Celia's Puppies (19 page)

Jacob chuckled.

“
I couldn’t understand why
he didn’t sell the stupid company,” Jacob said. “But...”

He sighed.

“
With love comes great
responsibility and work,” he said. “I asked Delphie to come and
help. Delphie helped me convince my father to let me do the work.
He was… crazy. Work, I can do. Responsibility, I can
handle.

“
And now, I have
love.”

Jill snuggled against him.

“
You’re a good
man.”

“
Mike picked me up at the airport. We went to Pete’s and you
were there,” he said. “You were pregnant and the
hottest
girl I have ever seen. Ever. God.”

He blew out a breath. She laughed at what
she was sure was his exaggeration.

“
You think I’m kidding?”
he laughed. “Wait ‘til I badger you mercilessly when you get
pregnant again.”

She chuckled.

“
When are you dressing
Katy?”

“
After I get this wrap,”
Jill said. “She was going to spend some time with Alex and
Delphie.”

“
Mike and I have to take
care of something at a site. Will you have time to talk
later?”

“
Yes. Oh yes.” Jill smiled
at him.

Following him through her new home, she
couldn’t help but beam. Everything was truly perfect. He stopped at
the door for one last kiss.

“
When you’re better?” Jill
asked. “Can we book a trip to Santa Monica and stay in that
hotel?”

Jacob laughed.

~~~~~~~~

Delphie had braced herself for the moment
Paddie and his Dad, Colin Hargreaves, came into the room. And
still, she was overwhelmed by the sight, sensation and delight
generated by Paddie and Katy’s greeting.

First, they squealed with excitement at the
sight of each other. The dogs barked at the sound. Paddie squirmed
until Colin set him down. The moment he was on the ground, Paddie
chased Katy while she giggled. Barking, Scooter and Sarah ran in
circles around the children. Reaching the edge of the attic
apartment, Katy chased Paddie around while he giggled. In a crash,
they landed together in a pile where they squirmed while Scooter
and Sarah licked their faces.

“
Wow,” Alex Hargreaves
said. “That was loud.”

“
Happens every time,”
Colin said.

“
I haven’t gotten used to
it. It’s like a bubble of joy.” Delphie laughed as Paddie ran over
to hug her ‘hello.’ “I hope they stay like that.”

“
Friends?” Colin
asked.

Delphie nodded.

“
I’m friends with my
Catholic school friends,” Colin said.

“
So am I. We didn’t go to
kindergarten or preschool here. Erin did...” Alex bent to hug Katy
‘hello.’ “She’s still friends with her preschool friends. I’m
sure...”

“
I had another dream about
tonight,” Katy whispered to Alex.

“
Oh great! I want to hear
every detail,” Alex said. “But first, I thought we could play our
wrestle game. And, I have a present for you.”

“
Auntie Alex! What about
me!” Paddie said. Sticking out his chest, he pointed to himself
with his thumb, “I’m your Paddie!”

“
You are my Paddie. Of
course, I have a present for you,” Alex said. “What would you like
to do first? Wrestle or presents or dreams?”

Katy and Paddie seemed to have to move in
order to make a decision. The dogs barked and danced around at
their movements. While the adults laughed, the children and dogs
danced around, jumped up and down, and chewed on various body parts
(thumbs for the children and tails for the dogs). When the chaos
seemed to peak, the children screamed in unison, said, “PRESENTS.”
Scooter and Sarah gave happy barks in agreement.

Laughing, Alex nodded to the soldier
standing near the door. He brought her two boxes.

“
This pretty necklace is
for you, Miss Katy,” Alex said. “My friend Claire made your dress.
She said this would match.”

Alex lifted a gold chain with a ruby cut in
the shape of a heart from the box. Katy squealed and clapped her
hand.

“
It’s so pretty! And it’s
mine! Forever?!?” Katy said. “But Mommy’s not here...”

“
Your Mommy helped pick it
out, honey,” Delphie said.

“
It’s your birthstone,”
Alex said.

“
Can I wear it
now?”

“
I don’t see why not,”
Alex said.

While Delphie held Katy’s hair, Alex put the
necklace around Katy’s neck. Katy showed Paddie her necklace. They
both squealed causing another round of happy barking from Scooter
and Sarah. Turning back to Alex with expectant eyes, they watched
her take a gold cross necklace from a box.

“
That’s MY birthstone!”
Paddie squealed.

“
Moonstone,” Alex said.
“Exactly.”

She placed the necklace around his neck.
Delphie’s eyes flicked to the movement by the door. The soldier’s
head tilted as if he was listening to something. Delphie watched
Alex’s eyes shift to the soldier. Alex smiled when the soldier
nodded. Alex and Colin seemed to share a look.

“
I need you guys to do
something for me,” Alex said.

Katy and Paddie’s heads bobbed up and
down.

“
Will you promise to not
take your presents off today? Not for anything?” Alex asked. “You
can get even get them wet.”

“
I promise,” Katy
said.

“
Daddy, Katy promised? Can
I promise too?” Paddie asked.

“
I’d like it very much if
you did,” Colin said.

“
I promise
too!!”

Paddie’s promise promoted another round of
squealing, laughing, chasing, and barking. Somehow, over the
mayhem, Delphie thought she heard the soldier say, “GPS in place”
as he made his way down the stairwell to the Castle.

