She picked up her phone to call the one person she knew would help.
THIRTY-EIGHT
* * *
“I don’t care about the mess, honestly Cora, you can stop.”
Eli watched as Cora struggled to wipe the dried mud off of Blade and Hunter before loading them in his car. By now, the sky was pitch-black and misting again. Both of the dogs cowered and backed away from Eli when he reached toward them, so he had no choice but to stand idly by as Cora rubbed them down.
“I just feel bad, they’re really dirty, and your car is so clean.” She used the towel like a squeegee on Hunter. “I’m not even accomplishing anything, I’m just moving the mud around on them.”
“It’s okay, just stop. You can detail the interior in exchange for the ride. Deal?”
Cora stood up and sighed. “Deal.”
He opened the navy Subaru’s hatchback and patted the inside. “C’mon up, pups! Can you jump up? Up up?” Cora was instantly reminded of her bed lesson with Charlie, then his shitty behavior just a few hours prior. She was happy Eli had stepped up to help, like always.
“Not gonna happen,” she said as the dogs eyed him warily, skulking near her legs. “I’ll lift them.” She loaded the dogs in, not caring if the mud got on her T-shirt and shorts.
Eli closed the door softly so the dogs wouldn’t startle. “Off we go. Cora and Eli’s rescue service is at it again.”
“Yeah, I guess we’ve got quite a thing now, huh?” Cora punched the address into her phone’s navigation system. “It’s going to take us about an hour.”
She sent a quick text to Charlie. “Pls don’t hate me, I’m so so sorry but not going to make it tonight. Dog stuff more complicated than I thought. SO sorry.” She added a crying emoji to show that she spoke his language. She saw his typing indicator bubbles pop up for a few seconds, then stop. No response. She couldn’t believe how angry he had seemed, and how unwilling he was to go above and beyond for animals in need. But she didn’t have the headspace to worry about what Charlie was thinking right now.
Like all dogs, Blade and Hunter craved human companionship. Though they were terrified and in an unfamiliar environment with a stranger, they still clung to Cora in the bathroom. She pictured how scared they must have been during the sudden afternoon storm, how many times they must have been shocked as they barked out their distress, and how the thunder and lightning had probably sent them scaling the fence in an effort to escape the noise and find shelter. She wondered how long it was before Simone, or more likely Felisa, noticed that they were missing.
She knew that she had to keep her plan quiet. She contemplated who she could trust with a car to ferry the dogs to their next location—Winnie or Vanessa? Darnell? Fran?—but the people in her DC world were too connected, too incestuous, and she knew that word of her deception would eventually get out. She needed CIA-level secrecy for the plan to work. Once again, Eli came to the rescue.
“I can’t believe I’m going to meet Hugh freakin’ Brannon!” Eli crowed. “Am I allowed to ask for his autograph, or is that too uncool?”
“Way uncool. He likes to pretend he’s a regular guy, so don’t act impressed by him.”
“I’m curious how you’re on a first-name basis with the most powerful tech guru on the East Coast. Tell me the whole story.”
“I met him at a rescue facility fund-raiser. I have no idea how I got invited—the room was filled with big-money donors and regular little me. I ran into him at the bar—literally—and we got to talking about dogs and training stuff. I didn’t know who he was, but I could tell he was somebody, you know? He had that aura. He told me he was working on his own rescue sanctuary thing. I guess he liked what I had to say, because he asked for my contact info and invited me to be on his rescue’s advisory council.”
“Are you kidding me? You’re on his council?”
“In theory, yes. We had one quick e-mail exchange about it, but I haven’t heard from him in ages.”
“Was it weird reaching out to him again about these guys?” He gestured to the back. “Were you scared?”
“I was totally freaked out. But he’s doing some great stuff for animals, and I knew he would be able to help. And I knew he would be discreet. He seemed to like that I was vague about Blade and Hunter’s origin story. He could tell my secrecy meant that it’s a big deal.”
