That Doggone Baby

by Tanya Stowe

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  What People are Saying

  1

  2

  3

  4

  5

  6

  7

  8

  9

  Thank you

  You Can Help!

  God Can Help!

  Free Book Offer

  That Doggone Baby

  Tanya Stowe

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  That Doggone Baby

  COPYRIGHT 2016 by Tanya Stowe

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or Pelican Ventures, LLC except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  eBook editions are licensed for your personal enjoyment only. eBooks may not be re-sold, copied or given to other people. If you would like to share an eBook edition, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with.

  Contact Information: titleadmin@pelicanbookgroup.com

  All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version(R), NIV(R), Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com

  Cover Art by Nicola Martinez

  White Rose Publishing, a division of Pelican Ventures, LLC

  www.pelicanbookgroup.com PO Box 1738 *Aztec, NM * 87410

  White Rose Publishing Circle and Rosebud logo is a trademark of Pelican Ventures, LLC

  Publishing History

  First White Rose Edition, 2017

  Electronic Edition ISBN 978-1-61116-845-7

  Published in the United States of America

  Dedication

  To all the Babys in my life.

  What People are Saying

  Never Ending Night--Stowe creates an utterly believable, completely riveting storyline that grips the reader in an unrelenting, mesmerizing hold until the final word. ~ Delia Latham

  Tender Touch--The sweet love story comes with action, drama, and plenty of heart stopping action, in a setting so vivid you can almost smell the fresh air. Definitely one to keep on the shelf to read again. ~ Clare Revell

  1

  “Oh no, Baby! You did not!”

  Jaci Meadows’ gaze fixed on the shiny red bow just inside her front door—the perfect, tiny bow that belonged atop her favorite, most comfortable, and certainly most expensive pair of black designer heels. She wore them to all of her high-end events. The spiffy heels went with every outfit. The little red bow added a splash so she felt spectacular and pulled together when she faced her clients.

  If Baby had chewed them up…

  She rounded the couch, her heart in her throat. Sure enough, the shoes lay in the middle of the floor, both stiletto heels mangled and useless. The snappy little bow from the other shoe was missing.

  “Oh, no.” Jaci didn’t even try to control the tears that streamed down her cheeks. Overwhelmed, she slumped all the way to the floor—briefcase, groceries and take-out bags pooled around her as she sobbed.

  The shoes now joined a list that was becoming legion. An expensive handbag. Her best running shoes. Countless flip-flops. Jaci continued to buy and Baby continued to chew. Jaci’s favorite, I-don’t-feel-good-and-I-need-to-curl-up comforter was gone, along with too many throw pillows to even count.

  Baby had been with her four months now, and the only thing she hadn’t tried to chew was the cover of Jaci’s phone…and that was only because she never let it out of her hand.

  The tears just wouldn’t stop. No surprise after a long, difficult day getting all the books and events lined up for her boss’s homecoming. Deedee Hudson had spent almost a month in her Houston home leaving all the details and planning for the upcoming events in Jaci’s hands.

  Deedee called it a “trying out period.” For what, Jaci didn’t know. She doubted very seriously her boss would ever trust anyone to completely take over the management of Polished and Perfect, her very successful event planning company. But a raise would certainly come in handy. Jaci could use the extra money to pay for her nephews’ football registration. They were both old enough to join and more than anxious to get into the youth sport, but her sister Linda, in her single parent status, simply couldn’t afford the fees.

  Or better yet, the money could go toward some extra help for her mother. Dad’s Alzheimer’s had progressed pretty seriously in the last month. Mom needed full-time help…especially at night.

  A large, raspy tongue raked the tears off Jaci’s cheeks. She opened her eyes. A two hundred pound malamute had parked itself right in front of her. Baby’s head rose above Jaci’s petite frame. She had to look up, and when she did, Baby’s pointed ears perked. She cocked her head almost as if asking a question.

  With her caramel coat, black tips, and chocolaty eyes, she was a beautiful dog. Intelligent too. Sometimes it seemed as if Baby understood everything Jaci said. Like right now, when she cocked her head as if to say, “There, doesn’t that make it better?”

  It did…almost. Baby was a warm, comforting presence, sitting so close, her hot breath panting over Jaci’s face…smelling slightly of plastic…like red bows.

  The scent was a reminder, and Jaci’s temper soared again. She tried to push the huge dog away but wasn’t able to move her much. Baby outweighed her, after all, but that didn’t dampen Jaci’s anger.

  “Oh, no, you don’t! You’re not getting off with a lick. Those were my best work shoes, Baby. I saved for two months to buy them and wore them at every event. They made me feel and look like a professional. You don’t know…”

  Fresh tears spurted, and she turned away. Unable to push the massive dog from her seated position in front of her, Jaci turned and crawled to the side pulling bags and briefcase with her.

  Her cell phone trilled Deedee’s special ring.

  “Great. Just great.” Slumping back to her bottom, she wiped the tears from her cheeks and dug through her briefcase hunting for her phone.

  “Hello.”

  “There you are. I thought I would have to leave a message.”

