Chapter 14
At the vet clinic, a tech named Lisa was working the desk and brought the puppy out to them. “I found an extra collar and leash. And because we aren’t sure if he’s already been vaccinated, Doc Potter wants to get him back for shots as soon as he feels a little stronger.”
“What if he’s already been vaccinated?” Julia asked. “Will it hurt him to have them again?”
“It’s safer than risking diseases by not being vaccinated.”
“Is there any way to know if anyone reported him missing?” Julia feared getting attached and then having to give him up.
“He’s not microchipped, and we haven’t received any reports of missing puppies, but you could check with the police. Usually, they notify us, but they’ve been busy this weekend with the season starting and the Wayfarer opening. They might not have gotten around to it.”
“We’ll check with them,” Deacon said.
“We’ve identified him as a lab mix and figure he’s about three or four months old.”
“That’s good to know,” Julia said.
“I just need you to sign the credit card receipt.” Lisa pushed it across the counter.
Julia glanced at it and swallowed hard at the two-hundred-and-eighty-eight-dollar charge to warm and rehydrate the dog. Thank God Deacon was able to pay it, because she certainly couldn't. Not now, anyway.
He signed the receipt like it was no big deal.
When they were outside on the sidewalk, she looked up at him. “I’ll pay you back as soon as I can.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“I will worry about it.”
“He’s my puppy, too, so I can pay for him if I want to. Put him down to walk. He might need to pee.”
Julia no sooner put the puppy on the sidewalk than he squatted to pee a river. “Are you a puppy whisperer?”
“Nah, I’m just a guy looking out for another guy.”
They walked to the grocery store, where Deacon bought food and treats, and then to the pet shop to buy toys, bowls and a bed. Deacon carried their purchases while she held the puppy. They started back toward the hotel, passing the Naughty & Nice boutique as they went.
Deacon glanced at the store. “That’s my sister-in-law’s store. Do you mind if I pop in for a minute to see if she’s there?”
“Not at all.”
They stepped into the store, and Deacon put down the dog bed and other items inside the door. He walked past racks of frilly lingerie on his way to the front desk. He looked so comically out of place in the store that it was all Julia could do not to crack up laughing.
“Is Tiffany here?” he asked the clerk.
“She’s in the back. I’ll grab her for you. Who should I say is looking for her?”
“Deacon.”
“Be right back.”
While he waited, he turned to Julia and waggled his brows. “Need anything for yourself, babe?”
“I’m good, thanks.”
His smile was positively wolfish. “Good to know this is here. Just in case.”
“In case of what?”
“In case I need anything.”
“That bustier would do amazing things for your pecs.”
“I think it would look better on you.” He stepped forward to take a closer look at it. “In fact, that might be my first purchase.” Gesturing to a second room with rows of beads separating it from the rest of the store, Deacon said, “What do you suppose they’ve got back there?”
“Sex toys,” Tiffany said when she came out from the back of the store.
“No kidding?” Deacon asked her.
“No kidding. Want to see?”
Julia laughed at the way his face flushed with embarrassment.
“Um, not now, but maybe some other time. Quite a place you’ve got here.”
“So I’ve been told.”
“How’d you get this past the oh-so-proper Gansett citizens?”
“You should ask your brother about that sometime. He was instrumental.”
“Stick-up-his-ass Blaine was instrumental in getting a sex-toy shop approved in Gansett?”
“Yep. And PS, he doesn’t have a stick up his ass. But I do have some other things he likes back there.”
“Stop it. I cannot hear that.”
Julia giggled helplessly.
Deacon turned to her, his face flushed and his eyes big. “Stop laughing at me.”
“Can’t help it.”
“Do you know Julia Lawry?” Deacon asked Tiffany.
“We haven’t formally met, but I know Sarah, Owen and Katie, and of course I’ve seen you at the weddings.”
Julia stepped forward to shake Tiffany’s outstretched hand. “Great to finally meet you.”
“You, too. I’m a big fan of your family members.”
“I like them.”
“So I stopped by to tell you the jackass apologized to me. I understand he’s been getting the deep freeze at home due to his epically bad behavior.”
“I’m glad to hear he apologized. Was it sincere?”
“As sincere as it gets from him.”
“I’m sorry that happened, and I hope you know you’re welcome to stop by any time to see me and the girls. They’d love to get to know their uncle Deacon.”
“I’d like that. I’ll definitely come by.”
“You can take Puppy to see them when he’s out of quarantine,” Julia said.
“He’s a cutie,” Tiffany said. “Where’d you get him?”
Deacon told her about finding the puppy swimming off the coast of Gansett.
“Oh my goodness! Thank God you saw him!”
“Julia was amazing. She dove right in and went after him.”
“And then he bit Deacon.”
