by Carolyn Rae
“Oh, you’ve got a new puppy. It’s adorable.” She’d always wanted to have a dog. Her parents wouldn’t let her have one, claiming dogs were too much trouble.
Evan looked sad. “My mom and dad won’t let me keep him.”
“Why not?”
“Because we already have a dog and a cat. I said he could sleep in my room, but they still said no. I asked my friends, and their parents all said no. Please take him.” He glanced at the street. “Some cars go pretty fast. I don’t want him to get run over.”
Lisa looked for a collar, but there was none.
“If you kept him here, I could come play with him every day.” The animal kept wriggling, and Evan seemed to have a hard time holding it.
Lisa took hold of him, and he cuddled up next to her and licked her arm.
“See he likes you. Will you keep him?”
“I don’t know. I’m only here for the summer.”
Evan tapped his forehead. “Maybe by fall I can persuade my mom and dad to let me keep him.”
Justin drove up, hopped out of his car, and walked up to them. “Well, what have we here?”
“I found him,” Evan said. “He’s lost, and he has no collar.” Evan ran his fingers over the silky fur. “I wanted to keep him, but my mom and dad said we have enough animals. Miss Davenport’s going to keep him for me.”
“He might be lost,” Justin said. “We can take him to a vet and see if he has a microchip.”
“What’s that?”
“Some people have a vet put a tiny chip under the skin. They can hold a special device next to it to find out the owner’s name.”
“Wow. Do you think they might do that to kids in case they get lost?” He looked at his hand and frowned. “I don’t think I’d want anyone to cut my hand to put one of those under my skin.”
Lisa laughed. “No. They won’t do that to kids. It’s only for pets.”
“Oh. I’m glad to hear that” The little mutt started to slip through Lisa’s arms. She grasped it tighter, and it licked her arm again.
“Tell you what,” Justin said. “Let me call your mother and see if it’s all right for us to take you with us to the vet.” He scrolled through his contact numbers and dialed.
Lisa wondered why Zoe’s number was on his phone and then remembered he’d gone on one of her balloon trips. She didn’t know if he’d taken anyone with him. Again, she reminded herself he was free to date anyone he wanted.
After Zoe gave her permission, Lisa got dressed, and they all loaded up in Justin’s car.
At the vet’s office, the veterinarian asked Evan to put the dog up on the examining table.
“That’s pretty high, and he’s wiggling a lot.” He turned to Justin. “Can you do it for me?”
“Okay, little guy. Let me have him.” Justin took the dog, which immediately quieted, and set it on the table. “He looks a lot like a dog I had once.”
“What kind was it?” Lisa asked.
“A cocker spaniel. I called him Rover.”
“Why don’t you have him anymore?” Evan asked. “Did you give him away?”
Justin shook his head. “No. He died.”
“Oh, that’s sad,” Evan said. He watched in wonder as the veterinarian held a white object in his hand and placed it over the pup’s shoulders. The man shook his head. “Nothing came up, so he doesn’t have a chip.”
“Good.” Evan smiled. “Miss Davenport, you’ve just got to keep him for me.”
Justin dialed another number, asked if any missing puppies had been reported, listened, and hung up. “I guess he doesn’t have an owner. But does your teacher want to keep him?”
Evan tapped the pup on the head. “You’ve just got to keep him. Then I can come and play with him every day.”
Justin looked at Lisa. “I guess it’s up to you.”
Evan hugged the dog and looked at her so longingly, she didn’t have the heart to say no.
“I never had a dog, even though I begged my parents. Tell you what. I’ll keep him for the summer, and if your parents don’t change their minds by then, I’ll either take him back to Texas with me or find him a good home, but we probably need to get him vaccinated.”
After the vet did that, Justin led Lisa and Evan, who carried the puppy, to his car.
“So,” Lisa said after they were all fastened in, “are you going to help potty train him?”
“What do I have to do? Make him sit on the potty like Mom makes Maya do?”
Lisa shook her head. “You’ll need to come every day and take him for a walk until he goes potty on the grass.” She knew she’d get stuck with most of the training, but the dog was so cute, she couldn’t resist him. Now here was her chance to have a dog of her own.
