Olivia hugged her new friend. “Thanks, Anita. For everything.”
“Good luck,” Anita said as she entered the kitchen. “Okay, Mom, we’re going home now. Jeff will carry you out to the car.”
Olivia watched as Anita dropped to her knees and gathered the little herd of dogs close. She spoke softly, gently, promising to come back. She handed out treats, then sneaked out the door before the little dogs could realize she was gone.
Olivia walked around with a package of Tidy Wipes as she cleaned up puddles all around the house. The herd followed her, yipping happily as the old-timers brought out toys that squeaked and whistled. When she was finished she went back to the kitchen, where she washed her hands. She watched as Jeff made her a ham sandwich with a pickle and some chips on the plate.
“Now what?” Olivia asked, when she finished eating.
Jeff crossed his legs as he pushed his chair back from the table. “I guess it’s time to turn the phone on. Then we need to go outside and make a statement. We have to stay on the good side of the press. They are on our side, you know.” He looked down at his cell phone and pressed a button to review the calls that had come in while he had the phone turned off. “We can’t keep it turned off, Olivia. Your dad might call. You might miss some new customers. So we have to deal with the pests.”
Olivia grimaced. “You’re right, Jeff,” she said as she turned the phone back on. It rang almost immediately. A groan escaped her lips as she picked it up. “Olivia Lowell,” she snapped into the mouthpiece. The moment she heard the voice on the other end of the phone, she sat down. “Yes, I’m home. Of course. Do you need directions? All right. The street is…It’s kind of busy out there. Oh, you know, you saw it on television. I’ll…I’ll wait for you.”
“What? What’s wrong? Was that your dad? What, Olivia?” Jeff demanded, his brow furrowing at the tone of his fiancée’s voice.
Olivia pointed to the phone she was still holding. “That was…that was…Jeff, it was Jill Laramie. Gwen is with her. They’re on their way here. They’re coming here, Jeff! What do you think that means?”
Jeff scratched his head. “Hopefully, something good. Why else would they both be coming here? You know what, Olivia, it could mean almost anything. Hey, someone’s at the door!” The pack of dogs raced from the great room, down the hall, out to the kitchen, and the back door. Jeff and Olivia looked up in surprise when the door opened.
“Dad!” Olivia cried as she ran to him.
“Mr. Lowell!” Jeff said.
After Olivia introduced her fiancé to her father, Dennis looked down at the pack of dogs and laughed. “I bet they all answer to the name of Cecil, huh?”
Olivia nodded nervously. “What are you doing here, Dad? What’s wrong? Did something happen? Oh, God, don’t tell me the boat sank.”
Dennis shrugged. “None of the above. Relax, Ollie. Jill called me yesterday and said I needed to get here as soon as possible. Gill, her ex, and Gwen are coming, too. I took that to mean it was something heavy coming down, so here I am.”
Olivia sat down, her mind racing. “Jill just called. She and Gwen are on their way here as we speak. She…she didn’t say anything about her ex-husband coming, though. Did she explain anything about that to you, Dad?”
Dennis rubbed at his chin before he took off the baseball cap. His head was damp with sweat. “Not a clue. She just said I needed to get here immediately. She prepaid a ticket for me, and I flew first class. I assumed it was critical for me to be here, so here I am. If you say she’s due any minute, I guess we’ll know soon enough. How about some coffee and a sandwich if it isn’t too much trouble?”
Jeff stood at attention. This was Olivia’s father. He needed all the Brownie points he could get. “No sir, no trouble at all. I’ll be happy to make the sandwich for you. We just made coffee, too.” Dennis winked at Olivia. She winked back and started to pace the confines of the kitchen. “Why are they coming here? Now! Why now? They must be up to something. Like I need this today.”
“Calm down, Ollie,” said Dennis. “Whatever it is, you can handle it. I’m thinking she’s coming to give you a check. Then it will all be over. This business with Cecil will work out, too. Just try to calm down until we find out what’s going on, Ollie.” Turning to Jeff, he asked, with a twinkle, “Do you know anything about boats, Jeff?”
