by Maggie Marr
“Yo, Trick, come get a pic with the fam.” To the right of Sophia and her sister stood Dillon and Lane. They’d just begun their turn on the step and repeat. The baby was asleep in a sling on Dillon’s chest. How could I say no to the world’s biggest action star?
Really, it was fucking huge that Dillon and Lane were here. The celebs at our Pawtown event were all A-Listers, and that would create huge visibility for Pawtown. We’d be able to find forever homes for our animals and get donations. Choo had done a fantastic job for me and for Pawtown.
I stood on one side of Lane and we worked the line. Once you learned how to do the step and repeat you never forgot. Stand close, smile and let your eyes go from right to left. Help the photogs get the picture they needed and the one that would give you the most coverage.
Choo, wearing a Pawtown T-shirt, stood a few yards away. Bullet walked beside him on a little leash. He met my gaze and smiled. Yep, he knew that this event was top notch. I leaned toward Lane and Dillon as the flashes continued. “Thanks for coming to this.” I didn’t move my lips and kept my smile plastered to my face.
Dillon turned his head. He was a huge star and he could do whatever he wanted. “Dude, I’m not kidding, anything for you and for Pawtown. It’s a great charity. The work you do is awesome.”
A trickle of pride burst through my chest. Pawtown was awesome. Not because of me, not even because of Angie, but because of what we had all managed to do and what our animals had managed to do. We saved them and they saved us.
“Thanks, man.” We broke our pose and all four of us, counting Liam, who slept like a champ, left the carpet and headed toward the event.
Hundreds of people had shown up, most of them with their dogs on leashes. Pawtown volunteers helped people decide on a pet, and helped others learn about the different animals and their particular needs.
Angie sat behind the adoption table. She was looking after the two most important jobs: overseeing final paperwork on adoptions and accepting donations.
“This has been a great event, Trick. We’ve found fifty-three homes for our animals.” A smile burst across her face.
“And we’ve still got two more hours.”
“I know,” Angie nodded, giving me her I-told-you-so look.
“Okay, you were right. Any good news on other numbers?”
“With Left Coast’s donation we’ve raised a hundred thousand dollars.”
I could hardly believe it. “That’s amazing. Say good-bye to that stack of bills and hello to another year.”
“Year?” Angie tilted her head at me and cocked one eyebrow. “A hundred grand gets us out from under the bills and gives us two weeks.”
“Two weeks?”
“You have no idea what our operating costs are per month, do you?”
I shook my head. Dollars, money, costs, bills. I didn’t want to keep track of any of that. I simply wanted to save animals, work with animals, and help them find a forever home.
“We need more than five million a year to stay in the black.”
My throat tightened. Now that I knew the numbers it would be tough to keep my head in the sand. “Wow, that is a lot of money. Even I don’t think my royalties can cover that long-term.”
Angie smiled. “You’re right, but today helps, and Choo is looking for some corporate sponsors. I think he and Dillon have another idea that could be a great revenue stream for Pawtown.”
Revenue stream. I liked that sound of that. Without Angie how could I function in the world? She’d always been the person who made my life easier, and what had I done to her? My eyes skimmed the chrome of her chair.
My stomach pitted. Guilt. Pain. A wound that wouldn’t ever heal, all because I had been a fucking idiot consumed by my own needs.
“Hey, man!”
I turned to see Webber standing behind me with two blondes. One was four-legged.
“I was thinking of adopting Agnes. Do you know her?”
I glanced down at the pup on the leash. I did know Agnes, and she might be the one woman in the world to whom Webber could commit. She was nearly perfect for him. A three-year-old retriever mix, she was smart, active, and yet really mellow. I knew CTA had an open-door policy about bringing pets to work, plus with the salary Webber pulled down he could put Agnes in doggie daycare anytime he had a long day from home.
The two-legged blonde pressed her lips together and crossed her arms over her chest. “I want him to get a smaller dog.”
