by Mimi Barbour
If nothing else, at least he’d tried to do something rather than just accept. There was so much going on in his life right now that he had no choice but to put up with, and damned if it wasn’t making him sick inside. This crisis had chosen him, and he had no intentions of backing away.
Seriously, how many times can a man back away?
Before he breaks…
Chapter Nineteen
Sadie plodded around her place, dreading the coming trip. Knowing there wasn’t a damn thing she could do to stop it from happening, she chose her least favorite swimsuit, a sexy, revealing number she knew would please her mother, and shoved it into her backpack. Then she whipped out a cute little sundress she’d gotten for her last birthday, one she’d never have bought herself but had to admit fit perfectly, and rolled it up to add to the rest. She grabbed the matching cardigan she’d worn a few days earlier and rolled it up, also.
Her plush towel, flip-flops, suntan lotion, and makeup bag were retrieved, and pretty soon she stood ready. Not willing, but ready. A check to her cell phone, hoping a text awaited her, had her pushing down the disappointment when the screen came up blank. She understood Liam had a lot to do this morning. They were moving Angelo and the family, and she shouldn’t expect any calls or messages. She knew that in her head, but her stupid heart wasn’t as reasonable.
The honking, loud and typical, made her run to the door. Trust her mother to forget that people liked to sleep in on the weekends.
“Hi, baby. Are you ready for a great time?” Bea’s floppy hat shielded her eyes and had Sadie wondering if she could even see the road. Next to her mother, the shotgun seat waited—empty. Sadie knew her other two sisters, both of whom were grinning impudently from the back with an ecstatic, tail-waving Susie nestled between them, were fully aware of the unwanted honor of sitting in the front. The foolish woman collected tickets for traffic violations without any qualms whatsoever. And on the two-hour drive they were sure to be stopped at least once.
Knowing there was no escape, Sadie stuffed her backpack as best she could into the jam-packed trunk and then settled into the low front seat. Desultory topics floated around her, of course in the screamy tones she was used to, but she let their voices lull her into a delicious daydream where Liam had actually stayed with her the night before. Their banter finally broke into her trance and made her aware of her surroundings.
Warmth from the sun settled her nerves, and she started to look forward to their time at Lake Anna. Balmy weather and beautiful scenery helped soothe, also. Reminiscences of their cozy cabin, which had made many of the summers worth living in her youth, had her anticipation growing. Relaxing against the leather seat, she breathed in the fragrance of various perfumes that radiated around the happy females of her zany family.
Her mother stuck in a CD and “Rolling in the Deep” belted out in Adele’s brilliant voice compelled her to hum softly. The song, one of her all-time favorites, made her feel strangely happy. No doubt it was the catchy beat.
And then the worst happened… when the agony really began. Three voices joined in, along with one happy hound dog, all harmonizing to destroy not only the tune but the great lyrics. Cows being tortured couldn’t sound worse. No! Lord, this isn’t fair. I’m a good person…
By the time they arrived at the cottage, Sadie thanked the gods she didn’t have a gun. If the drive down was to be a reflection of the rest of her time with “the girls,” she hoped they’d brought a lot of wine.
Chapter Twenty
Liam spoke softly. “Hey Dad, after we finish setting up Pedro’s bed, can I have a moment?” All morning they’d been hard at work moving Alfonso and Isabel’s meager belongings into the suite, and then transferring much-needed furniture from the big house to fill up the empty spaces. They were now busy finishing up the smaller chores.
A plan had come to Liam during his sleepless night, one where he’d need his father’s help. Asking any favors from the old man wasn’t easy for him, but the cause justified lowering his boundaries—and even begging, if necessary.
“Sure, son. I’m happy to help in any way I can. And while we have this time alone, I just want you to know how happy you’ve made this ole guy by bringing the Ruiz family into my life. After your mom passed on, things got pretty tough. Retiring made the loneliness worse. Being stuck at home with no one to talk to and only my ugly mug to look at had me considering that selling might be an option—moving into a home, just to have company.” He heaved a sigh. “I have to admit it would have broken my heart to give up this old house. As you know, it’s been in our family for the last two generations, and hopefully, you’ll want to take it over when the time comes.”
