Lakeside Redemption

by Lisa Jordan

  Children, ages eight to twelve, raced around the room, laughing and calling for the barking, excited dogs to chase and play with them.

  She pulled in a deep breath and smoothed down her royal blue Canine Companions polo shirt. She could do this.

  Moving to the middle of the room, she held up her hands to get their attention. “Hey, everyone. Welcome to Kids & Canines training. Parents, if you and your child will guide your dog to one of the individual paw-print mats, we’ll get started.”

  Parents corralled their kids and their dogs and did as Zoe asked. Once everyone found a colored mat, she smiled and cleared her throat. Now twenty-one pairs of eyes—seven children, seven adults and seven canines—stared at her.

  “Dogs are such a wonderful part of your family, so it’s important you know how to behave with your furry friends. Leona had a family emergency this morning, so I will be filling in for her.”

  The side door opened, and Sully hurried in with Ava in his arms and holding on to Riley’s leash while Ella skipped along beside him.

  Her eyes widened as her heart tripped up her throat.

  What was he doing here?

  He set Ava down and, holding on to both girls’ hands along with the dog’s leash, he guided them to the empty paw-shaped mat. Ella waved to her. “Hi, Zoe.”

  Zoe waved, but words melted on her tongue.

  Sully gave her an apologetic smile. “Sorry we’re late.”

  “No worries. We’re glad you could join us.”

  He must have gotten a haircut within the last week because a strip of lighter skin edged his hairline. Could those girls look any cuter in their matching watermelon-pink shirts, green leggings and lopsided ponytails?

  Pulling her gaze away from his family, she returned her focus to the rest of the group and resumed her introduction. “My name is Zoe James, and I’ve been on staff at Canine Companions as a dog handler for almost a year.”

  A woman, who had been ignoring others, including Zoe, by talking on her phone, paused her conversation and held up a hand. “Wait a minute. Did you say your name was Zoe James?”

  “Yes, ma’am, I did.” Zoe didn’t recognize the blond-haired woman dressed in a turquoise short-sleeved peasant blouse, cuffed white shorts and wedge sandals.

  The woman ended her call and stowed her phone. She dropped her hands to her hips. “When I signed my daughter up for this class, I expected Leona, not some... Well, you.”

  The woman’s sneer and sharp words speared Zoe’s soul like a verbal bayonet. Heat scalded her neck and set her face on fire as her heart ratcheted against her rib cage. Her chest heaved as she forced air into her lungs.

  Keep it together. Remain professional.

  Drawing in a deep breath, Zoe counted to five under her breath, and then spoke. “Ma’am, as I said, Leona had a family emergency early this morning. If you’d prefer to reschedule your daughter’s training for a different time when Leona is available, I’ll be sure to let her know, and she will contact you as soon as she is able.”

  “Yes, that’s what I’d definitely like to do.” The woman reached for her dog’s leash and propelled her daughter toward the door. “Come along, Ashlyn. We’ll come back when a real trainer can help us.”

  Sully’s eyes narrowed. He took a step forward, but Zoe flashed him a quick look, begging him with her eyes not to do anything. His lips thinned and a muscle jumped in the side of his jaw, but he gave her a slight nod to let her know message received.

  They started for the door, but then the woman turned and addressed the rest of the group, who watched the exchange with wide eyes and open mouths. She made a circling motion with a manicured nail. “The rest of you may want to reconsider scheduling once you realize who she really is and what she’s done.”

  The parents whispered between one another while their kids watched with confusion coloring their sweet faces. One of the dogs whimpered and rested his head on his paws.

  Zoe dropped her gaze to her feet and forced back the lump forming in her throat.

  Ten minutes ago, she had been excited about this possibility. When she offered the suggestion to Leona, her boss had given her blessing. Without even an opportunity to demonstrate her abilities, the chance to prove herself had been snatched away by one critical parent.

