Chapter 3
Three
Piper’s mind was running too fast. All she wanted was to slam on the brakes and take a minute to process. Unfortunately, time
was the one thing she didn’t have. At least according to Emilio.
“I need an answer, Piper. If it’s no, it’s okay. I’ll find someone else.”
Gus pressed into her leg with his head and whimpered. Piper peered down into his sweet doggy eyes. It was uncanny. It was
like he understood what was happening.
Could she take this job? Gabby would kill her. As in actually commit murder. The flip side of that argument was that the lead-up
to the wedding would continue to be torture for Piper. Getting dragged to the florist. Phone calls where Gabby “just needed
to bitch” about Mom being overbearing. Pleas for Piper to plan fun outings for the out-of-town bridesmaids. The thought made
her queasy. And the simple truth was that she’d been feeling like a punching bag for months. No, it wasn’t Gabby’s fault that
Piper’s engagement had ended, and all this wedding stuff was painful and difficult for her. It was simply the circumstances.
Speaking of circumstances, some of her own could do a complete one-eighty if she took this job. It was a first-class ticket
to getting her own place again. She could finally get her stuff out of her parents’ garage and get her life back on track.
Reclaim some of the old Piper, where she at least had her independence and autonomy. And then there was one unbelievable bonus
to taking this job—she’d get to spend time immersed in the sport she loved—Formula One.
You wanted your world to open up. This is your invitation and you’re blowing it. That was absolutely true. There was one leap she wasn’t quite ready to make, though.
“Can we do this on a trial basis? I don’t think I can commit to being your full-time dog nanny. What if we hate being around
each other? What if Gus decides he doesn’t like me? Then what?”
“Are you asking if I can fire you? Don’t worry. I reserve the right.”
It felt like something was stuck in her throat. That wasn’t quite the reassurance she’d wanted. “Can we set a trial period
of five weeks? Up until the wedding?”
He shrugged. “Sure. It’ll at least buy me some time.”
“Would you book me a plane ticket? How would this work?” She didn’t want to mention that she’d never even been to Europe before.
The only reason she had a passport was because her honeymoon that never happened would have taken place in Mexico.
“The team chartered a plane. There are plenty of extra seats. We’re going right back to England.”
Piper took one more cleansing breath. It was time to take a chance on something bigger than herself. It was time to open up
her world. “I’ll do it. I need two hours to run and grab my stuff and get back here.”
Surprise crossed Emilio’s face. “Okay. Great. Don’t be late. Wheels up at midnight.”
“Got it. I’ll be there.” She bent over and looked Gus in the face. “Gus. You’re super cute, but you need to let me go. I’ll
be back in a little bit.”
Gus side-eyed Emilio.
“Gus. Come,” Emilio pleaded.
And just like that, Gus let go. Piper and Emilio looked at each other in disbelief. What had just happened? Did Gus understand
what was going on? Piper supposed she’d figure out exactly how smart he was soon enough.
She jogged through the paddock, which was a bustle of activity with the teams packing up unbelievable amounts of gear. It
was like a traveling circus—a high-speed, multibillion-dollar circus. And this was going to be her life, at least for the
next five weeks. It was impossible to wrap her head around. Nervous excitement zipped through every inch of her body.
She spotted her car in the parking lot, climbed inside and forced herself to catch her breath. She sat perfectly still for
a moment, staring ahead, her heart still thundering. Today had been truly bizarre. Meeting one of the cutest dogs she’d ever
seen. And an invitation from a super-handsome man to get on a plane and fly across the Atlantic. Things like this did not
happen to her.
“Oh, my God. Am I seriously doing this?” She started the car, popped it into Reverse and backed out of her parking space.
“Yes, I am.”
When she got to the house, she was surprised and a little disappointed to see that neither of her parents’ cars were there.
She’d really wanted to share this news with her dad. Inside the kitchen, she found a note on the center island.
Dad and I went out for dinner and a movie. Date night! xoxo, Mom.
Piper had to tell someone she was leaving. Since her sister Meghan was the softest and squishiest of the pack, that’s where
Piper would go. She walked back to her old room, dialed Meghan’s number and put her on speaker.
“Oh, my God. It’s late, and it’s Sunday. Are you okay?” Meghan answered.