“Babe, bigger is better.” Webber’s eyes trailed across her overenhanced cleavage. His gaze came back to me. “So Agnes? Good fit? Not so good fit?”
My hand slid through her soft fur. “She’s perfect for you, Webber. She’s an athletic looker who’s completely laid back.” My hand patted Agnes’ head and she licked my hand. “She’ll love you and keep up with you and look really good while doing both.”
“Sold. Man, I already love this dog!” Webber knelt down and put his face up close to Agnes and shook her head with his hands. Her tail wagged. These two had fallen in love.
“Webber!” The blonde bombshell whined.
Yep, she’d been replaced. Webber didn’t stay with any woman for long, but I had a feeling that Agnes would be different. The dog had won his heart. “Thanks, man.” The three of them walked toward the adoption table to start their paperwork.
Chapter 6
Sophia
“You are not getting a dog.”
Ellen walked toward me with a ball of fuzz on a leash. “He’s adorable.”
“You’re kidding, right?” My heart didn’t soften. All I saw was a four-legged beast that would chew through every pair of my five-hundred-dollar heels. “No. Way.”
“I like him.” Ellen knelt down and picked him up off the ground. He curled his head around and swiped up the side of her cheek with his tongue. “He’s part Bernese Mountain Dog and part Bloodhound.”
“He’s a poop machine who bites and chews.” My heart hardened. “You’re not getting him.”
“It’s my condo too. You don’t get to decide.” Ellen scratched under his chin and he tilted his head to the side. How manipulative. Even I who disliked dogs had to admit he looked like a giant teddy bear. But I wouldn’t be swayed. I knew what that cute furball would become—a dog that would bite me and maybe not in a spot that was hidden. I stepped back from Ellen and her furry friend. My gaze swept around the event and I lowered my voice to a near-whisper. “You cannot get a dog.”
“Yes, I can.” Ellen kept the prospective pet in her arms. “I live there too and just because you have an irrational fear of dogs—”
“I don’t have an irrational fear of dogs.” I stepped closer to my sister and leaned over the creature cradled in her arms. “I just don’t like them.”
Both Ellen and the puppy gave me a look as though I’d just choked a baby seal with my bare hands. So. What. I didn’t want a wild animal that pooped and shed in my house. What was wrong with that? Why should I feel badly for not loving dogs, even if every one of the nearly three hundred people milling about this event seemed to be smitten with them?
“I’m getting him.” Ellen bent over and settled the pup onto the grass. “His name is Carl.”
The pup jumped up onto his hind legs as though I could be swayed by his impossible cuteness. I could not. I’d seen more adoring stares on the faces of men with millions in their bank accounts. If I didn’t melt into a puddle for them, I most certainly wouldn’t melt for a fluff-ball that pooped. He planted two paws on my white jeans.
I stepped back from Carl. “Great. I have mud all over my pants.” I narrowed my eyes and looked at Ellen. “This is exactly why we aren’t getting a dog.”
“Too late.”
“Not too late.” I grabbed the leash handle from Ellen and marched toward the woman manning the adoption table. “We are not getting this dog.” I held out the leash. The woman lifted one eyebrow and a crooked smile lifted the corner of her mouth.
Ellen stood beside me; she to
ok the leash from my hand. “Stop this, Sophia, it’s embarrassing.”
The woman with the crooked smile glanced from me to Ellen, and then back to me. “Twins, right?”
I crossed my arms over my chest. Seriously? What a dolt. You had to be blind not to figure out that Ellen and I were identical. A sigh filled with frustration burst from my mouth. “Ellen, you don’t have time for a dog. You’re in medical school. Who is going to walk it? Who will feed it?”
