Whiskey Sharp: Torn

by Lauren Dane

  A knot around the big television was in the process of getting a video game started. The card table was already full. Her father and uncle already teased one another and attempted trash talk. Her father was so silly, he failed terribly but all his taunts were wonderfully entertaining.

  “I should have warned you to DVR any games you wanted to watch today,” Cora told him.

  “I can watch sports twenty-four hours a day. I’m here with you and your family. I’m slightly drowsy and wishing I’d worn sweats because I shouldn’t have had that second helping of mashed potatoes and gravy.”

  He was trying. Not uncomfortably so. Slightly awkward on both his side and her family’s. But it was the normal sort of awkward when someone brings a serious romantic interest to a family dinner.

  “Let’s avoid video games then. The little kids like the games where you have to jump around. Last year I had to tap out or lose my meal,” Cora told him, aiming at the table where Finley sat with Beto. “What are we doing?” she asked as they sat.

  “Beto won’t let me play Monopoly anymore,” her sister said with a glare at their brother.

  “You bet your right to play it again away last year. I told you not to bet anything else and you would not stop. So we had to gang up on you so you had no choice but to forfeit your right to play it. You have a problem. You can’t play that game and be calm,” Beto told her with a shrug.

  Beau snorted a laugh.

  “Just because I’m passionate about it,” Finley started in.

  “Passionate? You throw things,” Cora reminded her. “You get mean.”

  “Mean?” Beau murmured.

  “You’d never guess this, but our sweet-natured, mellow Finley has no self-control when it comes to certain games. Just two or three. A few years ago she told our mom the scarf she was wearing made her look old.”

  “She lost her edge,” Finley said with a shoulder raise. “Our mother is really intense and competitive so I knew I had to shake her up. It worked and I won.”

  They all laughed at that, Beau shaking his head at them.

  Cora scanned the shelf of board games and reached out to grab Uno. “How about this? Fun. Fast paced. Not rage inducing.”

  “I’ve only played this a few times. No card games in Road to Glory households. But a friend’s grandfather taught me a few. I’m always up for board games but only if you don’t throw things at me or insult my scarf,” Beau said.

  Finley’s startled laugh brought their mother’s attention squarely to them once again.

  Beau and her mother had done some complicated dance at dinner. She’d come in for an attack and he just flowed around her, deliberately not taking the bait. Walda had retreated but Cora knew it was only so she could watch her prey more closely to figure out her next steps.

  “You look like you’re thinking uncharitable things about Mom,” Finley said in an undertone once she’d noted where Cora’s attention had been.

  “She’s watching Beau so closely it’s making me nervous. She’s got that look about her.” Cora kept an eye on her mother. She wasn’t yet alarmed, but it paid to stay alert as Walda could go from zero to international incident in under fifteen minutes.

  “Stop whispering. It’s rude. If you’re saying mean things you really need to share,” Beto told them.

  “Deal the cards and stop trying to start trouble,” Cora told her brother.

  After a few games of Uno, they moved on to Scrabble, which got very competitive so they created a game of insults where they had to use the words they played.

  Beau soaked it all up in a way that told Cora board games weren’t any more a part of his childhood than cards had been. But that kid in him seemed to shine right through him each time he rolled dice or played his turn.

  Soaked it up in a way that meant she’d be setting up regular game nights once he got settled in his new house. Have friends over, or visit round-robin style to eat, catch up and play. They could all get to know Beau better that way too. See his sweeter side.

  Cora wanted everyone to understand just what a sentimental, soft underbelly Beau had.

  When they finally got out of there six hours later, she appreciated him more than she ever had before. He showed perfect manners. Gave her father the bottle of port on the way out the door and as far as Cora could judge such things, she felt he’d gone a long way at showing her family just what a very nice guy he was.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  BEAU PUTTERED AROUND the kitchen—his kitchen—as be began the preparations for a post-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving dinner with Cora. As the actual holiday had been so busy for everyone and he’d been dealing with his move, Beau had proposed they postpone a big holiday meal until he had his furniture and was all moved in.

  So there he was, getting things prepped and watching her slide in her socks across the wood floors in his dining room, giggling like a child as she did.

  It was quite honestly a moment he figured would be burned into his memory. How happy she was! She filled his life with silliness and laughter as well as fantastic sex and a lot of great art.

  “I’m glad the floors meet your very high standards,” he told her as she slid past on her way to the coffee maker where she topped up his mug and got one for herself before making some toast.

  “These are great for sliding, no lie.” She moved to the island, putting her mug down. “Hey, what’s that?”

  He turned to follow her out toward the front door, which she flung open and headed out into the snow that had started to fall.

  “Cora, wait a second,” he called to her, not knowing what might have caught her attention enough to have her run out in her socks and no coat.

  When he skidded around a low bank of bushes, he saw her sitting back on her haunches, a hand stretched out to a shivering mound of dirty fur he realized was a dog.

