Chapter 14

Landon

I stand in the middle of the crowded arena. Everybody cheers, laughs, or points, and I’m glad the joke isn’t on me. The little terror who destroyed the most precious gift in my possession has finally done a good deed. He managed to bring that arrogant asshole, Guy Foster, down a few pegs. If I didn’t like Chili before, I do now.

I can’t think of anyone more deserving of a little very public humiliation than super douche, Guy. I can still remember the day he laughed at me and called me a pansy because I own Chihuahuas. For the first time ever, I’m the proud owner of those little fuckers!

I look at Guy’s red face and revel in his embarrassment and anger. I know that if we were in a bar, he would’ve already thrown the first punch. But what is he gonna do now in front of an audience that contains mostly families? He can’t hit me in front of all these kids and their dogs. He has no choice but to suffer through it like the good sport that he isn’t.

I glance at Brooke and notice her radiant smile has faded away. Maybe she doesn’t think it’s funny anymore. She already labeled me a douchebag once, and I never want to go back to that. I want her to see that, beneath my crabby pants exterior, I’m a good man. Most of all, I’m desperate to get to know her better and see where our relationship might go. After she stands there a few more seconds, her lips finally twist into a smirk of amusement as she flips her ponytail over her shoulder, tosses me a saucy wink, and walks toward me.

“This was an accident, Guy. Landon’s dogs are always doing stuff like this,” Brooke says. “They’re still only a few sessions into their basic training.” When she turns to me, I’m not sure what she’s expecting, but I’ll do anything for her. Anything. “Tell him.”

“It’s true. I’m sorry about this,” I say and point at Chili. “Bad dog! Bad!”

Chili barks, twirls in a perfect circle up on his hind legs, and the crowd goes wild. I’m determined to show him that this isn’t okay. I don’t think Brooke’s positive reinforcement techniques will work now on something so serious. I have to make it clear this can’t happen again. Who the hell knows what this dog will get into next? Today, it’s rummaging through a lady’s purse to capture her tampon? Tomorrow, it might be somebody’s life-saving medicine.

“I said bad dog, Chili! Bad!”

Chili appears oblivious as he wags his tail and jumps up and down. I’m already annoyed, and I never liked being ignored.

Stupid dog, why won’t he just listen to me?

When I raise my hand and swat his little butt, he twirls again, but this time in shock, staring at me with his liquid brown eyes. I’ve hurt his little feelings, and I regret the rash action immediately.

A collective gasp fills the arena.

I look around, trying to see what the problem is, and land on Brooke. Her seafoam eyes fill with disappointment so profound, it resembles a knife to the gut. My chest rises and falls to the beat of my racing heart. Guy steps back, his mouth wide open as he points an overly exaggerated finger at me. Even the announcer looks surprised.

Great going, Landon, you took it way too far. Why am I always doing this kind of shit?

I have flashbacks of the grocery store fiasco involving Thin Mint cookies. I take a deep breath. I need to make this right and apologize to Chili. Even pet him. Like, really pet him.

Whack! Something hits the back of my head. I turn around and see tampon woman swinging her purse for another shot. “Abusive asshole! I told you it wasn’t that big of a deal!”

I rub the sore spot on my head and blink in disbelief. Did I really fuck up that royally? The woman takes another swing with her purse, and I duck out of the way just in time.

“You’re not even worth it!” she spits, storming off.

Brooke rushes over to my side, and I expect her to hold her arms out to comfort me.

Wrong.

“How could you do that, Landon!?”

“I–”

“What you did to Chili was unforgivable! As owners, we’re supposed to love our pets, we should never strike–”

“But–”

“There’s absolutely no excuse. Oh, and by the way, don’t worry about taking me home. I’ll call an Uber.” She walks off. This time it’s me stepping back, creating a bigger gap between us. How could she choose a dog over a person?

Guy smirks a little as he turns to me. “That was way out of line.”

I glare at him. “Wait a minute, I only did that because–”

“Harming animals is despicable. Don’t think I won’t hold you accountable.”

My mouth falls open in shock. “What?”

“I’m not sure if you’re fit to be a dog owner.” His sarcastic tone rips through my body, a little edge of rancor weaving through the ridges of his words.

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“This isn’t over.” He gives me a round of mock applause and walks away. “Come on, Roscoe, let’s leave before this moron steps on your paws.”

***

On the way home, I had hoped to treat Brooke to a nice dinner. Instead, I sit alone in my car, the leather seats enveloping my body, waiting in the drive-thru of a Wendy’s. Technically, I guess I’m not really alone. Chili’s in the back seat laying down in his travel crate. After what we went through at the agility trial, we both could use a meat reward. Food can’t make up for everything, but at least it’s a start.

I pull up to the speaker. A woman’s voice calls out, “Wel…Wendy’s, may I…order…” Her bored voice crackles through the speakers, breaking up after every word. I strain my ears to hear her.

“Let me get a bacon burger, a large fry, and that’ll be all,” I say.

Her voice hisses back at me. “What…sir?”

“A bacon burger and a large fry!” I’m practically yelling, which causes Chili to jump up and let out one of his trademark yips.

“Would you like...with that...you…combo?”

“Huh?”

“Do…something…drink?”

“No, thanks.” At least not anything they serve here. I need a real drink. As in an entire fifth of vodka.

When I pull up to the drive-thru window, I can tell she isn’t impressed by me in the least. The young woman has blonde, curly hair and a deadpan expression.

“Your total is $4.78, sir,” she says.

