“It’s true. I’m sorry about this,” I say and point at Chili. “Bad dog! Bad!”
Chili barks, twirls in a perfect circle up on his hind legs, and the crowd goes wild. I’m determined to show him that this isn’t okay. I don’t think Brooke’s positive reinforcement techniques will work now on something so serious. I have to make it clear this can’t happen again. Who the hell knows what this dog will get into next? Today, it’s rummaging through a lady’s purse to capture her tampon? Tomorrow, it might be somebody’s life-saving medicine.
“I said bad dog, Chili! Bad!”
Chili appears oblivious as he wags his tail and jumps up and down. I’m already annoyed, and I never liked being ignored.
Stupid dog, why won’t he just listen to me?
When I raise my hand and swat his little butt, he twirls again, but this time in shock, staring at me with his liquid brown eyes. I’ve hurt his little feelings, and I regret the rash action immediately.
A collective gasp fills the arena.
I look around, trying to see what the problem is, and land on Brooke. Her seafoam eyes fill with disappointment so profound, it resembles a knife to the gut. My chest rises and falls to the beat of my racing heart. Guy steps back, his mouth wide open as he points an overly exaggerated finger at me. Even the announcer looks surprised.
Great going, Landon, you took it way too far. Why am I always doing this kind of shit?
I have flashbacks of the grocery store fiasco involving Thin Mint cookies. I take a deep breath. I need to make this right and apologize to Chili. Even pet him. Like, really pet him.
Whack! Something hits the back of my head. I turn around and see tampon woman swinging her purse for another shot. “Abusive asshole! I told you it wasn’t that big of a deal!”
I rub the sore spot on my head and blink in disbelief. Did I really fuck up that royally? The woman takes another swing with her purse, and I duck out of the way just in time.
“You’re not even worth it!” she spits, storming off.
Brooke rushes over to my side, and I expect her to hold her arms out to comfort me.
Wrong.
“How could you do that, Landon!?”
“I–”
“What you did to Chili was unforgivable! As owners, we’re supposed to love our pets, we should never strike–”
“But–”
“There’s absolutely no excuse. Oh, and by the way, don’t worry about taking me home. I’ll call an Uber.” She walks off. This time it’s me stepping back, creating a bigger gap between us. How could she choose a dog over a person?
Guy smirks a little as he turns to me. “That was way out of line.”
I glare at him. “Wait a minute, I only did that because–”
“Harming animals is despicable. Don’t think I won’t hold you accountable.”
My mouth falls open in shock. “What?”
“I’m not sure if you’re fit to be a dog owner.” His sarcastic tone rips through my body, a little edge of rancor weaving through the ridges of his words.
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“This isn’t over.” He gives me a round of mock applause and walks away. “Come on, Roscoe, let’s leave before this moron steps on your paws.”
***
On the way home, I had hoped to treat Brooke to a nice dinner. Instead, I sit alone in my car, the leather seats enveloping my body, waiting in the drive-thru of a Wendy’s. Technically, I guess I’m not really alone. Chili’s in the back seat laying down in his travel crate. After what we went through at the agility trial, we both could use a meat reward. Food can’t make up for everything, but at least it’s a start.
I pull up to the speaker. A woman’s voice calls out, “Wel…Wendy’s, may I…order…” Her bored voice crackles through the speakers, breaking up after every word. I strain my ears to hear her.
“Let me get a bacon burger, a large fry, and that’ll be all,” I say.
Her voice hisses back at me. “What…sir?”
“A bacon burger and a large fry!” I’m practically yelling, which causes Chili to jump up and let out one of his trademark yips.
“Would you like...with that...you…combo?”
“Huh?”
“Do…something…drink?”
“No, thanks.” At least not anything they serve here. I need a real drink. As in an entire fifth of vodka.
When I pull up to the drive-thru window, I can tell she isn’t impressed by me in the least. The young woman has blonde, curly hair and a deadpan expression.
