Hush, Puppy

by Roxanne St Claire

  Destiny had even spent that night at a Waterford Farm sleepover with Mav, giving Summer and John complete privacy and intimacy at home.

  She’d had a chance to hang out at the small regional airport with Destiny, watching John’s plane take off and land, and celebrate that he was now one hour from being able to legally fly solo.

  She was still reliving some of the memories they’d made this month when her phone rang, and John’s name appeared on the screen. She stopped to sit on a park bench and answered with a smile.

  “If you tell me Secret Shopper came in today when I’m not there, I’ll be crushed.”

  He laughed at the greeting. “No one who could possibly qualify is here, and I have Karyn on the lookout. She’s really grateful for the extra hours, by the way, so I’m glad you offered her yours today.”

  “No problem. I had to find some window of opportunity to do some birthday shopping for Destiny while she’s not with me. Now, I’m on my way to the toy store on Ambrose Avenue.”

  “You’re not going to find what she wants in a toy store, Summer.”

  “They have stuffed dogs.”

  He snorted. “Not ones that sing and follow her around like she hung the moon.”

  “John, you can’t do this. I have to teach her a tough life lesson: You can’t claim other people’s pets or belongings as your own.”

  “What if I give him to her?”

  “Nobody’s that nice. Even you.”

  “You know I would. And anything else she—or you—wants.”

  Her heart folded over with affection and that same longing she’d just felt looking around this precious town square. Maybe she wasn’t longing for more time in town, just more time with John. A lot more.

  “What I want is for the secret shopper to show up and give you all his money.” She gnawed on her lip, still worried that her mistake had cost him a small fortune because of the increased price for the property. “No word from George, either?”

  “He’s dragging his feet on the contract I sent, which is fine. The longer he waits, the better chance I have of closing the financing. I’m not tense.”

  “I can tell,” she said.

  “How could I be? Sleep-deprived, maybe,” he said with a sexy intonation. “But not tense.”

  An easy laugh bubbled up. She knew exactly what he meant and already looked forward to their hours alone tonight. Sleep was overrated. Making love and whispering into the wee hours was…everything.

  “Listen, I need to ask you a favor,” he said. “Can you swing by Gramma Finnie’s and Yiayia’s place while you’re out and about? Yiayia said they have something they want to give you.”

  “Sure.” She’d been to the gingerbread-cute Victorian on Dogwood Lane in the past few weeks and knew it was within walking distance from where she stood. The town, it seemed, was already becoming familiar. “Something for me?”

  “I actually think it’s something for Destiny. They didn’t give details, but you’ve been summoned. I hope you don’t mind.”

  “Not at all. Are you still going to fly today?”

  “Aidan said he’s running an errand in town, then he’s going to meet me at the airfield. Oh, I have a vendor calling,” he said softly. “I’ll call you later.”

  She sat there for a moment, the echo of his deep voice still in her head, the feelings she had for him welling up. It was going to be so damn hard to leave. Impossible, in fact.

  She pushed up and headed to the tiny side street with a row of beautifully restored Victorians, easily spotting the pink and blue one where Yiayia and Gramma Finnie lived. In the front garden, two flags hung on small metal posts, one representing Ireland, one for Greece. Oh, and there was a new one that had dachshund silhouettes and the words Follow the pawprints!

  Smiling at that, Summer tapped on the front door, surprised when Cassie opened it, and she noticed Pru playing with one of the dogs in the living room. As she walked in, she spied Katie Kilcannon in the hall, headed toward the kitchen, and suddenly wondered if this summons wasn’t actually an…intervention.

  She could hear it now. Don’t leave, lassie.

  “Can you even believe it?” Cassie exclaimed, holding out her phone. “One million clicks on our girl.”

  Summer laughed. “I hardly ever look at social media lately,” she admitted. “But I’m pretty sure about five hundred thousand of those clicks are Destiny watching her own performance over and over and over again on my phone.”

  Cassie ushered her in, stepping aside so one of the dogs could come and sniff her, then gestured her toward the kitchen. “Come on in. The gang’s all here.”

