For Keeps

by Rachel Lacey

  “All right. Let’s meet them all before we make any decisions. I’m still not even sure I want to use foster dogs in the camp.”

  “I really want to help train a dog.” Noah looked up, his youthful eyes so full of hope, gleaming with excitement over the ideas Merry had put in his head.

  Dammit. “I’m considering it, but even so, I don’t think this dog is a good match.”

  “Why not?” Noah was still petting Amber, looking completely smitten with the misfit mutt.

  T.J. aimed a silent curse in Merry’s direction. “For one thing, we don’t know anything about Amber’s background or heritage, do we, Merry?”

  She stood to face him. “Well, she’s a Lab mix, about four years old. No health problems, just a little shy. Except with Noah, it seems.”

  “I like her,” Noah said again.

  “She’s a gentle soul,” Merry said. “And she loves kids.”

  A red Toyota Prius turned into the driveway, and Merry glanced over her shoulder. “Here’s Olivia now. Would you like to meet another dog, Noah?”

  He scrambled to his feet, but stayed close to Amber’s side. The dog sat next to him, her shoulder against his knee, panting in the humid North Carolina evening.

  They watched as the Prius pulled to a stop and a leggy blonde hopped out. She fetched a white boxer from the backseat and approached their little group.

  Amber’s ears pricked, but she stayed at Noah’s side instead of greeting the other dog.

  “Hi,” she said. “I’m Olivia, and this is Bosley.”

  Bosley wiggled with excitement, straining against his leash to greet them.

  “Hey, Liv. Thanks for bringing him.” Merry bent and held her arms out, and Bosley rushed over to lick her face.

  “No problem,” her friend answered.

  Merry turned to T.J. “Bosley is two years old. He’s a total sweetheart, very easygoing. Good with people and other dogs. Fully housetrained. Crate trained.”

  “I don’t care if he’s housetrained. He’s not coming in my house. The camp will take place here on the farm.”

  Noah rocked from one foot to the other, his hands flapping restlessly at his sides. Then he placed a hand on Amber’s head, and his body stilled, calmed by her touch. “But aren’t we going to keep one during camp?”

  T.J. shot Merry a look that should have made her hang her head in shame, but she lifted her chin, her eyes sparkling dangerously, daring him to defy his nephew. Behind her, Olivia smirked and gave an innocent shrug.

  “Actually,” Merry said, “it would really be a huge help if you could keep them both.”

  Oh, hell no.

  “Can we, Uncle T.J.? Can we keep them both?” Noah was petting Bosley now, looking overjoyed with a dog on each side of him.

  “They’re both really easy dogs,” Merry said. “Bosley’s foster mom has a broken leg and wouldn’t be able to drive him out here every morning, so it would make sense for him to stay at the farm. Plus, it would free up a spot in a foster home to be able to save another dog from the shelter. It’s a win-win.”

  “For you, it is. What’s in it for me?” he asked.

  “Status as the coolest uncle ever?”

  Noah nodded wisely, and T.J. knew he was sunk.

  “You promised to bring an assistant if I use your foster dogs in the camp,” he said.

  She chewed her bottom lip. “Yes.”

  “Is this your helper?” He nodded toward Olivia.

  The blonde’s eyes widened. Clearly Merry hadn’t clued her in on this part of the deal. Olivia looked even less suited to the farm than Merry in heeled sandals and a dress. What a joke.

  “You could work your schedule at the café around camp, couldn’t you, Liv?” Merry asked, having the good grace to look apologetic.

  Olivia frowned. “And what’s in it for me?”

  Merry rolled her eyes. “Nobody wants to do a good deed out of the kindness of their heart?”

  “I do plenty of good deeds,” Olivia said with a wicked smile that made Merry snicker. T.J. scuffed a boot in the dirt and gazed over his shoulder at Tango, Twilight, and Peaches, grazing lazily in the pasture behind them.

  “If you help with the camp, I’ll come hold a sign with you the next time you’re picketing that chicken processing plant. How’s that?” Merry asked.

  Picketing? He’d never seen the point. If you wanted to change something, go straight to the source. Sit down and talk man-to-man. Make a real change instead of wasting your time standing around holding a sign.

