Hideaway (The Women of Vino and Veritas)

by Rachel Lacey

  In the meantime, I’d gone on several job interviews—two in-person here in the Burlington area and three Skype interviews for positions in Boston. One of those virtual interviews had landed me a follow-up in Boston next Wednesday that I’d have to drive down for. The position was exactly what I was looking for, except that it would take me away from Vermont.

  Between singing at V and V, doing consulting work for local business owners, and fostering for Taylor, I’d become a much bigger part of the community here than I’d expected to. None of it was what I’d thought I wanted, but I was happy. I’d be relaxed too if I didn’t currently have a puppy chewing on the cuff of my pants.

  “Knock it off, Elizabeth,” I said as I removed her little teeth from my jeans, zigzagging my way across the kitchen to avoid puppy paws. The cabin was ready for rental now. I’d finished decorating it this week, and since I kept the puppies gated in the kitchen most of the time, nothing had gotten ruined…at least, not yet.

  Once they left, it would be time for me to move out too. My dad was anxious to start renting the place. He was tired of paying utilities and upkeep here without earning anything back, and I could hardly blame him.

  Taylor was on her way over, and I was trying to get a casserole in the oven for us, but my furry cohorts were getting in the way. Violet lay on her dog bed in the living room, fast asleep. Now that they were weaned, she was spending more and more time away from them. She’d become a regular presence in my bed at night. Taylor had also become a regular presence in my bed, and I hoped that might continue, even if we weren’t sleeping in this house.

  I covered the casserole pan with aluminum foil and bent to slide it into the oven. Blaze lunged at my hair, and I winced at the sharp tug of his teeth.

  “You guys are little hooligans,” I muttered as I disentangled him from my hair and stood. “Really cute hooligans, but hooligans nonetheless.” My phone rang, and I turned to grab it from the table. “Hi, Dad.”

  “Hi, honey. How are you?” he asked, and I could hear the sound of Boston traffic over the line, along with an echo that let me know I was on speaker in his car.

  “I’m ready for these puppies to go to their forever homes, but other than that, I’m great. And the cabin’s ready to rent, if that’s why you’re calling. I’ll have it fully staged and puppy-free for the photographer you hired next week.”

  “About that,” he said, and there was something apologetic in his tone that made me stand up a little straighter. “Is Taylor still interested in buying?”

  I let myself out of the kitchen through the baby gate and dropped onto the couch across from Violet. “Um, I think she would be. Why?”

  “I mentioned her offer offhand to Vivian, and she thinks I should sell.” He sighed, and I fought the urge to roll my eyes. He really was whipped where his new wife was concerned. “Apparently, she’s always wanted a condo in the Bahamas, and we could afford it if I sold the cabin.”

  “So now you want to sell?” I rubbed a hand over my brow. This didn’t make sense. My dad loved this house, which was why he’d been so determined to hold on to it. And while I wanted Taylor to have the chance to buy it, I also didn’t want my dad to do anything he’d regret.

  “I’ve given it some thought, and I’m not getting any younger, you know? I don’t get up to Vermont as often as I’d like, and dealing with renters might be more of a hassle than it’s worth. Selling to Taylor would be easy and quick, and I know the cabin would be going to someone who will love and care for it the way your grandma would have wanted.”

  “Wow, Dad. I don’t know what to say.” I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees. This was what Taylor had wanted, and the thought of being able to give it to her filled me with a mixture of happiness and something else…something vaguely sad. As I looked around the living room, I realized this place had started to feel like home over the last two months, and I was unexpectedly nostalgic at the thought of giving it up.

  Of course, I’d always been leaving, but as long as the property stayed in the family, at least there would have been the possibility of visiting. Well, if Taylor and I stayed together, that possibility remained. But right now, everything felt upside down and confusing.

  “Talk to her, will you?” my dad asked. “And if she’s interested, give her my number. If she’s willing to pay a fair market price, we should be able to negotiate the sale without having to get Realtors involved.”

