28. Sadie
28
SADIE
There’s an insistent knock at my door Monday morning after the debacle of the wedding weekend.
Piper and I are on the couch, each with a bowl of our favorite sugary breakfast cereal, halfway through season three of The Gilmore Girls —which I’d argue is the show’s finest.
I’ve canceled my daycare and training clients for the next twenty-four hours, citing a family emergency. The point could be made that outright humiliation doesn’t count as an emergency, but it sure feels like one to me.
I’d argued to no avail that Piper shouldn’t be embarrassed about calling off the wedding. Anyone who spends five minutes in Bradley Carlson’s company will understand he’s transformed from a harmless lout who thought too much of himself to a low-key intolerable asshat.
She doesn’t seem to take comfort in the fact that she dodged a Bradley-sized bullet, and annoyingly counters that even though Ian and I started out fake dating, anyone who spends five minutes with us will know neither of our feelings were completely pretend.
We eventually agree to disagree, and since this is our only day to avoid the world together, we focus our attention on Lorelei and Rory.
Tomorrow, Piper drives back to Kansas City and begins looking for a nursing job at a hospital where Bradley doesn’t have privileges. And I return to LBI.
Life before Ian. It’s a lonely, dull prospect. I thought my life was fine—good even. But he showed me what I was missing, and I want the brightness he gave me. The way he made me feel perfect and loved, even if he never said those words. My heart felt it, and I don’t know how to let go.
On the plus side, I’ll have plenty of work to keep me busy. My phone has been pinging nonstop with potential bookings. Apparently, taking a few days off hasn’t pushed my clients into the waiting arms of the canine experience managers over at Dogapalooza. Even some of my original customers who deserted me for the flashy national chain have been calling to book their dogs.
When the knocking becomes too much to ignore, I abandon our storybook escape, ready to face the music. I half expect to see Sally and Trina on the other side of the door, waiting to lecture Piper and me since neither of us has returned their messages. Instead, Penelope and Daniel, the pilot, stand on my porch.
“Hey, guys.” I frown as I notice the two of them holding hands. Penelope has Princess cradled in her other arm, and Beast is staring up at me from a small crate sitting on the porch.
“Did I forget to message you? I’m not working today.”
“We need you to take the dogs,” Penelope says, more a command than a request.
“Not working,” I repeat.
“Permanently,” Daniel adds.
“We’re moving to London.” Penelope gives Princess a little squeeze. “We can’t take them.”
“My sister doesn’t run a shelter,” Piper yells from the sofa.
“You love Princess and Beast,” Penelope insists.
I see the curtains across the street flutter and step back into the house, waving them forward.
“Since when are you two dating?”
“We met at pick up a couple of weeks ago.” Daniel looks a bit sheepish. Maybe Riva hadn’t been wrong about him flirting with me. A discerning guy…good to know.
“It clicked from the start.” Penelope bats her caterpillar eyelashes at him. Yikes. Those lashes are really something. “Like it was meant to be. You know.” She cringes in my direction. “Or I guess you wouldn’t since you paid a guy to be your boyfriend.”
“I didn’t pay Ian,” I say through gritted teeth.
“He likes her for real,” my sister insists, hitting the mute button on the TV.
Penelope and Daniel share a look but don’t argue.
“I got offered a position I applied for months ago. It’s at my firm’s London office,” Penelope explains. “I’ve always wanted to live in England. I’m a huge fan of the royals.”
“She doesn’t mean the baseball team,” Daniel explains.
“I got that,” I tell him.
He smiles at Penelope, and despite my current outlook on love, the affection in his dark eyes seems genuine. “I put in for a transfer to Heathrow, and the airline approved it this morning. We’re moving at the end of the week.”
“Together,” Penelope clarifies.
I blink at the dog cradled in her arms. “Without Princess. Why don’t you take her with you?”
“I’d planned on it,” she says, looking a tiny bit embarrassed, which is not nearly as ashamed as she should be in this situation. In my opinion, there’s a special place in hell for people who treat dogs as disposable. “But we want to travel, and I wouldn’t trust her to anyone but you, Sadie. Besides, I don’t think she’d like the food in England.”