“Yeah, the dude clearly likes secrecy. He stays totally off the radar. So will you tell me Blade and Hunter’s whole story?”
“Nope, the less that people know about them the better. All you need to know is that these dogs need to find a home. A new home. Oh, and from now on let’s call them . . . Baxter and . . .”
“Horton!”
“Perfect!”
Eli nodded and focused on the road. The rain was coming down hard, and the twisty route to Middleburg was challenging enough to navigate on a clear day.
“You’re doing me a huge favor by driving us. I owe you.”
“You do, actually. I’m keeping a tally.”
The dogs settled into a slumbering knot on the blanket in the back of the car, and by the time Eli pulled up to the elegant gate on an unmarked driveway they were snoring contentedly.
“This place is . . .” Eli trailed off as he peered into the darkness.
“Perfection,” Cora said. “I can tell even in the dark. Can you reach the keypad?” Eli leaned out his window and punched the five-digit code Hugh had given Cora into a small keypad hidden in a climbing rosebush.
The huge old trees at the end of the driveway had spotlights at their bases so that the branches were illuminated, hinting at the magic that lay ahead. The metal gate opened quickly and smoothly, a nod to Hugh’s tech background amid the countrified setting.
The farther they went down the long driveway the more intricate the lit trees became. Each was carpeted in white fairy lights so tiny that the glow looked like a veil of stars, with long strands of shimmer hanging down intermittently like willow branches. It was hard to tell the actual tree from the sparkly illusion.
“If this is just the driveway, what is the house going to look like?” Eli mused.
The illuminated trees continued for a quarter mile, until they passed under a wisteria-choked brick archway in the middle of an ivy-covered wall. The vintage look didn’t match up with the pillared McMansion Cora envisioned Hugh Brannon inhabiting. Once past the wall, Cora realized that her assessment of him didn’t take his paradigm-shifting creativity into account.
The driveway opened up to a vast rolling field, as misty and melancholy as a Brontë moor. The house sat anchored in the fog, lit by strategically placed spotlights, a delirious mix-up of styles, with a wood-shingled, dormered barn in the center straddled by a castle-like windowed brick turret on one end and a narrow New England saltbox addition on the other. It was a huge calico cat of a house that couldn’t decide if it was country estate elegant or artistically quirky.
“Honey, I’m home,” Eli said quietly, in awe of their surroundings.
“Now I’m nervous,” Cora whispered.
“About what? You already know he likes you.”
“No, what I’m doing is wrong. I’m going to get busted. He’s going to figure it out and hate me for what I’m doing. This is insane.” She was babbling.
“Cora, stop. Don’t question yourself. Even though you won’t tell me the whole story, I think I know you well enough to know that you’re doing right by these dogs. It’s okay.”
She nodded and got out of the car. Blade and Hunter waited quietly for Cora to open the hatchback. She grasped their mismatched hand-me-down leashes and took a deep breath.
“Cora Bellamy, is that you?” Cora saw a dark figure striding toward the car. Hugh Brannon looked like central casting’s idea of landed gentry.
“It’s me, Mr. Brannon! Nice to see you again. Thank you so much for helping out.”
He didn’t answer her and instead addressed the dogs. “Look at these beauties! Hello, boys, why hello, you hand
some dirty dogs.” Cora was surprised to see them wiggle their tucked hind ends, as if they recognized a kindred spirit in the man before them. He petted them gently.
“Mr. Brannon, this is my canine chauffeur, Eli Crawford.”
Hugh Brannon looked up at Eli, nodded dismissively, and went back to petting the dogs.
“What are their names, Cora?” Hugh knelt beside the dogs, and they nuzzled him, leaving flecks of dirt on his loose white button-down shirt.
“The one on your left is Horton and the other is Baxter.” She paused. “From now on.”
Hugh finally turned to look at Cora and nodded seriously. “I understand. Why don’t you all come in for a moment?” The invitation sounded like a dismissal, as if making it clear that they wouldn’t be at the Brannon estate for longer than a minute.
