One Bark And Stormy Prom Night (Happy Tails Dog Walking Mysteries Book 3)

by Stella St. Claire

  “What? You said you wanted to work out!”

  With some grunting and a bit of swearing, the two women got the case out of the shop and onto the sidewalk. Gasping for breath, Olivia stepped back and looked at Jackie’s handwork. The glittery pink sign was over the top, but it was cute—perfect for prom.

  “Thanks for the help,” Jackie said, wiping a hand across her brow. She eyed her dog-walking friend. “Are you going to offer anything special?”

  Olivia chuckled. “Like what? Doggie speed dating? No, I don’t think that I need to romanticize dog walking.” She took a deep breath and let it out again. “I should get back. Enjoy your date tonight, but—just be careful. I know Brett is hot, but Brett also knows that Brett is hot.”

  “Would you stop worrying so much? I am a grown woman, and I know exactly what I’m doing. I’ll call you when it’s over and see if you still want company.”

  “No.” Olivia held up her hand. “I appreciate the offer, but I don’t want you to rearrange your schedule for me. Besides, you never know. The date might run long. Like, all night long.”

  Jackie flushed with embarrassment, and Olivia laughed softly as she grabbed Snowball’s leash and headed to Happy Endings.

  Heading around to the back entrance of the three-story townhouse, Olivia unleashed Snowball at the bottom of the back private entrance. The dog did his business before dutifully heading up the back stairs to her doggy daycare space. When they’d first bought the three-story brownstone, Olivia had worried that her doggy daycare and walking business might turn off the bakery customers, but quite a few customers liked to sneak out back and watch the pups play, while they enjoyed their muffins and coffee.

  Once Snowball was settled, Olivia jogged down the front stairway that had been gated off when she’d opened the daycare, and inhaled all the delicious aromas from the bakery. Coffee, scones, cookies, muffins. They delighted her senses and made her stomach tumble.

  Janelle looked up as Olivia tried to slip into the back and steal something yummy. “Hey.” The sun shone through the large windows and spread over the cheery room. It was slow in the bakery, and Janelle was decorating the seating area with balloons and candles.

  Janelle and Olivia looked remarkably alike, with the same dark hair and olive skin. While Olivia usually pulled her long hair back in a ponytail, her older sister kept hers in a short and flippy style. Janelle was much more fashionable outside of work, but in the bakery, she wore her trusty white chef’s coat, which now, as usual, was coated in flour.

  “Whoa,” Olivia muttered. “Are you trying to replicate your prom night?”

  Her sister straightened at the top of the ladder and frowned. “What? You don’t like it?”

  “It looks . . .” cheesy. “Great! Janelle, you don’t serve full meals here. What kind of special are you running?”

  Janelle wiped some of the flour from her cheek. “We’re going to have a small table of sweets at the town square during the community dance, but some people are going to want to relax and sit down. I want the prom theme to spill into the store so couples can enjoy their cannoli with candlelight and romance.”

  “And lots and lots of balloons. Janelle, these are all going to deflate in a couple of days. Are you going to keep blowing up more between now and then?”

  Climbing down from the ladder, her sister smiled as she looked around. “If that’s what I have to do. I love prom season. The whole town is just all about romance and love. It’s beautiful.”

  Sure, unless a girl was newly single. Then it was revolting. “Have fun with that. Jackie said that you were looking for me?”

  “I am. I brought back the paperwork from the town meeting for business.” She fixed her sister with a pointed stare. “The one that you decided not to attend.”

  “It’s not like I didn’t attend it on purpose,” Olivia protested, although she didn’t point out that she didn’t lose any sleep over not going. Those meetings were always such a bore. “I had dogs to walk.”

  Janelle sighed. “I know, but owning a building is far different from renting one. Our property tax is high, and I think we should try to fill those two vacant apartments above your office by August so we can get the tax break.”

  “What?” Olivia groaned in frustration. “The apartments aren’t finished. All we did was install the plumbing. We need more walls and drywall and paint and carpet. We didn’t budget for that.”