Liam stiffened. He couldn’t help it, and he knew his dad sensed he’d gone too far.
“Sorry, Liam. I wasn’t trying to tie you to anything. Of course, it’ll be your decision down the road. For now, I’ll enjoy having the young company and the help to keep the house from falling down around our ears.”
“Yeah, fine, Dad.” Liam wished he’d shut the hell up, because with every word his father uttered, his own pain increased. Tension settled between his shoulder blades, and no amount of stretching could loosen the tightness. He’d left home because of this agony—the knowing that he’d never rise to his mother’s high expectations or lower himself to his father’s level.
Soon they were sharing a coffee in the garden after finishing all the chores. Isobela and Angelo were puttering happily in their new home, and the children were napping. Liam’s heart had twisted in knots at the threadbare furniture and small amount of belongings they owned. Such nice people dealing with so much hardship—didn’t seem right somehow. He shrugged and rolled his neck from side to side.
“You wanted me to help?” The soothing tone relaxed his anxieties, and the uncomfortable moment passed.
“If you don’t mind, I need you to dress in one of your expensive lawyer suits and come puppy shopping with me. There’s a fancy doggy boutique downtown, and I want to get inside and see how they handle customers. I’m especially interested in their sales procedures and the commitments they might make to a promising customer.
“You’re talking about a pet shop, right?” His father seemed perplexed.
“There’s a little more to it than that. This is a high-class, very expensive pet shop. And I need to understand their policies and the guarantees they’re willing to give as to the breeding of their animals. Whether or not they can promise champion sires and mothers of the same quality. You see, Sadie, a friend of mine, is a dog-walker for a very elite group here in Washington, and some of her best dogs were stolen recently. These weren’t ordinary mutts. Most of their price tags ranged in the thousands and tens of thousands of dollars.”
“Imagine that! But then I’ve never given it much thought. You say you want me to go and buy one of these dogs?”
“No, not buy. Just enquire while I snoop around a little.”
“Sure, I can do that. When did you want to leave?”
“How about after lunch?”
* * *
Watching the Ruiz family as they settled into their new home made Liam’s sacrifices all seem worthwhile. He liked seeing Pedro run around the same yard that had amazed him as a little boy. The pond full of goldfish drew the child like it had always drawn him.
His father had attached a new rope swing where his old one used to hang, and if the kid’s excited giggling was anything to go by, it looked as if it would take first prize for his favorite new plaything. Excited, the little guy didn’t know whether he was coming or going.
Isobela, with a satisfied Teresa nestled in a holder against her chest, beamed at everyone. He’d watched her hug Alfonso more than once as if in wonder at their good tidings. Even he’d gotten an embrace when he introduced her to her new place, the apartment his mother had contracted and decorated for him so he wouldn’t leave home. As if that would’ve kept him in this hellhole!
Pretty soon, all the empty boxes and cartons we
re put in the garage and the yard was so well organized one would never have known that a move had taken place just a few hours earlier.
A quick bite to eat—sandwiches made by a contented Isobela—and the time had come for him and his dad to leave.
They went into different rooms to change, his dad to the master suite and Liam, with his change of clothes, into his old bedroom—his retreat from what used to happen in other parts of the house. The fights, or rather his mother fighting and his dad taking her abuse, had been a constant nightmare.
A sour taste bombarded his mouth, and his stomach clenched like in the old days as he remembered the nights he’d fall asleep with his pillow held over his ears and his ragged teddy held in his arms. Later, as a teenager, earphones and loud music had soothed his troubled soul.
Just get the hell out of here, he told himself. No damn good to you now, remembering old times. They’re done and gone. He dressed quickly and couldn’t get downstairs fast enough.
