Chapter 4
Chapter Four
Hayden
I’m not a patient man where business is concerned, so I’m frustrated by twenty-four hours—give or take—passing with no news from Matt Woodrow, the real estate lawyer I hired to deal with Gin Gamble.
Though it’s tempting to nudge him before leaving for dinner at my brother’s house, I resist the urge.
There’s a very slim possibility her straits are dire enough she’ll consider selling—even to me—and the best thing I can do is let her come to that conclusion on her own.
I’m almost to the front porch of Aaron and Hope’s brick Colonial when my phone rings and my smartwatch flashes Matt’s name. “Mom, I need to take this. Go ahead without me and I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
She sighs and waves her hand. My workaholic ways are usually at the top of her maternal complaint list, but everything got bumped down a notch when I mentioned Gin Gamble’s name yesterday. “Five minutes, and then we’re sending the kids out here after you.”
I nod and slide the bar to answer the call before it can go to voicemail. Penny sighs dramatically and plops down with her face on my shoe. “Talk to me.”
“That woman does not like you.”
“That was never in doubt.” I watch my mom walk through the front door and close it behind her. “The question is, does she need money more than she hates me?”
“No, actually.” He pauses to let the curses that come out of my mouth run their course.
“I’ve been in this business a long time and I’m confident this is the first time I’ve ever told the owner of a rundown house in a small town that a client is offering them significantly more than the property’s worth, and been told my client can shove his filthy money up his ass. ”
The word filthy crawls under my skin, triggering an old, deep-seated rage. “That sounds like Gin.”
“That was one of the kinder things she said, actually. I know you wanted this house for whatever reason, but I can have an agent scout some comp properties for you.”
“No.” I don’t want similar houses. I want that one. “Keep the file on top of the stack and I’ll be in touch when she’s a little more open to what you have to say.”
“I don’t see that happening.” There’s a pause and then an awkward chuckle. “No duct tape, zip ties or baseball bats, Hayden.”
“Not my style. Talk soon,” I say, and then I hang up.
It’s time for Plan B.
I glance at my watch and judge I have another minute or two before my mother sends the kids out after me.
It’s not usually a threat she follows through on because she knows work is important to me, but Colleen’s in a mood.
Plus, I haven’t seen my niece and nephew since Christmas, other than video calls, so they’ll be eager to see me.
I pull up the contact info for Cara’s grooming business, which I saved in my phone before leaving Boston. Rather than taking a second to think about what I’m about to do—giving any uncharacteristic second guessing of myself a chance to creep in—I hit the button to make the call.
She answers on the third ring. “Pampered Paws Grooming, Cara speaking. How can I help you?”
I thought I was ready to hear Cara’s voice again after all this time, but I wasn’t prepared for how the years have aged it like fine wine. Her voice is deeper now—and slightly husky—and my body tightens in response.
Once upon a time, I was head over heels for Cara. But that was a long time ago, and now she’s a means to an end. I need to remember that.
“Good afternoon,” I say, as casually as I can manage. “Do you have availability for a canine nail trim? I’m not sure how, but my dog has a ragged edge on one nail and I don’t want her chewing at it or catching it in her hair.”
“Of course. I can squeeze her in tomorrow at ten. Have you been here before?”
“No. I’m in town for a short time, visiting family.”
There’s a long pause and just when I think she’s placed my voice, she clears her throat. “Okay, let me just take down some information, then. Your dog’s name?”
“Penelope Louise.” The dog looks up at me, her head cocked as if trying to figure out why I’m talking about her.
“That’s a big name.”
“She has a big personality.”
“On a scale of one to five, how well is she trained?”
“It’s hard to say. You don’t really train a Shih Tzu. They either like you enough to want to make you happy—if they’re in the mood, of course—or they don’t.”
Her laugh is soft, and I close my eyes for a second to savor it. “So a one, then. But I can’t wait to meet her. And your name?”
It’s the moment of truth. “Hayden Reilly.”
Nothing but silence. I’d think she hung up on me, but I can hear her breathing.
Based on the slight force behind each exhale, I assume she’s trying to control her temper.
The odds are against me—there’s a good chance she’s going to refuse to let me through her shop door—but I’m banking on a pet groomer in a town this small being very reluctant to turn away business.
“I have you down for tomorrow morning at ten o’clock,” she says. There’s definitely no warmth in her voice now. “Are you actually going to show up?”
Ouch. I probably deserve that. “I’ll be there.”
“I’m charging you double,” she says curtly.
“That’s reasonable for a short notice appointment, I guess.”
“Actually it’s because I don’t like you.”
I know I shouldn’t, but I can’t help myself. “You used to.”
“Tomorrow, ten o’clock,” she says, and then the line goes dead.
I smile as I slide the phone into my pocket, which signals Penny it’s time to move. My smile fades, though, when I turn and see my mother standing on Aaron’s porch with her arms crossed and the door open behind her. “What was that about?”
“Penny has a ragged nail I need to get trimmed,” I say, thankful my dog isn’t exactly welcoming when it comes to anybody but me touching her feet. My mom’s not going to be able to confirm or deny my claim.
“Where are you taking her?”
“Pampered Paws Grooming, which is the only groomer in town. And you know that.”
As I expect, her jaw clenches and she presses her lips together before shaking her head. “Trying to buy that house is bad enough, but now this? There’s no reason to be giving a Gamble any of your money.”
“You wouldn’t say that if you’d ever tried to trim Penny’s nails.”
Her eyes narrow. “I might believe Princess Penelope over there needs her nails done if she didn’t have a standing appointment with her own team of groomers who visit her at home.”
“That’s a little dramatic, Mom. The team is the two sisters of my IT manager—one of whom is a teacher and the other a stay-at-home mom—who are trying to get a home dog grooming business off the ground around school hours.
They get to use me as a reference in my neighborhood and I don’t have to rearrange my schedule for grooming appointments. ”
“Are you denying she’s spoiled?”
I laugh. “Oh, she’s absolutely spoiled, as she should be. But not as ridiculously as you make it sound.”
And she’s worth it. Penny keeps me from disappearing into my work entirely.
She came into my life at a time when I was at risk of becoming all focus and hard edges, and loving her softens those edges.
Penny gives me a reason to close my laptop, walk in the park, and relax on the couch.
She loves me with her whole heart and there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for her.
“Why do you have to stir up trouble?” Colleen asks in a low voice when I reach the porch. “You barely come home over the years and now you’re here indefinitely—and don’t get me wrong, I love having you home—but you’re poking at the Gamble hive with a sharp stick and I can’t figure out why.”
“I haven’t even sharpened the stick yet.” Temper flares in her eyes and her hands go to her hips, making me regret the careless words. “Mom, I’ll explain it all to you someday soon, but for now trust that I have my reasons and I’m not going to stir up trouble.”
There’s almost no chance she believes me, but as she’s opening her mouth to give me a piece of her mind, Daisy and AJ explode through the open door.
“Uncle Hayden,” they yell in unison as Penny skirts them and rushes inside to find her favorite spot behind Hope’s knitting basket. She’s only been here twice, but she figured out on her first visit she’s almost invisible there.
The kids hit me with enough force so I have to shift my foot to brace myself and keep us all from tumbling down the three porch steps. Then I laugh and crouch so they can give me proper hugs. With the opportunity for a maternal lecture lost, my mom goes back inside.
Grabbing a kid under each arm and making monster noises to make them giggle, I straighten and follow her inside.