  She lifted her brows. “John said Yiayia wanted to give me something for Destiny.”

  “A plan,” she whispered conspiratorially. “But act surprised.”

  “Hi, Summer.” Pru stood up, rocking Gala in her arms like she was holding a baby. “I’m good with kids,” she said with a grin.

  “And dogs,” Summer said, giving Gala’s nose a tap as she passed by, still uncertain what she was walking into, other than the kitchen.

  In there, Yiayia was at a large center island, rolling dough, while Gramma Finnie sat with Katie, John’s mother, at the kitchen table, coffee mugs in front of them. As they all greeted her, Cassie offered iced tea and coaxed Summer to barstools at the counter, where they could watch Yiayia work and chat with everyone.

  Sun poured through the mullions of a large window as the women chattered about Destiny’s success, with Cassie cooing over how happy her client was with the flurry of attention for the Family First Pet Foods brand.

  “There’ll be no separatin’ her from wee Mavvie now,” Gramma Finnie said.

  “Oh please.” Summer looked skyward. “John is this close to giving that dog to my daughter.”

  “Of course he is,” Cassie said, leaning around Summer to grin at her mother. “He always was the nice one.”

  “He is kind.” Katie stood and came closer to put her hands on Summer’s shoulders. “And as a mother, I completely understand your dilemma. My husband, Daniel, tells me that he and his late wife’s favorite expression was—”

  “You’re only as happy as your least-happy child,” Pru chimed in. “Grannie Annie’s saying is kind of the Kilcannon motto. My mother says it all the time.”

  Summer smiled. “Well, having an only child really puts that in perspective. I’m only as happy as Destiny is.”

  “And is she happy?” Yiayia asked, looking up from phyllo dough so thin Summer could see the veins in the countertop through it.

  “She’s never been this happy,” Summer said, hearing the bittersweet note in her voice.

  Yiayia’s sharp gaze moved to Gramma Finnie, who adjusted her bifocals and peered at Katie, who tipped her head and slid a look at Cassie, who smiled at Pru.

  “Okay, then,” Summer said on a laugh. “Who’s going to let me in on the secret?”

  They all started talking at once, until Yiayia banged her wooden rolling pin. “Remember that Finola was going to go first.”

  Summer turned to Gramma Finnie, who was pushing out of her chair. “I was, wasn’t I?”

  “First for…what?” Summer asked.

  “Just first.” Gramma Finnie glanced around. “Oh, it’s in the dining room.” She walked back into the hall, then reappeared a moment later with a large pillow in her arms. A dog-bone-shaped pillow, embroidered with, Destiny Rose and Mavvie, First Place in Barkaoke, Bitter Bark, North Carolina.

  “For the wee one’s birthday.”

  “Oh wow!” Summer took the pillow in her arms, just about the size of Mav. “This will look so beautiful in her room. How lovely, Gramma Finnie. Thank you.” She perched the pillow on the counter, still smiling. “That was so thoughtful.”

  And it was…first. What were they planning next?

  “Now, about her birthday,” Katie said, slipping onto the stool next to Summer. “It’s Sunday, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “We’d like to celebrate it w
ith the whole family at our Sunday dinner, if that’s all right with you,” Katie said.

  “We do great Sunday birthday parties at Waterford,” Pru added. “Cake, presents, whatever she wants.”

  “Of course.” Summer couldn’t see any reason to leave before Sunday, so agreeing to that was a no-brainer. “I’m sure she’d love that.”

  “And then the following week,” Yiayia added, “since camp will be over, Finola and I would love to have her spend time with us while you’re working at Santorini’s since…” She lifted a brow. “The place has never run quite as smoothly as it does with you at the hostess helm.”

  “Oh, thank you, but…” Was that true? She wasn’t sure, but she also knew better than to argue with this woman.

  “We’ll run our own little camp,” Yiayia said. “Life skills. Important ones, like how to make a world-class baklava, and some gardening, and dancing, and plenty of singing.”

  “I’ll teach the lass some cross-stitch and embroidery,” Gramma Finnie added.

