The Dog Designer Ruffles Some Feathers (Moonchuckle Bay Romantic Comedy #8)

by Heather Horrocks

  “The chick flick, it is.” Settling back onto the comfortable couch, under the lazily turning fan, Poppy slipped an arm around each dog. “Let ’er roll!”

  The credits began — and the phone rang.

  Nalani laughed. “Of course.”

  Poppy shifted and pulled out her cell phone. “Hello.”

  “This is Sheriff Winston.”

  “Hi, Sheriff. This is Poppy Brooks. I’m just wondering if I still have to stay in town or if I’m free to go now?”

  “The man we arrested confessed to setting the fire, so you are in the clear. I’m sorry for the inconvenience earlier. Is there any way I can make it up to you?”

  She decided to overlook said inconvenience and focus on the good news. “Just pay the bail money back to the Pueo family quickly. And I’ll be leaving your fair city soon.”

  “Good luck.”

  She hung up. “I’m free to go.”

  Nalani sighed dramatically. “I have mixed feelings about that.”

  Poppy stared at her. “Why?”

  “I’m glad you’re in the clear, but I wish you could stay longer. I was hoping...” She trailed off and sighed, a more genuine sigh this time. “I was really hoping that you and Kea might...” She trailed off.

  “I was kind of hoping for that, too. Maybe once he gets de-whammied, and if he follows me back to Colorado Springs, we can start some kind of relationship. But it’s too weird to have him look at me like he likes me and then, the next moment, be hugging Lizzie. Weird, weird, weird. Too weird for me.”

  She hoped he could actually be de-whammied. If the local witches couldn’t do it, he might be stuck adoring Lizzie forever.

  “I understand,” Nalani said. “I still don’t want you to leave, though.”

  “I won’t until tomorrow, so quit talking and turn on the movie.”

  Ahhh, How Sweet

  POPPY HEFTED THE LAST SUITCASE into the van the next morning, followed by the large plastic bin containing all the dog food, toys, food and water bowls, and treats.

  Nalani hugged Poppy tightly. “I’m really going to miss you.”

  “Likewise.” She looked at her friend and smiled. “We’ve had quite the adventure this week, that’s for sure. And your family is happy because Kea is no longer engaged to the crazy lady, so that’s good.”

  “Yeah, as long as Lizzie is kept under lock and key inside the cell and Kea is kept away from the cell for the next few weeks, he shouldn’t propose again. Mom called this morning to say the witches will have the antidote spell ready later today.”

  “I’m glad for him. Lizzie would have married him and then killed him, right? Like a black widow.”

  “That’s what I think was her plan, yes.” Nalani choked up. “I would have lost my big brother. You saved his life.”

  Poppy nodded and smiled. “I hope he’s okay.”

  Nalani grew wistful. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay until after he’s taken the antidote? I think he really likes you.”

  Poppy was tempted, but shook her head. “I need to get back to my life, and it’s going to take me a while to drive home.”

  “If you’d taken the HEXplorer taxi back, you could have stayed longer.”

  “I know. I’ll come back for another visit, Nalani. I’ve realized how much you and your family mean to me, and even Moonchuckle Bay. It’s been great to be here.” She chuckled. “Well, except for the whole getting-arrested-for-arson thing.”

  “Yeah, there was that.” Nalani petted Wencheng, then the other two dogs. “I’m going to come visit you, too. Maybe next month.”

  “That will be great.”

  “Stay just until this afternoon?”

  “I need to go.” She hugged Nalani again. “You are my ohana.”

  Marigold approached Kea with a vial of liquid.

  He was shaking from the exertion of fighting to resist helping Lizzie. The witches had the sheriff bring him into the area outside Lizzie’s cell to test the efficacy of the potion, and he was struggling against whatever hold Lizzie had on him. And that was with a door between them. He could watch her through the window in the door.

  “Elizabeth did a rush job on the antidote potion,” Chicory told him as she patted his arm.

  Relieved, he said, “Thank you. And thank her for me, please.”

  “Drink it all down now.” Marigold held it out.

  He took the vial and uncorked it. A few blueish-green bubbles floated from the top. Without hesitation, he lifted it to his lips and drank it down.

  It had a slightly bitter taste and he shuddered as it made its way down.

  Marigold tipped her head and studied him. “How do you feel?”

  He returned the vial to her and closed his eyes, trying to feel what the potion was doing inside him. Finally, he opened his eyes. “I feel like it’s warming my body, starting from my belly and moving out my limbs. Warming and ... cleansing, maybe. I guess we won’t know unless Lizzie touches me.”

  Marigold grinned. “That’s exactly what we need to do.” She turned to the sheriff. “Samuel, we need to test the antidote. Kea needs to touch Lizzie.”

  The sheriff looked skeptical. “That caused a lot of trouble for us before.”

  “I suspect it will be different this time.”

  “Okay. Come on over, Kea.” He led them back through the door and motioned toward the cell where Lizzie sat.

  Kea walked closer, a little apprehensive, but trusting in the local coven’s ability to counteract the spell they’d produced a year ago.