“Your total is $4.78, sir,” she says.
I put a five-dollar bill in the metal slot. Sir? Before I married Carla, this is just the kind of chick I would’ve made a pass at. She’s not beautiful like Brooke, but she’s cute in a girl-next-door way.
I really don’t want the Wendy’s cashier, but I need something, anything to get my mind off Brooke and how badly I’ve blown it. It seems like every time I make a little progress with her, I do something to mess it up all over again. I’m sick of this warped cycle. Why can’t we just fast forward to the part when Brooke and I are together? Happy? My fuck ups notwithstanding, something still lingers there. An electricity so palpable it literally crackles with sexual chemistry.
But I know this sudden demise is my fault. If I would’ve used her training methods instead of spanking Chili, none of this would’ve happened. Right now, I could be sitting across from Brooke with her beautiful eyes, eating the scallops gnocchi at Sul Lago and looking forward to an amazing night together, ending with my cock deep inside her.
Instead, I’m driving around with a fast food dinner and a guilty feeling leadening the pit of my stomach. When I get back home, I immediately give the bacon on my burger to the dogs. I make sure Chili has the biggest portion. I feel bad for the little guy.
“Chili, I’m sorry.”
He looks up at me with his big eyes and wags his tail. I pet him, and he barks. Burrito, Fajita, and Taco crowd around me. I pet them too. For the first time since I moved in, they seem happy. And even more strange, I’m happy with them too.
Sitting down on the floor, I laugh as they pile on top of me, each eager for more affection. By the time I move to the table to eat, my burger is room temperature, and the fries resemble carbohydrate icicles. Cold fries are tragic, but I have no choice but to eat them. I’m that hungry. And that time on the floor with the dogs had been worth it.
I pour myself a healthy dose of scotch on the rocks and look out into the whispery spring air. I don’t want to sleep in the bed alone, but that is another part of my life in which I have no choice. I really wish I had Brooke to keep me warm, but I’m pretty sure that dream is over.
No. I can’t give up that easily.
I need to grow a pair and call her. Maybe tomorrow. The wounds are too fresh, too raw. She said what I did was unforgivable. I don’t want to jump the gun, but it seems like Chili has found it in his heart to forgive me. Maybe after some time passes, she can find it in her heart to do the same.
I go upstairs and crawl into bed. Tonight could have ended so differently if I’d not been such a jerk. Brooke could have been in this very bed with me. I could be touching her, tasting her, plunging deep inside of her.
Damn. Why did I have to be such an asshole? I know the answer, but the resulting frustration still rankles.
I touch myself, thinking about how good it felt to be deep inside of Brooke. Her tight pussy clutching me, milking me. So hot. So wet. I stroke some more as I imagine her mouth on me. It doesn’t take long before I come. It feels good, but I’m not satisfied. After a single taste of Brooke, I want more. Need more.
Still frustrated beyond belief, I drift off and sleep hard. I wake up early in the morning to the sound of somebody banging on the door. It sounds like the police are about to burst in.
I get out of bed and put on my robe. “Coming!” I run down the stairs. The dogs follow me, barking up a storm. When I open the door, Guy Foster stands t
here, looming over my threshold and shaking a sheet of paper in my face.
“God, it’s early,” I say, not inviting him in. “What do you want?”
He waves the paper again. “I have permission from Scott County to seize your dogs.”
Adrenaline shoots through my system. “What the hell are you talking about?”
He points to a signature on the paper. “This is signed by the mayor. You must comply, so hand them over right now, or I’ll call the Sheriff.”
I stare at him, not understanding. All I did was give Chili a little swat on the rump. “I don’t understand what this is about.”
“Animal abuse, asshole. And I have hundreds of witnesses to back me up. If you weren’t the town pariah after the cookie incident, you sure as hell are now. Everybody hates you. You’ll probably not ever sell another book in your life.”
“I didn’t abuse–”
His laugh rips through me, a maniacal cackle that contains zero humor. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“If you want a chance to get your dogs back, you must prove that you can provide an environment where they won’t be abused.”
