Best (Change Series Book 3)

by Melanie Jayne

  “What?” This time my tone was kinder.

  “I wanted to enjoy the after-vibe. I’m kind of floating.” Her smile was blissful.

  Well, fuck me. I shook my head, and then ran my hand through my hair. “That good, huh?”

  “Dumbass.” She gave me a goofy smile as she murmured the word.

  I started to move the covers, and when I’d pulled them as far back as I could, I lightly slapped her thigh. “You think you can move enough to climb under the covers, or will that fuck up your roll?”

  She still had that stoned smiled on her face. “I can move.”

  I had to help her, but I got us both under the covers.

  Billie scooted closer to me.

  I wrapped my arm over her.

  “Thank you, Tye,” she said sleepily.

  “I love you baby.” I kissed the spot where her neck met her shoulder.

  “Love you, too.”

  She was silent so long, I thought she’d fallen asleep, but then I heard, “Jesus, you rocked my world.”

  I fell asleep with a smile on my face.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Tye

  “Are you going to tell me where we’re going?”

  I cast a sideways glance. Billie’s nervous energy had her bouncing her knee so hard that her tits jiggled.

  “Nope.” I couldn’t help smiling. I’d had no idea that a surprise would make her so happy.

  “Come on Tye, please?”

  I laughed. She was so cute dressed in jeans, a shirt with a snowman on the front, and a black, North Face jacket. I’d told her to dress casually when I’d stopped by her desk to see if she could leave early this afternoon.

  We’d made a quick stop at the apartment to change, and now we were heading to one of the area’s animal shelters. At the Bar’s holiday party, Charlotte Grambling had mentioned she volunteered there, so I asked her to keep an eye out for a big dog.

  Since the day in the therapist’s office, Billie hadn’t talked again about getting a dog, but I hadn’t missed the wistful looks she gave other people who were out with their dogs. I wanted to please her, but I also liked the idea that a large canine might cause a reporter to pause before approaching.

  “Tye?” She had turned towards me and was giving me a pleading look.

  I wanted to do this. Things were going great between us. Being with Billie was easy. She gave me space, and I did the same for her. It was the week before Christmas, and I was almost finished with my shopping. We’d been through a whirlwind of parties, and were in the final stages of planning for the New Year’s Eve bash while preparing for our first Christmas together.

  “Give it one minute, and then I think you’ll figure it out.”

  I signaled to turn into the shelter’s drive, and I heard her sharp intake of breath.

  “Do you mean it, honey?” She settled in her seat with the most content look on her face.

  I found a spot and parked. “Here’s the deal. Ian Grambling’s wife volunteers here, and she says there’s a huge dog that needs a home.”

  Her eyes sparkled with excitement.

  “She’s going to introduce us, and if you like the dog, then…” I realized I didn’t even know the dog’s sex or breed.

  “I’m going to get a dog?” Her excitement was infectious.

  “You told me that was what I could give you. So, here we are.” I enjoyed giving gifts, and I was getting a contact buzz from Billie’s enthusiasm.

  “Well then, let’s go in.” She took off her seatbelt and opened her door.

  Charlotte showed us to a room and said she would return with Buster, an English mastiff.

  Billie was beside herself, rising and falling on the balls of her feet.

  “We’ll have to Google it,” she said. “We’ll need to know everything about the breed.”

  “Okay.” I chuckled, having fun just watching Billie’s changing expressions. Her eyes were wide. She bit her lip then grinned. Her cheeks were pink. I could see she was nearly giddy with delight.

  The door opened, and Charlotte led in a small pony with a huge head.

  My mouth opened, shocked by the dog’s size.

  Billie immediately dropped to her knees. “Oh, aren’t you a handsome boy.” She patted her thighs, and the dog moved toward her.

  He dropped his head over her shoulder as she wrapped her arms around his huge chest.

  I took a couple of pictures with my phone. Billie didn’t even notice as she scratched and rubbed the huge animal until he groaned in ecstasy.

  Charlotte closed the door. She then walked closer to me. “They seem to like one another,” she was fighting a chuckle.

