the old man said her name, and one more round of resounding approval rolled through the assembly hall.
Fisker, as if he’d had enough, stepped away from the podium, and one of the town council people helped him off the dais. Mayor Wilkins took his place, and pretty much all hell broke loose, but Shane didn’t take in any of it.
All he could do was walk toward that beautiful woman in white as she walked to him. They met at the foot of the stage, and he folded her in his arms, the sound of the gavel falling over and over again.
Or maybe that was his heart slamming into his chest as Chloe reached for him, and he kissed her with all the love and certainty he felt.
Maybe it was one in a zillion. But he had a feeling his chance of winning this was in the bag.
A hand landed on his back and Chloe’s, breaking their kiss. It was Gramma, beaming from one to the other.
“Welcome to Better Bark!” his grandmother exclaimed.
“We did it, Gramma!” Chloe said on a laugh. “We got the name change.”
“One of them. We still have one more to get changed, Miss Somerset.”
Epilogue
Chloe Somerset needed a dog. A precious, loving, needy, adorable, snoring, slobberfest of a dog.
But there were so many to choose from, she was a little overwhelmed.
So for her first month and a half of living and working in Better Bark, when she walked through the Waterford Farm kennels to accompany Shane for morning training sessions, she’d spend some time with the rescues that came and, she was happy to note, went with frequency.
She’d start to connect with one, but something was missing. Shane told her it would happen organically, but the rescues didn’t stay long at Waterford. Garrett would announce he’d found a home, don his sorry-looking canvas fedora, and scoop up the pup to whisk it to happiness.
Today, Shane had awakened early with even more of a gleam in his green-gold gaze and a promise in his kiss. He held Chloe’s hand extra tight as they drove to Waterford just after dawn, quietly watching the sunrise create prisms in the morning mist.
And now, at the kennels, he seemed distracted, checking his phone frequently while she spent some time with the dogs.
At the puppy pen, which was usually empty, they stopped at the sight of a golden ball of fluff bouncing around like a lunatic baby bear. “Oh my word! What kind of dog is that?”
“That’s Cranberry,
she’s a Pomeranian who was found in a bog up in Maine, and Garrett got hold of her. And she recently passed an exhaustive battery of behavior tests with flying colors. Didn’t you, Cranberry?” He scooped her up into his arms, her little bubblegum tongue out for a lick in no time.
“Why did she have those tests?”
“Because she’s being adopted to work as a therapy dog at an assisted-living facility in Raleigh.”
“Awww.”
“Yep, she’s going to make the old folks smile.”
Chloe reached over to scratch Cranberry’s head. “You lucky dog. And those lucky folks.” She felt Shane’s gaze on her, somehow more intense. “You okay?” she asked.
“I am now.” Lowering Cranberry back into the pen, he pulled out his phone again. “Yes, very okay. I have a surprise for you.”
“You do?”
“Yep. She’s pulling in the driveway right now. You ready to see an old friend? Brace for some face licking.”
She sucked in a breath, her jaw dropping. “Daisy?”
“Marie is bringing her for a visit. I thought you’d like that.”
She slid her arms around him and squeezed. “I’d love that. I think my problem is that I’m comparing every dog to Daisy, and no one measures up.”
“You’ll find your dog,” he said, returning the embrace with a kiss on the top of her head. “Or your dog will find you. Now let’s go see your girl.”
“I can’t wait.” She tugged him toward the door, her heart actually kicking up a little at the thought of a reunion with Daisy. They stepped into the sunshine just as Marie, Daisy’s real mom and a wonderful woman with spiky gray hair and camo pants, climbed out of a truck, her left foot no longer in the orthopedic boot she’d worn when they’d taken Daisy home to her the day after the town meeting.
But Chloe’s eyes weren’t on Marie Boswell. She waited for the next occupant of that truck, a familiar brown and white barrel-chested dog who came to the door and waited for permission to get out.
“Daisy!” Chloe stretched her arms out, ready to run.
Marie gave a command, and Daisy took off, and they sprinted toward each other, meeting in the middle, where Daisy jumped and Chloe dropped to the ground for a barky, licky, happy reunion.
Chloe laughed, maybe teared up a little, and finally settled cross-legged on the grass with Daisy in her lap. She looked up as Marie came closer, with another dog on a leash. This one was about the same size as Daisy, maybe a little smaller, a dark, dark chocolate color with a snow-white chest and a single white stripe down its nose.
“Hello,” Chloe said, both to the woman and the dog. “I’d get up, but I’m too happy.”
The woman laughed. “And so’s my Daisy. She’s happy and healthy, but I think she needs to come and visit you more often.”
“Anytime,” Chloe said, nuzzling Daisy. “And who’s this?”
“This is Ruby.”
Shane got on his knees in front of the new arrival, greeting Ruby the way he always approached a new dog. Head down, offering his neck for inspection, giving her a chance to know him.
“Hello, Ruby,” he said.
“Ruby?” Chloe studied the dog, knowing immediately she was a Staffordshire terrier like Daisy. “She’s pretty.”
“Gorgeous,” Shane agreed, loving the dog with his two strong hands now, moving them over and around her head with skill and affection.
“Ruby came into the North Ames shelter yesterday afternoon, and I texted Shane,” Marie said, dropping the dog’s leash. “She’s about three, I think. Has been bounced around a bit. But she’s got a good heart.”
“Hey, Ruby.” Chloe held her gaze, mesmerized by her slightly tilted eyes that held a little fear and a lot of hope.
The dog angled her head, as if she wanted to ask a question or beg for consideration. And Chloe’s heart slid all over her chest with a burst of love.