This had been the only flaw in Piper’s plan to go to Meghan first—Meghan was a worrier. “I’m fine. And it’s eight o’clock.
That’s not late.”
“Late for me.” Meghan was a middle school science teacher, so she had to get up superearly, especially this close to the end
of the school year.
“Oh, right. I’ll make this quick, then. I’m calling because I had a dog sitting job today. Down at the Formula One race in
Miami.”
“Dad told me. It’s so cool you finally got to see a race. Was it fun?”
“It was amazing. So exciting.” Piper could think of one million more descriptors for her day, including unbelievable, but she didn’t have time to deliver a soliloquy, so she pulled her suitcase out from under the bed and unzipped it. Inside
were some stray grains of sand. Pretty normal considering that she lived in a Florida beach town, but she knew exactly where
that particular sand was from—her trip with Kyle, her ex-fiancé, to Key West. God, this was annoying. She was so tired of
living with this dark cloud overhead. She really did need a fresh start. “But that’s also why I’m calling. The dog’s owner
asked me to be a dog nanny and I said yes.”
Meghan snorted. “There is such a thing?”
“For people who can afford it.” Piper tried not to take offense. “And I leave for the job tonight. I’m flying to London.”
“You’re going to England? Right now? For how long?” She gasped. “Are you skipping out on Gabby’s wedding?”
“No. Never,” Piper blurted. “It’s just for a month. Five weeks. I’ll be back before that.”
“Gabby has a to-do list for us that’s like a mile long and I’m so fried from the school year. We need your help. I need your help.”
A potent mix of guilt and familial obligations weighed down on Piper, and she knew it was about to get worse. “I can do plenty
over the phone and with email. I’ll be back a few days before the actual wedding.” Piper didn’t necessarily feel the need
to stand up to Meghan, but she did feel the need to express that for once in her life, she was going to do something that
was outside her comfort zone. “I need to do this. This job pays a ton. I can get my own place again. I might even be able
to pay off my car.” My world could open up just a little.
“I know what it feels like when money is scarce.” Between Meghan being a teacher and her husband, Mike, owning a small bike
rental shop near the beach, they didn’t quite have money streaming in, either.
“Which is part of why I’m asking you to tell everyone else. You’re most sympathetic to my life situation.”
“If Gabby kills me, you have to pay for my funeral.”
Piper laughed quietly. “Fair enough.”
“I’m not telling anyone until tomorrow, just so you know.”
“I was sort of counting on that. I’ll be an ocean away by then. It’ll give me a head start.”
“I’ll miss you.”
“Aww. I’ll miss you, too. It won’t be long.” Piper ended the call, finished piling clothes into her suitcase and scribbled
down a quick note to her parents.
Going out of town for a few weeks. Meghan has the particulars. Don’t worry about me. I’ll call soon. xoxo Piper
An hour later, Piper was at the private air strip in Miami. She was nervous pulling up to the gate, a mix of anticipation
and worry creating an odd cocktail. “Hi. I’m Piper Murphy,” she said to the guard.
“ID, please.”
He took her passport and consulted a list, then pressed the button for the gate. “You can park in the covered parking lot.
The plane is ready to go.”
Ahead was a silver-and-black unmarked plane. Could it really be this simple? “Is it going to be okay if I leave my car here
for almost five weeks?”
He nodded. “It’s no problem, ma’am.”
“Wow. Okay. Thank you.” Piper parked her car, then pulled out her bags and started across the tarmac. The warm night air blew
her hair from her face, and she had a sense her life was about to change. Part of her wished she’d had a little advance notice,
but she knew herself—if she’d had time, she might’ve talked herself out of it.
Ahead, a young man in a polo shirt and khakis stood at the bottom of the boarding stairs.
“Hi.” Piper waved to him as she approached.
“You must be the dog nanny. We’re expecting you.”
Piper looked down at herself, wondering what about her dress or looks or demeanor read as “dog nanny.” “That’s me.”
“Leave your large bag. We’ll stow it for you. Have a good flight.”
Piper climbed the stairs. She’d only flown a few times in her life, but she could definitely get used to traveling like this.
Not having to go through security was a serious plus. When she reached the top of the stairs, she nearly got mowed over by
Gus.