  “Hi there,” she crooned. “I know he’s super tall but I’ll tell you a secret, he’s a big old softie who’d never in a million years hurt a dog.” Without turning to him she said, “Do you have any towels or old blankets? You had some from the move I put in your garage. Can you bring some so I can wrap her or him up? Maybe some cheese to give our friend some calories.”

  Within a few minutes, he’d gathered everything and returned to her side. If he thought she’d have a hard time getting the little stray into her arms he’d have been wrong. Nope, the little fuzz ball knew a good thing when he saw it and came right to her and into the blanket.

  Beau held his arms out to take the dog while she changed into the dry socks he’d brought for her.

  “No tags but she doesn’t look like she’s been out on the street a long time. She was someone’s not too very long ago. I’ll get her cleaned up and fed, and then check the shelters around here,” Cora said as she handed a piece of cheese over.

  “I’m home during the days so she can hang with me. No use taking her to the shelter unless she has an owner looking for her,” Beau said before he’d intended to. He’d had cats before but a dog was a different kind of pet ownership. He hadn’t thought himself ready for that.

  But Cora? Beau watched her with the scrappy little terrier mix and knew he was not only ready for it, he wanted it. With her. Cora had brought up wanting a dog a few times over the last few months, and while he hated the idea of this little dog being abandoned, Cora was already invested in the little pup. And he couldn’t help but hope the fur ball could be hers. Theirs.

  She gave the dog a bath in the sink in his laundry room as Beau got the turkey into the oven. By the time she came back out, he barely recognized their new friend. “I cut her hair too because there were some snarls, and then it looked off balance so I kept adjusting. But she’s very chill. Just hung out in the sink. Didn’t try to jump out or anything. I promise I’ll wash everything up. I know you just bought this very nice home without dog hair on the furniture.”

&n
bsp; Beau liked the little dog already, but seeing her squirm happily in Cora’s arms, licking Cora’s face only made him love the damned thing. He could give this to her. If not their furry guest, there were other dogs that needed a home. Other dogs that could make his Cora giggle and dance around singing.

  And he was deep enough in love with Cora to be mercenary in the sense that he’d use a dog to lure her around as often as possible. In fact, he bet the dog would be just as happy as he was to have Cora around.

  “I’m going to run out to get some doggie supplies,” Cora said, setting the dog down. “A bed. Some food. Keep an eye on that turkey and I’ll be back as soon as possible.”

  After she kissed Beau, she smooched the dog’s head and ran out the door.

  The dog looked to the door and then back to Beau, deciding to settle just out of the way but still close enough to see if food might be involved.

  “Okay, dog, so here’s the thing, she just kissed you. I think she likes you. And I like her. She smells good and she’s a great snuggler. So we’re going to look for your owners because I’m not a fucking monster and maybe there’s some sweet little kid crying because they miss you. If so, we’ll have to hand you over and I’ll spend my time trying to find a really cute little mutt with a lot of terrier in her genes.”

  He got a bark in reply that he took for an acceptance of the facts.

  “But if I can be totally honest, dog, I’m sort of hoping we can keep you. You make my human very happy and making her happy is sort of my job. I think we might be able to come to an accommodation.”

  * * *

  CORA CAME BACK to find Beau on the couch with the dog in his lap, hand-feeding her what looked like some egg. He’d been talking to her as he did it and she looked up with her pretty, big doggie eyes full of adoration. Cora was pretty sure she had that expression with him sometimes too and not only when he fed her cheese or eggs.

  It was sweet enough that her ovaries pulsed a time or two, and when they both noticed her, the dog gave a version of the smile the human did.

  Cora held up the things she’d procured. “I got more than I needed, I’m sure. But whatever.”

  The clickity-clack of nails sounded as the dog jumped down and scampered over to where Cora busily unpacked and set up the things she’d bought.

  “I talked to your closest neighbors on the way home just now. They both said our gal got left behind when some people moved and she’s been sticking around the area for the last few months. They’ve all tried to catch her but she won’t get close enough. They had been feeding her. Even tried to contact the people who left but they won’t reply. Assholes.” She bent to look the dog in the eyes and got a lick. “You don’t seem like a skulky type to me. I’m guessing none of those people appealed to you but you saw how handsome and sweet the new guy on the street was and you decided you wanted to live here.”

  Beau snorted in the background but Cora wasn’t fooled. “You’re the one who volunteered up front for her to hang out with you during the day, remember? I’ll obviously share in the doggie parenting duties and I’m going to want to get her chipped and licensed and make sure her shots are up-to-date and all that stuff.”

  He tried to keep a straight face, hold the nonchalant dude mask in place. But it didn’t work because their furry dog child farted and ruined the moment by making her nearly gag.

  “No more deviled eggs for you,” Beau told the dog, making Cora guffaw.

  Cora fanned a hand in front of her nose but the dog kept getting in her face to give kisses and get some love.

  “You’ve been lonely haven’t you, baby?” she asked as the dog settled into her lap. “You can live in our pack, okay? We need a name because I can’t keep thinking of you as the dog. No one knew your name and we don’t need to name you after the garbage family who abandoned you.”

  “So we’re all in?” Beau asked her, a smile on his face that told her he certainly was. In more ways than one.