I put a five-dollar bill in the metal slot. Sir? Before I married Carla, this is just the kind of chick I would’ve made a pass at. She’s not beautiful like Brooke, but she’s cute in a girl-next-door way.

I really don’t want the Wendy’s cashier, but I need something, anything to get my mind off Brooke and how badly I’ve blown it. It seems like every time I make a little progress with her, I do something to mess it up all over again. I’m sick of this warped cycle. Why can’t we just fast forward to the part when Brooke and I are together? Happy? My fuck ups notwithstanding, something still lingers there. An electricity so palpable it literally crackles with sexual chemistry.

But I know this sudden demise is my fault. If I would’ve used her training methods instead of spanking Chili, none of this would’ve happened. Right now, I could be sitting across from Brooke with her beautiful eyes, eating the scallops gnocchi at Sul Lago and looking forward to an amazing night together, ending with my cock deep inside her.

Instead, I’m driving around with a fast food dinner and a guilty feeling leadening the pit of my stomach. When I get back home, I immediately give the bacon on my burger to the dogs. I make sure Chili has the biggest portion. I feel bad for the little guy.

“Chili, I’m sorry.”

He looks up at me with his big eyes and wags his tail. I pet him, and he barks. Burrito, Fajita, and Taco crowd around me. I pet them too. For the first time since I moved in, they seem happy. And even more strange, I’m happy with them too.

Sitting down on the floor, I laugh as they pile on top of me, each eager for more affection. By the time I move to the table to eat, my burger is room temperature, and the fries resemble carbohydrate icicles. Cold fries are tragic, but I have no choice but to eat them. I’m that hungry. And that time on the floor with the dogs had been worth it.

I pour myself a healthy dose of scotch on the rocks and look out into the whispery spring air. I don’t want to sleep in the bed alone, but that is another part of my life in which I have no choice. I really wish I had Brooke to keep me warm, but I’m pretty sure that dream is over.

No. I can’t give up that easily.

I need to grow a pair and call her. Maybe tomorrow. The wounds are too fresh, too raw. She said what I did was unforgivable. I don’t want to jump the gun, but it seems like Chili has found it in his heart to forgive me. Maybe after some time passes, she can find it in her heart to do the same.

I go upstairs and crawl into bed. Tonight could have ended so differently if I’d not been such a jerk. Brooke could have been in this very bed with me. I could be touching her, tasting her, plunging deep inside of her.

Damn. Why did I have to be such an asshole? I know the answer, but the resulting frustration still rankles.

I touch myself, thinking about how good it felt to be deep inside of Brooke. Her tight pussy clutching me, milking me. So hot. So wet. I stroke some more as I imagine her mouth on me. It doesn’t take long before I come. It feels good, but I’m not satisfied. After a single taste of Brooke, I want more. Need more.

Still frustrated beyond belief, I drift off and sleep hard. I wake up early in the morning to the sound of somebody banging on the door. It sounds like the police are about to burst in.

I get out of bed and put on my robe. “Coming!” I run down the stairs. The dogs follow me, barking up a storm. When I open the door, Guy Foster stands there, looming over my threshold and shaking a sheet of paper in my face.

“God, it’s early,” I say, not inviting him in. “What do you want?”

He waves the paper again. “I have permission from Scott County to seize your dogs.”

Adrenaline shoots through my system. “What the hell are you talking about?”

He points to a signature on the paper. “This is signed by the mayor. You must comply, so hand them over right now, or I’ll call the Sheriff.”

I stare at him, not understanding. All I did was give Chili a little swat on the rump. “I don’t understand what this is about.”

“Animal abuse, asshole. And I have hundreds of witnesses to back me up. If you weren’t the town pariah after the cookie incident, you sure as hell are now. Everybody hates you. You’ll probably not ever sell another book in your life.”

“I didn’t abuse–”

His laugh rips through me, a maniacal cackle that contains zero humor. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“If you want a chance to get your dogs back, you must prove that you can provide an environment where they won’t be abused.”

“I never abused Chili!” I raise my voice, hoping I can get through to him. His angry expression doesn’t soften, and the heated air between us thickens.

“This is no laughing matter, Mr. Cole. I’m taking the dogs with me today.”

“What the hell–”

“Like I said, we can do this the easy way or the hard way.” He indicates a taser on his waistband. I can’t believe the lengths this asshole is going to one-up me in Brooke’s eyes. He must have a thing for her, and he sees me as a threat. Well, he fucking should view me as a rival. “Unbelievable!”

He whistles at the dogs. “Come here, little dogs! Come to Papa Guy!”

“They don’t want to go with you,” I say and rip the paper from his hand to read it. “They’re happy here.”

“Come on!” He squats, and Burrito and Chili jump into his arms, basically making a liar out of me. Guy’s smirk deepens until he looks like a cross between The Joker and Bozo the Clown. The dogs bark and wiggle around, their silky tails blowing in the stiff breeze.

We stand off a few more seconds, but the damn paper looks official. This man has been given the right to seize my fucking dogs. He narrows his eyes, spearing me with a lethal glare as he holds my dogs in his arms, soothing them. They calm right down and stare at Guy. They don’t even care that he’s taking them away. And it’s nothing more than what I deserve. I never cared enough to create a lasting bond with them.

Guy puts the dogs in his van. The little terrors were always so annoying, I should feel relieved. But my heart sinks as Guy drives away with them.

I take a deep breath to keep my composure as tears prick the backs of my eyes. When it rains it fucking pours! I slam the door with enough force to shake the windows.