The Dalmatian Dilemma

by Cheryl Harper

  Alvarez tipped her chin up to acknowledge the response while Mort grinned.

  “Dottie and I are going to go find our tent.” She touched the dog and gave her the “watch me” sign to make moving through the crowd of families easier. When she found the tent, she was happy to see that Hometown Rescue had set up an adoption event nearby.

  And Marcus Bryant, Peter Kim and Mira Peters were there with their service dogs in training.

  “I didn’t know you were going to be here today,” Reyna said to the woman behind the Hometown Rescue table as she very obviously did not look at Sean.

  The woman immediately knelt down to talk to Dottie. “Here’s my girl. I’m so proud of you.”

  Had she met Dottie before? Reyna wanted to check with Sean. Except she was giving him “space.”

  “Hi, I’m Jane. Mort Fields is my dad. I twisted his arm to make Dottie his spokesdog. It had been too long since he’d had a dog running around the station.”

  This time, before she could remind herself of the space thing, Reyna traded raised eyebrows with Sean. Instead of his usual smile, he was serious as he listened. The warmth she wanted to see in his eyes was missing.

  “And your sister set this up for us. She’s what we call ‘amazing’ in the business,” Jane said with a bright smile. “I’ve tried to get in here for years, but they limit it to Animal Control, which I get, but this could be huge for us.” Jane pointed at Sean’s dogs. “Fingers crossed for news coverage, too. Brisa thinks she might be able to make that happen. Sean’s dogs. Dottie. The adoption event. It’s all happening right here and makes for a great story.”

  Reyna couldn’t keep it up. She turned to Sean. “That’s awesome progress.”

  “Your sister is making a difference,” Sean said. Jane turned her attention to a family that had stopped to see a beagle who was very interested in their corn dogs, and Sean added, “Which you would know if you’d stepped inside the office for any longer than fifteen minutes this week.” He bent to scratch Dottie. “Oh, wait. Fifteen minutes while I was in the office. You were there other times, right? On my day off. When I went to lunch. After hours.”

  Irritated that he was confronting her this way in a public space, Reyna snapped back, “I have another job now, remember?” Then she held both arms out. “And you wanted space.” She hated the word.

  Sean snorted. “How could I forget your new job? It’s everyone’s focus, right?” Then he stood slowly. “And that’s fine. Good. Let me know when we can move past it.”

  “After I talk to my dad next week, we’ll be past my issue.” She bent closer to stare up into his face. “When are you going to get over yours?”

  He narrowed his eyes, but she wasn’t going to back down. She’d given him what he’d asked for. He was acting like the one who’d been hurt because she’d been doing her best to avoid him.

  As soon as she heard the statement in her head, things became clearer, but she didn’t see a solution, not while the Back to School Blowout was happening at a loud volume all around them.

  “We’re about to replay the yelling-on-the-dog-beach scenario and I have to get Dottie to her spot. She’s a featured entertainer, you know.” Reyna fiddled with the leash wrapped around her fist. “You’re getting lots of interest for the service dogs and the rescues. I’m glad.” Her tone wasn’t warm, but the words were true. She shifted toward the tent where Dottie would report for duty, but she was reluctant to leave. Even when she was mad at him, she wanted to be close to Sean.

  “Brisa’s been terrific. I’m not sure how much we’ve collected in donations, but she’s also started a list of volunteers, people interested in learning to train the animals.” Sean shook his head. “From being too small to growing faster than I even understand.”

  His words reminded her that she still had a part to play in his program. She’d spent years following behind Brisa and her flashes of inspiration. Slowing her down had never been easy. Sean didn’t have the practice, either.

  “If you need her to slow down, she will.” Reyna studied his face. “Or I’ll make her.” She held up a fist in a weak attempt at a joke.

  His lips curved in the sweet smile she’d missed. “I’m terrified of the vision of the two of you in a ring.”

  “It would only be a problem if we were fighting each other. Against anyone else? We could take ’em.” Reyna pointed. “I’ve got to go.”