  “Deal,” Olivia said.

  “Do you have any experience working with kids with special needs?” he asked.

  She shrugged. “A lady I work with has a daughter with developmental delays. I babysit for her sometimes.”

  He shook his head, unconvinced.

  “Olivia is extremely responsible and capable or I would never have brought her,” Merry said. “I take my participation in your camp and the welfare of those kids very seriously.”

  He saw the look of indignant pride on her face. Truthfully, he had full confidence in Merry’s abilities with the kids. And if she vouched for her friend, then he guessed he would have to trust her judgment on that too.

  “All right then, you have a deal,” he said, and like that, his fate was sealed.

  Noah hooked an arm around each dog and looked up at him. He made eye contact with T.J., something he rarely did. Because of the dogs. “So we’re keeping them both?”

  He looked into his nephew’s eyes, saw the gleam that Merry had put there. He couldn’t be the person who took that away from him. “One. I’ll keep one. Tell us more about Bosley.”

  “Bosley is a purebred boxer,” Merry said. “He’s an owner surrender. His family had to give him up due to financial hardship.”

  The noose around T.J.’s neck loosened. This dog hadn’t come from the shelter. He was purebred, raised in a loving home, friendly, easygoing. Here was his chance to save face with his nephew. “Okay, I’ll agree to have Bosley in the camp. I’ll foster him, but only until the camp has ended. Then you take him back.”

  Merry nodded. “Only for the duration of the camp.”

  Noah fidgeted with his sleeve. “But what about Amber?”

  “I can’t keep two dogs. Merry will make sure that Amber finds a good home.”

  The boy flung his arms around the mutt’s neck, and T.J. cringed. The dog leaned into him, her tail thumping against the red clay beneath her. “But I love Amber.”

  “She does seem to have a special bond with Noah,” Merry said.

  “She’s… she’s—” A mutt. A stray. Untrustworthy. “She’s not right for the camp.”

  Merry crossed her arms over her chest. “She’s exactly right for camp. She needs to be trained, and she happens to be great with kids.”

  “Bosley is the better choice.” T.J. winced at the expression on his nephew’s face. “I can only keep one, Noah.”

  “Then keep Amber. Please.” Noah’s pleading eyes poked at his weak spot, the part of him that would do anything to keep his nephew happy.

  And this unkempt mutt seemed to fit the bill.

  “Fine, I’ll give her a try. A week. But if she so much as looks at anyone funny, she’s going back.” T.J. looked down at the mutt, and his stomach soured.

  Merry nodded. “Deal. So Bosley and Amber are both in for camp, and you’ll foster Amber. If you use my puppies as well, you’ll have a dog for each child.”

  Noah squealed with glee.

  T.J. looked down at the two dogs, the happy boxer and the miserable mutt who’d fallen in love with his nephew. This was not supposed to happen.

  He always had a plan, and he always followed the plan. And yet somehow his well-laid plans had gone straight out the window the moment Merry Atwater waltzed into his life.

  * * *

  “This is fantastic. I can bring her over sometime this weekend. Does that work?” Merry managed not to gloat at her victory. It would have been perfect if he’d tak
en them both, but even agreeing to foster Amber and use her dogs in his camp was a huge deal.

  “Yes.” T.J. looked like a man who’d just swallowed a frog.

  “I’m going to take this guy home. Great meeting you.” Olivia waved before heading back to her car with Bosley.

  Noah was practically bouncing up and down with excitement, the most animated Merry had ever seen him. It warmed the deepest parts of her heart to see him so happy, so normal. It was truly amazing to see such a socially awkward boy communicate so effortlessly with a little help from man’s best friend.

  “Noah, why don’t you go into the barn and grab a couple of carrots for the horses? I’ll meet you over there in a few minutes,” T.J. said.

  Noah gave Amber a hug, then ran off toward the barn, a streak of boyish energy.

  “That was really amazing to see,” she said.

  Amber gazed after him with longing eyes. Her entire demeanor had changed since meeting Noah. Merry was so happy for her she could burst.

  “Yeah.” T.J. looked down at Amber.

