Collared (Going to the Dogs)

by Dawson, Zoe

  Her heart bloomed with hope and her eyes burned. “You are so stupid, so wrong. You have everything to offer me. It’s the only thing I want, everything else is just icing.”

  “You’re right. This has been pure torture. I love you. I love you. I love you.” He just stood there letting his guard down, giving her what she so wanted to hear. “So put me out of my misery. Forgive me for my lapse in judgment.”

  He moved towards her and placed his hands on either side of her, flat on the desk, his face close to hers. “Just say it, my princess. I been waiting for you to come to me. Just say it.”

  “I love you, Caleb Shaw. I would be lost without you in my life. I don’t care how it’s going to work out. We will work it out.” She knew then exactly what she’d been more than willing to gamble by letting him into her life, all the way in. It wasn’t money, or success, or anything with an absolute value she’d risked. It was priceless. It was her heart. And it already belonged to him.

  He smiled. “So, you gonna kiss me, lady?”

  She threw herself at him and wrapped her arms around his neck and fused her mouth with his. And she clung as he crushed her to him. When she pulled away, he slid his fingers beneath her chin, nudging it up, and she met his eyes. She felt unmasked, naked, and vulnerable in a way that also, surprisingly, made her feel fearless and powerful. Caleb wouldn’t ever let her down.

  Her heart squeezed and shuddered at the look in his eyes. Eyes that weren’t just filled with desire. In those dark brown depths, she saw an easy, honest affection, so direct, so open, so…naked. Exposed. As exposed as she felt. He looked so far into her, with such blatant need, she felt touched in a place she hadn’t known existed within her.

  He smoothed his hand over cheek, kept her face tucked next to his, their gazes locked. “I always thought that a relationship was built on knowledge of each other over time. The kind of knowledge you’re supposed to have about someone in order to know for certain what your feelings are for them.”

  She stilled then, even as her heart began racing.

  “It’s supposed to be something built upon, slowly, so you know, for sure, what it is, what it can be, and what it isn’t or will never be.”

  Her heart lifted into her throat at the stark vulnerability she saw there, the certainty. “Oh, Caleb.”

  “So explain this to me,” he said, his voice almost gone now, the rasp was so deep. “Explain how I know it’s you. How it’s always been you.” He paused, looking almost helpless. “How it will always be you.”

  Tears pressed at the back of her eyes, and all her fear of losing him washed away in the flood.

  “Awww, shit, Harper, don’t cry.”

  “I always do exactly what I want to do, Caleb.”

  “Don’t I know it. But I might start blubbering like a fool in front of all these knuckleheads. And, if you tell anyone…”

  “I know. My limo will get tickets for a month.”

  He chuckled. “Exactly, gotta maintain my tough guy reputation.” He rubbed at his temple. His face got serious again. “I could tell you that I can’t sleep without your beautiful body near me, or I can’t eat without seeing your gorgeous face first thing in the morning, or that my life has been completely empty without you. But I think I’ll sum all that up into…I love you, Harper, and your freaking poodle, too!”

  And, she knew deep in her heart that he did love her. Just her. Completely and utterly. And her damn poodle, too.

  Epilogue

  Harper entered the dog park, her heart so full. She sat down on the very bench where she’d first met Callie, Poe and Brooke. She released her precious Blue. This outing was about the four of them and their dogs.

  Things had worked out beautifully. Caleb had given up his apartment and moved in with her, bringing Quinn with him, of course, feeling almost as much affection for the Shepherd as she did for her wonderful poodle. Now the water-crazy dog had access to the pool 24/7, but they limited his time so that he didn’t get too waterlogged. Blue was overjoyed to have Caleb living with her. She was still a hussy over that man.

  The kidnappers were awaiting trial. All her jewelry had been recovered, but Blue’s collar had never been found. Luckily Jason and his mother were unharmed. Harper took care of their therapy and their medical bills and they were doing fine so far. Due to Harper’s influence, no charges were brought against Jason for giving out her code under duress.

