Cold Nose, Warm Heart

by Mara Wells

  “No one’s coming for setup until eight,” Riley reminded Sydney, although she couldn’t be mad at someone who brought her lattes in the morning. “What exactly was your plan?”

  “Pure nosiness. But then I figured you’d be curious, too. We can grab a sneak peek, then come back later with the supplies.”

  “Sounds great.” Caleb entered the living room, tucking a dark polo shirt into the khakis he’d worn yesterday. “I’m excited to see it myself.”

  Sydney’s eyes widened. She took a gulp of her coffee and then another gulp. And another. Finally, she said, “Sorry I didn’t bring you anything. I didn’t know—”

  Caleb waved away her concern. “Don’t worry about it. I can fend for myself.” He headed for the Keurig, which was almost done with the cup Riley’d started anyway. “Do you think we’ll get many people today?”

  “Are you kidding?” Sydney sat one foot under her, the other dangling to the floor. “It’s going to be chaos.”

  “The good kind, I hope.” Caleb smiled over his Crazy Poodle Lady mug. Riley’s brain melted just a little, watching him sip out of the corny coffee cup Grams had brought back for her from one of her field trips to the outlet malls with some of the other women in the building. He really was a kind man. A good man. She hoped everyone would see that today.

  “Dogs!” Riley called, and the poodle and Chihuahua came running in. “Let’s do this, shall we?”

  * * *

  The morning was the very best type of South Florida fall day—not cool, but not sweltering and humid, either. The light breeze off the ocean made Riley wish she’d worn a T-shirt instead of her tank top. Florida problems, she reminded herself. She could always change later. The festivities weren’t supposed to start for another few hours.

  Yet even though the scheduled start time was hours away and the volunteers weren’t scheduled to arrive for another hour, the dog park was plenty busy. Lady was on her back in the middle of the newly laid sod—St. Augustine grass—big paws wiggling in the air as she got in a good back scratch. Smaller dogs raced from tree to tree in a sniffing extravaganza. Princess Pugsley sat at the top of the A-frame ramp, regally surveying the goings-on.

  Caleb unhitched the first gate. “After you.”

  Riley and Sydney unclipped the dogs and hung the leashes on the multihook leash rack in the holding area. After making sure the first door was secured, Riley opened the second gate. LouLou and Chewy dashed toward Lady, tails wagging a thousand miles per minute.

  “So fancy with a gate!” Sydney wiped her palms on her yoga pants. “Imagine not squeezing through the crack in the fence anymore. And no more escapees now that there’s the holding area. Antechamber? What should we call it?”

  “I don’t know, but it’s sure going to give dog owners peace of mind. Everything looks fantastic!” Riley’d seen the sections, even paged through never-ending lists of equipment with Caleb, choosing the right accessories for their dog park, but nothing had prepared her for the reality of it.

  The grass was a healthy green and stretched in an uninterrupted plain. A plastic-coated chain-link fence enclosed the perimeter, and another length of fence bisected the park into small- and large-dog sections. A gate at the north end allowed the two sections to be joined, and now the gates stood open, dogs racing from side to side with no regard for size. On the small-dog side, the agility equipment was sized for small to medium-size dogs. Jumps, weave poles, rings. Riley couldn’t wait to see what LouLou thought of them. On the large-dog side, the ramps, tunnels, and a seesaw were big enough to challenge even Lady.

  Right now, no one was using the agility equipment. The dogs sniffed and marked each piece, of course, but the owners gathered near the grouping of newly planted trees—placed to provide shade to both sides of the park once they grew to their full size—and enjoying the comfort of the dog-bone-shaped benches.

  Riley checked her watch. “The volunteers and vendors should be here soon. Let’s think about where everything should go.”

  Sydney pulled a tablet out of her see-through backpack. “On it, boss. I already have a few options sketched out.”

  After a few clicks, she tabbed through her designs until Riley said, “That one. You’ve been incredibly helpful, Sydney. What would I have done without you?”

