Divorced, Desperate and Dead (Divorced and Desperate Book 5) (29 page)

The little dog snuck past Cary’s leg and ran up to the cat carrier. He stopped barking, lifted up on his hind legs and sniffed at the carrier door. Cupcake let out a big hiss.

Cary dropped his load and snagged up the dog. “Sorry,” he said. “I’m killing my sister.”

The canine, all ears and pink bows, started licking Cary on his face.

“Stop,” Cary snapped, and stuck his head in the door and called out his sister’s name again.

“I can’t freaking believe it!” he seethed. “She’s not here. She left the dog. Can you believe she’d just leave the dog?”

Chloe shrugged, not completely understanding. “So, it’s her dog?”

“It’s a foster dog. She’s trying to get me to adopt it.”

Chloe watched the dog as it continued to lick Cary’s cheeks. “I think she likes you.”

“He,” Cary said. “It’s a boy.” Cary held the dog out exposing his little doggy penis.

She arched a brow as he resituated the dog in his arms. “It has pink ribbons.”

“I know, I said the same thing. I think it’s some psycho dog groomer’s way of driving the animal crazy.”

Chloe grinned. “I don’t think he cares.”

“He’s a guy. He cares!” Cary pushed the door open, heading down the hall to put the dog inside a door. The poor thing let out a half-bark, half-whine.

Chloe stood right inside the door, her gaze moving around the condo. It looked like a guy’s place. Well, cleaner than most, but lacking any knickknacks or feminine touches. A big television hung on one wall, and a large dark brown leather sofa and matching chair filled the room.

“Sorry,” he said. “I didn’t know my sister was leaving the dog.”

She saw it again, the tightness around his eyes. Did he not want her here now?

Damn it, she had to ask him, make it clear.

“If you want, I can just go back to my mom’s.” She held her breath, knowing it was going to hurt if he wanted her to leave

“No.” He ran a palm over his face again. But still didn’t look happy.

“It might be best,” she said.

“No. I . . . I want you here. Please.”

He sounded sincere. “Okay.”

“How about we put the cat in the extra bedroom until we get rid of the dog?”

“That’s fine.”

He motioned for her to follow him. She got a glimpse inside what looked like the master bedroom. A dark king-size sleigh bed and matching dresser. Bed unmade.

Another room appeared to be half-study, half-weight room. At the very end of the hall was another small bedroom with a full-size bed and a dresser.

As she put down the carrier, Cary shut the bedroom door as if worried the cat would run out. She released the carrier’s door. Cupcake stayed inside.

“She’s a little nervous,” Chloe said.

“Because of the dog.” He frowned.

“I don’t know. She likes dogs. Or I guess I could say she likes
a
dog. Sheri has Taco, an English Mastiff. We got them both about the same time. Both of them were six weeks old, and for some crazy reason, they bonded.” She grinned. “You should see them, this huge mastiff, and a cat.” She heard the dog barking inside the bathroom. “That said, I’m afraid Cupcake may not think your sister’s pet is a dog after meeting Taco.”

“I’m not sure it is either. I think it’s a longhaired guinea pig someone taught to bark.”

Chloe smiled. And so did Cary for the first time since the wedding dress incident. Their eyes met and held. It made her feel a tad better. Was Sheri right? Had his inviting her here meant something?

“Why don’t I get some food and water for the cat while you calm her down?”

She nodded and watched him leave. She ducked her head down to look into the carrier. “What’s wrong, baby? You nervous?”

Reaching into the carrier, she pulled the feline out and held him close, rubbing her chin on his forehead. “If it makes you feel any better, I’m nervous, too.”

• • •

The first thing Cary did was stop by the bathroom door where the shrill barking escaped behind the door frame, and typed his sister a text.
What the hell?

His finger hung over the send button when logic intervened. Kelly would come back for the mutt, find Chloe here, and make a big deal about it. He didn’t need anyone making a big deal about it when he was trying so hard to convince himself it wasn’t.

