by Dawson, Zoe
“Mom could lose her house.”
“Oh, God. Mom, why didn’t you tell us?”
“You are my children, you’re not responsible for my debt.”
“Oh, Mom,” Austen said softly. “You put us through school. You scrimped and saved and worked like dog to do it.”
“That’s right,” Poe said. “And me the most. If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have gotten into Cornell.”
“Oh, that wasn’t going to happen. It’s the top school, and if my daughter was resourceful and smart enough to get admitted, she was going.”
“Mom!”
“There’s your brother. This is a family reunion.”
When her brother Wilde walked through the door, he gave a shout of laughter and rushed at Poe, picked her up and swung her around in a circle.
“Baby sister. It’s good to see you.”
And suddenly, Poe had to throw up again.
As soon as he put her down, she rushed for the bathroom. When she came out, the concerned faces of her family greeted her.
“I’m sorry, sis. I didn’t mean to make you sick. Do you have motion sickness?”
“It’s not that. I’ve been under some stress lately. That’s all it is.” She squeezed his arm as she passed and sat down, her knees wobbly. I’m sure they filled you in Wilde about the foreclosure.”
He nodded.
“I’ll wrap up some cookies for you to take with you,” her mother said.
Poe nodded. “I’m glad you’re here Wilde.” She reached into her zombie purse and pulled out the check. “It isn’t enough, yet, but it’ll make a dent in the mortgage.”
“Ten thousand dollars.”
“Where did you get that kind of money?” Austen said.
“Wow, sis. that’s amazing.” Her brother’s eyes widened.
All of them spoke at once and Poe held up her hand. “I won a dog dancing competition.”
“That’s my unconventional little sister,” Austen said. “Just like that crazy but amazing outfit you’re wearing. I could never pull that off, but you always could.”
“Why didn’t you tell us, Mom?” Poe asked.
“I didn’t want you to worry.”
“You said it yourself. I’m not a baby anymore. I’m a grown woman, and I’m so thankful to have had such a wonderful family to support me. And I’m going to get the rest for you.”
“Oh, Poe, this is already so much.” Her mother’s voice broke and she closed her eyes as the tears ran down her cheeks. “I didn’t want to burden any of you.”
“Mom, you’re not a burden,” her sister said, wrapping her arms around her from behind. “We love you. I have some savings. It’s not much—”
She clasped Austen’s wrist and said, “No, Austen. I love you all so much. Thank you, Poe, but I’ll figure it out.”
“You don’t have to do this alone,” Wilde said.
Later, when her sister and brother had to leave, Poe sat in the kitchen enjoying one of the molasses cookies, her stomach finally giving her a respite from the nausea.
Her mother came in and smiled. “You always did love those cookies.”
“I did. I do.”
“Now that we’re alone, my sweet, why don’t you tell me why you’re so unhappy?”
“It’s a long story.”
Her mother wrapped her arms around her and said, “I’m all ears.”
After Poe finished explaining everything, her mother looked thoughtful. “Well, the first question I would ask you is, do you love this man?”
“Yes,” Poe said, the admission releasing the terrible pressure in her chest. “So much. More than I could have dreamed.”
“Is what he said true? About your feelings regarding your father?”
“I think they are. I think I was so resentful about that whole shelter lie, I never really forgave Dad. Now it’s too late.”
“Your father loved you, Poe. He was extremely protective of all of you, but he was most worried about your sensitivity. He only kept the information from you because you were so young. He had every intention of telling you the whole terrible truth when you got older.”
“He did? I didn’t know that.”
“Oh yes, he told me, and he was very upset about it all, but we didn’t realize how you really felt.”
“It was hard to articulate as a child. It built in me and I must have projected it onto Jared.”
“And your friends.”
“Harper is such a meddler. She made me so mad. But now I realize that she loves me. But, can I trust them ever again? I just don’t know.”
