6. Rescue Mission #2
This time, Jake answered with a question of his own: “How long have you had that dating profile up?”
Robbie didn’t respond immediately, instead glancing back at the dog, who’d finally settled down and curled up in the backseat. “A while,” he admitted, turning back around in his seat to buckle. “There aren’t many guys around here I haven’t already dated or rejected.”
“And that includes me now.”
“Of course. You’re insane if you seriously think I’d date you.”
Jake kept his eyes on the road as he let out a pitying sigh. “I would say you need to lower your standards, but I think that goes without mentioning. If you rejected me, God knows what other perfectly acceptable men you’re rejecting.”
“I don’t need to lower my standards,” Robbie countered. “You need to realize that you’re not the catch you think you are. So you find men horny enough to let you take them home and fuck them, big deal. Anyone can do that. It’s just that not everyone wants to.”
“I haven’t found anyone willing to do that out here,” Jake muttered. “Not yet, anyway.”
Robbie smirked. “Keep searching.”
“You think I’ll find someone?”
“Maybe. Or you’ll chase your tail until you get bored and give up.”
“I don’t get bored that easily.”
“Then you’re denser than I thought. You can’t bend Eventide to your will. You’re going to figure that out eventually, and the sooner the better.”
“But you can. I guess it’s the money, huh?”
Robbie fell silent after that, but Jake didn’t believe for a single second that he’d won that argument. He knew as well as Robbie did that there was no point in arguing in circles. It only made both of them angrier.
After a while, Robbie finally spoke again; the first to break the long silence. “Turn left here.”
Jake turned down Cowrie Street, where cute little houses with flower beds and picket fences lined it on either side. “We must be getting close.”
“Pretty close. We’re looking for a green house with a white fence.”
“And you’re sure they’ll be home?”
“Yes.”
“And they’ll want the little rat back?”
“The puppy? Yeah, they will.”
As if to bolster Robbie’s certainty, Cooper stood up in the backseat and perched his front paws on the center console, panting in Jake’s ear.
“Get that thing back where he belongs before he makes me crash the car,” Jake told Robbie.
“Down, boy,” Robbie commanded. “Lie down.”
With a yawn and a heavy sigh, Cooper slipped back onto the garbage bags, which crinkled as he turned around and around before plopping down.
“Slow down,” Robbie said, leaning forward a bit. “The house is somewhere near here on the right.”
“You’ve been here before, haven’t you?” Jake asked.
“Uh, for a potluck once.”
“Christ. I thought you knew these people.”
“I do: Erin and Kyle Jacoby, and their son Dylan—the puppy was Dylan’s tenth birthday gift.”
“Fantastic. So why does it feel like we’re intruding?”
“It doesn’t,” Robbie insisted. “Here.” He pointed out the window. “That’s the house right there.”
Jake pulled up to the curb and put the car in park before cutting the engine. Cooper stood up in the back again, his tail banging against the seat as he waited as patiently as he possibly could.
“I’ll stay in the car,” Jake told Robbie as Robbie unbuckled his seatbelt.
“You sure?” Robbie asked.
“Yeah. It’s probably for the best anyway. You know what to do, so it’ll go faster.”
“What about the gate?”
“What?”
“The gate,” Robbie repeated. “I have to carry the dog, and I don’t want him to jump out of my arms because I’m fumbling with a latch.”
“Ugh, fine, I’ll get out and help you.” Jake stepped out of the car, slamming the door shut behind him. He stomped his way over to the white metal gate and swung it open, stepping aside to make way for Robbie and Cooper.
Half-destroyed dog toys were strewn about the front yard, and a black wire crate sat open on the porch.
The house was bright inside, and when Robbie nudged Jake forward to knock, the door was answered almost immediately.
A woman with blonde hair tied back, a denim button-up shirt, and old, worn jeans appeared, her expression tightening when she saw the bedraggled stranger who had knocked.
“Can I help you?” she asked coolly.
“Um, hi,” Jake said, glancing down at his mess of an outfit. His cheeks burned, but he forced himself to meet the woman’s gaze again. At least he didn’t look quite as bad as Robbie. “We, uh, I think we found your son’s dog at the beach.”