  “It was my pleasure.” Sydney looped her arm through Riley’s and steered her toward the other owners. “See, you’ll get the hang of this friendship thing eventually. For now, let’s make sure all these folks are coming back later to spend their money. Our Howling Halloween party must be a howling success!”

  * * *

  Fur Haven Dog Park. Caleb loved the intricate iron scrollwork that spelled out the park’s name over the front gate. He’d overseen the construction of twenty-story high-rises, five-star resorts in foreign countries, even a luxury spa or two, but he couldn’t be prouder of this dog park if he’d single-handedly built it himself. Oh wait, he had. Not actually, of course.

  They’d eventually caved to necessity and hired a landscaper to deal with the sod and new plantings. A handyman Lance recommended assembled and installed the equipment and benches. Other than the actual work, though, this was Caleb’s first project completed all on his own. Okay, not on his own, either, but his new partner was definitely not the usual Donovan conglomerate. He searched for her in the crowd.

  Riley waved at him from across the length of the park, a hot-pink shirt with a rhinestone lipstick kiss helping her stand out from the other owners. No one brightened a day like Riley, and her organizational skills had kept everything running smoothly, no setbacks on her tightly managed schedule. With everything in place, today could truly be a celebration of what they’d accomplished.

  “Your father would be proud of you. How I wish he could be here with us.”

  Caleb flinched at the sound of his mom’s voice. He spun to find her directly behind him. “What’re you doing here?”

  “That’s a fine way to greet your mother.” She leaned in to let him kiss both her cheeks. “You didn’t think Mr. Pom-Pom would enjoy your dog park?”

  The Pomeranian in question rode in a custom Hermès bag, his fur freshly groomed, head peeking out of the gap between the handles. When he saw Caleb, he shivered with delight and pushed a paw out of the bag.

  “Hey there, little guy.” Caleb shook Mr. Pom-Pom’s paw and got his knuckle licked in response. “How did you even find out about today?”

  “Was it a secret?” His mom pushed her Louis Vuitton sunglasses on top of her head, her carefully kept ice-blond hair a perfectly straight curtain to her shoulders.

  “No.” Caleb rocked on his feet. Where was Riley? Didn’t she need him for something? Anything? But no one came to his rescue. “I’m just surprised to see you.”

  “If you must know, you suspicious thing, your father told me.” She lifted Mr. Pom-Pom out of the bag and held him under her arm. He squirmed a few seconds before settling with his head on her arm. “Though I can’t imagine it would’ve been all that hard for you to pick up a phone and let me know yourself.”

  “Robert?” That made even less sense. “I didn’t tell him anything. I wouldn’t tell him anything.”

  “Your grandfather visited. When was it, maybe last week? Filled him in on the details.” She ran French-manicured fingers through Mr. Pom-Pom’s fur. “Of course I had to come and see it for myself.”

  “To see if I’d embarrassed the family, no doubt.” He’d rocked so much on his heels that he’d dug an indentation into the new sod.

  His mom narrowed her eyes at him. “How could you say that? When did I ever miss an awards ceremony? A graduation? I’ve always been here for you, Caleb. You know that.”

  “Except when you weren’t.” Now was not the time to get into it with her. He knew that. Too many people around, and she’d clearly come to be nice. Years of feeling like second choice bubbled to the surface, though.
“If you were in town, you came to everything. You were gone a lot, though.”

  “You know why I had to travel with your father.” Her mouth straightened into a tight line.

  He’d upset her, but apparently he wasn’t done yet because he found himself saying, “Yes, I’m well aware how all our lives have to revolve around him. Here’s a change, though. Not anymore. This is my thing.”

  “You’re still angry.” His mom soothed fingers over Mr. Pom-Pom’s head. “You have to forgive him someday.”

  Riley was walking toward him, LouLou trotting at her heels even though she wasn’t on a leash. He let out a long breath. “Not today.”

  His mom looked him up and down. “No, apparently not. Eventually, though. I’ll call you about setting up a visit.”

  Before he could tell her not to waste her time, Riley arrived, sliding in next to him and leaning in to his side. His arm came around her, and the jaw he hadn’t realized was quite so tight relaxed.