Jeff laughed ruefully. “Only that they operate on the water. I don’t know the bow from the stern. I do know you’re supposed to wear rubber-soled shoes, though. I probably saw that in a movie.”
Dennis laughed. “If you want to, I can pencil you and Ollie into my schedule in September if you want to honeymoon in the area and go out to fish. Think about it—you don’t have to give me your answer right now. All that open water. Catching a marlin, there’s nothing like it. Even on a honeymoon.”
For a brief moment, Jeff looked baffled at the offer. “Oh, I don’t know, sir. I have a feeling I’d probably get seasick. I’m thinking that wouldn’t be such a good thing on a honeymoon.” He began to look desperate. “Of course, Olivia has something to say about it. We’ll give your suggestion every bit of the thought it deserves.”
Olivia thumped her hands down on the kitchen countertop. “Where are they? They said they were on the way. God, you don’t think they’re out there talking to all those media people, do you?”
“Ollie, count to ten and sit down. They’ll get here when they get here. Stewing and fretting is not going to make it happen any sooner. If you want to go out and give the media statements, do it now. Maybe that will take the edge off things for you,” Dennis said, tipping back the kitchen chair to stare at his agitated daughter. “I’ll just sit here and wait for your guests.”
Olivia stared at her father for a long time before she reached for Jeff’s hand. “Okay, let’s do it.”
When they reached the front door, Olivia looked up at her fiancé. “Do you think my dad knows something he isn’t telling us? He looks so…at peace, so calm and relaxed. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him look that way. He always seemed stressed out about something. You don’t think he’s sick, do you?” she asked, her voice tinged with worry.
“Oh, Olivia, no. My dad looked like that a month after he finally realized he didn’t have to work at a job off the farm any longer. It took him that long to realize he didn’t have to get up at dawn, go to work for someone else who had the authority to fire him at any given moment. It’s called contentment. Everything is right with your dad’s world now. He’s here for you because you are the most important thing in the world to him. Relax. Look confident and square your shoulders. I’m the one they’re going to attack. Smile. Don’t let them trick you into saying anything you’ll regret later on. All those guys out there do this for a living and know every trick there is. Quick, pick up one of the dogs, and let’s get this over with.”
Olivia bent over and picked up one of the little Yorkies. She brought him up to her cheek and whispered in his ear. He licked at her cheek. She smiled. He felt warm and sweet in her arms.
Olivia and Jeff walked to the end of the walkway and waited until a bank of microphones was moved in front of them. Jeff stepped forward. Olivia continued to cuddle the little dog close to her cheek.
“Can you turn Cecil around, Ms. Lowell, so we can get a better shot of him?” one of the photographers shouted. Olivia obediently turned the little dog around. The moment he saw and realized all the commotion, he burrowed into Olivia’s neck.
“He’s shy,” Olivia said.
“Do you have a statement, Mr. Bannerman?”
“Nothing different from yesterday. We are not giving Cecil up. I was Mrs. Manning’s attorney. I’m doing my best to do what she wanted. It’s all in her will. If I have to, I’ll go all the way to the Supreme Court. I want you all to understand something. This is not about money. We have no problem with Mrs. Manning’s cousin inheriting her estate. He can have it all, but he cannot have the dog. A person’s last will and testament has to be honored. I thi
nk that’s all I have to say at the moment.”
“Ms. Lowell, do you want to make a comment?”
“Actually, I do have something to say. Cecil adored Lillian Manning, and she adored him. That’s why she provided so handsomely for him in her will. She knew Jeff would love him and take care of him. That was her wish. When Cecil came to us he was traumatized over losing his mistress. We worked with him. This is his new home now, and he loves it here. He has a lot of friends now. As you can see, he’s a little frightened at the moment with all you people out here. He trusts us, he knows we’re trying to do what’s best for him. But like my fiancé says, we are not giving him up. No matter what.” She turned slightly, and the dog in her arms licked her face before he snuggled back into her comforting embrace.
“Thank you all for letting us speak to you. Please, don’t let them take Cecil away from us,” Jeff said in his best courtroom voice.