“She was trying, in her own way, to protect you. Just like you did by keeping the information from me that you knew about the foreclosure, determined to help me regardless of how I felt about it.”
Poe closed her eyes, that statement putting everything into perspective. Her mother was right. “Harper could easily help us, but I’m going to refuse.”
“I understand, totally. We’ll get by. What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know yet.”
“Whatever it is, I’ll support you, Poe.”
“You know, Mom, if Dad hadn’t kept it from me, maybe I would be a dancer today instead of a vet. Maybe seeing that shelter, without any explanation or buildup to it, put me on this path. I have to be thankful to Dad for that.”
Her mother nodded, giving her an extra hard hug.
When Poe left Brooklyn she was a little more relaxed. As she approached her apartment, she could hear her dogs barking, she increased her speed and ran right into someone.
She heard a gasp just before hands roughly pushed her down. When she looked up, the guy was already to the stairwell. She looked towards her apartment and saw another letter peeking out.
So the mugger hadn’t been the person slipping those threatening letters under her door. Man, she was so fed up with this nonsense! She rushed after the retreating form, and when she hit street level, she flew after him. But then she stopped dead. The figure disappeared around the corner as shock coursed through her.
She knew.
The person who was sending her threatening letters.
She knew him.
Hours later, before she could change her mind, Poe walked up the steps into the apartment complex and looked for the mailbox for his apartment number.
She walked up the two flights of stairs and found the correct number. Knocking, she waited, her heart pounding.
When he opened the door, he just stared at her for a minute. His voice gruff and hostile, he said. “Dr. Madigan. What are you doing here?”
“Hello, Mr. Leonard. I think we need to talk.”
“About what? Isn’t it enough that you took my Scooter away from me?”
“I know you’re sending me threatening letters.” She met his gaze squarely.
He looked away. “I wasn’t really going to do anything. I just wanted you to suffer, thinking your little dogs could be in danger. I was angry.”
“I know that. But you don’t really blame me for Scooter’s death. Do you?”
He looked away again, his eyes filling with tears. “No. I just needed someone to blame.”
“I told you, when you decided to have surgery, that it was as a last resort,” she said softly, taking a chance and putting a hand on his arm.
He nodded.
“I want you to know that every dog I take into my care is special to me,” she said, reaching out to pat his shoulder. “I tried to save your Scooter, but I couldn’t. Sometimes it’s just time for them to go. I know that’s hard. I recently had a friend who lost her bulldog.”
Then Poe had a flash of pure genius. “I want you to come with me, Mr. Leonard.”
He looked resigned. “All right. I guess I deserve it.”
“Are you all alone, Mr. Leonard?”
“I don’t know why that’s any of your business, but yes.”
“I see.”
Poe led him to the subway and they got on. After climbing back to street level and a short w
alk, she steered him right into the Happy Tails Dog Shelter.
Mr. Leonard stopped short. “What’s this all about?”
“I have someone I want you to meet.”
“I thought you were taking me to the police station to confess.”
Poe smiled. “No. I don’t believe that will be necessary. Will it, Mr. Leonard?”
“Well, you are going to fire me, right?”
“Fire you? I’m not in charge at St. Mark’s, and I’ll be leaving there soon. My practicum is up. So I don’t really have any input about how you perform there. Besides, from what I can tell, you do an excellent job.”
Mr. Leonard grumbled. “Who is it you want me to see?”
“Right this way.” Poe waved to Diana at the desk and led Mr. Leonard to the kennel area. She stopped in front of one of the dens.
“This is Binky. He’s a cockapoo and a very good boy. I call him the Binkmonster, but he’s far from being a monster. He’s one of those rare dogs that come into a shelter that is immediately adoptable. His previous owner died. I was saving him for a very special person. One who takes great care of their dogs. I think Binky deserves you, Mr. Leonard.”
Poe smiled as Mr. Leonard bent down. Binky went into cute mode, wagging his tail and licking Mr. Leonard through the kennel gate.