Piper, who’s gobbling up cereal and watching this interchange—I gather it’s far more interesting than whatever’s going on at Luke’s diner—snorts out a laugh. “Dogs are a lifetime commitment,” she says. Max is draped across her, blissfully uninterested in any other human or canine while he has Piper’s undivided attention.
Penelope’s gaze hardens as she glances toward Piper. “You’re the runaway bride sister, right? Too young and flighty to commit.”
“Ouch,” I mutter. “That’s not how it went.”
“Sadie told me that Max was your dog,” Penelope continues, undeterred. “But you left him here instead of taking him with you even though you’re done with college and working a steady job.”
“This is Max’s home,” Piper says quietly. “It’s my home, too.”
I’m not sure if she believes her own words, but they warm my heart.
“Maybe you can arrange for Ian Barlowe’s daughter to adopt Princess,” Penelope suggests. “You know, since she already tried to steal her.”
Ah, yes. Just what I need—a reminder of how my current mess got started.
“The point is, we can’t take either of these…” She frowns at Beast’s crate as if reluctant to put him in the same category as Princess, but finally relents when Daniel squeezes her hand. “Either of these dogs. Please, Sadie. We can’t drop them at the pound. Who would adopt Beast?”
Over the years, I’ve helped several families re-home dogs who weren’t a fit, but I’ve never agreed to take responsibility for one myself. However, having been so recently rejected, I can’t bear to do that to another creature, man or beast. Or, in this case, Princess or Beast.
“I’ll keep the dogs. But only until I find good homes for them,” I tell the unlikely couple.
“Thank you so much.” Penelope sounds equally relieved and shocked that I didn’t put up more of a fight. Story of my life. She leans in as if to hug me but transfers Princess to my arms.
“Thanks, Sadie,” Daniel echoes.
“Get the stuff from the car,” she commands, and he snaps to attention like a soldier taking orders. “Quick,” she whispers, then winks at me. “We wouldn’t want Sadie to change her mind.”
“I won’t change my mind.”
“Even though she should,” Piper calls out.
Max finally sits up to check out the new arrivals, then yawns and lays back down on Piper’s lap.
“I don’t care what people say about how pathetic you are.” Penelope crouches down to open Beast’s crate. “You’re a good person, which is what counts.”
An interesting, if backhanded, compliment.
“Of course, you’re going to have clients queued up around the block after that video,” she tells me, crossing her arms over her chest.
Panic grips my chest. “What video?” More like, what new fresh hell is this?
Penelope ignores my question. “Queue is how they say line in England.”
As my scrambled brain tries to process what video she’s referencing, Daniel comes through the front door with a giant clear tub of dog accessories that appear perfect for Penelope’s pampered pup. The box contains an assortment of bows, floral-patterned bandanas, and frilly dog dresses in shades of pink, lavender, and baby blue. And of course the fuzzy sweater Princess usually wears on cold days.
“If you take her picture, make sure she’s wearing pink.” Penelope picks a dress out of the tub. “It’s her best color. She’s sure to be adopted wearing pink. As far as Beast?—”
“My mom loved him,” Daniel interrupts, a hint of warning in his tone.
“Of course she did, bless her heart.” The words roll off Penelope’s tongue with the lilt of a Southern accent, even though she was born and raised in Colorado.
I decide to ignore the canine fashion advice. “What video?” I repeat. My heart clenches, wondering if someone recorded and then posted the humiliation I endured this weekend.
“The one of you breaking up the dog fight at Dogapalooza. You did your whole dog whisperer thing and calmed those two menacing animals.”
“They were scared, not menacing,” I clarify.
“Whatevs.” Penelope waves a hand. “Somebody filmed the whole thing and posted a highlight reel to Insta. They tagged Dogapalooza, and I heard a ton of people have canceled their contracts.”
Daniel’s phone beeps. “Babykins, we gotta go. The realtors are at my house.”
Babykins? I try not to make a face like I’m smelling a fresh pile of dog poo.
Daniel holds out a hand to high-five me. “I’ve got a bidding war on my hands. Only owned the house three years, and it’s almost doubled in value. You could make a ton on this place.”