“Hey, Mr. Bannerman,” a reporter shouted, “is it true you got fired because of Cecil? That sure is love and devotion.”
Jeff turned around, his voice and expression serious. “I didn’t get fired, I quit, and yes, it is love and devotion. I have another job, so Cecil isn’t going to starve.” He turned in full view of the camera, and said, “Thank you all for coming out here today to support us and Cecil. We appreciate it.”
“Ambrose Martindale said you were a hothead. Is that true?”
Jeff tilted his head to the side and tweaked the dog’s whiskers. “Only when it comes to Cecil. Other than that, I’m a pussycat.” The dog in Olivia’s arms barked loudly at his response. Everyone laughed.
As Olivia and Jeff retreated up the sidewalk to the front door, Jeff said, “I think that went rather well. I know you want to run into the house, but don’t. Walk slow and steady. We did good, Olivia. That doesn’t mean we’re home free yet. Some judge can still order us to give up Cecil, although I have no idea how they’re going to pick him out of the crowd.”
When Olivia set the little dog down in the foyer, he walked away, his tail swishing importantly. The others followed him into the great room and toward their basket of toys.
Olivia nodded. “Jill and Gwen should be here soon. While we’re waiting, I’m going to call Mr. Prentice to see if he sent the check to the bank or the insurance company. Do you mind entertaining my dad for a little while? I want you to get to know him. My dad is a great guy. Maybe you should let the dogs out, too.”
“Not a problem.” Jeff kissed Olivia lightly on the tip of her nose before he made his way to the kitchen.
Chapter 27
While Dennis Lowell whipped up macaroni and cheese and hot dogs for an early supper, Olivia and Jeff tried to stay out of his way as they prepared to feed the herd of little dogs, who yapped expectantly.
Olivia scooped out dry dog food that Jeff mixed with canned dog food. “Where are they, Jeff? Do you think Jill changed her mind?” Olivia looked up at the clock on the kitchen wall. “It’s almost five o’clock. She’s hours late. Something must have gone wrong. And Prentice O’Brien hasn’t returned my phone call, either. I bet they’ve all seen the circus outside and no one wants to get involved. What do you think?”
Jeff shrugged. A hundred answers flashed through his mind. “It could be something as simple as they got lost on the way here. I suppose it’s possible Jill changed her mind. But if she wasn’t sure she was going to go through with it, why would she have your father make the trip here at her expense? If you’re asking me if she’s jerking your chain, I think the answer is no. As for Mr. O’Brien, lawyers rarely call clients unless they have something to report. He probably hasn’t heard back from the bank. In my opinion, I don’t think the circus outside would deter someone like Jill or have any kind of effect on O’Brien.
“Wow! Look at these little guys chowing down!” Jeff laughed as the little dogs tumbled over one another in the quest for more to eat. He obliged by adding little bits of food to the brightly colored plastic plates. “Okay, guys, let’s go outside,” he said after the plates were empty, heading for the sliding doors. A blizzard of silver outran him.
While Jeff was outside with the dogs, Dennis said, “He seems like a nice guy, Ollie. I like him.” As he turned the hot dogs over, he said with a sigh, “I haven’t had a hot dog in years. All I eat is fish!”
“There’s nothing wrong with fish. It’s good for you. Omega-three or something. If you catch your own fish, you know it’s fresh, and it is free. You okay, Dad?”
Dennis wiped his hands on a towel. “I’m fine, Ollie. For the first time in my whole life I am doing what I want to do. The charters are coming in steadily. The boat’s good. If things keep up the way they are, I should be able to double up on the mortgage payments. How about you, Ollie? How’s business?”
Olivia brought her father up to date. “I was going to ask you if you’d be interested in taking over as my advisor assistant to the CEO of Adrian’s Treasures, but when all this stuff hit the fan, I gave the job to Jeff. I need someone on the inside until I can make more concrete decisions. You aren’t upset over that, are you, Dad?”
“Heck, no. You know my feelings on that subject. Look, Ollie, do what you have to do and don’t worry about what anyone else thinks. Now, how does your young man feel about all these dogs who look like Cecil? Does he think it’s going to work out?”