  “I know, but we used more money than expected to renovate the space for you, and if we don’t start renting fast, we’re not going to pull a profit this year, and I don’t want those loans hanging over our head. Besides, the income that we’ll make from rent will more than make up for it. Is there anyone that you know who’s looking for a place to live? Preferably someone who is good with their hands and might want to chip in?” Jackie gave her a pleading look, and Olivia averted her gaze.

  “No,” she lied. “But I’ll keep an eye on it.” As she hurried up the stairs, she tried not to think about Andrew. They’d just signed a new lease together on the house, and now that they were no longer together, Andrew had moved out. It was hard enough dealing with his absence, but there was no way she was going to offer the space above her office to her ex-fiancé.

  The sight at the top of the stairs stopped her cold. Tanya was leaning against the desk with her arms around someone in a high school football uniform. It was obvious from the way that their lips were still locked that the teen hadn’t heard her boss come in.

  Was this going to be her life for the next couple of weeks? Romance and couples around every corner? Clearing her throat, Olivia raised her eyebrows as the young couple broke apart.

  “Olivia!” Tanya gasped. “I didn’t realize that you were coming back so early!”

  “Actually, I’m late. Do you always have your boyfriend over when I’m not here?”

  “No! Oh gosh, no! This is James. He was just picking me up so we can go out.” Tanya blushed as she tried to straighten her hair and clothes.

  Olivia frowned. “He’s taking you out in his football uniform?”

  “Yes. There’s a party for the football team at End Game tonight.”

  “Uh-huh. All right, well—go on, and have fun.” Olivia waved her hands and bit her bottom lip as the teen squealed in excitement and grabbed her grinning boyfriend’s hand. They raced from the office, and Olivia wrapped her arms around her body as she listened to the two of them thunder down the stairs. A cold and wet nose made its way under her shirt, and she reached down to scratch Goodwin’s nose. He whined and pressed his body against her.

  “I’m okay,” she whispered. “We’re going to be okay.”

  2

  The next morning, Olivia dragged herself out of bed and stumbled to the bathroom. Turning on the lights, she winced. She looked like absolute crap. The dark circles under her eyes were getting worse, and there was barely any color left in her cheeks. Her normally lustrous hair hung limp around face, and her tank top was stained from the spaghetti that she’d eaten in bed last night.

  “Olivia,” she grumbled. “What is wrong with you?” Embarrassed by her reflection, she ran some cold water and splashed it on her face. She might be many things, but this was the first time that she’d ever been pathetic.

  With a shuddering breath, she pushed herself away from the sink. She showered, toweled off, and put on her usual bit of makeup. When she reached for her normal hair band, something made her stop.

  Many things had changed in Olivia’s life. Jobs. Addresses. Men. Through it all, she’d always remained relatively the same. Her breakup with Andrew was different, though. It shook her to the core.

  It made her a little angry.

  Narrowing her eyes, she reached for her hairbrush and dryer instead. She wasn’t going to be the woman who wallowed around, pining after her boyfriend.

  So the whole town knew that her engagement was over. Most of them had placed bets on whether it was going to work out or not. That alone should tell her something.

/>   Maybe it was time for a change.

  Olivia had always been a last-minute kind of woman so the extra pampering made her late, but by the time she checked her reflection again, it was like looking at a whole new woman. Her long hair fell in waves past her shoulders and gleamed under the lights. A little blush added some color to her cheeks, and—after about three different tries—she’d managed to get her eyeliner just right.

  Instead of her usual yoga pants and t-shirt, she wore a pair of jeans and a dark red halter top. The only thing that stopped her from reaching for her kitten heels was the fact that she had dogs to walk. Still, the tennis shoes worked with the outfit.

  There was no time for breakfast, but that was okay. She leashed the dogs and grabbed a banana. “Boys, we’ve got to make a pit stop on the way to the office. You guys wanna go to Rich Eats? Huh?”

  The dogs barked in excitement. Since opening Wagging Tails, her dog-walking and dog-sitting business, Olivia’d had an unofficial partnership with Rich Eats, one of the premium dog-food businesses in town. The owner Kimberly’s dog food was a top seller for Olivia. Rich Eats used only natural ingredients in their dry and wet food and was a huge hit with the pups.

