by Jordan Marie
Who could blame him?
Black hasn’t returned my text and I’m sad. This is his damn dog and he can’t be bothered to check on him. How can anyone not care about such a cute little animal? I still can’t believe he has a Chihuahua. I mean, not that there’s anything wrong with that I guess. I just figured he’d have a German Shepherd, Great Dane… something.
“Are you there, Addie?”
“Sorry, Daddy, I was just thinking,
“About that Lucas boy,” he grumbles.
“Dad—”
“Don’t, daddy me, Addie-girl. I don’t like that he put the moves on my baby.”
“It’s not like he knew you were my dad. If anything, I get the feeling that’s something else to make me not appealing to him.”
“Then he’s a fool,” Dad grumbles.
I look down at the dog and sigh, sadly.
“I can’t really argue with that. Quit worrying about me. Get back to your dinner. I’m fine.”
“Okay, you call me if you need me. Bye sweetheart.”
“Bye, Daddy.”
I hang up the phone, shaking my head. I have to snap myself out of it. I’m worrying him—and that’s the last thing I want. We’re just now learning each other again. That’s what I should be focused on.
Not Black Lucas.
I jerk, causing Kong to complain, when I hear the doorbell. I put him down against the arm of the sofa and walk to the door. My heart pounds erratically when I look through the side glass panel of my door and see Black.
An angry looking Black.
I step back, close my eyes and prepare myself for another round with the man. I know I was an idiot and deserve a little of his wrath, but I was hoping he’d be rational. Anyone could have made the mistake I did.
“Hello,” I answer, unsure of what exactly to say.
“You stole my dog,” he says. That’s it. There’s anger on his face, but his voice is just stoic—no emotion whatsoever.
“I didn’t steal him,” I deny. As if on cue Kong jumps down off the couch and I hear his little feet running on the tiled floor. As he gets to me he’s growling like he’s going to tear Black up.
For such a little dog he sure can sound vicious.
“Then what do you call that?” Black asks, his face steeped with annoyance.
“The dog your mother gave me.”
“I don’t see how she could give you my dog. It’s mine. I’m the only one that can do that.”
“Whatever. Come inside and I’ll get his things and you can have him back.”
I walk away from the door, so frustrated I could scream. He’s being such an asshole. He’s not even giving me the chance to apologize and now I really don’t want to. If this is the real him, I’m better getting him out of my life now.
Kong is keeping beside me, growling at Black with every breath. I feel sorry for the poor thing—he obviously hates Black too.
“This is more like it,” Black says. I turn around to see him looking over the main room of Dad’s house.
“What is?”
“Living in wealth. It suits you much more than being a gardener,” he shrugs.
“Landscaper,” I correct. “And this is my father’s house—not mine.”
“Whatever, I hear you’ve been living overseas. You’ve obviously been living off of Daddy’s money.”
“Wow. I can see you have a high opinion of me.”
“If the diamond tiara fits…” he shrugs.
“I know what I’d like to fit up your ass.”
I mutter the words under my breath as I turn around. There’s no point in engaging the asshole. That’s probably exactly what he wants.
“What did you say?” he demands, but I ignore him.
Instead, I finish getting the new dog bowl and puppy bed I bought for Kong. Then I walk into the kitchen and get the dog food I bought. I wanted to get him the healthier food that’s made from real ingredients. It seemed wrong not to. I begin sacking it all up and I hear Kong whimpering. I look down and he’s sitting down looking up at me with the most pitiful look I’ve ever seen in my life. My heart almost breaks. I bend down to scoop the little guy up, pulling him to my chest. He burrows into my neck whimpering.
“Poor little baby,” I coo, helpless to know what will make this situation better.
“What’s all this stuff?” Black asks, looking at the food on the counter.
I cringe. I went a little overboard. There’s enough food on my counter to feed probably three dogs for a good month.
“Well—”
“There’s no way my mom went out and bought all of this,” Black says picking up some of the cans and reading them.
“Well, no. But, I didn’t know what his tastes were. I wanted to get him some healthy food. So, I bought a variety until I figured out what he liked best,” I try to explain. Really, it’s hard to explain why I spent a hundred bucks on dog food for a dog that technically isn’t even mine.
“This isn’t a variety, it’s…. Did you buy out the whole damn pet store?”
“What? Of course not!” I deny, ignoring the fact that I did buy all of one particular brand—or at least all that was on the shelf. I’m sure they had more in the back.
“It sure as hell looks like it.”
“Whatever,” I mumble—which might become my favorite word around Black…not that I’ll be around him after he gets his dog. “You don’t have to worry about it, it’s not like you have to buy it.”
“I will if he runs out, you’ve obviously got him used to this fancy crap.”
“I have not!”
Maybe I have a little—but I’m not admitting that to Black at all.
“And he won’t stop growling at me!” Black mumbles. “You’ve obviously done something to him.”
Okay, so it’s true that he’s growled at Black the entire time. He’s even growling at him now. Of course Kong’s head is on my shoulder and his body is mostly hidden by my hair—but he’s still growling.