~~~~~~~~

“
Damn, you guys have
worked,” Jacob said.

He, Mike and Colin Hargreaves had just
entered the coal tunnels under the Castle.

“
It was the City of
Denver,” Colin said. “They weren’t all that excited that you could
get into the entire tunnel. They fixed the lights and put up the
wood barriers. One phone call and it was done.”

“
Who called?” Jacob
asked.

“
My big sister,” Colin
said.

The men laughed at the great Alex Hargreaves
diminished to ‘my big sister.’

“
Where are we going?” Mike
asked.

“
I need to check something
out,” Jacob said.

“
Today? Uh huh, sure,”
Mike said.

“
Why did we sneak out?”
Colin asked.

“
Who’s sneaking? I’m just
getting past the paparazzi and the news vans.”

Jacob punched in the security codes at the
panel near the workshop. Mike opened the door to the workshop.

“
We don’t need the car,”
Jacob said as Mike reached for his Bronco keys.

“
So we’re not going to a
site,” Mike said. “Fuck Jacob, what are we doing?”

Jacob shook his head and opened the door to
Detroit Street. The men walked in silence to Colfax then turned
east. They had walked a block before Mike started laughing.

“
What am I supposed to
do?” Jacob asked. “Val, her trainer, and Jill either got RID of the
cereal in the house OR they watch over me like a hawk! Blane? He’s
supposed to be MY assistant. Even Katy says, ‘Daddy can’t have
cereal.’”

“
Blane tossed all the
cereal at Lipson,” Mike said. “He told me you almost hit
him.”

“
I haven’t had a bowl of
Crunch Berries in a week!” Jacob shook his head as if he couldn’t
believe it. “I ate more cereal while I was in the
hospital.”

“
A man needs his cereal,”
Colin said.

Mike was laughing too hard to respond.

Colin went into The Shoppe to assess any
threat or danger. With a nod, the men entered the cupcake and
cereal joint. After a laughing conversation with the clerk, they
sat down on a couch to eat their cereal as God intended – watching
Tom and Jerry cartoons on a wide screen television.

Chapter Thirty-Eight
Into the garden

Friday evening — 6:30 P.M.

Jacob slipped in the back door with Mike and
Colin just in time for a quick shower. Jill was still being
beautified when he returned and Katy was playing with Paddie. High
on Crunch Berries, he ran up the stairs to shower. Assuming Jill
and Katy were still gone, he flew out of the bathroom only to stop
short.

Jill stood like a vision from God.

Her red strapless dress hung tight to her
round breasts and flat stomach. The dress was specifically fitted
to enhance her full behind exaggerated by her matching stiletto
heels. Her skin looked sun drenched and seemed to shine. Even her
short hair sparkled. She wore one of her diamond necklaces,
matching diamonds on her ears and the Marlowe beauty on her
finger.