  “Mom, meet Riley. Riley, this is my mother, Christine.”

  “Nice to meet you. How wonderful of you to come today!” Riley kissed the air near his mother’s cheek in greeting.

  His mom took in the rhinestones, the stringy jean shorts, the pink-and-yellow polka-dot flip-flops. He feared what would come out of her mouth, but all she said was, “And who’s this adorable fur baby?” and pointed to LouLou with her one free hand.

  “This is my LouLou.” Riley squatted to pet her dog. Mr. Pom-Pom wiggled so much that eventually his mom let him down. LouLou and the Pomeranian took a few moments to suss each other out, then LouLou took off at a run, and Mr. Pom-Pom followed, yipping in delight.

  “Mr. Pom-Pom, come!” Caleb’s mom called, but the dog ignored her, already halfway across the park with his new friend.

  “He’s perfectly safe,” Riley assured her, eyes on the dogs. “Caleb’s created a really great space here for the neighborhood, don’t you think?”

  Although he’d been thinking something similar earlier, he didn’t like that she didn’t mention her part in the process. “Riley and I planned it together. The whole community came together, actually. It was quite the collaboration.”

  “It’s nice.” His mom shrugged the Hermès bag up higher on her shoulder. “I mean it, Caleb. You’ve made something of your own here. We’re proud of you.”

  He sought out Riley’s hand and squeezed it, hard, because he loved his mom, he really did, even with her revisionist history and blind loyalty to his father. He’d always wondered why she didn’t leave, like Robert’s other wives had, but today, for the first time, he was glad she’d stayed. What would his life have been like without her?

  For all the times he’d felt left out of his parents’ tight twosome, there were also the memories of her beaming face at his graduations, her urging him to blow out candles on his birthday cakes, the soft touch of her hand checking his forehead for a fever. She’d done the best she could. He acknowledged that now. He didn’t know what it would change, but something did feel lighter and brighter within him.

  “Give her a tour.” Riley tugged him closer to his mom. “I need to check on a few details with the vendors, but make sure she stops by the bakery booth. There are these cookies that are apparently good for both dogs and humans!” She dashed away with a jaunty wave, and he immediately felt the loss of her presence. Alone with his mother in the first time since forever, he decided the best thing to do was follow Riley’s suggestions.

  “Shall we?” He crooked an arm.

  She placed her hand on his elbow. “We shall.”

  Caleb marveled at how the dog park really did bring people together. Or maybe, he reflected after showing his mother the dog bakery and splitting a pumpkin-spice cookie with her, just maybe, the magic was Riley.

  Chapter 29

  “What do you think?” Caleb tried not to let his nervousness show. His mom had acted impressed during his tour, even if she did scoop up Mr. Pom-Pom the second she saw a bit of mud on his paws and head for her car, promising to “tell your father everything.” Before he even knew what was happening, he found himself agreeing to visit her.

  “You’ll see.” She’d tweaked his nose like she used to when he was younger. “In no time at all, you’ll be making up with your dad.”

  It’d been such a nice time with her, showing her around, that he hadn’t even argued, which she took as agreement. She’d kissed his cheek, leaving a bright-red smear behind, pleased she’d pinned him down for a coffee date next Monday. Maybe Riley could come with him. Yeah, he liked that idea. A lot.

  Grandpa William was a more difficult person to please. Besides, a fancy dog park was not at all what Grandpa William had had in mind when he’d challenged Caleb to turn the Dorothy into a profitable venture. The dog park, in fact, would not be profitable in terms of income. That it would profit the neighborhood, that it persuaded the Dorothy’s residents and the surrounding neighbors to agree to the remodel and rebranding of the Dorothy should count, but Caleb was afraid it wouldn’t. Grandpa William had sent him to accomplish a job, and that job was unfinished. However, his mom’s reaction to the park gave him hope. If she saw the value in what he’d accomplished here, then Grandpa William could, too.

  Grandpa William cleared his throat and then cleared it again. “It’s a strange sort of condo conversion you’ve got going on here. Is it some sort of doggy hotel? Did you do the market research on that? It’s never good to invest in a fad, you know.”