  “Okay,” I said. “You’re sure this isn’t a midlife crisis?”

  He chuckled, and I heard the sound of the blinker as he signaled a turn. “It’s possible, sweetie, but I’m sure nonetheless. I’ve got so many air miles saved up, I don’t know what to do with them. A little sun and sand will be good for me, don’t you think?”

  “Yeah,” I said, smiling at the mental image. My dad did need to slow down. He needed a vacation. Maybe a condo in the Bahamas would be good for him. “I’ll talk to Taylor.”

  “Let me know what she decides,” he said.

  “Will do.”

  We wrapped up the call, and I sat there for a few minutes afterward, just staring at the phone in my hands. Taylor would get to buy this place after all. Would I stay? Would I go? This wasn’t my house. It had never been, even if it had started to feel like it. And now I’d spent two months fixing it up and dressing it for renters that would never come.

  I’d left Boston desperate for a place to hide, a distraction from the stupid meme that had derailed my life, and I’d found it here in this cabin. I hadn’t expected Violet or her puppies, and I certainly hadn’t expected Taylor to come back into my life.

  Now, it was time to move on and figure out what came next. The puppies would go to their new homes, and Taylor would move in here permanently. “You and I need new homes, Violet,” I said to the dog.

  She looked up at me, tail wagging lazily against her dog bed.

  On cue, I heard Taylor coming in through the front door. She dropped her purse on the counter and bypassed the kitchen to greet me with a kiss. “Hey.”

  “Hi.” I stood, wrapping my arms around her. “Want to help me take them out back?”

  “Sure.” She crossed the room and opened the baby gate, and I helped shepherd the four furry tornadoes out the back door. We herded them into their outdoor playpen, where they took turns peeing and wrestling. Little heathens.

  I smiled as I watched them. “I have some interesting news for you.”

  “Yeah?” The look she gave me was sharper than I’d expected. “You got a job?”

  I shook my head. “My news is for you, actually.”

  A wrinkle appeared between her brows as she waited for me to explain.

  “My dad had a change of heart. He wants to sell this place to you and buy a condo in the Bahamas for himself and Vivian instead.”

  “What?” Taylor pressed a hand over her mouth. “No way. Really?”

  “Really. You still want to buy it, right?”

  “I do,” she said, eyes widening. “I really do.”

  “Then it’s yours,” I told her.

  “What happened to change his mind?” she asked, glancing around the yard like she was already envisioning herself living here. “And why a condo in the Bahamas?”

  I repeated my dad’s story, and Taylor’s smile grew while she listened.

  “Wow. That’s crazy,” she said. “And amazing.”

  Before I knew it, she’d pulled me into her arms. With a laugh, she spun me while I clung to her with a surprised giggle. She looked ecstatic, like I’d just given her everything she’d ever wanted. And while I was a little unsure where I fit into this new scenario, I was happy for her, really happy for her.

  “My grandma would be so happy about this,” I told her. “I really think she would be thrilled to have you and your dogs living here.”

  “I hope so,” Taylor said, her eyes suspiciously glossy. “I mean, I think so too, but it means more coming from you, as her granddaughter.”

  “I think you can tr
ust your own judgment where she’s concerned.”

  Taylor reached out to tuck a lock of my hair behind my ear, her fingers lingering against my neck. “And you?”

  “I’m happy you’ll be living here too,” I told her.

  “No, I mean, what does this mean for you?” She threaded her fingers with mine.

  “I don’t know,” I said. “That’s up to you, I guess. Why don’t you give my dad a call and work out the details, and then you and I can take it from there?”

  “I’d like you to stay,” she said, her expression gone serious.

  “We’ll see, okay? I’ve freeloaded in this house long enough. It’s time for me to find my own place, depending on what job I get and where.” I wanted to stay. I wanted it more than anything, but I couldn’t let her buy this house with her hard-earned money and then live here like a guest. This was a scenario I hadn’t planned for, and I wasn’t sure how to handle it.

  Taylor turned away like I’d hurt her feelings. “You’re probably right.”