  The first stop was to drop Snowball off at his house. His family was due back by the afternoon, and their little girl was dying to put her arms around her dog, so they wanted him waiting at home to greet them when they pulled in. After filling his water bowl and giving him a kiss on the head, she headed back out to Rich Eats.

  The small warehouse sat just on the edge of town. Olivia sighed to see a small line waiting in the store attached to the warehouse, then mentally kicked herself. Inconvenient as a line might be, it was good for Kimberly. It meant that she and her business would be sticking around.

  Some of the other clients had also brought their dogs, so Goodwin and Fender busied themselves with sniffing and playing. Olivia texted Janelle to ask her to keep an eye on the office since she was running late. She had no dogs scheduled for the daycare that morning, but that didn’t mean that she wouldn’t get some walk-ins.

  A loud voice distracted her. “Don’t tell me to leave! I want answers!” An older woman, busty and bottle-blonde, leaned over the counter, and for a moment, Olivia thought she was going to strangle the poor woman at the register. “You’re going to tell me where Kimberly is today!”

  “Looks like Deedee isn’t handling the competition well,” the woman behind Olivia whispered.

  Olivia frowned over her shoulder. The pretty, petite woman was Elspeth, Tanya’s mother. “Deedee?”

  Elspeth nodded. “Deedee Espouse of Espouse Eats?”

  Espouse Eats was the other dog-food company in town. Olivia had always been a fan of Rich Eats so she’d never tried anything else, but she was familiar with the brand. “What’s she doing here?”

  Deedee answered the question for her as her voice rose a few more notches. “Admit it! Kimberly is donating food to puppy mills!”

  The cashier’s eyes widened. “What? No. That is not what I said!”

  “You don’t have to say it! I already know it’s true. I just need to find proof. She won’t get away with this!” With a final shriek, Deedee whipped her hair around in dramatic fashion and marched from the store.

  Everyone watched her departure in stunned silence.

  Finally, the cashier cleared her throat. “Next.”

  The line moved forward, and Olivia smiled at Elspeth. “I met Tanya’s boyfriend yesterday. A jock!”

  “Yes, well, James is a nice boy, but you know how high school romance is.”

  Normally Elspeth chatted a mile a minute about her daughter, but today she didn’t offer any more information.

  Olivia struggled to keep the conversation going. “Sure, I remember high school. Felt like every little issue was the end of the world, but Tanya is smart and mature. You did a good job with her.”

  The older woman looked flustered. “Oh. Thanks.”

  “What are you doing here? Tanya said that you guys didn’t have a dog.”

  “We don’t. I’m just here to see Kimberly. Her business is one of the prom sponsors.”

  “That’s right. You’re heading up the prom committee. I remember Tanya telling me that—after she spent about an hour telling me that she’s in the running to be prom queen. It’s getting really hard to escape prom.”

  Elspeth frowned. “What was that, dear?”

  “Oh, nothing. Who doesn’t love prom season at Lexingburg? Kids getting all dressed up and pretending to be adults, and adults dressing up and reliving their youth. In any case, I think you’re out of luck. Unless she’s hiding from Deedee, it looks like Kimberly isn’t in today.”

  “I’m sure she’s just hiding from Deedee,” Elspeth said with a tight smile.

  The line moved up, and Elspeth and Olivia stepped up to the counter. “I’m here to pick up the order for Wagging Tails, and she’s here to see Kimberly.”

  “Olivia, right? I’m Lydia. I just love your sister’s bakery. Mrs. Rottingham, I’m so sorry, but Kimberly isn’t in today.”

  “What?” Elspeth’s head snapped up. “I thought you were just saying that to get rid of Deedee.”

  Lydia shuddered. “Yeah, she was scary, but the truth is, I don’t know where Kimberly is. She didn’t tell me that she wasn’t going to be here today, and I had to unlock the storefront myself.”

  Silently, Olivia watched the blood drain from Elspeth’s face. What in the world was going on? “So you haven’t spoken to her? Maybe she’s just sick.”

  “Maybe. Is there a message that you want me to give her?”

