Double Dog Dare

  “No, no, it’s fine. I’m glad you told me.” With a quick look at the gaping hole in the kitchen, he made a decision. “The B&B, you say?”

  He nodded. “With a suitcase, so I guess they’re checking in.”

  His stomach roiled. “Okay. Good to know. Uh, why don’t you pack up for the night, Bill?”

  “You sure? I can hang the cheap stuff now, if you want. It’d be something before this rain hits.”

  “Not necessary,” Josh said. “I have to go to town. Let’s close up shop.”

  “Sure thing, Mr. R.”

  Josh didn’t even bother to say goodbye. With an old familiar anger ricocheting through him, he strode out the door without even closing it, powered down the staircase and out the front, barely noticing the first fat drop of rain that hit his face. Was it possible Gideon was here for an innocent reason? Family support? Was Josh’s hatred the thing that blinded him, like Darcy said?

  He’d talk to Gideon, he decided as he pushed the gate open. He’d communicate with him, since she—

  “Josh.”

  He whipped around at the sound of his name and a familiar voice. “Savannah.”

  “Can I talk to you?” She took a step forward, pushing up sunglasses that weren’t needed on this cloudy evening to reveal red-rimmed eyes without a speck of makeup. Deep, dark shadows and bloodless skin exacerbated the look of someone in a lot of pain. Or trouble. “It’s really important.”

  Chapter Twenty-four

  The rain started slapping the front window steady and strong while Darcy puttered around the salon as twilight descended.

  Josh had texted earlier that he’d be working late at the job site, so Darcy was in no rush to go out in this weather. No rush to deliver the bad news about Stella’s sight. Instead, she soaked in the atmosphere of her little salon, imagining it bustling with freshly clipped and bathed pooches, all wearing brightly colored bandannas as they waited in their crates for pickup.

  And she showered both Stella and Kookie with extra love, even though they didn’t feel the weight of the disappointment that the study hadn’t been Stella’s ticket to restored vision.

  Both of them were currently in the cradle on the other side of the reception desk—no crate for those two. Kookie, worn out from her guard-dog duties, snored contentedly, but Stella was up, quivering a little because of the rain and the occasional roll of distant thunder.

  “Don’t worry, love,” Darcy crooned to her. “We’ll let the storm pass before we venture out.”

  Another rumble made her bark, and Darcy turned sharply at the sound, too. That wasn’t thunder, but someone pounding on the glass outside. She pushed back to round the reception desk and get a better look at a man in a suit jacket and tie. He pointed to the door with eyebrows raised in question. She didn’t recognize him from around Bitter Bark, that was for sure.

  “Can I talk to you?” he yelled.

  A little uncertain of that, Darcy shook her head. “We’re not open for business yet.” She raised her voice so he could hear her through the glass and over the noise of the rain.

  “It’s about Joshua,” he said loudly. “It’s urgent.”

  Joshua? The only people who called him that were…his family. She made a face of confusion and tried to get a better look at the guy through watery glass and waning light. Did she know him? He did look vaguely familiar. Had she met him at that anniversary party in Cornelius? Was he—

  “I’m Gideon Bucking,” he yelled.

  Holy moly. He was the evil stepbrother.

  “I need to talk to you about Joshua. Very important.”

  She backed away from the window and considered grabbing her phone to call Josh before she did anything. He wouldn’t like her welcoming his archenemy into the salon, but she could hardly let him stand out there in the rain.

  What if Gideon came with Savannah to take Stella? But then, what if he was able to officially let Josh take ownership of the dog? That would be good news.

  Or maybe he wanted to threaten her to get back the jewelry Savannah had stolen and hidden in the dog bed. Could he know about that?

  Uncertain and tentative, she unlocked the door and opened it a crack to keep out the rain and the man.

  “You’re Darcy, right?” He came closer, and she immediately remembered the picture she’d seen of him on his grandmother’s mantel. Yes, this was Gideon, a handsome, chiseled man with intense green eyes and thick, dark hair. Much smaller and thinner than Josh, but he didn’t exactly look like the devil incarnate. “Can we talk?” he asked, shaking off some water.