“I’m not looking to sell.” I leave him hanging on the high five.
Penelope grabs his hand and links their fingers. “We’re renting a flat in Mayfair. It’s the neighborhood for polite society.”
“Like the Bridgertons,” Piper interjects, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
“I’m sure it’s lovely.” I glance over my shoulder toward Piper, who’s on her phone—checking out the reel, I assume. “I didn’t realize anyone was filming me.”
“It’s got ten thousand likes.” Piper’s eyes widen as she stares at me. “You’ve gone viral, Sads.”
“Babykins, gotta go,” Daniel repeats.
Penelope pats her dog’s head and blinks back tears. “Be Mommy’s good girl. Remember, you are royalty.” She glances up at me and swipes a hand over her cheeks. “It’s true. She comes from royal bloodlines. You should put that in the adoption notice.”
Beast rolls onto his back and lets out a whispered fart.
“Good luck,” Daniel says with a grimace. Then they turn and walk out, shutting the front door behind them.
“You should see these comments,” my sister says. “You’re a hero. And there are at least a dozen companies interested in a collab.”
“I don’t collab .” I kiss the top of Princess’s soft head. “I don’t want that kind of publicity. I don’t want any publicity.”
My phone rings again, and I switch it to Do Not Disturb. I’m famous on social media and infamous in my town. This should give the neighbors something to talk about for the rest of the summer.
There’s another knock at the door. Beast barks while Princess wiggles in my arms. Max still won’t move.
“Piper, can you take them out back to do their business?”
She groans and hugs Max’s neck. “I didn’t agree to take in somebody else’s rejects.’”
“They aren’t rejects,” I tell her as I walk to the door, still holding Princess.
She sounds just like she did back when she was a moody teenager, which almost makes me smile. Not quite, but almost.
Penelope probably left the jeweled collar collection in the car. But when I open the door, Iris, Molly, and Taylor stand on the other side.
“Is that Penelope Frecker’s dog?” Molly asks. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen her unaccessorized. That dog has more outfit changes than a Cher concert.”
“She’s embracing the natural look.” I breathe out a laugh that ends as a sigh. “This isn’t a great time, guys.”
Taylor holds up a box of cupcakes. “We came to commiserate and make a plan for your next big move.”
“I’m out of moves.”
“Are you sure?” Iris turns to look at the house next door. “When Ian comes back?—”
“Who knows if he’s coming back?” I counter. “Maybe our joint humiliation was enough to convince him to stay in LA.”
Iris shakes her head. “He has to come back. A picture with The Playmaker is the big draw at the fun run fundraiser for the elementary school next week.”
Great. That will give Amanda a perfect opening to make her move.
“Are you going to invite us in?” Molly asks, her smile gentle.
“You’re invited,” Piper calls, pushing Max off her lap and getting up off the couch.
She waves to my three friends. Her smile is only tight at one end, which is an improvement. “Nice to see you all.” She steps forward and takes Princess from my arms.
“I’m going to take these guys out for a potty break.”
“Sorry about your wedding.” Molly reaches out to give Piper a quick hug. Molly is a hugger. “Bradley Carlson is a doofus.”
“That’s a kind word to describe him. Good riddance and all that.” She disappears through the back of the house, and I hear the sliding door open and then close behind her and the dogs.
“This is hitting her harder than she’s letting on,” I tell my friends.
“What about you?” Iris gestures to the set up in front of the TV. Lorelei Gilmore’s face is frozen on the screen. “I reserve binging Stars Hollow for desperate times.”
“I’m not worried about how ditching Bradley affects me. I just want Piper to be happy.”
“I don’t think Iris was talking about Bradley,” Taylor says.
“It’s fine,” I lie. “The whole business of people thinking I paid Ian to date me will blow over eventually. Did you see the Dogapalooza video? Maybe going viral as the Skylark dog whisperer will work in my favor.”
I grab the empty cereal bowls and carry them to the kitchen as my friends follow me.
“Sweetie,” Molly says gently, “we’re not talking about the scandal or the gossip.”
“Who’s up next on the bucket list?” I desperately want to change the subject. “Is it you, Iris?”