  “Well, if we stay for a while, that would be wonderful. She loves you both so much and—”

  “But it can’t be all sewing and baking,” Pru added, leaning into the circle. “I’m the best babysitter in the world, as many will tell you, and I thought it would be fun for her to do some internships. She could spend a few days at my mom’s vet office and maybe watch Darcy do the grooming or help sell treats at Ella’s Bone Appetit store. She’d love that.”

  “She would,” Summer agreed on a soft laugh. “I see you’ve all given this a great deal of thought.”

  “And Family First kind of wants her to do a commercial,” Cassie added very quickly. “They’d shoot it here in September.”

  Summer’s jaw dropped as she looked at one overly enthused face after another. “Is that where all this has been leading? A commercial?”

  “Oh, no, lass.” Gramma Finnie put a knotted hand on Summer’s arm. “We just think that… We know how happy you are, and…it just seems as though…”

  “You can’t leave,” Yiayia said, a little impatient with her friend.

  Summer blinked at her.

  “I mean, you can,” Yiayia added. “But…John is so happy.”

  “He really is,” Katie chimed in. “And as his mother, well…”

  “You’re only as happy as your least-happy child,” Summer said, still laughing softly and shaking her head. “I gotta say, you guys are good.”

  “Normally, it’s just us,” Yiayia said, nodding at Gramma Finnie.

  “Hey.” Pru poked her.

  “And Pru. She’s a Dogmother-in-training.” Yiayia stepped away, returning to her dough. “But this is a tricky case, and you could slip away at any moment.”

  “She’s kidding, of course,” Cassie said.

  “Really?” Summer picked up her tea. “Everyone sounds pretty serious about my love life, to me.”

  A few of them gave nervous laughs, but Cassie turned Summer so they were facing each other. “Obviously, the big thing is the commercial. I came over here to tell them about it and ask how I should approach John to ask you, and then, wham…” She gestured toward the others. “They started thinking about Destiny and her birthday and you leaving and you not leaving and…John and you and…”

  Summer gave her a tight smile. “The commercial sounds amazing. Of course, I need to get details of what’s involved.”

  “A whole lot of money,” Cassie said.

  “Really?”

  “For a commercial? Yes, a lot of money.” She leaned in and whispered an amount, and Summer almost fell off the stool.

  “Whoa.”

  “Yeah, commercials pay well, especially talent that can sing.”

  That much money would be a phenomenal nest egg for Destiny. “We’d have to come back, since school will be in session in September,” she said.

  “Unless you don’t leave at all, lass,” Gramma Finnie whispered, dropping the expected bomb with her usual sweet brogue.

  Then Summer turned to Yiayia, who rolled her dough, eyes down. After a moment, she set the rolling pin aside and leveled the full power of her gaze on Summer. This could be anything, Summer thought. Reverse psychology. A dire warning. An order that couldn’t be ignored.

  “You’ll never find a finer man,” Yiayia said simply.

  “I know that,” Summer whispered. “It’s just all so fast.”

  “So, stay for the rest of the summer,” Cassie said. “See what happens.”

  “I’ll…” Summers phone vibrated with a text, giving her an excuse not to respond. “Oh, it’s John,” she said as she tapped his message.

  He’s here! He’s here! Get over here now!!

  “Oh! The secret shopper’s at the restaurant!”

  “Really?” Katie pressed her hands together. “Thank God.”

  “I walked here, though. He could be gone by the time I get to Santorini’s.”

  “I’ll drive you,” Cassie said. “I know John wants you to be there. I want to see the guy, too.”

  Cassie pulled her to the kitchen door, but Summer stopped and turned back to the others. “Can I take the pillow?”

  “We’ll have it all wrapped up on Sunday,” Gramma Finnie said, clutching her kelly green cardigan with excitement. “Now, off you go, lass!”

  In a few minutes, she and Cassie were zooming around the square, headed for Santorini’s.

  “I hope they—we—weren’t too much,” Cassie said, her dark eyes glinting with humor. “It’s kind of easy to get swept up in the Dogmothers’ fun.”