  A warm hand touched her arm. She didn’t need to open her eyes to know Sully had approached her. “Zoe? You okay?”

  She wanted to stalk out of the room, slam the door, or at the very least bury her face in his chest and release the emotions pummeling her breastbone. But she couldn’t do any of those things.

  She needed to remain calm. No matter how much it hurt.

  She locked eyes with Sully. The concern lining his face nearly had her throwing herself at him. “I’m fine.”

  But she wasn’t. Not really, but she needed to show she could be professional in the face of disaster.

  Another woman stepped forward. Instead of heading for the door like Zoe expected, she stalked across the room to the woman bent on leaving with her daughter and dog. She flicked her blond ponytail over her shoulder and folded her arms over her chest. “Pam, if you want to leave, then go, but stop causing unnecessary trouble.”

  “Trouble? Do you know who she is? What she’s done?”

  “Yes, I’ve known Zoe for years. I’m thankful she was willing to give up her Saturday to fill in for Leona at the last minute, because that’s what she’s done. Anything else you may or may not be referring to is in the past. Where it belongs.” The woman’s frosty tone left little room for argument.

  Pam glared at her, then at Zoe. Instead of pouring out more verbal acid, she pushed her daughter through the door, slamming it behind her. The child’s cries bounced off the cement walls outside the training room.

  Zoe ached for the little girl having a mother with such a horrible attitude. Apparently second chances weren’t acceptable in that family.

  Silence blanketed the room. Not even the dogs stirred. Zoe puffed out her cheeks and emptied her lungs. Steeling her spine, she faced the rest of the group. “I’m so sorry about that. Perhaps it would be best if we postponed this class until Leona is able to teach again.”

  The woman who had confronted Pam stalked to the middle of the room and wagged her finger in Zoe’s face. “Nuh-uh. Zoe James, you are not going to let Pam Turner beat you down. Time to shine, sweetheart.”

  Pam Turner? Who used to be Pam Jacoby, one of Kyle’s cousins? Seriously?

  Acid eroded a hole in the pit of her stomach, causing any remaining courage to leach out.

  Zoe took in the woman’s sleek ponytail, large hoop earrings and lithe body of a runway model. Then recognition popped the light bulb in her brain.

  How could she not recognize her high school friend Holly Matlin? They’d been joined at the hip from their freshman year until graduation, much to her parents’ dismay. They felt Holly had been a bad influence by encouraging Zoe to party.

  But right now she was a much-needed ally.

  “Thanks, Holly, but I’m not the right person for this class. I’m sorry for wasting everyone’s time.”

  “Girl, you’ve never been a quitter, so don’t start now. I’ve heard you’re some kind of dog whisperer. Show these people what you’ve got.” Holly threw an arm over Zoe’s shoulders. “Maybe after class we can grab some coffee and catch up. That is, if that hottie with the two adorable girls doesn’t claim you first. He hasn’t taken his eyes off you since he walked in.”

  “Sully. He’s a...friend.”

  “He seems like a very nice...friend.” Holly gave her a knowing look and grinned as she moved back to her mat being saved by a boy around Griffin’s age and a fluffy butterscotch-colored Pomeranian.

  Forcing Pam’s exit from her mind, she focused on the group. She showed a quick video on safety rules and pets. T
hen, for the rest of the hour, she showed them how to train their dogs to sit with the help of positive reinforcement and small treats while appealing to the canines’ five senses. She moved from family to family, offering one-on-one help.

  As she approached Sully and the girls, she slowed her steps so she didn’t appear eager.

  Sully knelt beside Ava and encouraged her to speak the “sit” command to Riley. Ava curled her arm around Sully’s neck and buried her face in his shoulder as she shook her head. He sighed, but didn’t pressure her.

  Ella bounced in front of the pup. “Remember how Zoe taught us at Daddy’s house, Avie?” Ella held her hand out to Riley, who sniffed it. Then she commanded him to sit. The pup dropped on his back haunches. She smiled, clapped her hands, then fed him the treat and rubbed his head as he gobbled the biscuit. “Good boy, Riley.”