  “Be a star,” Sean said to Dottie, then nodded to Reyna. “Both of you.”

  Reyna made it through the crowd as a beefy guy in a uniform stepped up to the small table where a beautiful German shepherd posed with two twin girls. The grins on all three models were huge. “Looks like you’re a hit.”

  The big guy turned. “Daisy is a hit. Also a pure threat in a chase with a bad guy, but when she sees kids, that goofy grin pops up. She’s about to retire, but I think she’s got a career as a star.” He glanced down at Dottie. “Big girl you got yourself.”

  Reyna touched Dottie’s back. “Smart girl. Pretty girl, too, thank you very much. Watch a true talent.” She hadn’t been a firefighter long enough to pull her weight in the grudge match between the police and fire departments, but she needed to come out strong. When the cop moved to take Daisy’s leash, Reyna stepped up and noted the long line of Sawgrass Station crew making the backbone of the crowd. Pulaski had been rescued from the dunking booth and had made his way to the food trucks, obviously. He was dangling a long string of cheese in front of his mouth as he waited for Dottie.

  And Reyna realized it was time to step up. This was the job. In the distance, she could see Sean being interviewed by a reporter. Her sister had shown up and she was bustling around the tents and tables, making sure everything was picture-perfect.

  Her new life on one side and her old one on the other.

  Then she realized it had grown quiet.

  And even Dottie had tilted her head to the side as if to ask, “What are we doing here, lady?”

  “Good afternoon, everyone, my name is Reyna and I’m here to introduce you to my friend Dottie.” She patted the chair that Daisy had vacated and Dottie jumped up as if they’d practiced the move a hundred times.

  Since they had never practiced at all, Reyna decided Dottie must have been born with the modeling gene. “She’s a young Dalmatian mix.” She knelt down close to a young girl in the front of the audience. “Have you ever met a deaf dog?”

  The girl stuck her finger in her mouth and shook her head slowly.

  “Want to? Dottie’s cute, right?” Reyna asked as she met Mom’s stare. When Mom nodded, so did the little girl, who followed Reyna slowly over to Dottie.

  “Can you do this?” Reyna showed the little girl Dottie’s “okay” sign and waited.

  As soon as Dottie saw it, she pressed her nose forward into the little girl’s hands with a sharp thump of her tail, and everyone in the crowd laughed.

  That made Reyna feel ten feet tall. She’d commanded groups of all sizes—men and women who gave her the respect she’d earned through service and performance.

  This was different. Being a performer was never her strong suit, but Dottie was the key.

  And the men and women she’d be working alongside had seen her nail it.

  “Working with deaf dogs isn’t that different from working with other dogs. They love treats.” Reyna held out her hand and Dottie carefully accepted her bite of cheese. “Dottie loves kids. Just remember to approach her slowly. Who wants to meet her? Parents, Dottie loves having her photo taken, so please have your phones out. We’d love to see posts, too, so please tag Sawgrass Station, the finest firehouse in the Miami area.”

  Reyna smiled at how Mort Fields tipped up his chin. The boss was pleased.

  While Dottie worked, Reyna caught glimpses of Sean and hoped his program was attracting all the support he needed.

  She’d taken all his help and hi
s hints and his experience and turned it into this win.

  That didn’t mean she’d forgotten who she owed it to. Or that she didn’t miss having him by her side.

  Reyna told herself to make it through today, her first public appearance in community outreach. Then the next hurdle was her father and settling Concord Court.

  Once she’d cleared them, all that was left was Sean.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  ON MONDAY, SEAN carefully attached the cover to the air-conditioning unit before wiping the sweat off his forehead. “High noon. Hottest time of the hottest day in a week and you’re on the roof fooling around with a frozen AC unit. This is what you delegate,” Sean muttered to himself before he stood slowly and stretched his leg, the ache in his knee a reminder that kneeling should be done on an emergency basis only.

