The Dalmatian Dilemma

by Cheryl Harper

  Reyna had trusted them with her secret.

  They were so close to making it to the end with Reyna in control.

  Except Brisa’s plans had sunk the ship, excellent and ambitious and successful as they were.

  If he had to guess, this had never been what Reyna expected, but she wasn’t shocked that it was turning out this way. She was calm. Brisa was worried. And Sean could almost see the years roll back to when they were little girls.

  The silence in the room was heavy. Luis Montero had crossed his arms over his chest.

  “So you were all working on this deception. I had wondered if Brisa was a part of the group or a bystander.” He sighed. “I’m not sure which would have been better.”

  If the stakes had been lower, Sean might have enjoyed the way Reyna and Brisa instantly stiffened and turned to face their father, as if they had learned special choreography that kicked in when someone pulled the alarm. They were both ready to battle, but for each other, not for themselves.

  “I asked for her help,” Reyna said.

  “And I have been thrilled to have my sister again, to be a part of Concord Court, and I’m not a bystander in this family.” Brisa stood up to pace. “I don’t know what it will take for you to get that.”

  “Sir, if I may interrupt, I’d like to tell you about how much work your daughters have done to get this program off the ground. I could not have done any of this without them,” Sean said, desperate to take some of the heat off.

  Luis Montero’s expression darkened. “Do you think that speaks in their favor?” He snapped up to stand tall and waved Brisa out of his way. “They ignored my wishes for Concord Court’s policy regarding dogs and the programs we would pursue here.” When Reyna started to speak, her father held up one finger to stop her. “Not only that, they lied about it. They worked to hide it from me. Right?” He slowly turned to Sean and waited for him to nod.

  Then Luis Montero stepped up to face off against Reyna, as if Sean and Brisa were bystanders in the room. “But I could have straightened all that out, as I did with the wounded vet who had no place here. It’s a terrible decision, one I never expected of you, but I could have straightened it out. If you had told me your plan, I could have explained to you how much better mine is.” Montero shook his head. “But what do I do with my daughter, the one I have worried about for years as she fought battles she had no business entering, who thinks that instead of leading this worthwhile charity, she’ll toss it aside and put herself in danger again.”

  Reyna opened her mouth, but he waved his hands angrily. “No, you don’t speak yet. You are putting yourself in danger. You made it home in one piece, so what do you decide to do? Risk your neck and this family to fight fires?” He pinched his nose. “I do not understand you at all, Reyna Ysabel Montero.”

  Sean had been on the receiving end of some serious speeches before. His mother had been able to shovel on the guilt and Mimi had been the one to teach her all she knew, but this? It was too much.

  Before he could come up with something, anything to diffuse the attention, Reyna lifted her chin and drawled, “Am I allowed to speak, Father?” Each word spoken with a chill that crept up Sean’s neck.

  He hoped he never made her this angry. Ever. So far, her anger had ended in yelling and laughing and kissing and arguing and talking.

  This Reyna was half a step from burning it all down.

  The ridiculous poem he’d spouted around the pool to Mira and Peter popped into his head. Reyna was never cold.

  Until now.

  “Do you have an explanation?” her father asked. His tone approached Reyna’s but lacked some of the cut. He might have been her pattern for icy delivery, but she’d perfected it.

  “No.” Reyna shook her head. “You don’t want to hear it. Do you know how I know? Because I’ve already tried to tell you and you ignored me. I didn’t want to leave the Air Force, so you laid the perfect beautiful trap. I wanted to join the Miami Fire Department on my own timetable, but you couldn’t even pretend to listen. And the way you treat Brisa? She’s the one who should be running this. It’s been clear from the start, from day one, that she’s the daughter who got all the best parts of your business brain, but you’ve been fixated on me, on putting me here and making me follow your rules. You’re only interested in your daughter the hero.”