They followed him up the stone walkway and into the barn section of the house. The foyer had a low-beamed ceiling and was obviously part of the original structure. The walls were exposed brick and crowded with antique paintings of animals, while the floor was an explosion of brightly colored mosaic tile assembled to look like a scrappy stars quilt. The effect was high-end but comfortable country chic.
“Would you like to meet Benjamin?” Hugh asked Cora, as if Eli wasn’t even in the room.
“Of course!” Cora replied, readying herself for the appropriate response to either a human or animal “Benjamin.”
Hugh turned to Eli. “Wait here with the dogs. I don’t know how they might react, and I don’t want to scare Benjamin.” Cora tossed the leashes to Eli and followed behind their host without a second glance back.
Hugh walked through one of the four doorways off the foyer and into a small anteroom. It had the same low-beamed ceiling coupled with a vibrant black-and-white-check wallpaper that made her feel like she was inside a chessboard. An amazingly lifelike carved bulldog, crafted to look like a carousel horse and festooned with a saddle and cabbage roses, stood guard by the unlit fireplace. In the center of the room, next to a red plaid couch, sat a small pen.
Animal, Cora thought, ready to meet either a puppy or a kitten. Hugh reached into the pen and pulled out the tiniest pig she had ever seen, so pink and perfect that it looked like an animatronic creation. Benjamin was dressed for company in a miniature red bow tie that complemented his black spots. He coordinated with the room perfectly.
“Benjamin, meet Cora,” Hugh said, holding the pig out to her.
“I’ve never held a baby pig!” she exclaimed as Benjamin snorted and wiggled in her arms. “Where did he come from?”
“I can’t say where, but let’s just say that he was destined for the slaughterhouse. Do you eat meat?” Hugh stared at her face intently.
“I, uh, sort of? I mean, not really, but a little?”
“Well, just keep in mind that you’re holding bacon in your hands right now,” he replied gruffly. “Everyone involved with animals should be vegan.”
Cora looked down at the piglet and thought about how to answer Hugh. She opted for avoidance.
“What do you need to know about Bla—, I mean, Baxter and Horton?”
“Absolutely nothing. You said they’re young dogs, and they were living outside so their potty training and socialization are probably spotty. That’s all I need. I understand that there’s some drama related to them, so I won’t ask for more than that.”
“They’re probably chipped, so when you find a new home—”
Hugh waved her off. “To be honest, Cora Bellamy, my ‘rescue’ is more of a drop-off for lost souls like Benjamin. I had high hopes when I met you, but the reality is that I just can’t stand to give any of them up. I’m a hoarder. I have a wonderful staff that supports my efforts, which is why I now have four horses, a blind ass I call Forty-Five, a yard full of ducks, chicken, and geese, a turkey, six goats, three pigs, two peacocks, fourteen incredibly tolerant barn cats, three indoor cats, and, with Baxter and Horton in the mix now, eight dogs.”
Cora couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Now I feel terrible—I thought you were going to be able to find them a new home. You’re going to get overcrowded!”
“Do I have to spell it out for you? Cora, I can afford to take care of all of them and more. I could hire a day nanny, night nanny, and personal chef for every single animal on my property and still bring home a thousand more animals in need. I’ve created a sanctuary. This is what I was meant to do, not tech. Now, if someone worthy falls in my lap and they’re interested in adopting one of my animals, then certainly, we can talk about it. Like you and Benjamin. He seems fond of you.”
Cora picked her chin off the top of the little pig’s head. “Me? Take Benjamin? Oh, I wish I could, but I live in an apartment and I’m already pushing the limits with my dog and my roommate’s dog. Plus, don’t these little guys get huge?”
“You’re right, there’s no such thing as a teacup pig. You’re looking at over a hundred pounds of pig in a few years.” Hugh reached out to take Benjamin and placed him back in his pen. “Everything is going to work out. My other dogs are a tough pack, but once they welcome in new dogs, it’s an unbreakable bond. They’ll school those two and show them how we run things here. It’ll be fine.”