  Whatever happened, I had to decide soon, because I needed to sell my condo in Boston if I wasn’t going to live there. But first, I needed a job. “Dinner’s almost ready,” I told her. “And afterward, you can give my dad a call and make things official.”

  30

  Taylor

  It was an awkward dinner. On the one hand, I couldn’t stop smiling. This cabin was my dream home. I’d live within walking distance of my parents’ house. I could foster as many dogs as I wanted—within reason, of course. And I’d get to make my home in a place where I already had so many happy memories.

  Phoebe had been quiet since she told me the news, her expression hesitant, as if she wasn’t sure where she belonged anymore. A part of me felt like I was kicking her out of her house, even though she’d never planned to live here.

  Once I bought it, she’d be a guest in her grandmother’s cabin, but what was the alternative? I couldn’t ask her to sell her condo in Boston and buy a house with me two months after coming back into her life. That would be premature and presumptuous, and she didn’t even have a job yet. So we shared stilted dinner conversation while we ate chicken cordon bleu casserole, and I hoped the answer would present itself to me before it was too late.

  In the kitchen, one of the puppies let out a loud yip, and Phoebe rolled her eyes, displaying the playful annoyance that was her usual reaction to them. She loved them, but she was ready for them to go to their forever homes, and I couldn’t blame her. They were a lot to handle.

  “I think we could try introducing Minnie and Violet soon,” I told her.

  “Oh yeah?” She glanced across the table at me. “That would simplify things, wouldn’t it?”

  I nodded. “What if I bring Minnie over for a hike tomorrow, and you join us with Violet? I know she’s not in shape to go far, but meeting outside on neutral ground, away from the puppies, should be a good way to make an introduction between them.”

  Phoebe nodded. “Let’s do it.”

  The next day, I drove straight to Phoebe’s house—soon to be my house—after work with Minnie in tow. I texted Phoebe when I arrived and then brought Minnie around back. We crossed the stream and headed onto the path so that she wouldn’t be meeting Violet on her own territory. I kept her on leash today so Violet wouldn’t feel ambushed.

  A few minutes later, Phoebe appeared on the trail with Violet at her side. The dog stiffened when she caught sight of Minnie, and the hair along her spine raised in alarm.

  “It’s okay,” Phoebe soothed, keeping a tight grip on the leash. “This is Taylor’s dog. We’re hoping you two might be friends.”

  Minnie tugged at her leash, tail wagging enthusiastically. She’d never met a dog she didn’t want to be best friends with, so today’s success or failure would be up to Violet.

  “Let’s start walking,” I suggested.

  Phoebe fell into step beside me with Violet on her other side, and we walked for a few minutes, talking casually while the dogs stole glances at each other around our legs. By the time we’d reached the top of the hill, Violet was relaxed, tail up and tongue out.

  “I think you can let them greet now,” I told Phoebe. “Don’t tense up. Just follow her lead. If anything starts to look bad, I’ll move Minnie out of reach.”

  “Got it,” she said, looking nervous. Her nerves weren’t helping, but it wasn’t like I could just tell her not to worry. Luckily, Violet didn’t seem ruffled. She leaned forward and sniffed Minnie, who immediately took the opportunity to come around and sniff Violet’s butt. They sniffed and circled each other for a minute, and then I gestured to Phoebe that we should keep walking.

  “We’ll turn around in a minute,” I told Phoebe. “I don’t want Violet to overdo it when she’s not used to hiking and still carrying some baby weight.”

  “This is going really well,” Phoebe said as we reversed direction on the trail.

  “It is,” I agreed. “We’ll do it again, and after the puppies are adopted, we can see how Violet feels about having Minnie in the house.”

  “Who will take her after I move out?” Phoebe asked, looking at Violet, and the sadness in her eyes was unmistakable.

  “Hopefully, I will,” I told her. “If they get along, I’ll foster her until she’s been spayed and adopted.”

  “Good,” Phoebe said, nodding her approval. “I love that idea.”