“I never abused Chili!” I raise my voice, hoping I can get through to him. His angry expression doesn’t soften, and the heated air between us thickens.
“This is no laughing matter, Mr. Cole. I’m taking the dogs with me today.”
“What the hell–”
“Like I said, we can do this the easy way or the hard way.” He indicates a taser on his waistband. I can’t believe the lengths this asshole is going to one-up me in Brooke’s eyes. He must have a thing for her, and he sees me as a threat. Well, he fucking should view me as a rival. “Unbelievable!”
He whistles at the dogs. “Come here, little dogs! Come to Papa Guy!”
“They don’t want to go with you,” I say and rip the paper from his hand to read it. “They’re happy here.”
“Come on!” He squats, and Burrito and Chili jump into his arms, basically making a liar out of me. Guy’s smirk deepens until he looks like a cross between The Joker and Bozo the Clown. The dogs bark and wiggle around, their silky tails blowing in the stiff breeze.
We stand off a few more seconds, but the damn paper looks official. This man has been given the right to seize my fucking dogs. He narrows his eyes, spearing me with a lethal glare as he holds my dogs in his arms, soothing them. They calm right down and stare at Guy. They don’t even care that he’s taking them away. And it’s nothing more than what I deserve. I never cared enough to create a lasting bond with them.
Guy puts the dogs in his van. The little terrors were always so annoying, I should feel relieved. But my heart sinks as Guy drives away with them.
I take a deep breath to keep my composure as tears prick the backs of my eyes. When it rains it fucking pours! I slam the door with enough force to shake the windows.
Chapter 15
Brooke
I stand in line at the coffee shop, desperate for an afternoon blast of caffeine. The lady in front of me takes her sweet time placing an order, not sure of what she wants. I’m getting more impatient by the second, my sneakered foot tapping on the tile floor. My brain tells my foot to stop, but my toes refuse.
I glance at my watch in annoyance. It’s 1:43 p.m. and I’m running a little late for my training appointment with Landon’s dogs. Last time I went to his house, there was hot tea and even hotter sex. But I know this time will be different. I still can’t believe how he spanked Chili in public. My brain also warns me to make a concerted attempt to be cordial to him, and if I succeed, to get the hell out of there as quickly as I possibly can after the appointment.
Underneath his veneer, I thought that Landon was actually a sweet guy dressed in douche clothing. Now, I’m questioning my judgment. But then again, I don’t exactly have the best track record with the opposite sex, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise. My picker’s broken. More like a complete nuclear bomb annihilation.
“Can I help you?” I glance up at Kim, glad it’s her face I’m looking at and not someone else. Today’s not the day for poor customer service.
“I’ll have–”
She grins. “The usual.” She punches at the register and then scans my iPhone app.
I wait by the counter. The lady who took forever to decide what kind of coffee she wanted chats on her cell phone so loud that it’s damn near giving me a headache. I look at my watch, it’s 1:51pm. I know I’m gonna be late, and I really didn’t want to give Landon any ammunition against me, not after what he pulled.
Then it hits me. Why should I worry about being on time? It’s obvious that Landon doesn’t care that much about his dogs. The memory of him spanking Chili in the middle of the arena is still fresh in my mind. I really thought he was changing. I’m wrong.
“Have a great day, Brooke,” Kim says, handing me my drink. The first sip calms my frayed nerves. Once I down the whole thing, I just might feel human by the time I reach Landon’s lake house.
I sprint across the parking lot and make it to Landon’s in six minutes flat. By the time I knock on his door, it’s 2:01pm. One minute late, not bad, and hardly worthy of any recrimination.
Landon opens the door. His handsome face contorts into a frown. All I can see is his chiseled jawline and muscled chest. But when my gaze drifts to his eyes, they blaze fire, and I can tell he’s pissed. At me. I’m not sure how the tables turned.
“You didn’t get my messages?”