  “You owe me, you know.” She grinned, pushing her luck.

  His gaze locked onto her in an instant, those dark eyes blazing into hers from beneath the brim of his cowboy hat, making her sizzle in all the right places. “Oh yeah, and how do you figure that? Because the way I see it, you owe me mighty big for setting me up like that in front of Noah.”

  She threw her head back and laughed. “Finally figured that out, did you? I have a way of getting what I want, which is always in the best interest of my animals. And I do truly appreciate you taking Amber for me. You’re making a huge difference for our rescue.”

  “Hmm.” He tucked his thumbs through his belt loops, looking a bit deflated.

  “Yeah.” She’d gotten distracted staring at his hands, big calloused fingers toughened from years of manual labor. They’d probably feel sinfully fantastic on her skin.

  Phew. Heat flushed through her cheeks, and she twisted Amber’s leash around her palm.

  “And how do I owe you, exactly?” He took a small step toward her, all strength and testosterone, the ultimate alpha male, and she went weak at the knees.

  “Because I didn’t tell Noah that Amber’s available for adoption. That she doesn’t have to be yours just for the camp. You could keep her. You’d be his hero.”

  “I’m already his hero.”

  Oh, boy. Had he taken another step closer, or had she? However it happened, they were standing way too close now. She had to tilt her head to meet his eyes. He was close enough that she could see the honeyed flecks in his irises and smell his scent, sweet like the oats he fed his horses, mixed with hay, and man.

  Her heart thumped a steady rhythm against her ribs. T.J.’s gaze dipped to her mouth, and she licked her lips instinctively. He let out a rough, masculine sound, then turned on his heel.

  “Call me about picking up the dog,” he said.

  Then he was gone, disappearing into the barn after Noah.

  * * *

  “You owe me one.”

  Merry snorted. “That seems to be the theme of my day.”

  Olivia narrowed her eyes. “Seriously, that was quite a setup with the camp thing. You nailed us both.”

  “Whatever. It’s all for the greater good.”

  “Yeah, your greater good.” Olivia took a long drink from her beer and rested her elbows on the bar. Around them, the hum of voices was offset by the clatter of glassware and the sound of a guitar being tuned.

  Merry sat back, feeling chastised. “You and T.J. are getting stuff out of the deal too.”

  “Me least of all, but I’ll do it anyway because I’m a good friend, and you’re right, he is hot.”

  “Are you really upset about it?” When it came down to it, she didn’t know Olivia all that well, and the last thing she wanted to do was alienate a friend. She was already short in that department.

  “Nah, we’re good.” Olivia polished off her beer and slid it to the bartender. She had a new one in front of her in seconds. “Even if I don’t stand a chance with the hot man.”

  “Why’s that?” Merry gulped her own beer and felt it slide cold and crisp into her belly. Martinis were her usual poison, but on Friday nights she came here to The Watering Hole for a couple of beers and to hear her dad’s band play.

  “Because he already has his eye on you.”

  “You think?”

  Olivia gave her the side eye. “Don’t tell me you, of all people, didn’t notice.”

  She felt a flush of warmth just remembering the way he’d looked at her earlier. “I noticed.”

  “Merry!”

  She spun on her stool and bumped right into her dad.

  Gerry Atwater slung an arm around her shoulders and squeezed. “Hey, sweetie, how are things? Any new dogs?”

  She nodded. “A Lab mix, of all things. Found her a foster home today though. She’s going to be well spoiled by an eight-year-old boy.”

  “Eight. That’s a fun age.” He smiled, his expression wistful, and Merry felt it slam into her like a fist to the gut. Tyler would have been eight this summer.

  He and Noah might have been classmates. Maybe even friends.

  Her throat swelled until she didn’t trust herself to speak. She fiddled with her beer, but condensation made her fingers slick, and it skittered toward the edge of the bar.

  Olivia grasped it with a steady hand, giving Merry an odd look. “I’m Olivia, by the way.”

  “Hi, Olivia. I’m Gerry Atwater, Merry’s dad.”

  “Oh!” Olivia perked up. “You’re playing in the band tonight, right? That’s so cool. I played in a band in high school.”