  Michael, formerly Jeffrey, had left her to return to Montana. Now that she was safe, he wanted to go home, run his family’s ranch, go back to his real name, and marry Juliana. Harper looked forward to attending their wedding in December. No charges were brought against him, either, of course. She’d vouched for him and his name had been cleared. He was really a free man. She’d insisted that he accept a hefty severance package and finally, after she badgered him ceaselessly, he agreed. She’d lost two employees, but found a great chauffeur who was working out quite well. And she’d convinced Phaedra, the manager of her villa on Gozo, to come and act as her personal assistant and manager, overseeing the new housekeeper.

  Callie was the first to arrive. Jack raised his head and pricked his ears when he saw Harper and Blue. He woofed that wonderful deep Dane sound, and Harper smiled. He’d fathered several litters, passing his sweet, wonderful disposition onto his offspring. And, he was still head over heels for Jill. Callie sat and Harper ran her hand over the magnificent dog.

  “He’s so beautiful, Callie.”

  She nodded. “I’m going to miss him, Jill and Tilly a lot when we’re on our honeymoon.”

  Harper gave her a pat, too. “Where are you going?”

  “Skiing.”

  “Really, where?”

  “Chile. The Andes are the perfect place in the summer and Owen and I both love the snow.”

  “Not to mention all that cuddling afterwards in front of a roaring fire.” Brooke said.

  “Everything is set for you two to tie the knot this weekend. You must be so ready.”

  “I am. I love Owen more now than I did when I met him. His sense of humor, his love, his patience. I’m so lucky to have met him, and thanks to Jack and his refusal to give up his own lady love, I found the man of my dreams.”

  “There’s a lot of that going around,” Brooke said as she dropped onto the bench and gave Harper a quick hug and blew Callie a kiss, releasing Boxer, who was pulling at the leash. He wanted to be free to greet his friends. “When we met we were all single, all complaining about being single and the guys we were dating. Now look at us.”

  “For sure. And, it won’t be long, Brooke, before you and Drew take that walk down the aisle. I’m sure you have everything under control,” Harper said.

  Brooke laughed. “Of course I do.” She pushed back her long, dark hair, a sudden sadness filling her eyes.

  Harper reached out and clasped her arm, even giving comfort came so easily to her nowadays. Part and parcel of falling in love and opening her heart. “You’re thinking about Roscoe. Aren’t you?”

  “Yes, how did you know?”

  “I guess my barriers are down and my heart is open. It’s easier to be less cynical and more in the moment now that I’ve met and fallen for Caleb.”

  “I miss Roscoe so much. But I love that Boxer is from his gene pool, thanks to my darling Drew for tracking down Roscoe’s littermate and getting me a puppy. Boxer will be a year old the middle of November. He’s less reserved then my Roscoe was, but I don’t love him any less. He’s so darn playful.”

  “Drew is very thoughtful,” Poe said, dragging a wrestling Terrible Two with her. “You hit the jackpot with him.”

  “And where will you and Drew be heading for your honeymoon?”

  “Portugal. It’s a blend of quaint colorful cities and gorgeous secluded beaches. Drew loves architecture and I it’s got a great night life. So we can’t wait.”

  “She’s all about the secluded beaches,” Callie said.

  Brooke wiggled her eyebrows. “I’m taking the fifth.” />
  Poe sat down on the bench and released the Jack Russells. But before Allan could get away, Harper reached down and snagged him, squeezing him. He licked her face and she set him down. As she did, he playfully nipped at her ankle then ran away. Edgar sat there as if rolling his eyes and saying, Do you see what I have to put up with? She gave him a conciliatory pat on the head and he trotted off, too.

  “I have to admit I thought at first Drew would be just plain trouble, but he proved how much he loved you by going through that whole thing with poor Kristen Wright-Davis.” Poe finished, tucking her hair behind one ear.

  “She was a pistol,” Brooke said. “But we made our peace before she died, so I’m at peace about that. Drew is everything I could ever have hoped for in a man. He’s my lover, my friend, and my support. He makes sure that I don’t do too much. I swear my heart grows each day as I find something else to love about him.