“I think the problem is he just doesn’t like you.”
“He’s my dog, why wouldn’t he like me?” Black asks, still looking at all of the food on the counter.
“Maybe because you gripe and complain every time you’re around him.”
“Maybe you think that because I’m always yelling at you when I’m with the dog—mostly because you drive me insane.”
I frown, because he probably has a point.
“I don’t know why. I’ve done nothing to you.”
“Except bitch me out and slap me for no reason—in front of the entire department, I might add.”
“You just did,” I mutter.
“Just did what?”
“Add it.”
“Add what?” Black asks.
“Add that I slapped you in front of the whole department. You don’t say you might add, when you clearly already added the words in the first place.”
He stares at me blankly for a minute and then shakes his head.
“You’re clearly unbalanced. I have a knack for picking out women like you.”
“Women… Listen here! You didn’t pick me out. I don’t have a thing to do with you,” I yell, causing Kong to get scared and put his little body in reverse. He tries to jump down my back, his sharp little claws digging into my skin. “Ow!” I cry, because damn it, it hurts. I curl trying to get Kong, but I can’t reach him and I can’t help but whimper every time he grinds his nails into my skin.
“Shit,” I hear Black growl. “Why do I always attract the clearly deranged women? Why can’t my dick find a nice normal woman it goes crazy over?”
If I wasn’t trying to bend in half to get Kong off of me, I’d probably try and kill Black at this point. Instead, I’m almost thankful when he lifts Kong off of me. I turn back around in time to see him bending down to let the dog go. Kong plants his teeth into Black’s hand almost immediately.
“Fucking hell!”
Black screams the words, loud enough that dad’s neighbors
next door probably hear him.
“Hush!” I reprimand. “You’re scaring him.”
Black ignores me, dropping the dog immediately—luckily it was just a couple feet to the ground. The minute Kong’s little feet hit the floor he takes off out of the room. I watch as he runs straight under the couch.
“Damn thing broke skin. We’ll have to have him tested for rabies!”
“Oh we will not. Here, let me see,” I respond, reaching for Black’s hand.
“How do you know?”
“For one, he has a rabies tag on his little collar, but you should know that. He is supposed to be your dog.”
“A woman shouldn’t mess with a man’s dog. That’s sacred,” Black grumbles and his voice sounds different. He’s hurt—clearly upset and I feel bad. I didn’t realize he’d think I was keeping his dog away from him.
“I’m sorry. I’ll help you get him and you can take him home—”
“I don’t want that damn mutt,” Black growls and I stand up, my back going straight.
“But he’s your dog—”
“He’s nothing to me. I hate him. You keep him,” he mutters and he turns away from me, heading towards the door.
“But, you came all the way over here to get him. You can—”
“I said I don’t want the damn dog. You and him just stay out of my way. I don’t need your kind of crazy back in my life.”
I blink. I have no idea what to say to that. So I just let him go.
Minutes after the door slams, I’m still staring at the door. Kong finally comes out from under the sofa and I bend down to get him and hold him close to me, soothing his little body which is still kind of shaking.
“Your daddy is a very strange man,” I whisper. I half expect Black to walk back through the door screaming, I’m not daddy to a damn dog.
I refuse to admit I’m disappointed when he doesn’t.
Chapter Twenty-One
Black
“Son of a bitch!”
“What’s crawled up your ass?” Luka asks.
“I can’t find Kong anywhere,” I growl, raking my hand through my hair.
“You could take Wacky Linda back to court,” he suggests, sitting at the desk across from me.
“I’ve thought about it, but fuck, dealing with that woman is poison. The more you interact with her the bigger the fucking mess.”
“So you let him go. I know you don’t want to hear it—”
“She could have had him put down.” I finish for him. “I’ve already thought that, Luka and it’s killing me.”
“Sorry man. I wish I knew what to tell you, but I really don’t.”
“Nothing to say.”
“About what?” Petal asks as she walks in the door. She goes straight for Luka and he opens his arms immediately, rolling his seat away from the desk. She curls into his lap and they immediately kiss. There’s no hello, no exchange of words, nothing. Just instant kiss. They’re like magnets drawn together and it just seems to get more intense with every day that they’re together. That’s what I want… or wanted, rather. After the mess with Linda and whatever the hell Addie and I started, I don’t want anything now but peace. It’s clear I don’t have a brain in my head when it comes to women.
There are worse things than being alone.
“I missed you,” Petal whispers with a happy sigh. I watch as my sister clings to her husband and lays her head on his shoulder.
“You too Lo,” he murmurs into her ear. “Love you baby,” Luka adds in a low voice right before they kiss again. It’s enough to make a grown man sick.
“I think I’ll go out on patrol for a bit,” I mutter, feeling like a third wheel at my own damn desk.
“Not until you tell me what’s wrong with you, big brother.”
“There’s nothing wrong with me,” I answer, wincing as I say it because I sound damn defensive.
