Chapter Six
One of my grandmother’s favorite sayings kept popping into my head at an annoying rate. No use crying over spilled milk.
I’d heard the phrase countless times and yet there didn’t seem to be a truer statement at the moment. I’d snoozed away my chance with Billy because I’d let my entire dating past define my lack of a dating future.
He asked me out.
I declined.
End of story.
Lady in red won.
So there really was no use in crying over spilled milk. I had a happy life to lead, a career I loved, and a family who was with me through thick and thin, which reminded me that I should give my parents a call.
I’d had dinner with Gina last night, which was fun, but it certainly sounded like while Billy wasn't interested in Gina, he certainly was interested in someone.
I turned down a small road leading to a hidden gem of a cove, at least according to a local blog, and I couldn’t wait to get outside in the fresh air where I could forget about a guy who I barely knew and focus on anything else. Lucky propped his head on the console and gave me his big puppy-dog eyes followed by a belch.
And then in an instant everything changed.
His eyes glazed over and a squeaky heave from deep in his belly led to the worst catastrophe my car had ever seen.
My entire console, shifter, and lap were covered in Lucky’s soup du jour. Lucky’s jaw began chattering as I quickly put the car in park and hopped out. I was a mess, the car was a mess, and Lucky looked like he’d only just begun.
I ran to my trunk and grabbed a couple trash bags and placed them around Lucky in the front seat. He hadn’t thrown up again, but he had slobber dangling from his jowls. He definitely wasn’t feeling well. I grabbed some tissues and tried to blot myself off and when I realized that wasn’t happening, I attempted to wipe up my seat, which only led to his stomach contents getting squished deep into the fabric.
I’d definitely be getting my car detailed.
Lucky let out a groan, and I knew by the look in his eyes I needed to get him to the vet. I slid one of the large garbage bags over to my seat and sat back down before attempting to turn around and head to the clinic. I’d only given him two bites of hot dog, but maybe it was just too much combined with yesterday.
As I pulled back onto the main road, I glanced at Lucky who looked miserable. His teeth had stopped chattering, but he didn’t look like he felt any better. I turned on the heater and adjusted the vents toward him as we flew down the road to the emergency vet.
Within minutes, the bright blue and red neon sign blinked in front of us. I parked in the emergency stall and ran around the front of the car and tried to get Lucky to get out of the car. After more than a minute of failed coaxing, I scooped him up in my arms and made my way into the clinic. The smell was pungent, and by the time I got inside, my eyes were watering.
A pleasant looking receptionist sat behind a counter decorated with painted pumpkins and photos of cats and dogs. I was sure whatever fragrance I brought with us wasn’t pleasant, but she didn’t let on.
“May I help you?” she asked, glancing at Lucky and then at me.
“I’m pet sitting Lucky, and he just got sick all over my car. His eyes look glassy and he doesn’t really want to move. I don’t know if you’ve seen him before, but I think—”
“Oh, we’ve seen Lucky plenty of times in his short time on the island.”
My brow arched. “Really?”
“Yes. I think he’s eaten the insides of a soft ball from the county park, a pork chop bone he’d stolen from the kitchen table, and a bar of chocolate that his parents had hidden on the top shelf in the pantry. Not to mention, he’s also sprained his front ankle, and well, the list goes on.”
“I fed him some hot dog bites yesterday and today, but I wouldn’t think that would do it.”
“You just never know, but we’ll get him checked out as soon as we can.” She slid a clipboard with some paperwork over the counter, and I managed to grab it with a free hand while hugging Lucky tightly. “Just bring it back up when you’re finished.”
I nodded.
“You look like you could use a hand.” The male voice sent a shiver through me as I turned around slowly to see Billy standing less than a foot away.
Pure terror shot through me as I thought about what I looked like, but worse what I smelled like. Even my own eyes were watering from the Eau de Lucky.
“I’m fine. Go back to where you came from,” I instructed, attempting to point with the clipboard.
He laughed.
“I’m serious. Go away. Go over there.” I nodded across the room.
“Are you sure?”
“Beyond. Just get over there.” I scowled, but he smiled and gave a quick nod.
I watched him saunter to the other side of the lobby where a beautiful black Pomeranian sat proudly in an empty chair.
“You’re one hard nut to crack,” he said, scratching his chin. “I’m just a guy trying to offer a lending hand. I’ve given you free meals, tried to be your tour guide…” His smile about did me in as did the rest of him.
I glanced at the receptionist, who seemed to be getting a kick out of our exchange, and turned my attention back to Billy.