Olivia threw her hands up in the air. “I don’t know. If you’re a dog expert, I suppose you could find differences, but at first I sure couldn’t pick out Cecil. I had to mark his tail.” She added, “They are so cute. They aren’t castaways in the true sense. A couple of them belong to an older man who’s having hip surgery. Anita is just caring for them. They make such wonderful companions for an older person. Anita and her mother take them to different nursing homes to cheer up the guests. Yorkies are extremely social. They take to strangers right away. Anita does a wonderful job—all rescue workers do. I’m going to set up a foundation with Allison’s money to help her out. What do you think of that, Dad?”
Dennis was about to respond when the phone rang and the doorbell pealed at the same time. Father and daughter looked at each other for long seconds before Olivia raced for the front door and Dennis reached for the phone.
Through the frosted glass, Olivia could discern three figures. Her guests had arrived. She automatically smoothed down her hair before she took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She opened the door to see Jill, Gwen, and a tall, husky man she assumed to be Gill, Jill’s ex-husband. But what really confused her was the huge white basket of red tulips in Jill’s hands. Flowers! That must be a good portent.
“Come in.”
“It’s pretty busy out there,” Gwen said, pointing over her shoulder.
“Olivia, this is my ex-husband, Gill Laramie,” Jill said. “Did Dennis get here yet?”
Olivia reached out to shake Gill’s hand. “Dad got here this morning. I was expecting you earlier.”
“Gill’s flight was delayed, so we had to wait for him. I should have called. I’m sorry.” Jill held out the basket of tulips. The smile on her face was rueful when she said, “You looked like a tulip kind of person to me. It’s what I call an ‘I’m sorry’ gift.”
“I love tulips. My backyard is full of them in the spring. Please, come in. Can I get you anything? Some wine, coffee, a soft drink?” Olivia asked as she led the way into the great room.
“A beer would go nice,” Gwen said. Gill nodded that he, too, would like a beer. Jill opted for a soft drink.
“I’ll be just a minute,” Olivia said, backing out of the room. She walked into the kitchen, where her father was just hanging up the phone. They both started to talk at once. Dennis’s voice was deeper, huskier, and took precedence. “That was Prentice O’Brien, Ollie. He said the bank in Oxford returned the check, saying they were paid years ago, and the case is closed. He wants you to call him back and tell him if you want him to issue another check and forward it to Great Rock. I said you’d call him back.”
O
livia nodded. “They’re here, all three of them. The reason they are so late is they had to wait for Jill’s ex-husband. His flight was late getting in. Two beers and a Coke. Do you want anything, Dad? Where’s Jeff? Jill brought me a basket of tulips because…because she thought I was a tulip kind of person. Does that make sense, Dad? Oh, God, I’m babbling again.”
“Easy, Ollie, easy. You’re in charge here. They came to you. C’mon, take a deep breath and relax. Nothing is going to happen. This is just a discussion, an explanation so everyone can put it behind them. You are in control. Get Jeff, and I’ll carry in the tray. It might be a good idea if you let the dogs stay outside for a little while.”
“Okay. I’ll get Jeff.” From the doorway, Olivia motioned for Jeff to join her. She explained the situation, and somehow he managed to squeeze through the door, to the dogs’ dismay. They howled and yapped as one at the loss of their overgrown playmate.
Inside the great room where the basket of tulips on the coffee table was the focal point, Olivia introduced Jeff to everyone before they sat down.
The sudden silence was louder than any summer thunder. Finally, Jill cleared her throat and started to talk as she fumbled in her purse. She withdrew a white envelope and held it toward Olivia. “The check is certified, so you don’t have to worry about it clearing my account. It’s mine and Gwen’s share of the robbery. If you’re wondering why the change of heart, it’s because, as you said at our last meeting, it’s the right thing to do. I also want to apologize for the merry chase I led you on. And Gwen and I want to apologize to you for all the lies we told you. Both of us, believe it or not, are relieved that our past has finally caught up with us.
Fool Me Once Page 28