“How about I put him in a ‘let’s get acquainted room’ for you?”
Mr. Leonard looked up at her. “You think you’re pretty slick, don’t you girlie?”
“I do, as a matter of fact. How about it? You want to have some one-on-one time with the Binkmonster?”
“Show me the room,” he said gruffly.
“Katie, could you show Mr. Leonard to room three?”
“I sure could. Are you going to adopt Mr. Binky? OMG, you’ll love him. He’s such a cutie. He’ll even dance if you ask him to.”
Poe chuckled as Katie’s chatter receded. She unlatched the gate and bent down and picked up the cockapoo, and was rewarded with doggie kisses galore.
“Guess what, Binky? I think I found you someone wonderful. He needs you, too. But I already know you have that covered, because you are such a smart and sensitive boy.”
“Dr. Madigan,” an unfamiliar female voice called out. Poe turned and discovered it was Mrs. Craig, the sponsor of The Fur Ball. Poe had almost forgotten she was also one of the patrons of the Happy Tails Shelter.
“Katie, take Binky to Mr. Leonard and give them some privacy.” She turned towards the smartly dressed woman coming down the aisle. “Mrs. Craig? What a nice surprise to see you here.”
“It’s about time I got a chance to actually talk with you. Would you have a few moments?” She smiled.
“Of course. How can I help you?”
“First of all, it was very close for first place at The Fur Ball. I was outvoted, you see.”
“That is so kind of you.”
“It was such a cute routine. I simply adored it. But, that’s not really what I wanted to talk to you about. I am breaking ground for a new animal hospital. This hospital will have a sliding scale for people who cannot afford to pay for medical care for their pets. It will be a full-service animal hospital, and will be funded by me. I have already set up a foundation for it, and I am now staffing it. I have had my eye on you ever since you started volunteering at this shelter. Your skill with the animals is nothing short of miraculous, and your medical skills are exemplary. I have it on good word St. Mark’s is going to want to retain you on staff, but I have a proposition for you.”
Poe felt as dazed as when that mugger blindsided her. “What is the proposition?”
“I’d like you to take on the directorship of the hospital. I totally trust your judgment, especially since I know you’ve been instrumental here in hiring the staff and screening the volunteers.”
“You’re offering me a job?”
“Well, yes. I know good people when I see them, and I also know you graduated from Cornell. Top notch. I’ll give you two days to think it over,” she said. “I must run now, but here is my card. Please call me directly when you’ve made a decision. Oh, I almost forgot. Just in case St. Mark’s makes you a splendid offer, I will give you a $10,000 signing bonus. Ta ta for now, Dr. Madigan.”
It didn’t take long for Mr. Leonard to make up his mind. When Poe went looking for him, mulling over Mrs. Craig’s offer, she found him at the front desk applying for Binky’s adoption. Without a word, he looked at her and with a nod of his head, moisture filling his eyes, he winked at her.
#
It wasn’t until after she’d left the shelter that she got this terrible sinking feeling in her stomach. The anger that had started to fade came back like an explosion set off deep inside her.
Harper.
Meddling.
Again!
Poe barely waited until Harper’s maid answered the door. “Where is she?”
“In the bath, Miss.”
“Thank you.”
“You can’t disturb her in there.” The maid said with alarm in her voice.
“Oh, yes, I can! Just watch me.”
Poe burst into a bathroom that was the size of Poe’s bedroom. Harper was indeed in the tub, up to her neck in delicious-smelling bubbles. Well, Poe was about to pop her very big bubble.
“You simply cannot stop meddling in my life!”
Harper sat up, the mask she had on her eyes dropping into the tub. Poe gasped. Harper’s eyes were swollen and red.
She covered them. “Poe, what are you doing here? What are you talking about?”
“Mrs. Craig. I’m sure you know her. You know everyone. And that was so slick in getting her to offer me a job with a $10,000 signing bonus! Just the amount I need for my mom’s house.”