“Hey, buddy.” She scratched behind his ears as he thumped his tail against a first-row aisle seat and she attempted to back
him down the aisle. “Come on. We need to go sit down.”
She looked up and saw Emilio approaching. For a moment, she forgot to breathe. He looked different in civilian clothes—a black
long-sleeve Mega Racing T-shirt and a pair of jeans. His hair looked damp, like he’d just taken a shower. His dark brown eyes
swirled with the intensity she found intimidating. And also more than a bit intoxicating. But she’d have to ignore this. She
had a very well-paying job to do. She had to be as professional as possible.
“Gus, come. Calm down.” Emilio tugged on Gus’s collar. “I know you’re excited to see Piper, but we need to sit so the plane
can leave.”
She took a step down the aisle and spotted Isabel, who was seated a few rows back. “Hey, Piper. I’m happy to hear you’ll be
taking care of Gus. It’ll sure make my life easier.”
“Happy to help.” Behind Isabel were at least two dozen people dotting the pairs of seats on either side of the aisle. They
included Mega team members she recognized from watching the races on TV. Near the back of the plane, it was impossible to
miss very tall Xander Bishop, Emilio’s teammate, who was seated on the aisle. Next to him, Piper’s new friend, Mia, popped
up from her seat and waved. Piper was at a total loss for words. She’d stepped through a portal to an entirely new world.
She simply waved back at Mia.
“Everyone, this is Piper. She’ll be taking care of Gus through the Monaco Grand Prix,” Emilio said.
A low chorus of “Hi, Piper” broke out.
“We’re toward the back.” Emilio gestured with a nod. “You can sit here.”
Piper eased into a seat on the aisle while Emilio sat across from her. Gus jumped up in the window seat next to her. “Oh.
Hello, Gus. Is it okay if he’s up here?”
“Yes. I know he’s spoiled.”
Piper had seen more than her fair share of spoiled dogs. Gus didn’t really seem like that to her. “He’s family. I get it.”
Gus tried to sneak his head under the armrest, so Piper raised it. He promptly flopped down and put his head in Piper’s lap.
Emilio slowly shook his head. “I’ve never seen him like this.” His deeply tempting eyes turned even darker. He pushed up the
sleeves of his shirt to his elbows, showing off his tawny skin, perfect forearms and what was probably a stupidly expensive
watch. “He’s in love with you. I think I’m jealous.”
Piper’s cheeks plumed with heat and she found it more than a little difficult to breathe. Emilio was so sexy, it defied explanation.
She would’ve sworn he’d been created in a lab, except that she’d already seen a few of his more human moments. “He can tell
I’m a dog person.”
“I’m a dog person. I’m his dog person.”
Piper looked down at Gus and stroked his head. He started snoring. She laughed quietly and her vision was drawn back to Emilio,
who gazed at his dog with nothing short of pure affection.
“Good evening, folks,” came a voice over the loudspeaker. “This is your captain. Looks like we’ve got smooth air running to
London. A little less than nine hours flying time, so we’ll turn off the lights so you all can get some sleep. Plenty of blankets
and pillows back there. Sit back, relax and enjoy your flight.”
The cabin lights dimmed, and the plane began to taxi. A flight attendant appeared and offered Piper a blanket and pillow.
“You can recline after takeoff,” she said. Gus snuggled closer and Piper threaded her fingers through his soft fur. She glanced
at Emilio. His eyes were closed, his hands folded across his lap. He looked peaceful. Untroubled. Which was nice since he
had not been like that earlier. Quite the contrary.
She settled her head back against the seat and peered out the window as the plane took flight. The flickering lights of Miami
and the eastern coast of Florida came into view, then slowly faded away. Somewhere down there was her family. The life she’d
had just hours ago. The one where she was lonely and at least a little unhappy, but still thankful for everything she had.
She hoped she’d made the right choice. She hoped Gabby wouldn’t be too pissed off, and she hoped her parents would understand
her decision once she’d had a chance to explain. She hoped working for Emilio ended up being a good thing. There were more
than a few hints that it might end up being stressful. Awkward. Difficult. She hoped that wouldn’t be the case. Hope hope hope. Probably too many hopes.
Because the truth was there were no guarantees. Of anything. And she couldn’t do anything about it now. She was on the plane,
heading off into the great unknown.