  When Elspeth didn’t say anything, Olivia cleared her throat. “Are you okay? I’m sure Kimberly is fine.”

  “You’re right.” Elspeth blew out her breath. “It’s just that Kimberly was supposed to interview photographers this morning. The one we normally use moved. I guess I’m just a little stressed out. We’re a bit shorthanded when it comes to volunteers, and I just want this year to be perfect for Tanya. Lydia, if you could just let Kimberly know that I’m looking for her, that would be great.”

  “Sure thing, Mrs. Rottingham!”

  Olivia was suddenly struck with an idea. If she was turning over a new leaf, maybe it was time to really get into the spirit of things. “Elspeth, with Tanya helping me out at the office, I have more free time now. If you’d like some help with prom, please let me know!”

  Tanya’s mother nodded distractedly. “That’d be great, Olivia, thanks. I have to go. Things to do and all that.”

  As Olivia watched Elspeth hurry from the store, Lydia rang up her order and gave her a slip of paper. “Just drive around to the pick-up dock, and the boys will load your car!”

  “Sure thing. Thanks! Fender. Goodwin. Let’s go!” She corralled the two dogs back into her Wrangler and pulled around. Two burly men hefted ten large bags of dry dog food and five boxes of canned food into her cargo section.

  Twenty minutes later she was parked on the curb outside of the brownstone and loading the food inside while the dogs ran around in the yard. Janelle popped her head from behind the counter and stared at her as she propped one bag on her shoulder and gripped the leashes with the other. “Olivia? Is that you?”

  “What? Is there something wrong with your eyes?” Olivia grunted and climbed the stairs. “If you’ve got a second, can you help me with the rest of the load?”

  The office of Happy Tails was really coming along. They’d made a private entrance in the back with a fenced-in yard and knocked out one of the interior walls to make extra space for a daycare. All of the dog beds and pillows were in black and white, and she had several lime green decorative items. The local elementary school students had drawn pictures of dogs for her to hang on the wall, and several business owners had provided coupons for their services for her clients. A few potted plants, some coats of paint, and several funny and dog-friendly signs later, the place looked amazing.

  Setting the bag down, Olivia turned and saw Janell
e staring at her, empty-handed, from the top of the stairs. “Really? You couldn’t even bring one bag up with you?”

  “Sweetheart.” Janelle launched herself toward her and wrapped her in her arms. “I know you don’t want to talk about Andrew, but it’s not good if you keep everything bottled up.”

  Frozen and confused, Olivia endured the rare hug. “Thanks?”

  “The makeup. The outfit. The hair. Oh, Olivia, you don’t have to change. We all love you just the way you are, and Andrew can just go . . .”

  “Whoa!” Olivia reached up and slapped a hand over her sister’s mouth. “I love the sisterly loyalty here, but this is a PG town. Anyway, I don’t see what all the fuss is about. So I wore something different and left my hair down. Change is good.”

  “So this isn’t about Andrew?”

  Olivia smirked. “Well, if Andrew sees me and instantly regrets walking away, then I won’t be sad about it, but I think it’s time for a change. And I’m doing that for me. I even agreed to help plan the prom. And by me, I mean you, me, and Jackie, ‘cause I’m not doing this alone.”

  She hurried down the stairs to her jeep, and Janelle followed, protesting. “What? No. Olivia, I don’t have time to plan prom. One of my employees just quit, I’m working on a line of dog treats, and I barely get to see my husband.”

  Olivia stopped short and whirled around. “You’re going to do the dog treats? Really?” Ever since Happy Tails had opened, Olivia had been begging Janelle to come up with some dog treats. It made perfect sense, and it would help both of their businesses.

  “Of course. I know I wasn’t receptive to the idea at first, but I want to be supportive.”

  Really? Janelle was almost never supportive of her plans. She was just about to ask what had changed when she realized that she already knew what was different. Olivia had asked her sister to bake a line of dog treats right after she and Andrew had broken up.

  Janelle was coddling her!

  “But I don’t know about this prom-planning thing, Olivia.” Janelle grabbed a bag of dog food and hoisted it over her shoulder.