  Her boss hated leaving messages. According to Deedee, event planning was an around the clock job, and that meant she and all her employees were on call twenty-four seven. That was the unwritten understanding of employment, and if Deedee couldn’t reach one of her employees, she questioned their commitment to their job. For Jaci to be unavailable in Deedee’s crucial time might cause her boss to lose her tenuous control and push her over the edge.

  “I’m here. I was just dealing with another one of Baby’s episodes.”

  “Baby? You still have that dog? I thought Andrea and her boyfriend were supposed to be back a month ago.”

  “Actually, they should have been back two months ago.”

  “Honestly, Jaci, you agreed to take care of her for two months. Now it’s stretched into four? Your life is too complicated to manage a dog, let alone one the size of a house.”

  Actually, Jaci had never really agreed to the long term dog-sitting stint. Baby belonged to her best friend Andrea’s boyfriend. Jeff worked as a sound guy for a local band. When the group scored a gig in Houston, Andrea and Jeff asked her to watch Baby for the week. But their short trip turned into an extended tour across the country.

  “You don’t mind, do you?” Andrea had asked using her best wheedling voice. “This is a gre
at opportunity for Jeff and—well…he just has to take it.”

  “Andrea, you know my job takes every spare minute. I don’t have time for a dog.”

  “But she isn’t just any dog. She’s Baby, and you love her.”

  Jaci did love Baby. She’d enjoyed all their visits and time together, but to take complete responsibility for the exuberant animal was more than Jaci could handle…and Andrea knew it.

  “If you can’t take her, we’ll just have to check her into that kennel.”

  “That” kennel was a run-down dump where animals sat in pens most of the day. But it was the only local place Andrea and Jeff had found willing to take a dog Baby’s size. Still it was no choice at all for Jaci, and Andrea, her supposed best friend, knew it.

  So Baby became a destructive force in Jaci’s life…one that showed no signs of coming to an end. But Jaci wasn’t about to share that detail with Deedee.

  “The situation is under control now. What did you call about?”

  “Oh.” Deedee’s voice took on a different tone. Almost an apologetic one. “I called because I’m not coming home tomorrow.”

  “I see.” Jaci’s tone must have reflected her disappointment.

  “I’m sorry, Jacks, truly I am. I know this is a lot for you to handle. It’s just that every time I try to leave, Jerry falls apart.” Deedee’s marriage to Jerry was the second time around for both of them. When they’d met, they both had flourishing businesses. For years they’d managed both businesses, dividing their time between Angel Falls and Houston…until Jerry’s car accident almost two months ago. He’d suffered a pretty serious concussion and since then, he’d begun to experience panic attacks, night sweats, and a general deterioration of his mental faculties.

  “Honestly, Jacks, I’m beginning to wonder if he’ll ever get better.” Deedee’s secret fear crept through her tone. The sound of it melted Jaci’s heart.

  “He’ll improve, Dee. I know it. He has lots of people praying for him. It’ll just take time.”

  “I wish I had as much faith as you do. But I’m beginning to wonder. I don’t know how long I can keep this up balancing two businesses.”

  Deedee had been overseeing Jerry’s air conditioning supply and repair company since the accident…that left Polished and Perfect in Jaci’s weary hands. She knew she was capable, but…

  “I don’t know what I would do without you.”

  Whatever stress Jaci had been feeling melted away in the face of her friend’s troubles. She took a deep breath. “Everything will be fine. You wait and see. We’ll take care of things on this end. You just worry about you and Jerry.”

  Her boss’s sigh of relief came over the phone. “You might not say that after I give you my next piece of information. I’ve just signed the contract for the Hartline Medical Conference. And they’ve moved the date to November.”

  Polished and Perfect’s biggest client, the Hartline Medical Group, served thousands in East Texas. Their annual three-day conference offered workshops for employees and smaller health groups ranging from insurance billing to physical therapy. The huge conference took months to put together. Now Jaci would have two months.

  She swallowed hard and assured Deedee it could be done.

  “Great. I’ll email you the contract details and you can get started. The sooner the better.”

  “Right. I’ll watch for the email.”

  Jaci closed her phone. She looked into Baby’s brown eyes—focused on her in an intent manner—and sighed. Her life had just taken a detour. That meant something had to give between her and her greatest challenge.

  Baby.

  “Well, girl, like it or not, you and I are starting obedience training…tomorrow.”

  ****

  Justin Blakely fell in love the minute he saw her. She had a spectacular shape—lean and curvy in all the right places. That distinctive coloring…the sassy bounce to her step. Absolutely stunning.

  The magnificent malamute’s owner wasn’t too bad either…but Justin was trying not to notice. The last time he’d gotten involved with a blonde-haired, blue-eyed fashionista like Jaci Meadows, he’d almost lost his kennel. He’d been so busy trying to find ways to please his ex-fiancée Gina, he’d allowed himself to fall deeply into debt. By the time he realized she was mostly interested in his status as Angel Falls’ pre-eminent dog whisperer, creditors were hounding his steps. He called off their engagement and spent the next two years focused on his business and what he knew best…dogs.