“I’m always home. I run every morning. I have dog walker referrals and a doggy daycare that he can go to. Besides I don’t have to justify this to you. I’m an adult. You’re my roommate. You’re the one who is never home. You’re always in New York or Paris or Milan or—”
“Because I have a life.” I leaned toward Ellen. “You get this dog and you’re doomed. You’ll never go out. You’ll never do anything but study. You’ll sit around reading about bones and muscle groups. You’re going to wake up one day and your looks will be gone and what will you have to show for it?”
Ellen tilted her head to the side and her eyebrows creased above her nose. “A medical degree?”
Sure, like I was the idiot. Did she want to be some brainiac old maid with no life, no husband, and no friends? She turned back to the woman behind the adoption table. The smile of her face was indulgent, as though I was the idiot.
“Please excuse my sister. She rooms at my house, but it is actually my house. And I really do want Carl.”
“If you get that dog, I’m moving out.”
Ellen’s eyes got big and she turned to me. “Seriously? Sophia, I am so tired of your hysterics and drama. Who are you? I am adopting Carl. And you can stay or you can go.”
Anger flashed through me. I spewed words at Ellen and then stalked toward my brother. Staying with him and his live-in wasn’t ideal. Tasha was simply so … all about business. But a house without a dog was what I wanted, at least for a while, until Ellen came to her senses, missed me, got rid of the beast, and begged me to return to the condo.
Rhett’s arm was around Tasha’s and their backs were toward me. They had their heads tilted together. They were madly in love. It was a little bit gross. I stopped just behind them and Rhett looked over his shoulder.
“Hey, Soph.” They turned to me and my gaze dropped to Tasha’s arms, where she cradled a tiny puppy with brown fur. “Look who we just adopted. Isn’t he awesome? We’re going to call him Iggy.”
Oh. My. God. They both looked from the dog to each other’s eyes as though their family was complete. I might yack.
This was insane. Why were these people so in love with these animals? They were animals! They pooped. They drooled. They licked themselves. How could anyone want to share living space with these furry creatures?
I pressed my arms to my chest and tossed my hair over my shoulder. I was done. I’d had enough of this place for one day. Besides, now I had to go home and pack up my stuff, because I definitely wasn’t going to stay with Ellen and her new canine friend. No way would I let my sister win this one.
Trick
My gaze landed on Sophia Legend just as Ellen approached her with her new puppy. Wow. Could Sophia look more pissed? Did she hate dogs? Some people did. It seemed like such a missed opportunity, some of my best friends were dogs. Watching the interaction between Sophia and Ellen’s new dog, it didn’t seem that the puppy minded Sophia, and dogs were usually pretty good at judging character. The puppy pressed his paws to her pants and he wagged his tail. And I could see he had left his paw prints behind on Sophia’s white jeans. Now she really would be pissed.
I stifled a laugh as I watched her march from Ellen over to Tasha and Rhett. The look on her face when she discovered that her brother had also adopted a dog was one of pure horror. Damn, even with her bad behavior and the sour look on her face, that woman was beautiful enough to drop a man to his knees.
“Hey, Trick.” Dillon stood beside me with his newborn son strapped to his body in one of those carrier things. The little guy was awake now. His big blue eyes swept over me. “Is it a success?”
“We’ve found a bunch of forever homes and raised some money, so I’m thinking yeah, this has been a great success.” I fought the urge to reach out and run my hand over Liam’s perfectly round head. “You and Lane want a couple more pups?”
“We would, but not while Liam’s this little. Once he’s big enough to help take care of the pack, then sign us up for a couple more.” Dillon looked away from me and his eyes swept over the event. My heart swelled as I followed his gaze. The Industry had really turned out for Pawtown. And I expected a long tail on this event. The press we’d gotten so far was insane and, fingers crossed, we’d continue to get more donations and find more homes even after the event today was finished.
“Listen. Angie was telling me about how Pawtown might need some financial help.”
Hearing those words, the good vibes died. I tensed up. Pawtown was my venture, my penance. It was one way I could make up for the bad effect I’d had on the world. And the cost of running the place should be my problem.