Liam felt a pang as soon as his father appeared wearing the same kind of clothes he’d worn for as long as Liam could remember. An expensive dark suit, a silk tie worth hundreds, and shoes made with luxurious leather altered him from the retired crossword-puzzle enthusiast to the suave, high-priced lawyer he’d been his whole career. He’d even oiled back his hair to look less scruffy and more in keeping with the sharp image of a man at the top.
Guts twisting caught Liam off guard. Seeing his father looking so like his old self brought back memories he’d forgotten. The times his dad had put down his briefcase to go and help him fix his bike rather than leave for the office. Or when he’d sat on the stairs listening while his distraught son poured out his problems, or the many nights when he’d help with the homework young Liam couldn’t understand. Even when a girl had kissed him by the lockers and he hadn’t known how to handle it, what to say to her or what she expected, the ole man had been there for him. How could he have forgotten?
He knew how. His mother’s screams had drowned out the gentleness in his father’s voice and his loving ways. And her belittling of her husband had lowered his stature in his son’s all-seeing eyes.
“Will I pass muster, Liam?”
The anxious look on the familiar face seemed as if he’d been privy to Liam’s thoughts. A wave of anguish travelled up his back and buried itself inside his already crowded head.
“Yeah, you look good.” Liam held out his hand for the keys to the silver Mercedes parked in the driveway and grinned when his dad hesitated. Can’t separate a man from his toys easily, he decided, knowing he’d have had difficulty giving up his convertible.
The store didn’t look near as fancy from the outside as it did inside. Photographs of stunning dogs, posed like champions, decorated most of the walls. Pedigrees, ribbons and other types of memorabilia were highlighted in a featured glass enclosure and drew the customer like dust to a Swiffer. The gray carpets were plush and the wallpaper to match pricey. Everything screamed class and respectability and brought the hackles rising on Liam’s neck.
These scumbags used the money from mistreated canines to live like this? He ached to bring them down. Maybe he didn’t have the same love for Giorgio or Peppi as Sadie or their owners had, but he did hate the kind of men who used defenseless animals to feather their own nests. Bastards! Jail was too good for these guys, but since it was all they had, it was better than letting the assholes run around free to wreak their havoc and break hearts.
The man who approached them, sauntering as if he had all the time in the world, smiled and held out his hand.
“How can I help you? I’m Richard Bradford, part owner of the Palace of Pups. Are you looking to add to your family today?”
Slimy son of a bitch, Liam thought. The words were so practiced that not an ounce of sincerity rang through.
Playing the game, Liam and his father shook hands. Then Paul spoke. “Yes. I have a new family moving in with me who have a little boy about four years old. A pup running around the place would be the perfect playmate. A friend referred me here, and so I thought I’d come in and get some details on the type of animals you can offer.”
Holy cow, the old man still had it in him, that urbane handling of other people—a good lawyer’s trademark.
“Then you wouldn’t be at all interested in putting the dog in shows in the future?”
“No, I don’t think so. But of course, I’m only interested in a purebred with good family traits.”
“Of course, Mister…?”
“Paul O’Brien, and this is my son, Liam.”
“We like to pair our clients with a pup according to your specific requirements. In that way, you’ll be confident in the predictability of the specific breed, and of course you can rest assured that each animal will be of the highest standard.”
“I see. Yes, that sounds perfect. I guess we’ll need a mild-mannered dog that loves children, has lots of energy, and is easy to train.”
“Would you be looking for a guard dog?”
“Not specifically, but I’d hope it would have a natural instinct to guard, not only the boy but the house. And although this wouldn’t be a main prerequisite, I can’t stand dogs being too yappy, either.”
A falsetto laugh grated on Liam’s nerves. He wanted to break Bradford’s face in order to stop the irritation.
“Come with me to the office, and I’ll show you photographs of the stock we have available at the moment.”