  Petite, curvy blondes with big blue eyes were definitely not on his radar. Especially ones like Jaci Meadows. He’d seen her kind of owner too many times. Folks with a designer bent who opted for the high-end purebreds. Owners who cared more about how their specialty animal looked beside them than what was best for the dog or even what the animal needed.

  Ms. Meadows fit into that category like a designer purse in a protective bag—perfectly. She was so concerned about her looks, she wasn’t willing to part with her haute couture long enough to wear the proper flat shoes for the lessons. Here she was at their second class, once again having donned fancy boots with a two-inch heel to march around his uneven, soft dirt corral with Baby leading all the way.

  The first class had covered all the points on teaching the dog to follow on the leash, not lead. But Baby still tugged her petite owner around the corral, almost toppling her over in her two-inch heels. Justin might have found it comical if he hadn’t been concerned about the prima donna falling and suing his business.

  Maybe he should consider having all of his attendees sign release forms, or an agreement stipulating they would at least try to implement his techniques. He doubted Ms. Meadows heard even one word of his carefully constructed insights into a dog’s psyche. She’d been on her phone for most of both classes.

  Baby’s owner was a lost cause. But the malamute…she had potential. Baby had all the looks, poise, control, and intelligence needed to be a great show dog. A first-class winner.

  Too bad he couldn’t say the same about Ms. Meadows.

  Usually, Justin made it his business to separate that particular breed of humans—the kind that didn’t care—from their dogs. But given his soft spot for blondes, he’d already decided to give Baby and her human a wide berth. Still, there was something about Ms. Meadows blue eyes…a softness, an innocence…

  OK. Make that a soft spot for blondes with big, naïve-looking, blue eyes. Shaking his head, Justin purposely turned away to focus his gaze on Mrs. Jones and her Great Dane. Bertie was doing a great job of leading his owner. But Mrs. Jones was deftly, if somewhat timidly, applying Justin’s technique on the leash.

  Good to know someone’s paying attention.

  A yelp caught his attention. He turned around just in time to see Baby circle his owner. The leash wrapped around the blonde’s ankles.

  “Baby, stop!”

  “No. Don’t say that!” Justin saw the accident in the making but spoke too late.

  Baby immediately obeyed Ms. Meadows’ command. She stopped, turned, raised on her hind legs, and placed two huge front paws on her owner’s immaculate white, ruffled top. With the leash still tangled around her ankles, the lovely Ms. Meadows’ arms flailed as she sailed backwards and landed flat on her back in a puff of dust.

  Suppressing an angry shout, Justin jogged across the corral. He should have known better! Should have sent Jaci Meadows packing the day she signed up. He should have…

  Even from five feet away, Baby sensed his anger. With lightning speed, she placed her front paws over her prone human and planted her back feet in a protective stance. She stopped short of growling a warning because Justin came to an instant halt.

  He knew better than to go toe to toe with a two hundred-pound dog in a guard stance.

  Huffing a heavy sigh, Justin dropped to his haunches. “You’re right, Baby. I’m sorry.” Heaving another sigh, he released all of his anger.

  Giving a little shake of her head, Baby stepped back and sat, almost trapping
Ms. Meadows beneath her big bottom.

  Justin rose and hurried over. “Are you all right?”

  Ms. Meadows pushed up and tried to brush the fine coating of powdered dirt off her arms. “Yes, everything but my pride. Oh, no…”

  She noticed her empty hands. Her gaze darted around and she rolled to her side, her fingers plowing through the dirt. “Thank goodness.” She pulled her cell phone from beneath a mound of the fine, gray powder.

  Justin shook his head.

  Baby whimpered.

  Was the dog really so in tune with her owner that she resented the cell phone? Justin wasn’t sure, but he thought he saw a slight shake of a shaggy head.

  Enough! It was time for this woman and her spectacular animal to make a quick, clean exit. Justin had had all the distractions and imaginings he could handle for one session.

  Clicking the leash loose from Baby’s collar, he unwrapped it from around Ms. Meadows’s rather shapely ankles. After lifting her to her feet by her elbows, he clicked the leash back on the dog, who dutifully folded to her bottom and looked up, as if waiting for his next command.

  Justin shook his head. “Not a chance, girl.” He turned to the dog’s owner. “Ms. Meadows…”

  She held up the phone. “I’m so sorry. I know it seems I haven’t been paying attention, but I have an emergency. My father’s not well and…”

  “Perfectly understandable. You need to go.”

  She wilted with obvious relief and brushed at her dusty pants.

  “You need to take care of your situation immediately. And Ms. Meadows…it might be best if you don’t return until things have settled down.”

  She halted her haphazard brushing. “Oh…you mean…you’re kicking me out?”

  Justin drew a deliberate breath and lowered his voice. “Just suggesting that this might not be the best time for you to attend these sessions. Your dog needs all of your attention to benefit. I don’t think you can do that given your current situation.”

  “Oh…I see.” Those big baby blues widened. Perfect pink lips parted. Did the lower one tremble slightly? “I…I see.”