“Don’t get all uptight. There are a ton of people in this town with a ton of dough and most of them need to donate to good causes. You get it? They want to donate.”
I nodded. Dillon was right and he sounded exactly like Angie. What was my problem with accepting help? The help wasn’t even for me, but for the pups. I needed to get my shit together. I needed to get my mind around what Angie and Dillon were telling me. I didn’t have to like it, but Pawtown really needed help from other people.
“Lane and I had an idea, one that could help create a steady revenue stream for you and the rescue.”
“Man, a steady revenue stream would be music to Angie’s ears … and mine.”
“We want to do a reality show at Pawtown.”
I leaned back on my heels and turned away from Dillon. That was absolutely not what I wanted. Cameras and people and crews and—
“No.” The word bolted from my mouth.
“Okay. Look, I know how you feel about this stuff. I know you got out of the business, but hear me out. This would up donations. Think of all the animals you could save. If we put together a show on the pups and got it on the air? Come on man, how can you say no to that? It’s all upside with no down side.”
No down? Fame and notoriety had nearly destroyed my life and had fundamentally changed Angie’s. No, no, no, no. Not what I wanted to do.
“Angie thinks it’s a great idea.”
Of course Angie thought it was a great idea. Put the words “revenue stream” in front of any idea and Angie was in.
“This is a great angle.” Dillon continued. He shifted from one foot to the other to keep Liam entertained and quiet. “Every woman over the age of twenty wonders what happened to the teenaged heartthrob she was in love with during junior high school.”
Again the word no slammed through my brain. Revisiting the guy I’d been in my late teens and early twenties was as high up on my list of things to do as having an elective root canal. I shot a look toward my sister. Traitor. She gave me a thumbs-up and a giant smile. Of course she knew what Dillon was telling me right now. This was a joint conspiracy. I mouthed the word “no” and shook my head. She gave me another smile, mouthed the word “yes,” and nodded firmly.
I wouldn’t win. If Angie wanted a Pawtown reality show, then there would be a Pawtown reality show. My shoulders slumped. We could battle this discussion all the way out to the sanctuary, but big sis would win this one. And maybe she deserved to. Damn. Welcome back to the center of the storm, Trick. I turned from Angie to Dillon.
Punching something seemed like a good option right now. Kicking the shit out of someone wouldn’t be bad either. Or, at this moment, a line of blow would do the trick. Jesus. I hadn’t wanted that shit in a very long while. I took a long deep breath. Things couldn’t get worse.
“Oh my God!” A panicked voice yelled from the edge of the event. “I think a dog just got hit by a car!�
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That was worse. Way worse. I ran through the crowd and over toward the paps who now stood on the curb, their cameras popping at a furious pace. I pushed my way through them.
“Oh shit.” There in the street was a dog. One of our dogs. He’d slipped his leash and had run into the street and been hit. A convertible Boxster was stopped in the middle of the road. Inside a woman had her hand pressed to her mouth. Then, suddenly, she slammed the car into reverse and zipped away. She was moving so fast and furious that she almost took out two photographers.
“That was Sophia Legend!” someone said. The cameras continued flashing.
“Oh my God, was that Sophia Legend?” someone else asked.
By now I was in the street myself. I bent over the Staffordshire Terrier that was clearly dazed. He lay quietly on his side. Webber ran up with a blanket and the keys to Dillon’s truck.
“Come on man, there’s a vet not far from here.” I wrapped the pup up and we jogged toward Dillon’s truck.
“You know where we’re going?”
“Pet Vet. It’s the best place and it’s not far.”
“I’ll call and let them know we’re on our way.”
I put the pup in the back and slammed the door shut. Webber slid into the seat beside me. “Where’s Agnes?”
“With the bimbo.” He reached his hand over the seat and rested it on the injured dog. “Fuck man, punch it.”
Who knew Hollywood agents had hearts?