  “Wonderful job, Miss Ella.” Zoe held out her open palm, and Ella slapped her five.

  Keeping her tone neutral, Zoe glanced at Sully. “I’m surprised to see you today.”

  His smile created crinkles around his eyes that she’d been getting used to seeing. “You, as well. You were a great trainer, but I figured a group setting like this would be good for the girls, and it would help with Riley’s attention and socialization. I didn’t count on this nice surprise.”

  She knelt and petted Riley. “He’s doing well.”

  “I’ve missed you this week.”

  Zoe stood and brushed dog hair off her shirt as Sully’s words seeped into her soul and smoothed over the jagged edges that had kicked off the class. She tucked her hands under her arms to keep from brushing his hair off his forehead. “It’s been a busy week, but I’ve missed you, too.”

  “The girls and I are roasting marshmallows tonight. How about if you join us for s’mores?”

  Roasting marshmallows and making s’mores with her family had been one of her favorite childhood memories. She hadn’t done it in forever. The idea appealed to her until she remembered her weekend plans with her son.

  “That sounds like fun, but I’m picking up Griffin after class. He’s spending the night with me.”

  Sully shrugged. “No problem. Bring him along.”

  Sully had met Griffin already at the park, but this get-together would be different. No dog training. Just hanging out. What did that mean for their relationship? Did they even have a relationship beyond friendship? Maybe in her dreams...

  * * *

  He needed his head examined. Why else would he invite Zoe over tonight when the place was a wreck? She was going to think he was a complete slob who couldn’t keep it together.

  He gathered Ella’s fairy-princess wings and wand, capped three of Ava’s markers and kicked one of Riley’s toys over to his basket.

  Riley barked, picked up the stuffed hedgehog in his teeth and scampered under the coffee table to chew on the squeaky toy.

  Caleb carried the girls’ things to their room, which looked a lot worse than the living room. Stuffed animals, babies, plastic dishes and broken crayons littered the carpet.

  He gathered their overflowing hamper and headed for the laundry room. He had thrown in a load of towels before the Kids & Canines class, but they needed to be put into the dryer.

  As he reached for the laundry room door handle, giggles sounded on the other side of the closed door.

  He turned the knob and opened it. Ella and Ava splashed barefoot in a large puddle growing out from under the washer.

  Seeing him standing in the doorway, both girls froze, their eyes wide.

  “What’s going on, girls?” He struggled to keep his voice calm.

  Ella waved him in. “Come in, Daddy, and splash with us.”

  “Where did the water come from, Ells?”

  “It just appeared.”

  Caleb dropped the hamper, splashing water on his feet, and headed for the washer. He opened the lid and lifted one of the wet towels. The heavy material dripped way too much water.

  Beautiful.

  He slammed the lid, causing Ava to jump.

  He smiled to assure her everything was okay. “Sorry, Aves. Daddy didn’t mean to make you jump.” He placed his hands on their shoulders and guided them out of the room. “Let’s get your feet dried and maybe you can help Daddy get this place cleaned up before Zoe comes over.”

  “Yay, Zoe’s coming. Did you hear that, Avie? Zoe’s coming.” Ella clapped and danced down the hall into the living room.

  Caleb dropped on the edge of the couch and buried his face in his hands. A washer full of sopping-wet towels thrilled him about as much as a root canal. With it being Saturday, he’d pay an arm and a leg getting a service person out there.

  The girls needed baths before church in the morning. Towels would be quite helpful for that.

  Wait a minute...didn’t Baxter, a colleague from his previous squad, mention something recently about his washer when they talked last? Caleb remembered his friend mentioning the washer not spinning out and having to take his uniform to the Laundromat.

  Caleb fished his phone out of his jeans pocket, thumbed through his contacts and found Baxter’s number. He slumped on the couch while the phone rang.