  Reyna covered her cheeks with her hands. “Well, I’m not. I ran away from you the first chance I got. The Air Force caught me when I needed a place to land, and it became a family. I would have stayed there until they kicked me out. In the Air Force, the orders are clear. You have that in common, but in the Air Force, I made my own plans, my own life, and I was free. Instead of fitting into the Montero box, the one everyone in Miami wanted to shove me in, I could become who I dreamed of. I flew, Dad. How could you not see how hard it would be to put me in a box after that?” She frowned. “Except you never tried to understand.”

  Luis Montero raised his head. If Sean had to guess, something Reyna had said had been unexpected, but it was impossible to guess what it might be. He’d thought his own family had issues. But this was hard to watch. He wanted to wrap his arm around Reyna’s shoulders, but the glitter in her eyes wasn’t begging for comfort. She was ready to fight.

  “Then why are you here?” her father asked. “You don’t need me. You don’t want Concord Court. You’ve got your job. Go.”

  Had he had a change of heart? Sean traded a glance with Brisa, who shook her head slowly. Whatever was coming, she didn’t expect it to be positive.

  Reyna didn’t, either. She propped her hands on her hips and inhaled slowly. “Dad, let’s talk about this. You can have everything you want. Together we’ll build Concord Court up. It will be a Montero family legacy as you wished. We’ve been doing great things. The three of us—me, Brisa and Sean—we’re a solid team, and that won’t change. I want to be involved here, but I need more.”

  It seemed so reasonable. How could her father argue?

  Luis Montero studied the floor and eventually focused on Reyna. “I have done everything I could for you.” He looked at Brisa. “For both of you. Whatever you asked of me, I would have given you, but you’ve...” He laughed but it wasn’t with humor. “I hate to admit this, but you’ve hurt me. Lying to me. Going behind my back. Ignoring my wishes.” Then he nodded. “Have your career, but you won’t have Concord Court. Pick one or the other. If you don’t want my gift, give it back. I know what needs to be done here. I’ll find someone to do it.”

  “Dad, I can do both, I will do both, but you’re going to have to let go.” Reyna moved to block his exit. “Your gift? It’s about control. That’s what you don’t get and I can’t forget. You want to control me, to direct how Brisa and I live, but we’re not going to do that, not anymore. We’re adults. Treat us like adults and let’s make plans together.”

  Sean wished he was closer to Reyna. He would have stepped up behind her, a knight ready to follow her. She was right. Everything she’d said was true, but it was also true that they had everything they needed to make this work. All Luis Montero had to do was open his eyes.

  “What did I tell you, Reyna? If you can’t run this place, I’ll bring in a team who can. They will follow my policies. There will be no need to evict people who don’t meet the requirements because they will not be admitted in the first place. There will be no damage to the walls or grounds because we will have no animals here. I know what needs to be done,” Luis Montero repeated firmly. “Don’t question me and don’t ever forget that you made your own choices.”

  He shot a look at Brisa and Sean. “I won’t have dishonest employees here, so as I’m acting manager, they’ll go, too.”

  Reyna shot her sister a look. “Don’t do this. Don’t punish Brisa because I’m not acting the way you’d like.”

  Her father pointed at Reyna. “You can change this, Reyna. Quit the other job, the one
you don’t need, and commit to Concord Court. There are veterans here who need you. They depend on you. You understand them.”

  Reyna was shocked. It was clear on her face.

  Brisa, who would wear a bright smile in the face of most challenges, was solemn.

  “Nothing will change the way you see me, will it, Daddy?” she asked. “No matter how many events I run for you, how many programs succeed because of my hard work...nothing changes for you. Forever and ever, I’m... What? The girl who ran away from home fifteen years ago?” Brisa closed her eyes. “We’ve grown, Daddy.”