“What?” I blink, not able to figure out what I might have missed. I checked my phone earlier, and I didn’t have any messages from him.
“I won’t be needing your services.” There’s something about him and the way he looks at me, that makes it absolutely clear that he thinks I’ve done something wrong.
“Huh?”
He points to the center of my chest. “Your friend, Guy Foster, took my dogs away.”
I hiss in a breath. I had no idea Guy would try something so hateful. “Oh my God!”
His nostrils flare under the force of his breath. “Don’t act all innocent. I know you were in on it. You got what you wanted. You both did.”
I take a step back, putting some space between Landon and his anger. “No, I didn’t–”
He throws his hands up in the air. “I know I’m not perfect. Not by a long shot, but I didn’t deserve this.”
Words fail me. My brain races, galloping toward an excuse. “Landon, I–”
“This guy comes banging on my door first thing in the morning with an order signed by the mayor. The fucking mayor of Prior Lake, Brooke.”
“What?” I croak, my parched throat pushing the words out on a wing and a prayer. My knees wobble, and I sway to the left.
He stares as if he hopes his eyes will bore a hole straight through me. “Look me in my eyes and tell me you had nothing to do with it.”
“I-I…didn’t,” I stutter. It takes a full ten seconds for me to find my voice again. I can’t believe I’m on this side of a conversation about dog abuse. “God, if you would just listen for a minute–”
He pauses before speaking, judge and jury all at the same time. And I’ve been convicted. “How do you expect me to believe that after the way you freaked out at the agility trial?”
“I didn’t freak out.” I force myself to stand straighter. “I was just in shock. How could you do that to anything so small?”
Guilt swept over his face. “I know I messed up, but taking my dogs away? Grandma Nancy’s dogs? The only living link between me and Carla? How could you do that to me!”
My face falls. I can’t believe that nothing I’m saying is getting through to him. He’s lost to me. As lost as if he piloted an airplane into the Bermuda Triangle. “I had nothing to do with it.”
He puts his hands on his hips, glaring. “Whatever.”
“I swear–”
He steps back farther into his house, throwing another insult over his b
road shoulder. “I don’t need this. I really don’t. I can’t stand liars. I might be an ass, but at least I don’t lie. I’ve fucking never lied.”
“Landon–”
“Goodbye, Brooke!” He slams the door in my face, the sound echoing through my body with the pain of what will never be.
“Landon, wait!”
I hear his footsteps walking away. Nausea washes over me. Even though Landon was out of line for spanking Chili, I can’t believe Guy got Mayor Briggs to sign his bogus seizure document. He’s been sniffing around me and Bark Buddies for years, but he just crossed the line.
I get in my car and head back to Bark Buddies. Christine stands behind the counter, answering customer inquiries. She’s trying something different with her hair. She’s got purple highlights. First, Pam went blonde, now this. Maybe it’s time for me to visit the salon and turn myself into a new version of Brooke Kirkland.
“Hey.” At the sound of the bell over the door, she smiles and waves at me.
“Hey,” I reply.
Her arched brows knit together. “Is something the matter? You’re usually bubbly, especially after you’ve had some of that.” She points to my now cold macchiato.
“I know, it’s a long story.” I set down my coffee cup on the marble countertop. An icy freeze fills my heart at thoughts of Landon. “Remember that guy with the Chihuahuas I told you about?”
She nods. “He called here all angry saying he wanted to cancel his appointment. I tried to call you, but you didn’t answer.”
“Really?” I open my purse and grab my cell. I realize the ringer is on silent. I’ve missed multiple calls. “Shit.”
“Is everything okay?” Her concerned tone calms me a little bit. At least my staff doesn’t hate my guts.
I grimace. It’s not like me to blow off work calls. Distracted much, Brooke? “Yeah, it was just on silent, that’s all. I’ve got a ton of voicemails.”
She starts to speak but catches herself. After reassessing her words, she says, “Well, at least two of them are from me.”
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