  “Will you stay too?” I asked. “Until you find a job and decide what you’re doing long-term?”

  “For now,” she said. “But I have to pay rent or something. I can’t just crash in your house indefinitely.”

  “Well, I want you to crash here until you find a job. We’ll figure out the rest afterward.”

  “Okay,” she agreed, still looking hesitant. “Thank you.”

  We approached the back of the house, and I stopped Minnie at the creek. “Mind if I go home with her tonight? It’s been a while.”

  “Oh, yeah, sure,” Phoebe said, fingers curling around Violet’s leash. “I can manage the puppies for a night.”

  “Thanks. I haven’t spent a night at my place in a few weeks, and Kelly’s ready for a break from watching Minnie. Not to mention, I need to start going through all my stuff and packing.” This morning, I’d talked to Mr. Shaw, and we’d agreed on a price and sales terms. We hoped to have all the paperwork taken care of within the next week or so. Luckily, I had a lawyer friend who was going to look over the contract for me, since we weren’t involving Realtors. I wasn’t expecting any trouble, though. Phoebe’s dad was an honest and fair man, as far as I knew.

  She leaned in to give me a kiss. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then?”

  “You sure will. It’s puppy adoption day.” We grinned at each other.

  “Thank God,” she said dramatically.

  “Oh, come on. You’re going to miss them,” I teased.

  “Not even a little bit. After this experience, I can safely say I’m never getting a puppy.”

  “Well, you’ve done a great job with them,” I told her. “And what about Violet? You two seem pretty fond of each other.”

  Phoebe looked down at the pit bull. “I like this girl a lot. I hope she and Minnie get along well enough for us all to live together until she’s adopted and I find a job.”

  I wanted to suggest that she adopt Violet, but that seemed pushy, when she hadn’t even decided to stay in Vermont yet. Pets weren’t allowed in her condo in Boston. She’d been clear about that, and a condo was no place for a dog Violet’s size anyway.

  I took Minnie home, and we shared a quiet evening together, one of the last nights we’d ever share in this apartment. Minnie was overjoyed to be back at home with me. We had dinner together and played with her tug toy for a while, and that night, she curled up in bed beside me, the way she’d always done.

  The next morning, we got ready together and headed to the shelter. I was only working in the office until noon today because the afternoon would be spent on puppy adoptions, which I would be comple
ting at the cabin. I hadn’t seen a reason to bring them into the shelter when I could bring the paperwork with me to Phoebe’s house.

  My house.

  I still couldn’t quite believe it was going to be my house. I spent a quiet morning at my desk, updating the online profiles for our available pets. Violet’s puppies were currently listed as “adoption pending,” and if all went as planned, I could change that to “adopted” in about an hour. I gathered the adoption paperwork and set out for the cabin, leaving Minnie with Alleya for the afternoon.

  “Hey,” Phoebe said as she greeted me at the door. Her hair was up, and her cheeks were flushed, likely from puppy wrangling.

  “Ready to send these guys home?” I asked as I gave her a quick kiss.

  “You know, I think I might miss them a tiny bit once they’re gone,” she said, giving the puppies an affectionate look.

  I followed her gaze, noticing that she’d tied little bows around their necks, and my heart melted into a hopeless puddle right then and there. Elizabeth’s bow was pink, while Cherry wore a cherry-red one. Sunny’s was a sunny yellow, and Blaze’s was bright blue. As they romped around the kitchen, wrestling with each other, the overall effect was too adorable for words. “That is one of the cutest things I’ve ever seen.”

  Phoebe beamed at me. “Thanks. I thought they should look good for their new families. I bathed them and everything. I also think we should take them to the pen in back before their families get here so their first impression isn’t of their new puppy having an accident on the floor.”

  “Great idea.” I bent to scoop up Sunny and Elizabeth while she lifted the other two, and we headed out the back door with them. Violet followed us. She watched as we put the puppies into their pen before settling contentedly in the grass nearby. “You’ve been such a good mama, Violet. I bet you’re going to be lonely tonight without them around.”