  Poe got up and hugged them each in turn and Harper hugged her back just as hard. She practically glowed with the baby inside her, her tummy showing just slightly now. She was rocking her Poe attitude with a black and grey vested bustier with white crosses on the collar, a red tie knotted around her neck with black spiders and webs all over it, and a plaid schoolgirl skirt with peek-a-boo black ruffle beneath.

  “You look amazing as usual.”

  “Thanks. I could barely get out of the apartment to get here.”

  “Still acting like newlyweds.”

  Poe giggled, “Yes, I don’t think sex with Jared, my zombie killer, will ever, ever get dull. Jared is my world and I’m so thankful that you are a meddler, Harper. Even though you stuck your nose in my business and we had our falling out, I couldn’t imagine my life without any of you or Jared. He is my sun, moon, and stars.” She sighed. “And I have news, too. We’re bought a house. A brownstone that’s somewhat of a fixer-upper, but Caleb has already volunteered to help us. He and Jared are such good friends. In fact, isn’t it great all our guys get along so well!”

  “Oh, Owen loves doing man stuff. He’ll help, too, I’m sure. And, my brother Ian. So handy. I’ll mention it to him,” Callie said.

  “Well Drew won’t want to be left out, either,” Brooke piped up. “Although I’m not sure how handy he is.”

  “That will be a lot of gorgeous hunks and testosterone in one place at one time,” Callie said, fanning herself. “I volunteer to…um…you know, do anything that needs to be done, like staring and ogling, panting and swooning.”

  “Well, that’s an awfully long list,” Brooke said, “Tell you what, I’ll take the panting and swooning. You do the staring and ogling.”

  “Deal,” Callie said with a high five.

  Everyone grinned.

  “So, I wanted us all to gather before Callie’s wedding to celebrate us and where we first met. And, no celebration would be complete without champagne.” Harper reached down to the bag she brought and pulled out a bottle of champagne along with four flutes. “For you, Poe, I brought sparkling cider.”

  She popped the tops and poured out the bubbly and the cider. She raised her glass, meeting the eyes of each of her friends for a few seconds. “To us. Four random strangers who have forged an unbreakable bond, even through strife and heartache, laughter and pain…and even zombies. We’re going to live, love, grow in size, and grow old together. I love you all like sisters, like family. So, I know how you all loved the idea of us going to Gozo, so this Thanksgiving, we’re all going, and that includes our families.”

  All of her three friends started talking at once, and Harper held up her hand. “I’ve already cleared it with everyone, so it’s a done deal. I’ll take care of all expenses, but the kicker is we have to do all the cooking.”

  “Turkey and everything?” Callie said, gulping.

  “Yes.” Harper said, smiling.

  “No Mrs. Crumb to bail us out,” Poe said with her lower lip thrust out.

  “No, but it’s permitted that Callie’s mom may help us.” Harper conceded.

  “Oh, thank God,” said Poe.

  “But I’m not worried. We’ve got an ace in the hole with Brooke. And besides, we’ve been through amorous dogs, puppy pregnancy, dog dancing, threats, zombie apocalypse theories, bacon jokes, bad poodle cuts, lawsuits, death of our beloved Roscoe, new life, robbery, kidnapping, mud wrestling, and the hardest thing of all…falling in love. We can most definitely handle cooking a few turkeys and all the fixins!”

  As she spoke, tears filled each of her friends’ eyes and when they clinked their glasses together, tears slipped unabashedly down Harper’s cheeks. “I love you all and your fabulous dogs, too!”

  #

  A month after Callie’s wedding, which had gone off without a hitch, including the delivery of her big white wedding cake with huge red hearts and the word LOVE across it, they were all helping Jared and Poe with their brownstone. They got it for a lot less because it really had to be gutted. Jared already had all the plumbing and wiring done. Now their men were restoring some of the wood and stained glass accents. The girls were doing most of the painting for the rooms that had already been finished, using non-toxic paint. Right now they were painting the baby’s room. Later on, Ian was going to come over and draw a mural for Poe.