“If you’re going to keep him,” Justin said, “I guess we better go buy a leash. I think I saw a Walmart not far from here. Get in, everyone.”
At store, Lisa bought a collar, a leash and a small pet playpen with a doggy door, some dog toys, a brush, a comb, two dog dishes, and dogfood.
After they returned to her cottage, Justin helped her set up the playpen. Evan filled one dish with water and poured out some dry dogfood. However, the big bag was hard for him to handle, so he spilled some. The pup raced around gobbling up each stray piece and then ate what was in the bowl too. Then he jumped up on Evan, who laughed and petted him. “I think he likes me.”
Justin said, “Lisa, I hope you know what you’re in for. Do you have an alarm clock?”
“Yes, why?”
“Wrap it in a towel and put it next to him. It will tick and remind the puppy of being next to his mother’s heart, so he’ll sleep through the night instead of whine.”
“Do you think he will?”
“Stevie and I each had a puppy while we were kids. That’s what they do when they’re taken from their mothers.”
The pup ran around smelling everything and then peed on the floor. Justin grabbed him and took him outside. Evan hurried to wipe up the moisture with a paper towel, then looked at the clock. “It’s almost five o’clock. Mom said I had to be home by then. Can I come back here tomorrow after your class is over?” When Lisa nodded, he patted the dog one more time and left.
After Justin carried the pup back inside and put him in the playpen, his phone rang.
“Hey, Stevie, what’s up?” He walked outside to finish the conversation.
Lisa took the time to choose a name and came up with Rusty. Maybe Justin and Evan would have more ideas. Feeling exhausted, she lay down to rest.
When Justin returned, his expression was solemn. “Is something the matter?” Lisa asked.
“It’s my brother, Stevie. He’s flying in. He’ll be at the Naples airport tomorrow afternoon. He wants me to pick him up. Says his assistant can handle things at the north Dallas store so Stevie can take it easy for a few days. He wants me to hook him up with a woman. He said he knew I’d probably met every good-looking woman on the island by now.”
Interesting that Justin would mention Stevie’s comment. “So, are you going to get him a date?”
“I can call Chenille and ask her to join us for dinner tomorrow night.”
Uh, oh. That could be awkward. On the other hand, Chenille might like the brother.
Justin dialed. “Hello, Chenille, my brother just arrived in Naples. Would you like to join us for dinner at a nice restaurant there?” He listened. “Great. We’ll pick you up at five-forty-five tomorrow.” He disconnected and faced Lisa. “I’ll pick you up at five-thirty.”
“Okay, but you didn’t tell her I’d be coming too. She might think you’re her date.”
“I forgot. I’ll explain when we pick her up.”
“Is Stevie good looking? Do you think he’ll appeal to her?”
“Well, he knows how to charm a woman. Don’t worry. Chenille recommended USS Nemo’s, said it had great seafood. We’ll go there after I pick him up from the airport.” He took her hand and squeezed it. “I’ll see you later.”
&
nbsp; After Justin left, Molly knocked on her door. “May I come in and clean now?”
“I just got out of the hospital, and I need to lie down, but I guess that’s all right.”
Molly set her broom and mop down. “I can work around you.”
Rusty barked.
Molly let him sniff her hand. “What a cute puppy. You aren’t going to let him run loose in your place, are you?”
“No. He’ll stay in the playpen, and I’ll wipe up any messes he makes.”
A green pendant necklace hung on Molly’s neck.
“That’s a pretty necklace,” Lisa said.
“It’s Helenite. My parents took me to the Mount St. Helen’s Forest Learning Center and bought me this necklace.” She started dusting. “The stone is made from volcanic rock formed in the eruption in 1980. I was pregnant, but hadn’t told them yet. After I decided to keep my baby, they didn’t want to see or talk to me. This is the last thing they gave me. It helps me remember the happier times and not feel so sad about them.”
“That’s too bad. I don’t think my parents would disown me no matter what I did.”
“You’re lucky.”