“Which I appreciate, but now’s not the time. I’m covered in vomit and so is Lucky. I’m sure I reek even from where you’re sitting, and I’d just rather hold onto at least a shred of dignity while I wait to be seen.”
“And how do you figure you’re doing that?” He picked up the tiny little dog and sat her on his lap. I knew it was a her because of the hot pink and diamond encrusted collar she was sporting.
“Because I didn’t cover you in the same mess as me.” I sat down and tried to wedge Lucky in between my lap and the armrest before returning my gaze to the form I needed to fill out.
I was sure I was contaminating everything I touched, but I had no other choice. Lucky had to be seen immediately. It didn’t matter that my once white shirtsleeves were multi-colored and damp.
As I began filling out the form, I felt more than one pair of eyes on me. I looked up to see Billy and his pom staring right at me, while poor Lucky gazed vacantly into the distance.
“May I help you?” My brow arched.
“Just making sure you don’t need our help.” He smiled and bounced his pom on his knee.
It didn’t help that the way he was holding his little dog made me want to break into a fit of giggles. It wasn’t every day I saw a sexy guy tatted up holding a six-pound dog. Billy’s fingers alone looked like they could squish the life right out of his fuzz ball.
“Nope. Don’t need a thing. Doing just fine over here.”
“Okay. You know where to find us.”
I dropped my gaze back to the clipboard, but I still felt the same amount of eyes on me, which for some reason made me extremely nervous. All of the nosiness and confidence I had yesterday went out the window.
“So I heard you came sniffing around my restaurant yesterday looking for me.”
My gaze flew to his. “As if.”
“That wasn’t you then?” His green eyes brightened as they steadied on mine. “It was some other gorgeous brunette?”
“I felt like a gourmet hot dog and so did Lucky. Don’t flatter yourself.”
“You didn’t ask to see if I was in?”
“Do you employ wait staff or CIA agents?” I asked.
“My employees are very loyal.”
“I see.” I nodded and returned my attention back to the form.
“I also told them to let me know if a woman matching your description happens to stop by and ask for me.”
I looked back up, but this time I saw Billy holding a tissue up to his nose and I started laughing.
“Sorry…Lucky’s perfume made its way over here,” he muttered.
I couldn’t see his lips, but I could tell he was smiling.
“Which is exactly why I didn’t want you to touch anything. It’s ripe, and I’m the lucky girl who gets to ride home in it.”
Billy removed the tissue from his face and his smile only widened. I hugged Lucky a little tighter and finished filling out my form.
“I just hope it wasn’t the hot dog that did this to him,” I mumbled.
“Nah. Dogs have way tougher stomachs than you or I do. If it was a bad hot dog, you’d be feeling the wrath, but thanks for that vote of confidence on my cooking.”
“Well, we shall see what the vet says,” I teased.
He smiled and shook his head, but not taking his gaze away from mine.
The familiar warmth swam through my veins the longer I looked at him. There was something so kind resting behind his expression. My mind thought back to the woman who launched her tongue down his throat, and I immediately put my shield back up.
“I heard you are going to be headed out on a cross-country adventure.”
“Did you?” His brows pulled together. “Nothing is sacred on this island.”
“And I think you secretly love that.”
“You could be right.” He nodded. “And yeah the rumor is true. One lucky lady and I will be driving wherever the mood strikes.”
“I thought you were single?” Lucky tried to adjust on my lap and the clipboard clapped to the ground, scaring Billy’s little Pomeranian all the way up to his shoulder.
“I didn’t think it mattered,” he stated, looking completely bemused as he pulled the pom back down into his lap.
The door to the exam rooms opened and a woman stepped into the waiting room. “We can see Lucky now.”
“Perfect timing.” I stood, and she grabbed the clipboard from me as I carried Lucky across the waiting room. She was as polite as can be, not even letting on that with us came an odor no one should have to endure.
“It was nice seeing you again,” I told Billy as I passed him with my head held high.
“You too.” I swore he was trying not to laugh and I didn’t blame him.
I’d done a horrible job of flirting. It was more like scolding. First I insulted his hot dogs and then I brought up his relationship status? My shoulders sank lower as I walked into the exam room.
The vet tech took Lucky’s vitals and the vet came in soon after. He didn’t believe Lucky’s illness could be hot dog related, but he did want to get an x-ray of Lucky’s abdomen to make sure he hadn’t eaten a boulder or something while I wasn’t looking and do some blood work. They also fed him fluids right under his skin, which made Lucky look like a hunchback.