  Through the bars of her cell, Lizzie looked up at him and reached out her hand. “Kea, please help me.”

  He touched her hand.

  She smiled, not realizing he’d had the antidote. “Kea, I love you. You have to help me. Please get me out of here.”

  He smiled back. “It won’t work on me anymore. You’re about to reap what you’ve sown.”

  Lizzie snarled at him. Actually snarled. “They can’t keep me in jail. I can escape any time I want. It doesn’t matter that they have it magically warded.”

  Kea didn’t wait for the rest of the rant. He turned back to the sheriff. “When you figure out what she is, let me know.”

  “Will do.”

  Marigold was smiling at him. “All better?”

  “All better,” he said. “Thank you.”

  She pulled him into a hug, and he gently patted her back.

  “Okay, now I think you ought to go after that nice young woman who can’t seem to take her eyes off you.”

  He tipped his head. Did she mean Poppy? “Who is that?”

  “Oh, don’t be dense, Chief Pueo. Poppy Brooks used to moon over you when she lived here, and she’s still got it bad for you.”

  “She did?”

  “She still does.” Marigold patted his chest. “Now that you’re not bespelled anymore, I think you’ll realize how you really feel about her.”

  “I’ll go see her tomorrow.”

  She shook her head. “Nalani told me that Poppy was talking about leaving town right away. Don’t waste time, Kealoha. Go after her. Or you’ll let her escape a second time.” She lifted an eyebrow. “Unless the whole town is wrong and you don’t have feelings for her, after all.”

  Kea chuckled. “The whole town is not wrong. I’d better go.”

  “Yes.” She patted his shoulder.

  Chicory grinned. “I love a good love story.”

  He drove to his parents’ house, hoping Poppy had stopped to say goodbye to his parents before leaving town. But her van wasn’t there.

  His mother motioned to him and he pulled to the curb.

  She shook her head. “Poppy is leaving town.”

  “That’s what I heard,” Kea said. “Where is she now?”

  “Maybe on the road to the freeway.”

  “I’m going after her.”

  “What about Lizzie?”

  “I’ve had the antidote potion.”

  His mother grasped his hand and smiled. �
�You’re back to normal!”

  Behind them, his brother scoffed. “He was never normal to begin with, Mom.”

  Kea laughed. “I’m going to shift and fly after her.”

  “I’m going with you,” his mother said. “I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”

  “Me, too,” his brother said with a smirk. “Kea brought down by a girl. This I’ve got to see.”

  They went into the backyard and, one by one, turned into owls, flapped their wings, and took flight, with Kea in the lead.

  They would have looked like a parliament of Hogwarts owls — if Hogwarts owls were the size of humans.

  Kea flapped his strong wings and soared through the evening sky, exhilarated at the feel of the air through his wing feathers.

  Kea caught sight of his sister and his lifemate.

  Nalani pointed up at him and his family, and Poppy followed the line of sight. When she caught sight of his owl, she gasped.

  “It’s a bird! It’s a plane!” Nalani laughed. “It’s Big Bird!”

  “Is that Kea?” Kea heard Poppy ask, and the hope in her voice made his heart sing.

  He banked and soared and circled above them, then landed a few feet away.

  In his owl form, he towered over them.

  “Can I touch him?” Poppy asked Nalani.

  When she nodded and Kea waddled closer, Poppy put up her hand and caressed the feathers on his chest. Slowly, a smile covered her face. “You’re beautiful,” she told him.

  Around them, his family started landing. They immediately shifted back to human form, but he wanted her to know his owl form first.

  When he couldn’t stand it any longer, he shifted, taking her hand on his chest and pressing it there. She gasped again.

  He reached with his free hand for the treats in his pouch, and pulled them out. “Would your dogs like something special?”

  Max and Blaze jumped. Even Wencheng looked excited — well, excited for her. She deigned to looked his way. He tossed them each a treat, and turned back to Poppy.

  She said, “Are you still going to want Lizzie when she touches you?”

  He shook his head. “I’ve had the antidote and it worked. I’m all yours now.”

  She drew in a quick breath.

  “Get down on one knee,” his mother murmured.

  He smiled at Poppy and she smiled back, and then he went down on one knee, still holding her hand. “Poppy, I let you get away once before because you were too young and I was too stupid. I love you and I want you to be my wife.”

  Poppy’s heart swelled with love for Kea. Tears burned her eyes, and she blinked them back.

  She squeezed his hand and smiled at the big guy who, even on one knee, was nearly as tall as she was. “For real?”

  He nodded, love shining in his eyes. “This is for real, Poppy. I’m in love with you and I want to marry you.”

  How could she say no to this man who she’d loved since high school?

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and said, “Yes!”

  His family clapped and cheered.

  Kea had never been as happy as he was right then, standing with Poppy in his arms, his family congratulating them.

  And of course his family would be there when he proposed. His huge Hawaiian family was with him always — and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

  Poppy sniffled and pressed her face into his chest, her arms around his waist.