  “He’s adorable,” Billie said, glancing over her shoulder at us.

  I wouldn’t have chosen that particular adjective, but I agreed because she was so happy. “Sure, I was just going to say that.”

  She turned back to the dog. “Tye’s probably a little jealous, now that he has competition in the looks department.” She scratched him behind the ears.

  “Buster’s just a little over two years old, neutered and healthy. His family surrendered him because they were moving to a place that didn’t allow dogs. He’s described as having an even temperament—and as you can see, he’s a lover.”

  Buster took the opportunity to drop to the ground. He let out a huge sigh.

  “He’s going to fill out some more,” Charlotte warned.

  I eyed the huge animal dubiously. He’d need his own room. Hell, by the time he finished “filling out,” he might need his own zip code. I knelt down beside Billie and ran my hand down the dog’s back. I swear he gave me a smile. “So, how much does he weigh now?”

  “Uh...” Charlotte flipped through the pages on the clipboard she was holding. “One seventy-eight.”

  “You are a big boy, aren’t you?” Billie cooed.

  I gave Charlotte a nod. Buster would be joining our family.

  “I love him, Tye,” Billie told me softly.

  “Then let’s take him home.”

  “I’d really, really like that.” She leaned into me and kissed my cheek.

  Charlotte shuffled through some papers. “I’ll start the paperwork. I would take Buster back to his pen but…”

  Billie stopped petting the dog and frowned at Charlotte. “Is there a problem?”

  Charlotte leaned against the wall and dropped the clipboard to the small table beside her. “We’re at capacity, so Buster and another dog have shared a pen since he came to us ten days ago. It was really hard on them at first. They miss their families, and I think…on some level...they know they’ve been abandoned.”

  Billie leaned over Buster and whispered. “You poor baby.”

  “So Buster shared a pen with a Golden Retriever named Amy.” Charlotte crossed her arms over her chest.

  “You going to miss your friend?” Billie stroked the dog’s giant head.

  It took me a minute to realize clever Charlotte was working on Billie’s soft side. I rolled my eyes.

  “Amy’s been with us for a long time. She’s four and on the small side.”

  Something in Charlotte’s tone caught my attention. “When you say a long time, what do you mean?”

  Charlotte’s expression was grim. “I mean too long. She has three days to be claimed...”

  Billie’s eyes filled with tears. “You mean that she’s gonna be…”

  I stood. “Go get the dog,” I directed, probably a little more sharply than I’d intended, but I didn’t like seeing Billie upset. Hell, I was getting worked up.

  “Two dogs are a lot of responsibility...” Charlotte paused at the door.

  I glanced at Billie for verification.

  She mouthed, Please?

  I turned to Charlotte. “Two adults, two dogs. We can handle it,” I assured her.

  Charlotte left on her mission, and Billie held out her hand for me to pull her to her feet. “Thank you.”

  “It looks like I’m going to have buy a shit-ton of fo
od already. What’s a little more?” Besides, I didn’t like the idea of Buster leaving his friend behind.

  “You’re a good man, Tyler Burke.”

  “Yeah, remember that when I’m bitchin’ about picking up their shit, because I bet they make a lot of it.” I grumbled, but I was grinning.

  “Two doggies,” she marveled.

  “I figure it’s another step for us. We practice on dogs, and if they survive, then we’ll talk about a kid.”

  Billie wrapped her arms around my waist and melted against me. “So, you have it all planned out, huh?”

  “I’ll let you have some input,” I teased.

  “Aren’t you generous…”

  I dropped a kiss onto her head. “Love you.”

  “Every day I find that I love you more,” she said against my chest.

  The nameplate on his messy metal desk read “Wallace Van Dunn,” and he was the epitome of pencil-necked bureaucrat. I’d run into many of these types in the various clerk’s offices throughout the counties where I practiced. They possessed a sense of inflated self-importance and enjoyed making every process as difficult as possible. I knew we were in trouble when Charlotte whispered an apology and stated that the Director was in a meeting offsite.