  “Josh isn’t here,” she said.

  He let out a frustrated exhale. “I wanted to talk to him in person, and I have no idea where he lives.”

  “What do you want?”

  He closed his eyes with a grunt. “Bad news, I’m afraid. Our Gran has passed.”

  “Oh.” She pressed her hands to her mouth, the news hitting hard. “I’m so sorry.”

  He shook his head slowly. “We couldn’t tell him by phone. I’ve been enlisted as the family emissary to deliver the news. Can you help?”

  The family emissary? Gideon?

  “You look stunned, but believe me, it was expected.”

  “That’s not why…” She gathered some composure. “I can call him for you.”

  “No, no.” He looked past her as if waiting for an invitation, but something self-protective kept her from issuing one.

  Josh didn’t trust this guy, so should she?

  “I really don’t want to break the news over the phone,” he said. “I’ve heard you’ve been a wonderful influence on him. Brea couldn’t stop talking about you, and Christine raved. I thought you’d be able to help me.”

  She searched his face, taking in his narrow lips, clear eyes, and clean-cut bones, all the while clinging to the fact that this man betrayed Josh in the worst imaginable way. No way she would throw open the door and welcome him with open arms.

  “Can I come in?” he asked after a long, awkward beat.

  “I’m sorry, but I can’t.” Behind her, both dogs were barking now, aware of the new arrival, and that made her remember Savannah and the possibility that she’d blow in here and take her dog. She peered past him into the rain. “Are you with Savannah?”

  “No,” he said simply. “That was a grave mistake, and if I can be completely candid, it’s one of the reasons I’m here and not, say, Brea or Joshua’s mother. This death has rocked our family a little. A lot,” he added with a dry laugh. “Life’s short and…” He made an effort to swallow. “Sometimes a man has to fall on his sword.”

  She blinked at him, gauging every word and finding each one…genuine. She certainly agreed with what he was saying. Would Josh? Could Josh? It would be so good for him to have that closure and peace regarding Gideon and his family.

  “I thought you might facilitate that,” he said. “I heard you have a very close family and maybe have some skills the Buckings—and Raniers—are lacking.”

  Was this possible? A thrill of victory danced up her spine. Of course, weeks of being with Josh and hearing little but disregard for his family—especially Gideon—made her skeptical, despite how much she wanted to believe the man in front of her. “I’m not sure he’s ready to take that apology, Gideon, but I’ll give him the message when I see him. And maybe—”

  “Is that Stella?” he asked, peering over her shoulder and almost muscling his way in. “Has she regained her sight? Brea said there was a slim chance.”

  There it was again…the note of something real. Like he honestly cared about Stella’s eyes. Could Josh have been that wrong about this man? He’d admitted his perspective had been off where the Buckings were concerned, but could it have been that off?

  “Not yet,” she said, unwilling to go into the day’s disappointing news regarding Stella’s eyes. “But I’ll be sure and tell Josh how much it matters to you.”

  But did it matter? Wasn’t he supposed to be uncaring, arrogant, and resentful about anythi
ng where Josh was concerned?

  He wiped some rain from his face, leaning closer. “I’d really like to tell Joshua myself. Face to face. Man to man. Brother to brother.” He grimaced. “I know I owe him so much more than an apology, but I want to start somewhere, and I want to do it now. Can you take me to him?”

  Could she? She could at least tell him the address of the brownstone in Ambrose Acres, then call Josh and warn him that Gideon was coming. Maybe persuade him to give his brother a chance.

  “Is he far from here?” Gideon asked.

  “He’s on the other side of the square and down a few streets,” she said. “A section called Ambrose Acres. Do you know it?”

  He put his hand on his ear. “I can’t hear you with the dogs and the rain. Right there, did you say? Across from the playground area?”

  “No, much farther.” She glanced over her shoulder and checked the dogs, then pushed the door open a bit more. Taking one careful step onto the sidewalk, she pointed the way. “Straight up there to the end of the square.”