  “Pizza’s here,” Brooke called up from the kitchen area, which Jared had tackled first. With the marble and the stainless steel, he had really outdone himself. Harper put down her paintbrush and said, “I’ll go get Caleb.”

  She went up one flight to the top floor where the master suite was. He was measuring out molding. She stood in the doorway just taking in the view. He was shirtless, the thick muscles along his back rippling with his every move, his skin slick, as it was still warm even for September and he was wearing a tool belt.

  “Whatcha doin’, lady?”

  “Ogling.”

  He turned around and looked at her and chuckled. “I’m trying to work, here.”

  “Oh, Caleb, you are. You’re working that tool belt. Can I see your tool?”

  He dropped the measuring tape and approached her. “I would think you would have it memorized by now.”

  She just laughed out loud with pure joy.

  He grinned. “Don’t make me go all grumpy on you.”

  “Oh, but that’s the best part.”

  She grabbed the waistband of his jeans and jerked him toward her.

  “Lady, I’m all sweaty. Won’t I ruin your designer shirt?”

  “I only wear designers I don’t like when I’m renovating.”

  “Is that so? You’re a brat.”

  “You already knew that.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed against him, not caring he was all sweaty.

  He forced her against the wall and she got lost in the feel of his mouth and the press of his body against hers.

  When they broke the kiss, he said, “Have I told you today how much I love you?”

  “Yes, this morning with your body and your hands, and,” she sighed, “your clever, clever mouth.”

  Brooke called up, “Hey you two. If you’re hungry, you’d better get down here because the pizza’s going fast. And, Caleb, there’s cold beer. Nate and Ian are here, too!”

  He walked back to his work bench and picked up the blue chambray shirt and shrugged into it. Slipping his arm around her, they walked downstairs. Grabbing up two slices of pizza, and each grabbing a beer, they joined the others in the fully finished living room.

  “Hello, Harper,” Nate said and hugged her. She introduced him to Caleb.

  Nate looked as handsome as ever. “How are you?”

  “About the same, but it looks like you found yourself someone who saw past all the cash.”

  “I did.”

  “I’m happy for you.”

  Owen, Drew and Jared were arguing about whose baseball team was best.

  “Everyone knows it’s the Yankees.” They all stopped talking and glared at Caleb, so he had to go over there and defend the Yankees.

  As they wa
lked away, Harper thought about Prudence Chambers. The woman Nate loved. Someday there would be an opportunity to help her see just the kind of man Nate was. She was sure of it. True love always prevailed. Especially when Harper was around to help.

  “What’s that look you have on your face? Who are you thinking about pairing Nate up with, you little meddler?” Poe said.

  Harper turned to her and gave her a mysterious smile. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

  “Poor Nate.” Brooke pulled Poe back into the decorating discussion they were having.

  Not when I’m done. She smiled to herself.

  Arms came around her from behind and she turned to find Ian. She hugged him hard. “How are you stranger?”

  He returned her smile as he hugged her back. “Can’t complain.”

  When they parted, he whispered. “Who’s the dude glaring at me?”

  Harper looked over at Caleb and laughed. “That’s my boyfriend.”

  “Your boyfriend is a little scary,” Ian said.

  “Don’t mind him. He’s harmless.”

  “If you say so.” He looked over at Callie who was laughing at something Drew said. She could hold her own in any sports discussion. “I can’t believe my little sister is getting married, but Owen is a good guy.”

  “Soon to be your turn, right?”

  “No, I like being a bachelor.”

  “How do you like being a dog owner? I heard you took Ozzie.”

  “I love it. After growing up with Danes, I missed having one of my own. He’s such a goofy little guy, but we’re muddling along. Puppies are so rambunctious and he was having a bit of trouble navigating my hardwood floors doing a lot slipping and sliding, so I used surf wax on his paws. It’s helped.”

  “That’s great,” she giggled. “I love that.”

  Ian went off to talk to Callie and when she saw Caleb glance at her again, she mouthed, I love you.