Lying in bed, Lisa wondered about Molly. Should she tell Justin about the green pendant? How could she after hearing Molly’s sad story?
The next afternoon, Lisa wondered what she could wear to outshine Chenille. As she donned a rust-colored jersey top and matching pants, Lisa’s stomach churned. She wasn’t looking forward to this. But she wouldn’t bow out and let Chenille have the brothers to herself. Lisa just had to hope Stevie looked almost as good as Justin. Except they were stepbrothers. He might not look anything like Justin.
She slid her ruby ring on her left hand and her blue lapis on her right. She spritzed on some jasmine perfume. After adding red-orange lipstick, a little green eye shadow, and mascara, she was ready. Anticipating what Chenille would do or say when she saw Lisa made her jumpy.
Hearing a knock, she took a deep breath and opened the door. Justin, in a light gray sports jacket and red tie looked fabulous. His glowing smile made her hope things would go smoothly tonight. How she wished Chenille wasn’t coming. Justin ushered her into the front seat. At least she was in a power position seated beside him.
Justin put his hands on her shoulders and kissed her.
“I’m worried about how well I did on the test.”
“Why worry about the test until you have the results? For now, just enjoy yourself. You couldn’t be in a better place to do it.” He opened the car door for her.
She slid inside. “So, do you have someone to manage your store while you’re gone?”
After getting behind the wheel, he hesitated a moment. “My store is under renovation. It’s closed in the meantime.”
It didn’t take long to drive to Chenille’s place next to Lucas’s security office. She greeted Justin at the door with a big smile and took hold of his arm to walk to the car.
When Justin led Chenille to the car’s rear door and she saw Lisa, she did a double take. “I thought it was just going to be you and me and your brother. You didn’t tell me you were bringing Lisa too.”
“Sorry, I forgot. You’ll like my brother, Stevie. He can be charming with women.”
“He can’t be more charming than you are. I suppose you relegated me to the back seat so we could get acquainted.”
Chenille moved over in the back seat and kept touching Justin on the shoulder as Lisa burned. Did she have to act so possessive?
Chenille talked about the restaurant they’d be going to. “It’s in a shopping center, but the tables aren’t crowded together. They have all kinds of seafood, including octopus and a seaweed salad that’s delicious.”
She patted his shoulder. “And they take good care of you. Their service is excellent. By the way, I appreciate your appraisal of my pink diamond ring. I always wanted to know what it was worth.”
“Let me see it closer,” Lisa said.
Chenille held out her finger. “I like the way it sparkles in the light.”
Lisa took hold of her hand to examine the ring. “Oh, it’s lovely.” Chenille pointed to the large ruby ring on her other hand. “This fits too tightly, but I just had to buy it. I never had a ruby ring as nice as this. My trust fund is enough to live on, but doesn’t cover much else, and like any other woman, I like pretty things.” Chenille stuck her hand over Justin’s shoulder and wriggled her fingers.
Traffic in Naples was getting heavier. Justin pushed her arm back. “I need to concentrate on driving now.”
Chenille frowned. “I was just showing you my jewelry. I thought as a jewelry store owner, you’d be interested.”
Justin didn’t answer, but focused on driving. Soon they’d left the city proper and were following signs to the airport. Once there, Justin parked. “You ladies may want to wait in the car. I have to meet him in the baggage pick-up area.”
Chenille frowned. “Are you kidding? I’ll melt out here, and all my makeup will fade in the heat. I’m coming with you.”
Although Lisa didn’t relish more of her company, it was hot in the car and she didn’t want to stay there either. “I will too. We can meet him together.”
“Okay. Come on.” He led the way into the terminal.
At the baggage return, Stevie, a little shorter than Justin, had dark hair and wore a bit more than a five-o’clock shadow. He grabbed a bag, walked over to them, and set his luggage down.
He looked at Chenille and then glanced at Lisa. He smiled and held out his hand to Lisa. “Glad to meet you. I appreciate my brother finding someone to keep me company. Your name’s Chenille, right?”
Lisa smiled. “No. I’m Lisa.”