She comes up behind me at the sink, takes the sponge out of my hand, and spins me around. “We’re talking about your feelings for Ian.”
What am I supposed to say? “It was always going to end. That was the agreement. He lived up to his part of the bargain, and he didn’t mean for Amanda to overhear him explaining the situation to Piper.”
“You like him.” Taylor places the box on the counter and opens it, handing me a chocolate cupcake with a swirl of white icing. “We’ve seen you two together. He likes you, too.”
I’m gripping the edge of the sink so hard my knuckles are turning white. I force myself to take the cupcake, trying not to completely lose it. “I did something really stupid.”
I unwrap the dessert while glancing out the back window. Piper paces across the yard, the dogs following, eyes fixed on her back. I smile as I remember how she used to help me with the training. She had a knack for it, even though she didn’t want to admit it. But she has even more of a gift with people, which is why nursing is the perfect profession for her. I hope the fear of running into Bradley doesn’t stop her from pursuing the career she’s wanted since elementary school.
“I video-chatted with Sloane from Nashville the night of the rehearsal dinner. I was outside, and I thought I was alone. She kept questioning me about the bucket list and checking it off with Ian.”
I take a small bite of the silky icing. Although the sweetness hits my tastebuds with a rich, buttery flavor, I place the cupcake on the counter. I don’t want to enjoy anything right now. Not with how badly my heart hurts.
“I told her having sex with him didn’t mean anything. That I picked him because it would be a better story for the book club. Ian overheard me.”
“But you didn’t mean it,” Molly says.
“I said it, and he doesn’t know any better.”
“Tell him you were lying.” Iris picks up my discarded cupcakes and digs in.
“So he can reject me for falling in love with him? That sounds like a great idea. Great way to?—”
“It’s not about saving face, Sadie. It’s about finally growing up and taking responsibility for your own life.” Taylor speaks quietly, but the words land like she screamed at me.
I throw up my hands. “Responsibility? I’ve been responsible for my life and my sister’s for a decade.”
“You use Piper like a shield,” Iris says. “You have a big heart, and you’re there whenever anyone needs you. I don’t know how you ended up with Penelope’s dog and that other...whatever that creature is, but no doubt it’s because of your kindness.”
“She’s right,” Molly agrees. “Your kindness comes at the price of your happiness. If you’re not being true to yourself, no one will know the true Sadie.”
“Why would they want to?” I counter. “If I wear the mask people expect to see, they get what they want, right? My sister is here so I can support her through the wedding disaster. I’ve taken in two dogs that I shouldn’t have. I’m best when I’m helpful Sadie. Why would anyone want something other than this version of me?”
“Because we love you,” Molly tells me, “and we want you to be happy. Not to only make everyone else happy. And you can’t know what Ian wants if you don’t give him a chance to tell you.”
“Sadie, honey.” Iris wipes a hand across her mouth. “If you don’t give us a chance to love you for who you are, not who you think we want you to be, you’ll never be loved that way.”
“It’s scary.” Taylor tilts her head, gaze gentle. “You can do scary things. You’ve created a great life for yourself—a career, raising your sister…”
“Good friends,” Molly adds.
“The best friends,” Taylor agrees. “The story here isn’t you having sex for the first time with somebody famous. Whether you’re ready to admit it out loud or not, you had sex with a man you love. That’s a big deal.”
“I hope you wore the good underwear,” Iris says.
I roll my eyes. “He didn’t care about my underwear.”
“That’s what I’ve been telling her.” Piper steps back into the house but closes the door before any of the dogs can enter.
I cross my arms over my chest and lean back against the edge of the counter. “We never talked about my underwear.”
Piper flips me the bird. “Because the important part is that Ian Barlowe has real feelings for you, no matter how fake things were at the start.”
“Listen to your sister.” Molly points at Piper. “She’s smarter than her choice of fiancés would lead you to believe. No offense.”
“None taken,” Piper says with a genuine smile.
“Even if you’re right…” I shake my head. “It’s too late now. I let him go.”
“It’s never too late for love,” Iris says, a wistfulness in her voice I wouldn’t have expected. “We just need to figure out how we’re going to fix this.”