Page 40 of Puppy Kisses

As much as Adam hated to admit it, Charlie proved himself a gentleman when he interrupted Bea before she could get one more syllable out. “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name. I’m Charlie Smithwood, but considering the conversation I walked into, you must already know that.”

“I managed to put two and two together,” Dawn said, her arm brushing past Adam as she extended it for a handshake. “I’m Dawn Vasquez. I came with these two gorgeous creatures—the canine ones, not the humans. The big, gray one with the eyelashes is Uncle. The pampered one on Adam’s lap is Gigi.”

“Methuselah,” he said mechanically, but his heart was no longer in it.

“I’m training Uncle to be Adam’s service dog. Gigi is my personal pet, but she’s recently discovered that Adam’s lap is the best place to be.”

“I imagine that’s a matter of taste,” Charlie said. His voice was filled with the heavy sarcasm that almost always accompanied any conversation in which both he and Adam played a part, but Adam found himself almost warming to the man. Whatever else his faults, he was taking this whole situation in stride. If Adam had overheard someone talking about plans to steal land out from under his nose, he’d have reacted a little more forcefully.

“I didn’t mean to interrupt your party, Mrs. Benson, but my mom sent over a box of her famous lemon bars and a gallon of that cider you like,” Charlie said. “Thegoodcider, if you know what I mean.”

Bea knew. “Your mom knows the way to my heart, that’s for damn sure. Pie and cake are all well and fine on an afternoon like this one, but that cider gets me through many a long, lonely night.”

Considering that the Smithwood cider also had enough alcohol content to set the entire county ablaze, Adam could see why it appealed to her.

“Why don’t you come help me carry them in, Phoebe?” Charlie asked with an air of innocence that Adam didn’t trust for a second. He doubted Phoebe did, either. His sister was no fool. “I left them out in the truck.”

“Oh, let me,” Dawn said before Phoebe could answer. “I’m glad to be of use. And if it just so happens that a few of those lemon bars don’t make it to the kitchen on the way, I refuse to be blamed.”

“Didn’t you just eat half a pie?” Adam asked.

“Manual labor always makes me ravenous. All physical activity does, actually. When I work up a sweat, it’s like I become insatiable.”

It was to the benefit of everyone sitting around the table that Dawn and Charlie headed off to grab the bribes. Nothing Adam could think of to say to that was appropriate for company—especiallythiscompany. When Dawn worked up a sweat, he had a tendency to become insatiable, too.

“In case you’re wondering how to win me over next time, I could use a new transmission for my truck,” Bea said with a whoosh of her hands rubbing together. “If your two families are going to be battling for my favors from here on out, I might as well get something more than food out of it.”

“You’re already getting free labor,” Adam pointed out.

“Free?” Bea snorted. “That damned dog trainer of yours wasn’t here five minutes before she talked me out of working in the garden. She’s not much of a one for sitting back and letting life happen to her, is she?”

Adam had a lot to say on that subject, but Phoebe interrupted before he could get started. “If I’m not needed here, I’m going to head out,” she said. “Adam, you can get a ride back to the house with Dawn, yeah?”

Adam tilted his head in assent.

“And please don’t remind me that we have that call with the bank later this afternoon,” she added as a parting shot. “I know already. I’m the one who scheduled it. I promise to be home in plenty of time.”

That seemed a little unfair, since the bank was the last thing on his mind, but he just raised a hand in farewell.

“Well, well. A call with the bank? You’re taking an awful lot for granted, aren’t you?” Bea didn’t wait for him to defend himself. “Provided we find that paperwork, I don’t see why we can’t come to some sort of arrangement. I wasn’t kidding when I said there’s nothing keeping me here. I’m an old woman and a tired one. Dawn thinks I should go somewhere with sun and sand and young men in those tiny swim trunks.”

“That does sound like Dawn’s idea of paradise.” Adam was forced to agree.

“I’m not so sure about that,” Bea replied, but she didn’t expand on the topic. “Tell Dawn I’ll see her later, yeah?”

She didn’t make any further attempts at conversation, so Adam took it as their cue to leave. Setting Methuselah carefully on the ground, he gave his low whistle to bring Uncle to attention. Once again, the Great Dane outdid himself in terms of obedience. He came immediately to Adam’s side, his gentle press directing him where to go to safely leave the porch.

Bea must have noticed it, too. “That big one seems like he could come in handy,” she said. Adam was about to agree when she added, “But for my money, I like that soft, brown-eyed one better. Useless for ranch work, of course, but she knows her value. The beautiful ones always do.”

Adam could no longer tell if they were talking about the golden retriever or the woman who’d foisted herself into his life, but it didn’t matter. He knew damn well that Methuselah—Gigi—would never fit in his life. At least, not in any way that counted. Marcia had warned him that she’d probably always be a little on the small size and more inclined to take naps than perform work duties.

She’ll be more work than she’s ever worth, I’m afraid, Marcia had said.But she’s got a certain something about her, doesn’t she?

There hadn’t been anything to say to that, either. Everyone was trying to talk him out of a puppy that wasn’t technically his to begin with, yet here he was, holding on to her leash like it was his only lifeline.

Uncle did an admirable job of leading him back through the house and down the front steps. Adam was half-afraid that Charlie would still be there, chatting with Dawn and spilling more family secrets, but Dawn greeted him with a brief explanation.

“Charlie took off as soon as he put the food in my hands. He didn’t even help me take it into Bea’s kitchen, the louse. I can see why you dislike him so much.”