  “Really, what did you play?”

  “Electric guitar.” Olivia strummed an air guitar.

  His smile broadened. “Oh, neat. Do you still play?”

  Olivia shook her head. “Not in years, but I love listening to live bands. Glad Merry convinced me to come with her tonight.”

  “I’ll do my best not to disappoint.” He chuckled. “Well, I’ve got to get ready. I’ll stop by and see you ladies between sets, okay?”

  Merry nodded. “Can’t wait to hear those new songs, Dad. Break a leg up there.”

  “You shouldn’t say that to an old geezer like me, might actually happen.” With a goofy grin, he vanished into the crowd.

  “Geezer, my ass.” Merry shook her head with a smile. Her dad was only forty-eight years old. He’d been barely out of high school when she was born. When Merry’s good-for-nothing mother decided to hightail it out of town to pursue her dreams, Gerry had stuck it out on his own.

  He’d put his own dreams on hold, working long hours at odd jobs to provide Merry a stable and loving home to grow up in. They’d pinched every penny, but they’d been happy.

  “Your dad’s so cool. Wish my dad played in a band.” Olivia stared pensively into the amber depths of her beer.

  “What does your dad do?”

  “He’s a lawyer. Both my parents are.”

  “Really? That’s… shocking.” Merry’s lips twitched, then she laughed out loud.

  Olivia gave her a dark look. “My dad’s a defense attorney, and Mom works for the prosecutor’s office. Most of my childhood was a big trial to decide which team I’d play for. Would I fight for justice like my mom or protect the innocent like my dad?”

  Merry frowned. “But you didn’t want to be a lawyer.”

  “Nope.”

  “Sorry, that sucks.”

  Olivia shrugged. “I wait tables at the Main Street Café. My parents are so proud.”

  Merry thought of her dad, who’d always been proud of her, no matter what she’d wanted out of life. It was sad that Olivia’s parents hadn’t been able to do the same. “Well, they should be. You’re a kick-ass waitress, but more importantly, you’re a good person. You care about how animals are treated. And you are a social media warrior extraordinaire. Halverson Foods hasn’t known a moment of peace since you got wind they were abusing
their chickens.”

  She smiled wryly. “Yes, Olivia Bennett, Facebook warrior. If only I could put that on my résumé.”

  “Seriously, what you’re doing is important. People need to know the truth about how animals are treated before they become our chicken nuggets and cheeseburgers. You’re good at it. Take a compliment.” Merry bumped her shoulder into Olivia’s, and she smiled.

  “Yes, I totally rock Facebook.”

  “You do. I really should schedule a time for you to give me a lesson.”

  Olivia’s smile brightened. “Definitely. How have donations been lately?”

  Merry sipped from her beer. “Well, we could always use more donations, but things have been a little slow this year.”

  She’d hidden the stark truth about her current financial crisis from everyone she knew, embarrassed that she’d let her rescue get into such dire straits. She’d be able to bail herself out this month with the donation from T.J., but she would have to spend every penny of it paying off vet tabs and the rescue’s credit card.

  What was she going to do next month? Because the expenses would keep coming, and there were always new dogs needing to be saved.

  Olivia nodded. “I hear you. The economy’s been tough on everyone. Well, we’ll be seeing a lot of each other at camp. I’ll help you work on your social media presence, okay?”

  “Thanks. I’d appreciate that.”

  Her cell phone rang, buzzing against her hip while its cheerful ring tone was swallowed by the noise of the bar.

  She slipped it out of her pocket and squinted at the screen.

  T. J. Jameson.

  What on earth did he need at eight thirty on a Friday night?

  CHAPTER SIX

  Merry stood on T.J.’s front porch at nine o’clock the following morning, feeling more than a little apprehensive about the deal she’d made. Amber stood beside her, blindly trusting in Merry to act in her best interest.

  When T.J. called last night, he’d been looking for a way out. He’d wanted Merry to withdraw Amber from the program so that he could save face with his nephew. She’d refused on principle, but here, now, she felt guilty pushing the poor dog on a man who didn’t want her.

  Amber deserved better.