  The little man droned on. “So, as you can see Ms. James, our rules clearly state that prospective owners must have a fenced-in yard and pass our background check.” He pointed to some print on page three of the contract.

  Billie crossed one leg over the other and spoke first. “And Mr. Van Dunn, I’m sure the fencing rule would come into play, except that in both Buster’s and Amy’s files, it clearly states they have lived in a pen inside your facility and were let outside to exercise three times a day.”

  “We’re a shelter. We can hardly provide optimal living conditions,” he said slowly as though he thought she wasn’t very bright.

  I began to lean forward to put the weasely man in his place, but Billie dug her fingers into my arm.

  “Charlotte said you’re at capacity, and that Amy is scheduled for termination in a few days. We’re here today, willing to adopt two of your dogs and give them a great home.” She smiled sweetly.

  “But you currently live in an apartment,” he sneered, pointing at the address line of her application.

  “In a large apartment, close to a park. We’ve provided an email from the owner of the building that says we can have the dogs.” Billie wasn’t backing down. I was fascinated watching her argue. She didn’t turn snippy or give an inch. I liked it—a lot.

  “The email says dog, singular.”

  I thought I should enter the conversation here. “I can get Mr. Forde on the phone to clarify that point.” I pulled my phone from my jacket pocket and held it up. “Shall I?”

  Mr. Van Dunn’s lips were a thin line. “That does not take care of the lack of a fenced in yard issue.”

  Billie shifted, sitting taller in her chair. “Oh, for God’s sake.” She pulled out her phone. “Here, I can pull up my bank accounts.” She tapped away on her smart phone. “As you can see, I can afford to buy a house with a fenced-in yard. Hell, I can probably cover two fences.” She held out her phone to the man behind the desk.

  He leaned back in his chair, not looking at her phone. “Ms. James, that is unnecessary.”

  But Billie was on a roll. “And this guy,” she pointed at me with her thumb, “he can probably buy a fencing company and maybe a manufacturer. Google him, I mean he just won a national award. Our picture was in the paper.”

  “Still the answer is no,” he said.

  “And I’m not giving up. Charlotte,” Billie turned in her chair to look at the volunteer. “I want you to listen closely to what I have to say.”

  Charlotte looked like she wanted to grin, but she answered coolly, “Go ahead, Billie. I’m paying attention.”

  Billie turned back to Mr. Van Dunn and gave him an evil smile that I’d never seen her use.

  I felt my cock stir. God, she was amazing.

  “When Tye and I leave here, without Buster and Amy, I’m going to call the nice reporter from, uh...” She glanced at me. “Which channel was it, Tye?”

  “Channel Six, and I know somebody at two other local stations—and the Indianapolis Star,” I provided calmly.

  She winked at me.

  I nearly laughed. She was enjoying this.

  “We’re going to call the local media and tell them our story. Tye is like a rock star around here, and I grew up around the entertainment industry, Mr. Van Dunn. I will give a killer sound bite. I might even cry.” She paused dramatically. “How will it look that you won’t work with two people during the holidays, who want to adopt two hard-to-place dogs?” She blinked a few times, and when she spoke again, her voice sounded like she was fighting back tears. “One of those sweet puppies is on borrowed time, awaiting termination, and we just want to give her a forever home.”

  I glanced at Mr. Van Dunn, and he didn’t look so confident anymore.

  Billie’s voice was once again strong. “So, please tell your director this: I expect a call in three hours, telling us we can pick up our new babies in the morning, or I promise you, we will be all over the news by tomorrow afternoon.” She stood and started her exit.

  I was right behind her.

  At the door she turned. “Three hours, Wally, and you’d better pray you keep your job when I’m done with this.”

  I wanted to applaud, but instead placed my hand at the small of her back as we walked down the hallway.

  In the parking lot, I used my remote to unlock the SUV for Billie who was strutting with authority ahead of me. I glanced at Charlotte, who had followed us out.

  She was watching Billie with a huge smile on her face. “I like her.”

  I returned her smile. “She wants those dogs.”

  “I’ll make sure that Gavin, the Director, gets an earful.”