He extended his arm to show Tiffany the bandage on his arm. “That shirt you were good enough to iron for me is a bloody disaster.”
“Oh crap. Are you okay?”
“I’ll be better in ten days when I know for sure he’s negative for rabies.”
“Oh jeez.” Tiffany strained for a better look at the puppy, who was snuggled into Julia’s arms. “What’s his name?”
Julia glanced at Deacon. “We haven’t come up with one yet.”
“So he belongs to both of you?” Tiffany asked, clearly intrigued.
“Yes, he does,” Julia said. “Deacon is his daddy.”
“Is that right?”
Deacon groaned. “Don’t tell Blaine that. He’ll bust my balls until they bleed.”
Tiffany grinned. “Your secret is safe with me. Are you guys, you know… seeing each other?”
“We are,” Deacon said with no hesitation. “And we’ve already had a baby together.”
Tiffany laughed. “Come by when you have more time to shop. I’ll give you the family discount.”
“I’ll do that.”
Julia couldn’t let her mind wander to Deacon shopping for her at Naughty & Nice. She’d spontaneously combust right on the spot.
“Thanks for stopping by. Your brother will be thrilled to know he’s been exonerated.”
“You should make him suffer for a few more days.”
“When he suffers, I suffer.” Tiffany’s dirty grin had Deacon groaning again.
“Disgusting.”
“Nothing disgusting about it. In fact—”
Deacon held up his hand. “Do not go there, or we can’t be friends, and I’d very much like us to be friends.”
Tiffany laughed. “I’d like that, too. Nice to meet you, Julia.”
“You, too.”
“Bring the puppy by to see the girls. They’ll go crazy over him, and they’ll start begging Blaine for one of their own.”
“In that case, I’ll be by with him as soon as his ten-day rabies quarantine is over.”
Deacon picked up the dog bed and other items and followed Julia out the door.
“She seems rather awesome,” Julia said.
“She is. I have no idea what she sees in my brother.”
“You don’t? Really?”
“Shut up. You can’t think he’s hot if you’re gonna hang with me.”
“I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you rather look like him.”
“Ew, I do not!”
“Do, too.”
“I used to like you.”
“You still like me.”
“No, I don’t.”
“Yes, you do.”
“We’re in the biggest fight ever right now.”
“No fighting in front of the baby.”
As they walked and bickered, it occurred to Julia that not only was Deacon sweet and kind and sexy, but he was also fun. She’d never had so much fun with a man, and the more time she spent with him, the harder it was to remember why she’d needed that dick diet in the first place.
It took almost an hour for Owen and Laura to get all three kids settled for naps. “Why does that get harder all the time?” he asked when they had stretched out on their bed to relax while they had a minute to breathe. Three little ones was an ass-kicker, but he wouldn’t trade them for anything.
“It’s because they’re getting older and wiser. I dread the day that Holden stops napping. It’s the only break we get.”
“How old will they be before we’re not constantly tired anymore?”
“Teenagers?”
Owen groaned and then turned on his side so he could feast his eyes on his beautiful, exhausted wife. “We haven’t had sex in a week, thanks to those little cock blockers.”
“Did you just refer to our children as cock blockers?”
“Can you think of a better way to describe them?”
“Not lately.” She turned on her side, too, and moved closer to him. “Is my big baby feeling neglected?”
“Very.”
“Awww, we can’t have that.”
When she pressed her body against his, he groaned from the rush of desire that had him hard and ready within seconds. “I’m afraid to get my hopes up.”
She placed her hand over his erection and squeezed, drawing another low groan from him. “It’s not your hopes that need to be up. Looks like we’re good to go.”
Owen laughed, but made sure to be quiet.
God forbid he should wake the sleeping babies when things were looking up for him and Laura for the first time in days.
He wanted to give her finesse and tenderness, but they didn’t have time for those things these days.
They pulled at clothes until the important parts were revealed, and when he sank into her tight, wet heat, Owen nearly lost control before he’d had a chance to enjoy it.
Laura’s hands were all over him, sliding down his back to grip his ass and pull him deeper into her. “Always so much more than your share.”
He faltered when he laughed at her regular comment. “Are you complaining?”
“Never.” She squirmed under him, looking for more, which he was happy to give her.
Owen gazed at her lovely face, the loveliest face he’d ever seen, even when there were dark circles under her eyes, a knot of what might’ve been oatmeal in her hair and a stain of unknown origin on her shirt.
“I used to think you were the most beautiful girl I’d ever met,” he said softly, holding still to drive her crazy.
“And now I look like a red-hot mess with three babies who puke and pee on me and wear me out.”
He brushed the hair back from her face and caressed her cheek. “And now, you’re even more beautiful than you used to be. Motherhood is a very good look on you.”