  “It’s a dog park. For the neighborhood.” Caleb felt his speech getting more clipped. He could gush about the park, the neighborhood, the way pulling all this together made him feel as though he belonged in a way he’d never felt before. But Grandpa William wouldn’t want to hear that. He’d want to hear profit margins and bottom lines.

  “And the neighborhood is very grateful.” Riley appeared right at his most tongue-tied moment and twined her arm through Caleb’s, smiling at Grandpa William. “You should’ve seen this place before Caleb came along—just a run-down, abandoned lot where people brought their dogs. Now, it’s a real community space. Did you get a caramel apple yet? They are to die for.” Riley steered the men toward one of the booths ringing the dog park. “This local husband-wife team makes specialty dog biscuits that my poodle can’t get enough of! For today, they’ve branched out to human treats. Here, try one.”

  Riley thrust a caramel apple into Grandpa William’s hand while shelling out more dollars for another round for her and Caleb.

  “Implants.” Grandpa William handed it back.

  “Oh.” Riley’s face fell, and she held a caramel apple on a stick in each hand. “Maybe something else?”

  “I don’t care for sweets.” Grandpa William strode forward, leaning on his cane for balance in the grass.

  “Why don’t we find you a seat? The costume parade’s starting in about fifteen minutes. I can’t wait to see what everyone’s come up with!”

  “Did you decide on a costume for LouLou?” Caleb kept an eye on his grandfather’s balance while doing his best to keep this conversation alive.

  “Oh yes. And if you’ll excuse me, I need to go find her and get her ready.” Riley dashed off with both apples, leaving Caleb to eat his in the frosty disapproval of his grandfather’s gaze.

  “She’s Gloria’s granddaughter, isn’t she? You sleeping with her?”

  Caleb choked on a mouthful of apple. “Yes.”

  “To which question?”

  Caleb stuffed more caramel deliciousness into his mouth and merely hummed an agreeable sound.

  Grandpa William snorted. “Figures. All this nonsense for a woman. You really don’t have your father’s killer instincts, do you?”

  Caleb swallowed hard. Sure, he’d followed in his father’s footsteps, shouldered those expectations, enough for three sons and then some. At first, Caleb hadn’t thought the accusations against his father c
ould possibly true. If anyone knew the company inside and out, it was him. If anyone knew how his father worked, it was him. But he’d been wrong, and he’d paid a hefty price for believing his father’s lies. A few months ago, hell, a few weeks ago, he would’ve been insulted at the idea that he wasn’t the businessman his father had been, but looking around at the happy neighbors and happier dogs, he felt a swell of pride instead. “No, sir. I sure don’t.”

  Grandpa William humphed in displeasure. “What do your brothers have to say about all this? Never heard of investing in fixing up a dog park for a neighborhood. Where’s the payoff? How will you boys get the business off the ground if you’re giving away your money? Or rather, my money.” Grandpa William’s narrowed gaze focused on Caleb in the way that had made him squirm when he was younger.

  Today, though, he rolled his shoulders and forced a pleasant smile to his face. “As you well know, my brothers decided not to be involved. Knox by way of not being reachable and Lance by choice. This is all my decision.” And this portion of the build was all Caleb’s money. Which he was sure his grandfather already knew, since the man counted every nickel.

  “No help from your brothers.” Grandpa William snorted. “Figures. You never did understand the meaning of family.”

  Caleb felt his pleasant smile slipping. He drew in a deep breath and looked out over the dog park he and Riley built. The ring of booths around the perimeter selling everything from vegan dog biscuits to handmade dog-centric jewelry. At the greyhound rescue table, two greyhounds leaned heavily on a young woman as she talked excitedly to a family of four. The youngest, a girl no more than three years old, reached out a hand to pet a greyhound. The dog dropped to the ground, rolling to its back, tongue lolling out of the side of its mouth. The little girl screeched with laughter and rubbed the dog’s belly while the grown-ups kept talking, oblivious to the bond being formed. Caleb had no doubt who that dog was going home with today.