  “Thanks, Charlotte, for everything.”

  “I’ll have my husband give you a call. Let’s plan dinner soon,” Charlotte said.

  “Sounds good.”

  “Wally, you’d better pray you keep your job...” Billie was sitting on the floor next to Buster, recounting our experience.

  We’d invited over the Alessis and the Fordes to meet our dogs. So far, everyone was on their best behavior. The dogs had given our friends cursory sniffs, but were curious each time the little girls made a noise. Lucy giggled when Buster nuzzled her feet, and Livy was fascinated by Amy, watching her closely, even as the dog dozed.

  “So, where do they sleep?” Zoe was tucked under Tony’s arm.

  “In front of our bedroom door or the front door,” I answered.

  “Guard dogs?” Forde was looking at the Mastiff.

  I looked at Buster, who at the moment was sprawled with his tongue hanging out of the side of his mouth as Billie scratched his ribs. “I’m not sure.”

  “Well, I am,” Billie said. “Buster isn’t going to let anything happen to me, and Amy’s attached to Tye.” She looked at the dog who was the color of wheat on a sunny day sleeping on top of my feet.

  “She goes out running with me,” I said, smiling sheepishly.

  Layla laughed. “You’re so domesticated.”

  “Are you going to take them to work?” Zoe looked at Billie and then Forde.

  Billie arched a brow. There was a devilish twinkle in her eyes. “I don’t know. I haven’t asked my boss…yet.”

  Forde eyed Buster and winced. His gaze swung to me. “Why don’t you take them in?”

  I pretended to seriously consider it. “I don’t know. I’m in and out so much, I’m not sure about asking my staff to watch a dog while I’m in court.” I glanced at Billie who gave me a wink. I let Forde off the hook. “I’m thinking that if you,” glancing at Layla, “wouldn’t mind checking on them a couple of times tomorrow morning to make sure they aren’t barking nonstop, then they can just stay here. One or both of us can come back at lunch time and take them out. If they aren’t
happy with that plan then we’ll check into doggie daycare. ”

  Layla nodded. “Maybe Lucy and I will join you on your lunchtime walk—if it isn’t too cold.”

  “That would be nice,” Billie said. “See? It’s all going to work out.”

  “I was just wondering, how much does a fence manufacturing business cost, Billie?” Tony teased.

  She leaned back on her elbows. She looked so happy and relaxed. I wanted to whip out my phone and snap a picture.

  “I have no idea,” she admitted, “but I was frustrated and that little man was being a dick.”

  Layla’s mouth twisted. “I hate to bring this up, but I was wondering... Has there been any fallout from the photo in the paper? You looked great, but someone might have recognized you.”

  Billie shook her head as I answered. “I think it helped that she only used her first name.”

  “The photo was awesome,” Zoe said.

  We’d been approached at the Boys and Girls Club fundraiser. Billy had looked sexy in a wrap dress with a fringe hem from Dolce & Gabbana. The fabric’s pattern had been made of splotches of navy, burgundy and a deep purple. She’d worn ankle-length, black lace-up booties and lots of bracelets. I’d gone with a dark charcoal suit with a shirt and no tie, and my hair loose. We’d looked like one of those cool couples from the early seventies, but without the vacant, drug-fueled stare.

  “I’ve talked to the organizer for my party, and she assures me she’ll only use her first name,” I said.

  “Is this wise?” Forde looked skeptical. “Doing a media kit, giving them access to any information.”

  “It’s okay, really.” Billie shifted and sat up straight. “I don’t want to keep hiding.” She looked resigned, her relaxed glow had vanished. “Look, I’m going to have to deal with my mother, and it’s just a matter of time before somebody connects the dots.”

  “B, you don’t have to do it now,” I said. “We can keep a lid on this.”

  She spoke directly to me, like it was just the two of us in the room. “You’re in the news all the time, Tye. You do good things for the city, and I mean, we’re going to D.C. for your award. I don’t want to hold you back.”

  “Baby, this is about you, okay? We do this on your timeline.”