Chenille shoved her way over and held out her hand. “I’m Chenille. I’m pleased to meet you.”
Lisa stood back, watching. The two men shook hands. “Need me to carry your bag?” Justin asked.
Stevie gave him a dirty look. “I can handle it.” He picked it up, then put his arm around Chenille’s waist. “Lead on, brother.”
At the car, Stevie opened the back car door for Chenille and slid in beside her. He leaned forward. “So, Lisa, are you and Justin seeing each other?”
“Yes,” Justin answered before Lisa could say anything. In the back, a frown flitted across Chenille’s face. She faced Stevie. “Justin tells me you also run a jewelry store.”
“I manage a jewelry store in north Dallas, where more rich people live. Justin’s store has been closed for good because it’s not profitable enough.”
So Justin had lied. Lisa frowned. “You didn’t tell me that. I thought you were still managing it and just came here for a short vacation.”
Justin’s Adam’s apple moved as he swallowed. “Well, actually, he’s right. Father has abandoned that store and is building a new one in University Park where the rich people live.”
“Who’s going to manage the new one?” Lisa asked.
Stevie leaned forward. “Our father hasn’t told us yet. I’m expecting it will be me, but I’m not sure. Has he said anything to you about that, Justin?”
“Not really.”
Justin seemed to be focusing on driving, but he was frowning. Did he suspect Stevie would manage the new store? Maybe that’s why Justin had talked about making a change. But he’d lied about managing a store. Well, he probably had done it, but he wasn’t the manager any more. Was she seeing a side of him she hadn’t noticed before, or was he just too proud to admit he’d been forced out?
She thanked her lucky stars she hadn’t gone to bed with him. If only she hadn’t given in when he’d suggested that picnic, she wouldn’t have been bitten by a snake and been so ill she messed up on the GRE. Okay, so it wasn’t his fault there had been a snake in the grass. She shouldn’t blame him for that, but she hated being lied to.
After Chenille had tried to stake her claim on Justin, Lisa felt uneasy when they reached the restaurant. As Chenille said, the place was in a bustling shopping center, but once they entered t
he doors, they were in a different world. Up high were giant portholes that let in sunlight. White linen tablecloths covered the tables, and waiters hustled about. Brown and tan chairs blended in with the walls.
A hostess led them to a table. Lisa studied the menu featuring corn fish chowder, creamy Maine Lobster soup, crab cakes and octopus for appetizers.
Stevie ordered a bottle of red wine and filled their glasses, giving Justin more than the rest of them. “I’ll pay for the wine, Justin, if you get the dinner. I’m more of a beer man, myself, but I can drive us back to Mimosa Key if you like.”
Justin laid down his menu. “A glass of wine won’t affect my driving, but I’ll pay for the food. I was planning to treat y’all, anyway.”
The men chose crab cakes and octopus, Chenille chose the lobster soup, and Lisa did too. It was delicious. Justin let her taste a bit of the octopus. It was tasty, but chewy. For the entrees, Chenille chose Admiral Tso’s chicken. Justin and Lisa chose Seafood Creviche with sea bass, shrimp, snapper, and octopus with Lobster Risotto.
“I hate fish,” Stevie said. “I’ll have the braised Florida Wagyu Brisket. I’ll see if they can fix brisket as good as we do in Texas.”
Before the food arrived, Chenille asked Justin all sorts of questions about the jewelry business. A couple of times, Stevie answered instead of Justin. Finally, Justin excused himself to visit the men’s room, and Chenille went to the ladies’ room.
Stevie reached over and grasped Lisa’s hand. She pulled her hand back as gracefully as she could.
“I wish Justin had fixed me up with you. I’ll say one thing for him. He’s got good taste.”
“Thank you.” She’d better say something to get him talking about something else before he made another move on her. “So, when will this new store in University Park be ready?”
“A couple of weeks, I think.”
“And when will your father decide who’s going to manage it?”
“Soon, and I’m hoping it will be me. It’s time I got to shine. I’m tired of seeing all of Justin’s karate trophies on the living room shelves.”