  He walked over to flip the breaker to return power to the unit. The immediate hum was so satisfying.

  Could he have called in a company to deal with the frozen coils? Definitely. He still would during the week, but at this point, cool air had been restored to Concord Court’s gym and all it had taken was time to thaw.

  And if that problem had aligned with his need to get out of the office, even better.

  AC in Miami was an emergency service, but he didn’t have to be the one climbing up on the roof to check the unit or kneeling until his knee reminded him it was a terrible decision.

  He would have been able to handle it all from his desk by making a few phone calls.

  Except Reyna and Brisa were in the office, working on budgets together. Every now and then, he’d hear an excited jumble as they talked over each other, but no one was angry.

  And he’d been happy to have a reason to step outside, away from roses and Reyna’s voice and the reminder that hadn’t been too far from his mind ever since that kiss at the dog beach. She was giving him the space he’d asked for.

  But he hated it.

  Since he was beginning to hate the sensation of being broiled on the roof of the office by the sun and his own stubbornness even more, Sean walked back over to the ladder. He’d climb down and take his time returning the ladder to the storage garage on the south side of the property. He could also take his lunch. Then he’d need to do a leisurely drive around to check for...something.

  He’d raised his foot to step over onto the first rung when a car turning into the property caught his attention.

  It was a dark sedan with tinted windows. At this height, it was impossible to see who was in the back seat, but the front seat was pretty clear.

  Sean had never met anyone who had a driver to operate his vehicle for him in order to free up time for...important stuff.

  No one except Luis Montero.

  It had been a while since Reyna’s father had dropped in to inspect his investment. Looked like today was the day, and unless Brisa and Reyna had decided to keep it from him for some reason, Mr. Montero hadn’t called ahead to warn them.

  He could stay up here on the roof. Reyna wanted to handle her father all by herself. By her estimation, she was the only one who could. Here was one more opportunity.

  Then Sean remembered that Dottie had been stretched out on the tiles under the desk.

  Dottie, who should not be there, because there was only one person who had gotten the okay to have a dog and it was Sean.

  The guy who didn’t currently have a dog.

  Reyna was about to have her whole plan blown up by one sleeping Dalmatian.

  Not if he could get there quickly enough.

  Sean hurried down the ladder and considered making a run for the office door, but he could see Reyna’s angry face, midlecture about the safety requirements for a place like Concord Court, in his mind. Anyone could walk by. What if the ladder fell and injured someone? What if, what if, what if...

  Sean lowered the ladder and collapsed it before moving it out of the way. Then he wiped his hands on his jeans and hurried around the building as Luis Montero hung up a phone call. They were frozen in front of the office door.

  “Mr. Montero, I didn’t know you were coming by today.” Sean offered his hand and realized something had changed between them when Reyna’s father stared at it coldly. They’d never been friendly enough to drink beer together, but Luis Montero had always given him a hearty handshake. Sean had never wondered where he stood. Montero gave him direction, and Sean carried it out. Both of them had been happy with that arrangement.

  “Wakefield. Is my daughter inside?” Montero asked.

  Sean would have asked for clarification, since the man had two daughters, but when Luis came to Concord Court, he was looking for Reyna.

  “Yes, sir. Last I saw her, she was working on a budget for the final quarter of the year.” Sean held the door open and relaxed when cool air floated out. The gym took up one corner of the building, while the lobby and offices, mostly empty at this point, filled out the rest. The building was big enough for three different units, and when one was down, things heated up fast.

  He’d fixed that. Because he was good at his job. Whatever was going on, he wasn’t going to forget that, even if Luis Montero had changed his mind about Sean.

  Reyna and Brisa looked up, and Sean wondered where Dottie was.

  As if he’d called her name and she’d heard him, the dog slid out from under the desk and approached Sean carefully. She didn’t know Luis Montero and she was smart enough to pick up on the cold vibe rolling off him.