By the time the results came back, Lucky was as perky as ever rolling around and begging for snacks. The vet thought it was nothing more than a passing virus, which made me feel a lot better about taking him home.
Lucky and I made our way back to the lobby where Billy was still hanging out with his fluff ball.
“You’re still here?” I asked, making my way to the counter to pay.
“Good to see you too.” There was something so endearing about him, and it drove me nuts, especially since he was cruising off into the sunset with some lucky lady who wasn’t me.
Not that I would go if he asked.
I handed over my debit card to the receptionist without even looking at the bill.
“So did the doc say whether it was the hot dog or…” He didn’t finish his sentence.
I turned around to get a good, long look at Billy, which was most definitely a mistake. It was like every time I saw him he got even better looking than the last.
And no, looks weren’t everything, but his were just surprisingly delicious.
“It was a virus. Your cooking is off the hook.” I smiled and saw a dash of relief spread through his gaze, making me feel even worse for mentioning a connection. “Do you just like to hang out at vet offices all day or what?”
“Well, since Lady and I will be traveling the world soon, I wanted to get all her vaccines up to date and see what else she might need depending on the states we visit. She’s a rescue so I don’t really know her past.” He held up the other woman and I kept in my chuckle.
While it did make me feel better that the lucky lady was Lady, it didn’t explain the feeling Gina got that he was seeing someone, and after what I saw with the woman in red, I certainly didn’t want to get involved with a guy who liked to circulate from one woman to the next. That was just too much work.
“I had no idea you were into dogs and especially not…” I bit my lip. “Not small, fluffy ones.”
“What would you picture as my kind of dog?” His mouth curled up.
“I’d say you’re an English Bulldog kind of guy or a Mastiff.” I glanced at Lady. “But I wouldn’t have expected this. Anyway, you didn’t answer my question.”
“I thought I’d wait until you were done to make sure Lucky was okay and to ask you out to dinner.” His green eyes stayed on mine and he added. “Again.”
After an awkward few seconds, he smiled. “I take that as a no.”
“I kind of got the impression you were seeing someone,” I said.
“Is that so?” He bit his bottom lip, and I couldn’t help but notice how soft it looked. “So you were asking about me?”
“I wouldn’t say that, but you did happen to come up in conversation. It’s a small island, and I’ve only met a few people and they all seem to be connected to you. It’s actually like I can’t avoid you.”
“But would you want to?”
I laughed and let out a sigh. Billy had a point, but I wasn’t going to let him know that.
“You’re good at avoiding certain topics,” I added.
He took a step closer, and I took a step back when I remembered what I’d just been through in the last three hours. “To answer your question. No, I’m not seeing anyone.”
I glanced behind me at the receptionist who seemed more interested in what was going on in front of the desk than behind it.
“How about we go outside and give Lucky and the rest of us some fresh air?” Billy asked.
“I think that’s a great idea.” I gave a quick wave to the receptionist who just kept smiling as if she was absorbing every second.
By the time we stepped into the cold brisk air, I was certain the receptionist had already phoned half the island to discuss what just transpired, which wasn’t much of anything.
“You look a million times more relaxed now that the town crier isn’t listening in on our conversation.” Billy’s eyes glinted with mischief.
I laughed and shook my head. “Possibly.”
“So, how about dinner?”
I drew a deep breath and glanced toward an empty field behind him. I felt bad making the guy work so hard, especially when there wouldn’t be anything in it for him, but he was leaving town so a quick dinner would be harmless.
“Dinner sounds fun.”
“Are you serious?” His brows shot up in complete surprise.
“Yeah. I’m game for a good meal with good company as long as you don’t expect anything in return.”
Billy let out a laugh and shook his head. “That’s usually my line, but it’s a deal.”
“It’ll be your bon voyage dinner,” I added.
“Yeah, I guess it will.” He smiled and squeezed Lady. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow around seven?”
“I can just meet you somewhere.”
“I don’t mean to burst your bubble, but I don’t think you’ll want to travel in that car of yours for a while.”
I chuckled and felt the familiar tidal wave of emotion at the thought of seeing him again and he hadn’t even left.
“How do you know where I live?” I crossed my arms.
“Everyone knows where Lucky lives.”
“So you already knew Lucky and pretended you didn’t?”
“It’s not the first time he’s stolen a hot dog from me.” Billy laughed. “Anyway, I’ll see you tomorrow. Take care, Tiffany Bailey.”