  “Can you breathe?” Nalani asked.

  Well, okay, maybe his family could give them some privacy once in a while.

  Poppy smiled and pulled back, looking up at him. “You do take my breath away.”

  “Ahhh, how sweet,” Kea’s brother said.

  Kea glowered at him. “Don’t you have someplace else to be?”

  Poppy looked around, her arms still around him, and smiled at his family. “I’m so glad you all came for me.”

  Then his family started stepping forward to hug her. Reluctantly, he relinquished his hold on Poppy.

  Aloha drew in a deep breath and exchanged a look with her mother and her sister.

  They’d done it! They’d saved her twin from the evil Lizzie!

  She smiled. Poppy was exactly the sort of woman Kea needed — and the woman the rest of them wanted as part of their family. Ohana included Poppy.

  Tiny Puffs of Steam

  THE WEEK BEFORE THANKSGIVING, two months later, Poppy stood beside Kea along the shore of Moonchuckle Lake as they exchanged leis and vows.

  The weather had cooperated and, even though it was November, the day was sunny and in the sixties.

  Because it was a traditional Hawaiian wedding, both the bride and the groom wore white, and Kea had a colorful sash tied around his waist. He looked handsome and strong and she could hardly wait until she got him alone tonight.

  They’d arranged for a special singer for the Hawaiian Wedding Song, Ke Kali Nei Au, which was traditionally performed during the ceremony. Elvis had sung it in the movie, Blue Hawaii, and offered to repeat it for the wedding, and they’d taken him up on it. His wife Charlie refrained from singing with him, as her siren powers could harm any humans along the beach.

  Poppy’s parents had flown back for the ceremony and were thrilled for her. Her brother was also here and had seemed to fall right back into step with Kea’s family. In fact, he’d told her he was considering moving back to Moonchuckle Bay with her.

  “Into my house?” she’d asked.

  “No way would I interrupt newlyweds. I’m going to rent the house you were renting with Nalani. The one next to the haunted house.”

  “You’ll like it.”

  Poppy was moving into Kea’s house. His new house.

  The one thing Lizzie hadn’t lied about was John Burrows’s inheritance. Kea inherited everything except the five thousand dollars that had gone to Lizzie. He and his family have been busy adding an area to the back of the large Burrows home for her dogs, all of which were with her now. Her brother was going to watch after them while she was on her honeymoon.

  Two weeks away with Kea. It sounded like heaven. She planned to ruffle some feathers while they were gone.

  He held her hand as they talked with friends. When Ty asked her about her dog business, Kea teased her, “Can it possibly be a business if you can’t let any of them go because you get too attached to them?”

  She wrapped her arms around him. “Just like I got too attached to you and couldn’t let you go.”

  Aloha called out, “It’s time to cut the cake.”

  Nalani had jokingly promised to make them a birdseed wedding cake, but they’d gone, instead, with the beauty of a cake that Ilene Goodall of A Bite to Eat Café & Catering had whipped up.

  He led her to the cake table, and they both took a small piece and placed it in the other’s mouth. When they didn’t shove any on the other’s face, some of the people in the crowd complained. Kea leaned forward and kissed her again.

  She whispered, “I love you, Mr. Pueo.”

  “I love you, Mrs. Pueo.”

  Next it was time to throw the bouquet — and there were groans when she tossed it. She turned around to see why.

  Marigold was holding it, looking astonished.

  Nalani and Poppy laughed.

  Not soon enough, she was walking hand-in-hand with Kea while bubbles were blown all around them.

  Kea led her to the limousine in the parking lot, and they rode back to his family’s house for the reception celebration.

  She stayed in her wedding dress. She hadn’t bought it to just wear for one hour on the beach. She was going to wear it until Kea took it off of her that night. The first time he saw her naked was going to be an event, complete with beautiful wedding dress.

  They’d be traveling via Ford HEXplorer taxi to an as-yet-undisclosed location. She was pretty sure her brother and his brothers had already found it and decorated it, though.

  “Blaze, would you like to show Chief Pueo how well you have your talent under control now?
”

  Kea narrowed his eyes. “I don’t think that’s necessary. I don’t want to have to postpone our honeymoon because a fire broke out at our wedding celebration.”

  “You’ll love this. Really.” Poppy slipped the harness off of the Dalmatian, now five months old and growing rapidly.

  She pointed at the fire pit. Blaze ran toward the pit, stopped, and barked.

  Flame erupted from him and lit the kindling neatly.

  Then Blaze ran around the yard, barking with only tiny puffs of steam coming out. He ran back to her and she slipped the harness back on him.

  Kea nodded. “I’m impressed, Blaze.”

  The not-so-little dog jumped up until he reached down and petted him. “Good boy, firedog.”

  Kea’s father approached. “We’d like to perform a traditional hula for you, Poppy. The one performed by men and not women.”

  “Oh, good, I get to be part of the performance this time.” Kea grinned, and joined the other men.

  And then the music started and the men began to move — and it was the sweetest sight in all the world.

  ~ The Happy Ending ~

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