  “Daddy, I didn’t know you were coming,” Brisa said as she stood and straightened her Concord Court polo. She’d taken to wearing them ever since Reyna had started filling three day shifts a week at Sawgrass Station. She’d paired it with a short skirt and high-heeled sandals that would be impossible to walk in for normal people, but she hurried across the office to hug her father’s neck. “We’ve got some exciting things to show you. If you’d given us some warning, we would have put a presentation together.”

  Then she stepped back and clenched her fingers together.

  Sean had watched Reyna face off with her father more than once, most memorably when she’d refused to tell Sean he couldn’t train his dogs anymore. The temperature dropped and the silence was heavy.

  He’d never been one of the participants, but somehow he and Brisa were included that afternoon.

  “A presentation,” Luis repeated and did a slow survey of the room before stopping on the dog. “Who is this?”

  Sean could read the intention on Reyna’s face, but he hated that this conversation was coming before she was ready, so he said, “My service dog. This is Dottie. She’s a big hit at the nursing home.” Sean cleared his throat as Reyna tried to cover her confusion. “Punto Verde. We go there sometimes. To practice.” Stop talking. The first rule of successful lying was to stop before he dug his hole too deep. Too many details and the lie would unravel.

  “What sort of programs are you developing?” Luis asked as he moved closer to the desk.

  Brisa looked to her sister, but Reyna had stopped where she was. She hadn’t spoken. And it was her show to run. Wasn’t it?

  Everyone turned toward her when she shook her head. “Why don’t you tell us what you already know and we’ll go from there?” She turned to Brisa. “He’s doing that thing where he asks us a question to see how deep we’ll dig before springing the trap. You remember when he did that when I came in after curfew?” She rolled her eyes. “Both times it happened.”

  Sean would have laughed. If he’d had to bet money on which one of them had broken curfew, it wouldn’t have been Reyna.

  “Be careful how hard you push today, Reyna.” Luis Montero pulled a folded newspaper out of his briefcase and then tossed it down on the desk. “Looks to me as if you have a couple of things you need to present to me, like a whole new career.” He dropped into a chair and crossed his legs smoothly, prepared to wait like a benevolent dictator for
his answer.

  Brisa flipped the paper open and there on the front page was a spread on Hometown Rescue. “It’s the service dog program. We’ve expanded it.” She tapped the article. “We collected almost eight hundred dollars in donations, too. In one day. On top of that, we made a list of volunteers, people who’d like to foster more dogs, and we got some incredible publicity for Concord Court. Is this what has you so angry, Daddy?”

  Sean crossed his arms over his chest and studied Brisa’s delivery. She’d eased down next to her father, placed one hand on his arm, and her eyes were huge.

  If Reyna had given him that look, with her dark brown eyes, he would have done whatever she asked.

  Reyna wasn’t playing the same game. She’d settled behind her desk, a calm mask on her face as she waited for the next line in the play.

  How many times had they fallen back on their roles? Brisa went for charm. Reyna was building her argument.

  “Unfold the paper.” Luis’s voice was sharp but patient.

  If Brisa and Reyna had fallen back into their patterns, their father was comfortable in his, as well.

  From his spot behind the group, Sean couldn’t see the newspaper, but Reyna unfolded it and read, “Reyna Montero, the new community outreach person for Sawgrass Fire Station, works with her dog, Dottie, at Saturday’s Back to School Blowout.” Then she held it up and showed the full-color photo to him and Brisa. There was an adorable little girl giggling while Dottie sniffed her hair and Reyna pointed at them. He’d battled the urge to go and watch them with the crowd because he was angry and disappointed about what was happening between him and Reyna, but he’d known the two of them would be a success.

  “I got the reporter out by telling them about the way dogs from Hometown Rescue were finding new jobs that brought them homes. I included Dottie after Jane mentioned her part in finding the dog a home at the fire station. Mort Fields is the key to a lot of good publicity, I found out, and I want everything I do for Concord Court to succeed, so...” Brisa slumped back against her seat.