  “It’s fine,” she said, tapping an on my way text to John. “They’re sweet, and they mean well.”

  “Oh, they mean business. Matchmaking business.” Cassie put a hand on Summer’s arm. “Listen, I’m his sister. One of his many fans, possibly the biggest. John’s the best.”

  “I know. He’s awesome.”

  “And he’s falling so hard for you,” Cassie added. “I mean, not that I want to make you feel pressured or anything, but—”

  “I’m falling, too,” she admitted on a whisper. “I can’t imagine anything that would change that.”

  “Yay!” Cassie whipped into a handicapped spot in front of the restaurant. “You run in, and I’ll find a parking spot in the back. Go, be a hostess if he needs you.”

  “Okay.” She blew Cassie a spontaneous kiss and stepped onto the sidewalk, a little dizzy from the excitement of that crew and all the…love.

  She took a moment to collect herself, letting the sunshine pour over her as she let her heart settle a bit.

  This family. This town. This man and his world. It was all so magical, and Destiny was so happy and—

  The front door popped open, and John came out, so tall and handsome and welcoming. They closed the space between each other in a few steps, falling into an easy embrace.

  “Are you sure it’s him?”

  “Oh, absolutely. He came in and asked Karyn if I was here, and when she offered to get me, he said he didn’t want anyone to know he was here, and he’d like to eat first. Of course, she came right back to get me and point him out.”

  “Oh, let’s walk by him and see if he’s having a good meal.”

  “You can. Go charm him. Work your hostess magic. Just tell him you were on a break and chat him up.”

  “Without reading his laptop or phone,” she joked as he walked her in.

  “Do whatever you want.” He gave her a quick kiss, then inched back. “It’s happening, Summer. Everything’s happening.”

  Her heart tripped around as she looked up at him. “Yes, it is.”

  He kissed her again, holding her face. “I’ve never been happier.”

  “I feel the same way,” she whispered breathlessly. With one more kiss, she stepped away and looked into the dining area.

  “Oh, he’s that tall, clean-cut guy at table seven. Young dude for this job, unless Tom Barnard sent a ringer.”

  She shifted her gaze and blinked, not sure if it was the sunlight or wh
at, but…she saw the angles of his face, the piercing blue of his eyes, and the shocked smile that broke across his face when he saw her.

  “Summer? Is that you?” His voice traveled across the restaurant as he stood up.

  Once again, she was a little dizzy, but for a whole different reason.

  “You know him?” John’s voice sounded strangled, but that was probably her pulse thumping in her head.

  “I can’t believe you’re here.” The man closed the space between them, almost running to her, extending his arms. “Come here, gorgeous. God, I’ve missed you.”

  Strong arms wrapped her so tight she could barely breathe, but she managed to inch back and look up into eyes she knew so well despite never having seen them in person.

  “Travis.” Oh God. Travis.

  Chapter Twenty-two

  So…not Tom Barnard. Not by a long shot.

  John stared at the man who had somehow become mythical in his head, cursing the fact that the son of a bitch was kind of…godlike. He’d seen the tall, tanned, golden-haired man only through the lenses of his own expectations about Tom Barnard, whom he’d pictured as someone closer to fifty and maybe balding. But seeing him as Travis Shipley, a man who said he loved Summer and had made enough of an impression that she traveled here, two years later, to find him?

  Yeah, that threw John completely off-balance.

  Why couldn’t the guy be a little scruffy, maybe act like a loser who didn’t have his act together? Why couldn’t he look like the musician he supposedly was? Why couldn’t he…not be here, looking down at Summer like she was the answer to his every prayer?

  But he was, standing as tall as John, maybe a half inch taller, with a commanding presence that surely turned the head of every person he passed. He obviously spent an enormous amount of time at the gym and had just enough ink peeking from the sleeve of a casual, tight-fitting T-shirt to have an air of badass about him. But his hair was military-short, and he’d shaved his square jaw within the last few hours. Face it, he was the kind of guy his sister and her friends would probably call a smokefest or a dime or eye candy.