Chapter Twenty-Nine Lily #2
Never in a million years did I expect Lorenzo to jump in and adopt Daisy. He might claim it wasn’t because of me, and maybe he has his own reasons for wanting a dog, but there is no way I didn’t influence his decision whatsoever.
We both know he would’ve been perfectly content spending the rest of his existence without canine companionship if it weren’t for me.
I try not to make a big deal of it when he meets me at the animal clinic the next morning, ready to sign the adoption papers, but it’s impossible once he meets Daisy, the world’s cutest pit bull, while looking ready to bolt.
We’ve been in the private exam room for an entire minute already and he still hasn’t let go of the door handle, his body tense.
“Lorenzo, meet Daisy.” I take a seat on the floor, and Daisy takes it upon herself to turn my lap into a chair.
“This is Daisy?” The way his mouth opens and closes makes me laugh
“What did you expect?”
“Some kind of lapdog, or maybe a golden retriever. Not this…this…”
I scratch behind Daisy’s ear, making her tongue loll out. “Beauty?”
“ Beast ,” he hisses.
I press my hands over Daisy’s ears. “Daddy didn’t mean that, baby. He’s just…overwhelmed.”
There’s a wicked gleam to Lorenzo’s eyes, and I’d sacrifice my favorite pair of sneakers to know what’s going on in his mind right now.
Daisy barks, and the deep bass sound has Lorenzo scrubbing a hand over his face. “At least it’s not a yapper.”
“Look at you searching for the positives.”
“It’s a short list, so don’t get your hopes up.”
I cradle Daisy against my chest. “Don’t tell me you’re backing out.”
“I should.” He releases the door handle and takes a step away from it.
Progress .
“But you won’t,” I say confidently. “Because that would make me very, very sad.” I pop my bottom lip out and wobble it, making sure to soften my eyes simultaneously.
He stares at my mouth like he loves to loathe it. “This is a mistake.”
My heart feels like Lorenzo is using it for dart practice. “What do you mean?”
His skin pales as he stares into Daisy’s eyes. “I’m not qualified to take care of another living being.”
Tension coils in my belly. “You take care of me, so how hard can a dog be?”
“For me, seems impossible.”
“How so?”
“I had a dog once. Didn’t end well.” He speaks so low that I have a hard time hearing him.
My heart sinks. “I’m sorry.”
“It was a long time ago.” He carries on asking more questions about Daisy and what kind of care she requires, all while I wonder about Lorenzo’s dog and why he gets that lost look in his eyes when he talks about them.
Lorenzo takes us shopping for pet supplies in Lake Aurora. He would’ve preferred to support local stores, but the vet recommended a specific food for Daisy to help her continue gaining weight.
I hardly recognize the town anymore with all its fancy new buildings and chain stores.
“What are you thinking about?” he asks as we drive down what used to be Oak Tree Road. It’s hard to grasp that the winding street lined with stunning century-old oak trees became this generic strip of retail shops and strip malls.
“This place feels soulless.”
“How so?”
“Everything I once loved about it is gone.”
“Like what?” He keeps his eyes on the road, although they stray to take in everything I talk about next.
“The gigantic oak trees. The mom-and-pop shops. The character .” I point to the brand-new pharmacy while wondering where the retro diner-slash-pharmacy went.
“This is exactly what I’m afraid will happen to Lake Wisteria,” he replies.
“There has to be a better way to get your message out there.”
“I’m working on it. I contacted the architects you mentioned, and they sent me the Lavender Lane plans.”
“Morrison and Holmes?”
He nods.
“How did you pull that off?”
His eyes remain on the road, but they harden ever so slightly. “Does it matter? I got what we needed.”
I wince. “Please tell me it was legal.”
“Yes. All’s fair in love and capitalism, and turns out they were willing to betray the Ludlows for a better contract.”
“Hold on. You plan on hiring them?”
He leans back in his seat with an exaggerated casualness. “No. And even if I had the power to, I wouldn’t, but that didn’t stop me from copying them on an email and formally introducing them to my cousin and recommending their company.”
“You still talk to your family?”
His smile borders on arrogant. “No, but the firm doesn’t know that.”
If there wasn’t a tight ball of emotion in my chest, I’d laugh, but worry eats away at my amusement as I think over the news Lorenzo shared.
Yes, access to the architectural plans should help our cause, but everyone blindingly trusts the Ludlows, so what if the town assumes the mayor knows best? The Ludlow family has been running Lake Wisteria for years, and our local economy has only seen massive gains.
But what if…
“How many small businesses in town have you been working with?” I ask, the wheels in my head spinning so fast, I can hardly keep up.
“A lot.”
“Rough number?”
“Fifty? I’d have to check my spreadsheet to make sure.”
My eyes bulge. “Wow. Okay. That’s more than I thought.”
“Why are you asking?”
My mouth curls into a smile. “Because I have an idea.”