Robbie stepped forward to present the dog, his smile a little stiffer than Jake was used to seeing. “Hi, Erin. Sorry to trouble you so late at night, but as my friend Jake said, poor Cooper was stuck in some rocks on the beach.”
“Oh, Mier.” Erin put her hand to her heart before turning back to the inside of the house and calling, “Dylan, honey, he’s back!
” Turning back to the men, her face had relaxed immensely.
“Thank Mier. We were out searching for him all afternoon. He took off when Dylan got home from school—just shot right out the gate. We called all the neighbors, but I guess he went straight to the beach. It’s his favorite spot, and—”
“Cooper!” A boy with reddish hair and a freckle-smattered face pushed past his mother, holding his arms out for the dog. Robbie let Cooper go as he leapt toward his owner, whining and yipping.
Erin had finally gotten some of her composure back, and after sending Dylan and Cooper inside once Dylan thanked Robbie and Jake for their help, she looked back up at them. “Thanks, Robbie,” she said, her voice suddenly cool and detached again. “You should have called when you found him.”
Robbie’s smile faltered, and Jake felt an unfamiliar sense of defense and anger bubbling up inside him. “We brought you your dog back,” he said gruffly. “We weren’t the ones who lost him in the first place.
“Jake,” Robbie said quietly, placing his hand on Jake’s arm. “Leave it be.”
Jake shook Robbie’s hand off. “No, not until we get proper recognition for the shit we just put ourselves through for your dog. He could have died out there, y’know. If he got left there all night, the tide could’ve washed him away, a predator could’ve gotten to him, he could’ve snapped his neck—”
“That’s enough,” Erin said harshly. “Like I said, we’re grateful for your help. It’s just that next time, Robbie, try to respond like us common folk do—call first so we can pick up the dog ourselves.”
“There won’t be a next time, I hope,” Jake snapped. “Not from us, anyway. Come on, Robbie, let’s go.”
Robbie forced a smile back onto his face and nodded at Erin. “Just glad we could help, Mrs. Jacoby. Sorry to bother you.” He followed Jake down the porch steps, grabbing the gate from him before Jake could slam it shut. “What was that about?” he hissed.
“Yeah, I’m wondering the same thing,” Jake said back, not bothering to keep his voice down. “That’s a real pissy family, isn’t it?”
“No, I meant you.”
“Huh?”
They got into the car, and Robbie let out the sigh he’d been holding in. “You didn’t have to tear into them like that. It was a simple accident, that’s all.”
“She could’ve been more grateful. I mean, we literally saved her son’s dog. She would’ve been more grateful if it’d been anyone else. Right?”
Robbie didn’t respond.
“Right, Robbie?”
Finally, Robbie spoke, and it was in a hushed, defeated tone, the likes of which Jake had never heard from him before. “Right.”
He was silent until they got back to Isabel’s house, where Jake pulled into the driveway. “You coming in?” he asked. “My aunt will kill me if I don’t ask.”
Robbie shook his head. “I really should get home. It’s been a long day.”
Jake thought back to when Robbie had told him he hadn’t eaten yet. A few hours later, and that was still true. “Aunt Isabel will have plenty of dinner left over.”
“No,” Robbie said, his tone a little firmer this time. “I need to get back to my place. Thanks for helping with the dog.”
“Oh, yeah, of course.” Jake cleared his throat. “If I hadn’t, you wouldn’t have shut up about the incident for months, and I already hate talking to you when you’re in a good mood.”
“Don’t ruin this moment with your pettiness.”
“But I—” Jake stopped himself from saying more. “All right,” he said quietly, “but you owe me.”
Robbie glanced sideways at him. “Owe you what, exactly?”
“I don’t know. A favor. I’ll think of something eventually.”
“If you think you can hold something as open-ended as that over me, you don’t know me at all. Goodnight, Jake. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“See you tomorrow.”
Jake watched Robbie step out of the car and slowly head down the street, each step giving away just how tired he was.
If Jake were a kinder person, he would have offered to drive Robbie home.
But he wasn’t nearly kind enough for that, and he knew Robbie’s answer anyway: no.
Jake had to be kept at arm’s length no matter what, even on a night like tonight.