His heart seized in his chest. He was sure
he was having a heart attack. Dripping water on the floor,
clutching his chest, he struggled to even form the word hello.

Jill laughed. Raising a single eyebrow, her
eyes flicked to his interest expressed in a stiff spasm. And he
laughed.

She was everything he’d ever wanted. And she
was so beautiful.

He stepped toward her but she shook her
head.

“
I spent all day getting
gussied up. Let’s meet the celebrities, dance for a while, then
we’ll see what’s next,” she said.

He nodded. Jill chatted. He wasn’t exactly
sure what she said, just that she was talking. Her voice lilted
across the apartment while he dried off and dressed in his tux. She
helped his limp right arm into his shirt and tux jacket. She
adjusted his sling.

“
You haven’t heard a word
I’ve said.”

“
I’m hallucinating,” he
said.

“
That’s why you’re not
supposed to eat Captain Crunch,” she said.

“
Who ate Captain
Crunch?”

She laughed then helped him tie his bow
tie.

“
You’re gorgeous,” he
said. “You look every inch a model.”

“
That’s good because we
took photos tonight for some magazine. Tonight is my first work
night.”

He smiled. Leaning into her, he moved to
kiss her.

“
No kissing,” she said.
“Mess up my makeup.”

“
But I get to unwrap this
present.”

“
You better!” She
exclaimed.

“
There is a
God.”

She laughed.

“
And Katy?” Jacob
asked.

“
She’s playing with Paddie
and hanging out with Uncle Steve. Val’s special guests are arriving
with their kids. The kids are all playing together. It’s
cute.”

Jacob smiled.

“
So how long?”

“
Before what?”

“
Unwrapping,” he
said.

Jill laughed. Taking his hand for stability,
they went down the long stairwell to the door where some of the
world’s more famous stars were arriving.

~~~~~~~~

Friday night — 11:30 P.M.

Jill took one last look at her sleeping
baby. Katy and Paddie were sound asleep in one of the second floor
apartments. Scooter and Sarah lay on the floor near the bed. She
heard the dogs jump on the bed when she pulled the door closed.

The kids had been with a family member the
entire time they were awake. As soon as they started to lag, Jill
and Colin settled them in this apartment. Jill knew Jacob was
asleep upstairs, so she stayed as long as she could. The paparazzi
had to leave at eleven due to Denver’s curfew laws. Valerie thought
the guests would clear out around midnight. She asked Jill to help
say ‘good-bye’ if Jacob wasn’t up to the task.

The party was a huge success. They laughed,
danced, ate and drank. Valerie’s famous friends were so nice. Jill
was amazed. Valerie introduced Tanesha to a nice man who worked as
a grip on Valerie’s soap opera. He was tall, dark and ‘fine,’
according to Tanesha. Between fixing the stars’ makeup, Heather
danced, laughed and, so far, hadn’t settled on one man. Jill had
never seen Sandy as happy as she was tonight. She said a silent
prayer that Sandy and Aden remained as happy as they were right
now.

Closing the door to the apartment, Jill was
sure she had never had a nicer night. She and Jacob floated through
the evening in their own bubble of love. They danced and danced
until he had to rest.

Jill smiled. She had enough time to wake
Jacob, and share some fast love, before they needed to be
downstairs. She nodded to the soldier who moved to stand in front
of the apartment door.

Her heels made a happy tap dance across the
hardwood floors of the hall. Clinging onto the banister for ‘don’t
fall in my stilettos’ help, she made the quick trip through the
Castle main kitchen where she picked up a bottle of champagne and
some chocolate strawberries. Humming to herself, she started up the
back stairwell to the apartment.

The moment her foot hit the landing, she saw
him. She felt his fist against her cheekbone a split second
later.

“
Slut.” Trevor slapped the
strawberries out of her hand. “You’ll fuck the rich boy but you’re
too good for me?!”