  “Sullivan! What’s up, dawg?”

  “Hey, Bax. How’s it going?”

  “You know—same ole, same ole. How’s it going out in the sticks?”

  “Well, it has its moments.”

  “How are the girls?”

  “Good. Good. Growing like weeds. Hey, man, remember last year when your washer bit the dust and wouldn’t spin out?”

  “Oh, yeah. Why?”

  “Well, the same thing just happened to me. Got any ideas before I shell out some bones for a weekend service call?”

  “Sure, man. Could be the drive belt, motor coupling or lid switch assembly.”

  Caleb groaned. “None of those sound like quick fixes.”

  “If it’s the motor coupling like mine was, you can fix it yourself. There’s a website I used that gave me step-by-step directions.”

  “Let me grab a pen.” Caleb padded into the kitchen and scrounged in one of the drawers for a pen. He found a grocery store receipt and flipped it over. He uncapped the pen with his teeth. “Okay, go. I’m ready.”

  Baxter rattled off the site, and Caleb scribbled the address. “Thanks, man. That’s a huge help.”

  “No problem. Hey, while I got you on the phone, I heard something you should know.”

  By Baxter’s tone, Caleb suspected he wasn’t going to like what his friend was about to share. “What’s up?”

  “I ran into Valerie.”

  Caleb pressed his back against the counter and ran a hand over his face. He was right. “Yeah? How’s she doing?”

  “She’s remarried.”

  His friend’s words were an invisible punch in the stomach. Caleb’s jaw dropped as he tried to catch his breath. “Wow. No kidding.”

  “Sorry, dude.”

  “No worries. She’s the one who decided she didn’t want a family.” An ache pinched his chest.

  “Yeah, about that...”

  “What?”

  “She’s pregnant.”

  Caleb nearly fell over. His fingers gripped the phone as he struggled to find words.

  “You okay?”

  “Yeah.” His words wheezed out through clenched teeth.

  “Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.”

  “Don’t sweat it.”

  They ended the call. Caleb dropped the phone on the counter, then slid down the front of the cabinets and landed on the floor. With his elbows resting on his knees, he dragged his hands through his hair and squeezed his eyes shut against the tears pricking the backs of his eyes. He ground his jaw. His ragged breath came out in shuddered gasps.

 
She’d had a family and turned her back on them. What right did she have starting a new one? What was wrong with him? Or their beautiful daughters, for that matter?

  Would he ever be enough?

  Chapter Eight

  When Zoe picked up Griffin and asked if he’d like to hang out at Sully’s, he was all for it. Any reservations she had disappeared about ten minutes after they arrived. He took to Sully like he’d known him all his life.

  Sully tossed a football to Griffin, then praised him when he caught it.

  Something about seeing Griffin and Sully together stirred a sense of love she hadn’t experienced in years, if ever.

  What she was beginning to feel for Sully wasn’t anything like what she had felt for Kyle.

  Although he was Griffin’s father, Kyle had never really committed to his paternal role. Sometimes he’d acted like Griffin had been more of an annoyance.

  They were both young, and her pregnancy had thrown them for a loop. Had he lived, maybe he would have grown into being a father. Because of what she had done, though, Griffin wouldn’t ever know his real dad.

  Watching Sully and Griffin together made her realize just how much she longed for this kind of relationship for her son.

  She was certainly getting ahead of herself by placing Sully in that position.

  Zoe snuggled deeper into the sweatshirt she’d borrowed from him and rubbed her chin on the collar, inhaling his masculine scent. She pulled her feet up to the edge of the lawn chair and wrapped her arms around her legs.

  For the moment, the events of the day disappeared as contentment swaddled her like a cozy blanket.

  Sully had built a fire a couple of hours ago. She had snapped a few pictures with her phone as he’d helped Ella and Ava toast marshmallows to a golden brown and sandwich them between chocolate and graham crackers.