Liam broke his silence and asked, “Is there any way we could pay a visit to where you have the dogs housed? I think it would be helpful for my dad to see not only the pups but the mothers and sires, also. I’ve read that if a potential owner wants a future glimpse of his pup, he should check out its parents.”
“That’s true if you’re buying from an unlicensed breeder. We have only the best dogs in our stable and would give you a total guarantee of quality. Therefore, it wouldn’t be necessary for you to have to do any traveling to the kennels. But we do have photographs of our farm, and I’ll be glad to show you some of the features.”
Liam watched the jerk walk like a sissy, and as he trailed behind, he wished he could give his sashaying ass a satisfying swift kick.
Settled into the leather seats in the upstairs office, Liam and Paul looked at each other, eyebrows raised in speculation. All the while their host busied himself gathering paperwork from his desk, he prattled on about the most popular breeds.
“Let me see now. We have Labs, Terriers, German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers, Poodles—one of our best sellers—the ladies do love their Poodles. And then there’s Shih Tzus, Beagles, and we’ve just lately branched into Pomeranians, since we’ve found a wonderful sire for our female.”
That’s it! I am gonna rip the guy’s face off… Holding back wasn’t sitting right with Liam’s tense stomach or the threatening headache. Sure as hell, he’d be suffering later. Another sleepless night.
The degenerate smiled in his oily way and nestled into the seat across the table from where they sat. “Can I offer you coffee or a soft drink?” His affected gesture towards the mini kitchen was another reason for dislike.
“No thanks.” Paul looked toward Liam, who shook his head. “We’d like to know more about your facilities, if you don’t mind.”
“Of course.” He passed them a bundle of professionally done posters with amazing photographs of various animals. Some featured puppies, while the others showed only the female or male parents. At the end of the pile, an exact replica of Peppi’s orange-brindled face stared back at Liam, and he had to stop himself from leaping across the low table and satisfying his need for revenge. He’d swear this was the little bugger who’d led him on a chase for three blocks and then washed his face all the way back.
“As I mentioned earlier, we’ve managed to add Pomeranians to our growing numbers. The male and female just came to us a short time ago, so it’ll be some time before there’ll be a litter. But I have no doubt we’ll be offering the puppies soon.”
“What do you have that’s available right now? I wouldn’t want to wait for too long.” As he spoke, Paul sifted through the pile and stopped on one poster. “For instance, I see there are Golden Retriever puppies available?”
“Yes, the dam, Sunny Glow, has championship papers, and her breeding lines are impeccable. The sire, Golden Fellow, is also from one of the best kennels in the country and has many blue ribbons to prove his perfection in his class. Truly, this is an ideal choice for a companion for a small boy. These particular dogs are great for families, gentle and sweet natured. Not only that, they’re beautiful to look at and intelligent, besides being the most sought after of all the dogs we own. I already had homes for all five pups in that poster, but one of the families, the ambassador for England no less, just notified me they’d been moving back home and so the little female in the middle is now available.”
“What do you think, Liam? Do you like the look of these little bundles?”
Liam heard the yearning in his father’s voice, and his internal antenna began to work overtime. Why the old fraud intended for this to be a real sale.
“Sure. But don’t you want to consider other options before buying?”
“No, I don’t think I do. So, Mr. Bradford, what’s the price for this puppy, and when and where do I pick it up?”
Why the crafty devil! Now Liam understood his father’s reasoning.
“You’re very lucky, Mr. O’Brien. The pups have reached eight weeks old and are now ready leave their mother. With a guarantee, of course, that they’re up-to-date with all their vaccinations. We like to bring the animals here to the pet shop for our new owners to collect. Because, added into the buying price, we have a fine selection of leashes and collars to choose from as our gift, plus there’s a huge array of other accessories you might like to look over to help make the new member of your family feel truly at home.”
“Do you at least have a brochure or a picture of your farm, where the puppies are raised? I have a lot of friends and associates who’ll most likely be asking as soon as they see the puppy.”