“Black’s having women problems,” Luka replies helpfully.
“Linda?” Petal asks.
“I still can’t find my damn dog. I’ve torn up half of Texas looking for a clue to what she’s done with him and I’m coming up with nothing.”
“Did you ask Meadow?”
“Meadow?” Luka asks, before I get the chance.
“Leddie’s daughter. She’s moved back and taken over the Mason County Animal Shelter.”
“I doubt Linda was nice enough to put Kong in the local shelter, Pet.”
“Gee, Black. I know that. Smartass. I just meant, she lived in Dallas and volunteered at several shelters there. She also was a foster home too. She may have connections.”
“What kind of connections could she have? Sounds hopeless to me,” I grumble.
“You got any better ideas?” Petal asks and I get up from my chair with an exasperated breath, because she’s right.
I have absolutely no other ideas.
“Fine. I’ll go talk to Meadow,” I tell her putting my hat on my head.
“Oh! You should totally take Blue!”
“Why would I take Blue?” I ask, and even depressed I can’t help but grin. I wonder if Blue realizes the whole damn family knows he has a weak spot for Leddie’s girl?
“Why wouldn’t you?” she asks.
“You’re entirely too much like our mother lately.”
“Black! What a horrible thing to say!” she says, but she’s laughing as she says it.
“Good luck, Luka,” I say with a smirk at my kid sister and walk out to the sound of both of them laughing.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Addie
“Can’t I go anywhere without running into you? Are you following me? There are laws against that, you know.”
My head jerks back the minute I hear his voice. I close my eyes, cursing my own bad luck. Then I curse him, because really… How full of himself can he be?
“What are you screaming about now?”
“You’re following me!” he yells.
I briefly wonder how much time I’d get for hitting him over the top of the head with something heavy—maybe a baseball bat. I figure whatever time I get it would be worth it.
Too bad I don’t have a bat.
“Will you stop being absurd. I’m in a public park and can I just point out that I was here first. So technically, you are probably the one following me.”
“You’d like that wouldn’t you?” he asks and I look up at the sky—maybe the man upstairs could grant me some patience.
“Only if I can duct tape your mouth shut.”
“I—”
“Save it, Black. I’ll tell you what I’m going to do, just so this is easier for both of us…”
“What?”
“I’m going to leave you alone with your pissy attitude for company and move over to the other side of the park. Will that be far enough away for you?”
He looks me over for a couple of minutes and then he surprises me.
“I guess I am being a jerk,” he admits. I almost can’t believe my own ears. In my experiences guys never admit to that kind of thing, and I sure didn’t expect Black Lucas to.
“A big one,” I agree, not completely willing to let it go.
“Listen, I’ve been going through some crap and I took it out on you, and I probably shouldn’t have.”
“Probably?”
“I’m trying to apologize here.”
“You’re doing a bad job of it,” I grumble. I really liked Black and he’s been an ass. I don’t want to admit it, but it hurt.
“Do you always have to bust a man’s balls if he’s trying to be nice to you?”
“Were you trying?” I ask him, and now I find myself trying to hide my smile.
“I was,” he says. “Although right now I can’t for the life of me figure out why.”
For some reason that makes me laugh. I don’t even try to hold it back and when I look back up at Black’s face, he’s smiling and I like that even more.
“You want to sit down?” I ask him, sliding down the bench to mak
e room.
“That depends. Are you going to keep raking me over the coals?”
“That depends,” I respond, mocking him. “Are you going to keep being a bastard?”
“Probably,” he says with a sigh, but he sits down. “Where’s your dog?”
“I left him at the groomers. I’m just waiting around here until it’s time to pick him up.”
“The groomers? The damn thing doesn’t even have any hair,” Black complains.
“You know, for a man who used to own this dog, you’re being kind of an ass. Even hairless dogs get shampooed and a conditioner applied to keep their skin from getting too dry.”
“They do?” he asks, sounding like he doesn’t quite believe me.
“They do. Didn’t you ever do that for him? He seemed well cared for…”
“He’s not really my dog,” Black says and I frown.
“Kong? But you… your mom…”
“He’s not Kong either,” he responds, and he seems agitated. He rubs the back of his neck and dodges my gaze. Then eventually he looks up and he looks almost… miserable. “Listen before I moved back to Mason, I lived in Dallas. I was a detective there.”
“And you didn’t like living in Dallas?”
“I loved it. I loved being a detective,” he says and I frown. I can sense there’s a lot to the story, but for some reason he’s having trouble telling me.
“Then why move back to Mason?”
“There was a woman,” he says and I frown. I get this weird feeling in the pit of my stomach. I don’t know why. I mean, we’ve shared a kiss… but, it’s not like we were dating heavily and even if we were, there were bound to be women in his life before I met him. It’s weird and stupid, but just hearing Black talk about another woman bothers me.
“I see…” I say like a dummy, because clearly I don’t.
“She was insane, and I don’t just mean that as in it was a bad break-up—which it totally was. I mean this woman would probably boil my rabbits.”