“Shane mentioned that you might be looking for a sweet Staffy when you had to say goodbye to Daisy,” Marie said. “I really wanted to find you one so I could say thank you for loving my girl so much when I was laid up.”
Chloe looked up at Marie, putting an affectionate hand on Daisy’s head. Which, of course, got a juicy lick. “I should thank you, Marie. Daisy made a dog lover out of me, and I honestly never dreamed that would happen.”
“She’s a dear girl,” Marie agreed. “And so is Ruby.”
Chloe leaned toward the dog, and Daisy climbed off her lap, going to sniff Shane. “C’mere, Ruby. Come.”
She didn’t move except for her tail, which ticktocked hopefully.
“She’s not trained as well as Daisy,” Marie said. “She’s gentle as a mouse but doesn’t know commands.”
“Good thing I know a decent trainer,” Chloe teased, getting on her knees to crawl a little closer. “Hey, Ruby,” she whispered. “Come and see me.”
Ruby took a few steps. Chloe lowered her head to let her sniff, then lifted her face for a sweet, quick lick on the cheek. Except, Ruby picked her mouth, making Chloe laugh a little as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.
“Looks like you know a little about training yourself,” Marie mused.
“I know how to get myself kissed.” She put both hands on Ruby’s head like Shane had taught her, and instantly, the dog sat down. Chloe got down with her, eye to eye. After a moment of staring at each other, Chloe sat up and crossed her legs again, and this time, Ruby climbed right into the nest of her jeans and curled into…her spot.
“Oh,” Chloe sighed, stroking her smooth, brown back slowly. “I think we’re bonding.”
She looked up to catch Marie and Shane sharing a look that told her this little love affair had been planned.
“I’m going to leave her here for a few minutes.” Marie reached over and unhooked Ruby’s leash. “I’ll take Daisy for a little stroll while y’all get acquainted. I don’t want Miss Daisy to get jealous.”
“Thanks, Marie,” Shane said, ruffling Daisy’s coat before guiding her to Marie. “I think you nailed it.”
As Marie and Daisy walked away, Shane scooted closer to Chloe. “You like her.”
“She’s special.” Chloe stroked her some more. “I love her,” she admitted and then looked at him, her eyes misting over. “I want to keep her.”
“Well, now you know exactly how I feel about you.”
She laughed. “Then all you need is a collar and a leash, and I’m yours.”
“Let me go get one.” He pushed up. “I’ll be right back.”
“Okay.” She barely noticed he was gone, leaning over to rub her head against Ruby’s. She smelled like the shampoo Chloe had used on Daisy, and the scent of oatmeal gave her the first pang of true love. The way she’d felt when she’d cleaned Daisy after a roll in something disgusting and they’d sit on the sofa together and she’d tell Daisy how much she was falling for Shane.
“We’re going to be good friends,” she promised the dog.
Ruby whimpered and let out a soft, shuddering sigh that somehow expressed exactly how Chloe felt at that moment. Content. Home. Normal. Well, as normal as being this in love could possibly feel.
Across the grass, she spotted Shane in the training area, talking to some of his family. She hadn’t noticed them all out there before, but Liam and his shepherd, Jag, were intently listening to Shane, and Molly came over with their father. Garrett was there, too, with Jessie, and a minute later, Darcy came bounding out from the grooming building, darting to join them all. Marie was right there in the middle, with Daisy watching.
Daniel put a hand on Shane’s shoulder, guiding his son away from the others to talk to him. Chloe watched as the man they called the Dogfather spoke to his son, too far away to know what the subject was, but close enough to see Shane looking into his father’s eyes, and nodding.
After a moment, the two men embraced and Daniel patted Shane’s shoulder, then whispered something in his ear that made them both laugh. Shane turned toward Chloe, grinning, then pointed behind
her to the house.
There, she saw Gramma Finnie standing on the back patio, gazing out at the big yard.
They must have all come out to see if she’d fall in love with the new dog, she thought with another jolt of love and joy. No family had ever cared about her happiness like that, and she was suddenly a little overwhelmed by it, folding over again to transfer that happiness to Ruby.
“We’re kind of both being adopted,” she whispered into a silky ear.
Shane left his family, carrying a long red leash, and Chloe finally stood. She curled her hand around Ruby’s collar, not certain how she’d act if another dog came bounding out.
“Here you go.” He handed her the leash, and when she took it, he snagged her hand. “Are you sure?” he asked.
“Oh, completely. I am one hundred percent positive this is love.”
“So am I.” He pulled her closer. “This is definitely a forever, once-in-a-lifetime, lightning in a bottle love.”
She kissed him, used to the exchange now, but not completely used to the thrill of the feelings they shared. “Yes, it is.”
“Leash her up,” he said.
She bent over to flick the clasp of the leash on to the collar…and her whole body stilled. There was something hanging on that leash. Something small and silver…no, that was platinum. And sparkling in the sun.
“Shane.” She simply breathed his name, slowly standing up, holding the clasp in her hand.
“Oh, look at that. Ruby comes with a diamond.” He took the leash from her shaking hands. “What do you think of that?”
“I think…” She pressed her hand to her chest, unable to speak. It was so unexpected, but not. It was so Shane. It was so perfect.
Behind her, someone hooted, and Molly hollered, “Do it right, Shane.”
“On one knee, laddie!” Gramma called from the patio.
“Just like I told you, Son.”
He laughed. “It’s kind of a package deal with Kilcannons.”
“I love that package,” she whispered.
“Good, because they love you. And so do I.”
New Leash on Life (The Dogfather Book 2) Page 24