“What are you saying?”
“You called in a favor. There isn’t anyone in New York City who would dare to turn down a Sinclair, especially one as influential as you.”
“Are you talking about her pet project? That animal hospital?”
“Yes, you know very well that’s what I’m talking about. I wouldn’t put it past you to build an animal hospital. You always have to throw money at a problem.”
Harper crossed the large expanse of the garden tub and reached for a towel. She rose and wrapped it around her slender body. Grabbing her robe, she slipped into it, letting the towel drop.
She sat down heavily on the creamy white vanity seat.
“I suppose, after what I did, I deserve your mistrust.”
“Are you saying you didn’t have anything to do with it?”
“Yes, I’m saying I had nothing to do with it. You got it on your own merits. I think it’s fabulous, by the way.”
“Harper, how can I believe you?”
“I swear I didn’t. I wanted to have my accountant find out where your mother has her mortgage and just pay it off. But I restrained myself. Doesn’t that count for something?”
“Oh, Harper,” Poe said, her heart melting a little, her anger starting to fade. She’d never seen Harper like this ever. “Why have you been crying?”
Harper looked down and pulled at a thread on her robe. “I hurt someone that means the world to me, and I’m so very afraid I’ve lost her friendship because of it. To top it all off, I’m afraid I’ve screwed it up for two of her other friends, and they’ll never forgive me. And, the terrible, terrible part of this story is, a man who I have the utmost respect for and adore is suffering abject misery because of me and the promise I forced him to make.”
“Well, you know how women can be such big bitches.”
Harper’s head snapped up, hope in her eyes.
“What’s this promise you swore him to?” Poe asked, her heart clenching, thinking about her last encounter with Jared. The pain in his eyes. The words he uttered. She was still getting sly smiles from her neighbors.
“That he couldn’t say a word about the fact he was there to bodyguard you, Poe,” Harper said, tears welling in her eyes.
“Go on.”
; “He’s been through enough, feeling guilty about what happened in Afghanistan, and when Aiden saved his life, well—”
“What? It was Aiden he was talking about? Your brother saved him?”
“I didn’t know he would fall in love with you. I swear.”
Poe absorbed that information and suddenly got queasy again. She ran to the commode and threw up. She understood because her mother had pointed it out quite succinctly over molasses cookies. The desperation to help her mother was one in the same that Harper had felt in protecting her. How could she not forgive her?
“Oh my God. I made you physically ill. I’m so, so sorry. Please, please forgive me, Poe. I don’t know what I would do without your friendship or Brooke’s or Callie’s. They’re not speaking to me either. When I saw you in the hospital, I was panicked. When you refused to even discuss the possibility of a bodyguard, I felt compelled to take matters into my own hands. But, I’ve learned my lesson. I won’t meddle again.”
“Oh, right, don’t promise something you can’t deliver.”
Harper bit her lip. “You’re right. I will try not to meddle ever again. There’s something else I have to tell you.”
Poe groaned.
“I hired a private detective, and he’s finally discovered who has been sending you those threatening letters.”
“I already know, and I took care of it. What did you do with that information?!”
“Nothing.”
“Destroy it. There was never really any threat.”
“Okay, I will.” After Poe rose and rinsed her mouth, Harper hugged her hard.
Poe relented and hugged her back. “Thank you for caring so much. You know our relationship has never been about money, or prestige.”
“Yes,” Harper said, her face muffled in Poe’s hair. “What about Jared?”
“That’s a more complicated mess. I just don’t know.”
“But Poe—”
“Harper.”
She sighed heavily. “Zipping my lips, right now. So we’ll see you on Saturday at the dog park?”
“We’ll see.”
#
The knock on the door made Jared’s heart jump. Could it be Poe? Had she forgiven him? He’d been miserable ever since he’d left her at her apartment the day he’d spilled his guts to her. The anticipation inside him almost hurt.