  “We know she was left and that people tried to contact her previous owners. We know she’s been out on her own for at least four months. I don’t want to take her to a shelter. I like her face and she has a sweet disposition. I want her to be in our family.”

  Beau leaned over to kiss her quickly. “I like you saying that. Our family. Yeah. So. A name.” He looked at the dog closely. “What do you think? Sally? Molly?”

  The dog remained unimpressed.

  “Sandy? Curly?” Cora asked. “No. None of those. Peaches? Cookie?”

  They went back and forth with names as Cora set up one of the—three—beds in the little nook next to the kitchen. She’d be out of the way but also be part of the action when the humans were cooking.

  “We’ll eat in about three hours so I made some little bites to tide us over,” Beau said as he pulled several containers from the fridge and she tried to pretend her mouth wasn’t watering just looking at the stuff he’d prepared.

  “Yum.” Cora popped a meatball into her mouth and tried not to get sucked in by puppy dog eyes. “The guy at the pet supply store recommended a certain kind of food so that’s what I got. I also bought food bowls but they’re temporary because I don’t like them all that much and I think they’ll make your beautiful sleek house look janky.”

  When Beau bit into an empanada, the dog flopped onto her back and gave him a come-hither look.

  Which is how Jezebel, Jezzy for short, came about.

  “I should tell you not to get attached until we get Jez into the vet and all that. But I can see I’d be wasting my breath,” Beau said.

  “Like I didn’t just walk in to find her on your chest while you hand-fed her deviled eggs?”

  He blushed. “She was hungry. Eggs have protein!”

  “And since you made them, they also had some shaved ahi tuna and a little scallion.”

  “No need to act as if we have no civilized manners, Cora.”

  That made her laugh and hug him while Jezzy shoved herself between them, wriggling for love and attention.

  “If that means all the deviled eggs you make are fancy gourmet ones I’m all in with your idea of civilization.”

  She set the table as he began to assemble what she thought to be an excessive amount of sides, but again, she wasn’t complaining because everything he made was fantastic and all she had to do was watch him cook for her.

  Cora realized her life was pretty freaking perfect. And now she had a dog. One she suspected she’d have to share with her boyfriend, but that was all right too.

  Her phone had buzzed twice that afternoon. Once it had been Maybe, checking in and letting Cora know her dress for Rachel’s wedding had arrived and there was a fitting the following morning. The other had been her mother, asking a question she knew the answer to.

  “What’s up?” Beau asked her when she made a face as she listened to her voice mail.

  “Walda gotta Walda.”

  He snorted a laugh and raised his glass of wine. “And Cora gotta Cora. Go on and return the call.”

  She’d been considering not doing it. Just ignoring her until she got the damned message that Cora wasn’t her keeper anymore. But Walda was getting older and what if there was a problem of some sort?

  “I’ll take Jezzy outside to do her business while I do it.”

  He tossed her one of his hoodies, which hit her at the knees but it smelled like him and it was warm so she headed out, Jezzy excitedly scampering around, sniffing things, peeing and moving on to the next thing to sniff.

  “Hi there,” she said when her mom answered.

  “Why do you have your phone if you don’t even answer it when you get a call? Did you screen me out like I was a salesperson?”

  So she was getting that version of her mother apparently. Cora couldn’t win with that one and she was having a really good day so she had zero plans to let that get ruined. “I imagine yo
u called for a reason other than yelling at me. If not, I’m actually in the middle of something so I’ll be going.”

  “My new assistant doesn’t know I don’t like the childproof caps on my medicine. Your father had to open my blood pressure medication yesterday.”

  “Fair enough. Let’s make sure Lilah checks in with you about this. She’s the person who should be picking up your pills, not Gina.” Gina was the new assistant they’d hired and Lilah was the house manager. Naturally her mother must have insisted on something and it got done wrong and so now she was able to complain. Really, her mom should give Gina a bonus for allowing her something to bitch about.

  “You never mixed that up,” her mother said.

  “Years of learning. I’m sure Lilah will be fine once she knows your rules. And it’s a good reminder to you to make your preferences known in advance so everyone can do what you expect. It’s easier when we know what those expectations are.”

  “It’s easier when you do it. You know how it all works. No one does things wrong when you’re in charge,” her mother told her.

  “It’s easier for you, yes. But not for me. Mom. I can’t just be your keeper. I have more in my life to do. To see and experience. My life can’t be about making your life better. It just can’t. It doesn’t mean I don’t love you. You know I do. But you need to give Lilah and Gina a chance to learn you.”

  Because Cora wasn’t going back. No matter how much her mother sabotaged her new staff.

  Being at the gallery these last few months had strengthened her resolve. She knew it had been the right choice and even though Walda was unhappy at that point, she could get the hell over it and enjoy having two people running her life for her.

  “Maybe if I give them a nice car,” her mother said.

  “Perhaps they’d tell you what I did—don’t buy it if you plan to lord it over them for the rest of time. That’s not how gifts work.”

  Her mom remained silent, understanding the rebuke in Cora’s words.