Cora noted that Hugh was speaking with the bravado of someone with just enough dogsense to be dangerous, particularly when she knew how the dogs had reacted to Fritz and Josie. “Are you sure? Do you want me to help with the introductions? I could come back tomorrow and—”
“Not necessary,” he interrupted. “I know what I’m doing.”
She thought better of trying to correct the great and powerful Hugh Brannon.
“I’m always available if you change your mind,” Cora added, the hint of a blush tickling her temples.
“Thank you for saving the dogs from whatever their circumstances were, Cora. I can assure you that they will live very happy lives here on Le Mûrier.”
“Ah, avez-vous des mûriers ici?” Cora asked, wondering if the estate’s name was a nod to the nursery rhyme, or if mulberry trees grew wild on the property.
“Oui, they keep the chevres very happy,” he replied, not even noticing that they had lapsed into French. He paused and stared off into space for a moment. “I’ll see you out.”
Cora followed Hugh back to the entry hall. Eli was sitting on an intricate wooden throne that looked like it had been salvaged from a castle or a cathedral with the dogs curled up on top of his feet. He didn’t look at Cora when she walked in the room.
“Do either of you need the washroom before you go?” Hugh asked. “May I get you some water?”
“We’re fine,” Cora said, answering for both of them. “We should probably hit the road.”
“Indeed,” he said distractedly. “I’ll take the dogs now.” He strode over to them and took the leashes from Eli. The dogs stood up slowly, stretching and yawning.
Hugh turned to Cora. “Cora Bellamy, from this point on, you will never be associated with these dogs again. They are strangers to you, and you to them. Agreed?” It felt like a benediction. He reached out his hand.
“Agreed.” She nodded and shook his hand to seal the pact.
“Farewell, Cora, travel safely.” He turned abruptly, nodded at Eli, and disappeared through a doorway with the dogs, leaving them alone in the foyer.
Cora looked at Eli and shrugged her shoulders. “I guess that’s it.”
The two walked to the car in silence, each contemplating what had just happened. Eli opened the door for Cora and bowed deeply. “I am your chauffeur, after all,” he said.
“I’m sorry about that—it sounded awful. I was just nervous talking to him. You’re so much more than my chauffeur.” Cora put her hand on Eli’s arm and was again reminded how it felt to dance with him. He shrugged.
“I am so much more. I’m also your Beth Ann wrangler, key fetcher, dog rescuer, foster home, blog reader, dance instructor . . . I’m like your personal manservant.” His voice didn’t sound like he was kidding.
�
�Wait, you really feel like that?” They stood beside the car, facing each other, the fairy lights from the trees illuminating them.
“Sort of. You consider me your helper dude, like when you need something, oh—call Eli! He can do it! You treat me like I’m your brother. I have enough sisters to know the feeling.” He shrugged again.
Cora’s palms went clammy. “Can we talk about this on the way home? I feel weird standing here, like he might have surveillance on us or something.”
“Yup.”
They drove in silence for a few miles. Cora contemplated what Eli had said, and how upset he seemed with her.
“I’m sorry I make you feel used,” she said quietly. “I understand why it seems like that, and I feel terrible now.”
He shrugged.
“I’m serious.”
“I’m over it, Cora. Don’t worry about it.” His jaw was clenched and his eyes were glued to the road ahead of him.
“Eli, I really like spending time with you. I look forward to it. It’s kind of effortless, you know? I was actually hoping that we could spend more time together, like maybe—”
“Cora, stop. Just stop.”
“What?”
“Stop playing with me. You’ve known I had feelings for you. Fran told me she told you, but she said you weren’t into me. But I was stupid, I kept hoping that maybe you might . . . I don’t know, learn to love me or something, which is why I stuck around and did your bidding. But I finally realized, tonight, that I’ll never be anything more than your errand boy. I’m done, Cora.”
She was shocked.
“But . . . I do . . .” Cora struggled to put words to the feelings that had been bubbling inside of her for longer than she realized.
Life on the Leash Page 24