  He walked farther away, toward the street, to get a better view. “I’m sorry, I’m not sure where I should go.”

  “That way.” She gestured south. “I’ll give you the address, and you can put it in your GPS.”

  He held out both hands in a plea. “Come with me, Darcy. Please. He listens to you. I don’t have any hope for this if you’re not there.”

  She let out a breath, knowing he was right. She had to be the peacemaker in these talks, or they’d never happen. Sometimes she had to take matters into her own hands.

  “Let me get an umbrella. Hang on.” She stepped inside and hesitated, feeling like she should invite him in out of the rain.

  He caught her uncertain look and smiled. “It’s fine,” he said. “You don’t have to trust me. I’ll stand right here in the doorway, I promise you.”

  She nodded at the reassurance, letting the door partially open to him. He stayed under the overhang and made no move to come in. She grabbed her phone and texted Josh.

  I’m on my way home. Bringing Gideon. Have an open mind.

  She added a heart emoji, stuffed the phone in her back pocket, snagged an umbrella from under the front counter, and kissed the dogs. “Be right back.”

  Then she headed into the evening rain with high hopes that she could sprinkle a little Kilcannon magic on the Buckings since, deep in her heart, she knew she wanted both families connected by love. Was that possible? Or was she living in a fantasy world where all families could be like hers?

  There was only one way to find out.

  * * *

  “I’ve been trying to reach you for almost a month, and now you want to talk?” Josh looked past Savannah, bracing for the sight of his stepbrother. “Where the hell is he?”

  “Who?”

  He cocked his head and sliced her with a look. “I don’t have time or interest in this today, Savannah. Where is Gideon?”

  “Is Gideon here?” Her voice rose with near panic as she wiped away a raindrop that hit her face.

  “You tell me, but I won’t believe a word you say. Oh, and my grandmother’s jewelry? I found it and put it in a safe. Thanks for the hot mess you left in my apartment.”

  Tears filled her eyes as she stared at him, then a sob broke. “Oh God. You believe them.”

  “Well, let’s see, Savannah. Shortly after you had sex with my stepbrother, you hid a hundred grand worth of my grandmother’s jewelry in a dog bed, handed over your blind dog, skipped town, and ignored about fifty calls and texts telling you I had an emergency with her. My entire family has accused you of stealing, and my apartment’s been ransacked by someone looking for loot. So, yeah, I believe them.”

  She searched his face, silent. “I guess you do, since I’ve never heard you call them ‘my’ family or refer to Bernice as ‘my’ grandmother.”

  He hadn’t even realized he’d said that. “I’ve changed. What do you want? And don’t say that jewelry, because you aren’t getting it. And don’t even think about Stella. You and your boyfriend can get the hell out of town now.”

  Her face crumpled as she fought a sob. “I haven’t seen Gideon since he left me in a New York hotel room weeks ago.” She took a shuddering breath and touched the side of her face, grimacing a little. “And none of that, not a single word of what you’re accusing me of, is true.”

  “You didn’t sleep with him?” he challenged.

  She ran her fingers through messy hair. “That’s when everything changed.”

  “You don’t say.”

  “He seduced me, and I fell for it, Josh. I wasn’t happy in our relationship, and I had a moment of weakness, but that’s not what it was for him. He was planning and scheming, and I didn’t know it.”

  “To mess up my life.”

  Her eyes flashed. “To get those jewels.”

  “What? Why the hell would he do that? The jewels would be his when Gran dies.”

  “Oh, no,” she corrected. “They’d be your mother’s, and that’s something Gideon can’t stand. He hates her, Josh. He hates you and her, and he used me to be sure those family heirlooms stayed in the right family.”

  “So you hid them in a dog bed with instructions that the bed never leave Stella’s side, knowing that meant I would essentially be babysitting your contraband, not just your dog.”

  “Josh, I’ve been framed,” she insisted, pushing wet hair back as the rain picked up to a steady drizzle. “Gideon stole them and blamed me to make sure I take the fall.”

  “Gideon went into Gran’s closet and stole her jewels? You expect me to believe that?”