  “You’re my beautiful daughter. There isn’t anything you can’t accomplish under my direction, but you thwart me at every turn. You refused my career advice and became a sometimes-model. You insult my friends and anyone I introduce you to, when an advantageous connection could mean huge returns. I see the things you can do with your charm, but you go behind my back and you fight me. You have for years.” Luis Montero held out both hands. “How am I to see you? Do you know what my father told me when I left Cuba? ‘Stand tall.’ Because that’s what the Monteros do. You? You have required so many bailouts, Brisa. When have you ever proven yourself capable of standing on your own two feet? I cannot entrust this investment to you.”

  Reyna reached for her sister’s hand and met Sean’s stare. Neither one of them deserved such harsh criticism.

  Sean stepped forward. “Mr. Montero, you should look at them both again. I’m happier to serve at Concord Court because of your daughters. They are both impressive.”

  Luis frowned at him. “Why are you still here?” There was the ice again.

  Sean straightened. “I care about Concord Court and your daughters, sir.” Both of them. Reyna might pretend she didn’t need any defense, but he had a hard time imagining how difficult it would be to fight your own father this way. And Brisa was a friend, had been since the first day she’d breezed in to pass on her father’s directions on the building materials.

  “You care about your job.” Luis shook his head. “But it’s not yours anymore. My next complex manager will be hiring a new operations team. I’ll have them here by the end of the week. I’ll pay a severance if you’ll remain in place for that long.” He moved toward the door.

  Before her father could leave, Reyna said, “Just to be clear, if I quit the fire department, nothing else changes here. Brisa stays on as the assistant manager. Sean keeps his job.”

  Her father paused. “Tell me you’ll stay and we can discuss the rest. Come to the party. Step up into your role, the one I’ve made for you, and we can negotiate everything else.”

  Then he was gone.

  Reyna and Brisa were both silent.

  That was a concern.

  Brisa got past the shock first. “Well, it’s nothing less than Reyna has anticipated all along, so...why are we so stunned he has done exactly what we expected?” She looked at the knot of her hands clenched against her stomach and shook her hands out. “I’ve tried so hard to make this work, to show him I’ve grown up. Why am I always disappointed?”

  “Because every time it happens, we hope something has changed. But it hasn’t. It won’t.” Reyna bent to scratch Dottie’s ears, then lowered herself to sit in the middle of the tiled floor.

  Brisa watched her sister and then shook her head. “I hope you aren’t considering martyring yourself for Concord Court, Reyna. For once, let’s not do this thing where you’re all noble and I’m the wretched little sister who makes demands of everyone around her. I can’t stay here and do that, not anymore.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about, BB.” Reyna gave a weak smile. “You’re always so dramatic. It’s simple. I can do what I want or do what helps others.”

  “Except what you want also helps others because Reyna can’t be torn between a good choice and a bad choice. Either way she goes, it has to be perfect. You don’t change. He won’t.” Brisa closed her eyes. “Fine. Let me make this simple for you. I’ve been ignoring calls all week from a friend who would love to have me in Mexico for a catalog shoot. I’m going to take that job. Then I’ll find another that is not in Miami. You stay here and learn what I’ve learned. I’m the one flying away this time.” When Reyna started to argue, Brisa held up her hand. “This is our chance to make the break for good. You showed me how. What have I been waiting for?” She held out both arms. “Freedom. I’m going to go for it. Don’t let him push you back inside that Montero box, Rey.”

  Sean waited for the smile, the one Brisa used to her advantage, and Brisa didn’t disappoint. “You can cover the desk for the rest of the week, right? I need to pack.” She didn’t hesitate, but flashed her brilliant, completely unconvincing smile and made a grand exit.

  Leaving him alone with Reyna.

  “I don’t suppose you have some dream job you’ve been holding off on accepting because of how badly Concord Court needs you, do you?” Reyna asked from her spot on the floor. “A fake construction job near the beach in the Bahamas, maybe?”

  He couldn’t laugh, even though that was her aim.

  A sad Reyna cracking jokes to make the people around her less sad made too much sense.

  He’d used the same playbook more than once.

  Sean sat down next to her. “You mean other than this Shelter to Service program that was a total dream come true?” He scratched his chin. “Nah, but I can find a way to pay the bills. That’s the least of my worries.”

