Page 54 of Always a Roommate
Cane yipped as if he’d understood me, but that was probably just my desire to be understood.
When the map on my phone told me I’d reached my destination, I pulled down a long driveway in front of a massive concrete home. The drive was lined with palms.
So, this was how the Gulf City elite lived. Not too shabby.
I stepped out of my car and opened the back door for Cane to come running out. He skidded to a stop at my side.
“Come on, boy.” I patted my leg and started up the walkway to the double doors. Pressing the doorbell once, I waited.
Lola pulled it open, her face cheery enough to brighten the hazy day. “Rae, hi.” There was something shy about her. I’d noticed it the first time we met, yet it was like she actively pushed through it.
I wondered what it was like to be in the spotlight with a timid part to her personality. Hard, I imagined.
She looked past me, her eyes widening when she saw the dog. “Is that…”
“It’s a long story.” I tried to match her smile. “But I’m watching him. Is this okay? If you have a lanai, he can hang out on that. It doesn’t have to be inside the house.”
“Oh, yes, that’s no problem. It’s just…” She muttered something in Spanish I didn’t catch and then sighed. “Drew is going to… well, you’ll see. Come in.”
I suddenly felt very unwelcome, or at least, that Cane was unwelcome. What was Drew going to do? Did he have something against dogs? Was he going to be angry?
What if this soured the relationship?
Oh no, I should have known not to bring him. It was highly unprofessional. If I’d left him at home, maybe he wouldn’t have torn up too many things or caused too much of a mess.
But what was done was done. I couldn’t take it back now.
Inside the foyer, a staircase reached into the upper levels of the house. Tile stretched everywhere, and it seemed the clicking of Cane’s nails was louder than it should have been.
Drew appeared in a doorway that must have led to the kitchen because he was drying his hands on a dish towel. The scent of coffee followed him out, and I tried to suppress the urge to leave right then.
Old feelings rose to the surface, as they did every time I caught that scent. Not memories, not exactly. Just the emotions of a kid who didn’t understand why the woman who’d always smelled of coffee, the one she’d loved, didn’t love her.
At least, not enough to stay.
I swallowed down the emotions to focus on Drew. “Are you both ready to go over the details for your big day?”
But Drew wasn’t looking at me. His eyes had found Cane. At first, they widened. Then, to my surprise, a grin took over his face. “You brought a dog? To our meeting.”
“I couldn’t leave him.”
My explanation seemed to satisfy Drew, who’d crouched down and patted the floor for Cane to come. “Hey there.”
“His name is Cane.”
“Cane, you’re a good boy, aren’t you?” Cane licked his face, and Drew Stone, rock star and Gulf City golden boy, giggled. He fell onto his butt, and Cane climbed over him, rubbing up against him and nudging him to play.
Drew ignored everything else as he wrestled with the dog. “Are you hungry, boy? I have some chopped filet in the fridge.”
“That was supposed to go on our salads for lunch.” Lola crossed her arms, but I could tell she wasn’t mad.
Drew pushed to his feet. “Yes, but, Lo, we’re not as cute as him.” And then, the two boys disappeared into the kitchen.
Lola leaned against a doorframe and chuckled softly. “This is what I meant. Drew is like a child sometimes. I’m afraid we’re going to have to start without him or we might be waiting all day.”
A stunned smile parted my lips. Cane stole my client. “He’s lost to us, isn’t he?”
“As long as that dog is here, completely lost.”