  “I guess it was Gideon, but I didn’t know who it was then.” She swallowed. “I wasn’t supposed to find them in my apartment. They were planted there some time after people started accusing me of stealing.”

  “Then why didn’t you give them back to Gran when you found them and clear your name?”

  “Because of my mother,” she admitted softly.

  “Your mother? The one you hate and don’t talk to?” This was getting more preposterous by the minute.

  “She was really sick, and I knew I might be facing huge medical bills. So I kept them as an insurance policy, but I had to hide them, so I made up the story of Stella being dead and sent them off with her to you. I figured you were far away enough that no one would know you had her, and I never dreamed you’d go to Cornelius to see your family.”

  He closed his eyes, disgusted by the web of deceit, buying none of it. “So you think it was Gideon who stole his own family’s jewelry to frame you and now he wants it all back?”

  “I didn’t think so then,” she said again. “At first, he was sweet and offered to go with me to take care of my mother. That was the off-the-grid trip I told you about.”

  He choked a laugh. “Gideon was going with you to see your mother in Buffalo? Savannah, you are a pathological liar. And I—”

  “I’m not lying,” she insisted, grabbing his arm. “Gideon dumped me in New York, because it was a way for him to get me out of town so he could send someone into my apartment to ‘find’ one or two of the pieces of jewelry to be sure I took the blame for all of them being gone.”

  “So who wrecked your apartment if Gideon hid the jewels and he was the one who sent someone to get them?”

  Her eyes flashed. “It wasn’t wrecked. I took everything apart to start packing and I found the jewelry. Then I kept looking for more but how do you know that?”

  “I went there. Terry let me use the key. I needed to find out who you used for a vet, because all I cared about was Stella.”

  She closed her eyes and let out a guilty sigh. “She’s been forgotten in all of this.”

  “Not by me.”

  “Listen to me. I trusted Gideon, then we got to New York, and he found out the jewelry wasn’t in my apartment. I guess he sent someone to look. He was…” She touched her cheekbone and flinched. “He was furious, actually.”

  His stomach clenched, along with
his fists. “What happened?”

  She shook her head, silent for a moment. “I got away from him, went to stay with my mother, and threw away my phone so no one could possibly track me. I helped her through…to the end.”

  He huffed out a breath, but before he could muster sympathy, she stepped closer.

  “You have to believe me, Josh.”

  No, he didn’t have to believe anything. It didn’t make enough sense. “You want me to think Gideon stole jewelry that belongs to his grandmother to keep it from my mother and framed you for it?” It was preposterous…except they were Buckings. And this was Gideon. “He’d have to give them back to Gran, and then they’d go to my mother anyway. What’s the purpose?”

  “Not if Gran dies without giving the jewelry to your mother. She hadn’t yet, but I know she was going to. It’s not in her will, but she was going to give it to her before she died.”

  Now that, he believed. Gran liked his mother, and possession was nine-tenths of the law. Gideon couldn’t fight it in court if Malcolm’s wife had the jewelry on, and Malcolm wouldn’t abide that anyway. But why would jewelry matter to Gideon?

  Everything mattered to him. So maybe she was telling the truth, or some version of it. “Then what’s Gideon doing here?”

  “He must be looking for that dog bed.”

  “You told him that’s where you hid the jewelry?”

  “I told Gran. A few days ago, after my mom’s funeral, I was in so much pain. I screwed up my life, my relationship, everything. Bernice Bucking was always so good to me, like my own grandmother. I wanted her to know the truth, so I called her and told her that you had the jewelry in a dog bed.” She looked at him, her dark eyes awash in agony. “My guess is she told Gideon.”

  “But my apartment was broken into weeks ago, not a few days ago,” he said, seizing on the hole in her story.

  “Did he get the dog bed?”

  “No, it wasn’t in my apartment.”

  She shrugged. “Then he’s back, and I guarantee you he’s looking for that dog bed.”

  He glanced at the building, blinking into the rain as he looked at Darcy’s apartment, where what was left of the bed they’d strip-searched could be found on the living room floor.