  “Least, huh? Lucky you.” Reyna fiddled with Dottie’s ears and very obviously didn’t meet his stare.

  “Tell me Brisa’s not right. Tell me you aren’t considering giving up on the firefighting.” Sean wished Luis Montero was still in the room. He’d grab the guy and force him to see what he was doing to his daughters. They’d been best friends and happily discussing budget numbers before he’d walked in. Now Brisa was going to give up Concord Court again to save her sister’s plan, and Reyna was as miserable as he’d ever seen her.

  That included the night she’d been convinced Dottie was going to be sick because she’d eaten bills.

  “How am I supposed to give her up?” Reyna asked, her voice breaking. “Working here is fine, but Dottie...” She met his stare then, tears welling up. “I wanted what I wanted and now everyone is going to pay for it. Losing my sister and my dog...” She wiped away a tear that streaked down her cheek. “It’s a mess.”

  Sean scooted around Dottie, who had crawled to put her head in Reyna’s lap. “There’s a way to fix this. Keep the job you love and the dog. Brisa is an adult. She’ll figure out her next steps.”

  “But you’ve seen her. She’s been so on top of it here. She was meant to take on a leadership role for this mission. It could be everything. I came home because I missed my family. I missed my baby sister.” Reyna wiped away another tear. “There’s no easy choice. I’ll stay here. Dottie will be fine.” Her voice broke again. “But not without Brisa. I’ll negotiate with my father and we’ll go back to how we were.” She blinked and wiped a tear off Dottie’s ear.

  When she tried to firm her shoulders and nod bravely, Sean realized this was it, the job that would prove his right to hold on to Reyna Montero. He’d find the solution. There had to be one.

  Now that he’d seen Luis Montero in action, Sean knew it would be a battle. Their father had ignored everything but his own selfish wishes, even in the face of his daughters’ successes and their requests for his support. It was impossible to imagine saying no to women as extraordinary as the Montero sisters.

  Determined to take his shot against Luis Montero because the prize was so great, Sean wrapped his arm around Reyna. “I think, if we put our minds to this, we can come up with a new plan that works.”

  Reyna squeezed her eyes shut. “Some problems don’t have answers, Sean. Don’t you know that?”

  He pressed his forehead to hers. “No matter what you bring me, I’m goi
ng to find the answer. Have I failed you yet?”

  “There’s a first time for everything.” She laughed at his shocked face, the exact effect he’d been going for. “What do you suggest?”

  He tipped his head down. Her question was fair. He needed time and assistance to find the answer.

  “Meet me at the pool tonight.” He brushed away her tears. “One thing I know for sure, if there’s an answer to be found, we can come up with it out there. Greatest minds I know and some cold beer, the world’s most efficient think tank.”

  She frowned. “Are you serious?”

  He sighed. “Hardly ever, but this one time, it’s all I’ve got. Let’s pull the family together and brainstorm. Meet me at the pool?”

  She blinked as she considered it. “It’s against policy, you know.” Then she shrugged. “But neither of us works here any longer, so let’s go for it.”

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  WHEN REYNA LOCKED her door, she paused with one ear pressed against it to make sure Dottie settled back down. She’d considered bringing the dog, since she’d been tearing up all afternoon every time she remembered Dottie belonged to Sawgrass Station, not her. Facing the loss of her job was one thing. She would have recovered from that eventually, because Concord Court was a good place.

  But losing Dottie would leave a hole she wouldn’t be able to fill. Spending every second she could with her dog was important.

  But keeping things quiet while they broke the complex’s pool rules was important, too. Reyna wasn’t sure whether Marcus Bryant would be there or if he’d have the Lab mix he was training. The Lab and Dottie were either best friends or mortal enemies, and no one could tell the difference. Both required frenzied barks, so Dottie was going to catch up on her beauty sleep while Reyna went out to see if a miracle had happened.