He erased the message, deciding he’d drop the dog back off at his sister’s in a little bit.

An even louder bark echoed from the bathroom. For a tiny thing, Pooch had a set of lungs.

He opened the door. The dog barreled out, barking and bouncing up and down.

“Hush,” he ordered. The animal stopped yapping and hung his head as if scolded. “Why the hell did she leave you?”

Remembering he was supposed to be getting food and water for the cat, he took off down the hall. The dog followed at his feet, his tiny paws prancing proudly like a Clydesdale horse.

“If I step on you, you’ll die, so watch it,” he warned.

When he stopped in the kitchen to get a bowl of water, Pooch stood on his hind legs and made a tiny little whining noise as if begging to be held.

“No,” he told the dog. The animal immediately sat down, then stared up and cocked its head in that cute puppy fashion. Good thing he didn’t like puppies. “I guess you need food and water, too, don’t you?” Shit! Why the hell had his sister left the dog here?

Right then, he heard his front door open.

“Pooch?” he heard his sister call out. “Got you some food.”
Friggin’ hell!
He really, really needed to get his key back.

He grabbed the dog and moved into the living room. “You looking for this?” he asked in a low voice, praying he could get Kelly out of there without involving Chloe.

“So, you’re home?” She moved in and dropped her purse and grocery bag on the sofa table.

“Yup.”

“I brought him some food.”

“Which you will be taking with you.” He met her in the middle of the room, handed her the dog, then grabbed his sister’s purse and bag. “Let me walk you to the car.”

The dog growled at her.

“See, he doesn’t like me. And he’s not eating. He misses you.”

Cary pointed a finger at the dog. “You will eat. You will be nice.” The dog whimpered. Cary glanced at Kelly. “That should take care of it.” He wrapped his arm around Kelly’s shoulder and started moving her toward the door.

“Wait,” she said and put on the brakes. “What’s that?”

“What?” he asked.

“That?” She pointed behind her.

“What?” He didn’t look back. He eyed the door like a dangling carrot. A few more feet, and he’d have her and Pooch out the door.

“You got a cat?” she asked.

Shit. Had she heard Chloe’s kitten all the way in here? “No.”

“But you got cat litter.” She pivoted and pointed to the bag he’d left by the sofa.

“Oh, well it was a buy this product, get that free.” It was a lousy comeback, one of his worst, but he couldn’t come up with anything else.

“Why would you want cat litter?” His sister started shaking her head.

“Let me walk you to your car,” he repeated, and pasted a smile on his face.

She stepped out of his arm.

“Cary?” Chloe’s voice echoed from the back bedroom. “Didn’t we bring in the cat litter?”

Busted. The smile fell from his face. Mentally, he heard it crash at his feet.

His sister’s eyes widened. “You lied to me.”

“Sorry,” he said.

Footsteps echoed down the hall. Chloe stopped when she spotted Kelly.

His sister’s gaze went to Chloe, to him, and back to Chloe. “We meet again,” Kelly said.

Chloe’s smile came off a little nervous as she moved the rest of the way into the living room. “Yes.”

His sister’s grin grew wider. “At least my brother has his clothes on this time. That makes it a little less awkward.”

Chloe chuckled. “That’s for sure. And I’m not doused in beef stew and banana pudding either.”

“True,” Kelly said. “So, you have a cat?”

Chloe nodded.

“And the cat’s here?” Pooch started wiggling in Kelly’s arms. She set him down and then dropped her purse beside the dog as if she had no intention of leaving anytime soon.

“Yes.” Chloe looked at Cary as if asking for help.

“And you two are . . .?”

“Friends. We’re friends,” Cary spoke up.

“Fantastic.” Kelly’s smile beamed. And she always got that look when she was up to no good. “Has he invited you to Bella’s party next Saturday? It’s at our house and Bella has six girls coming. All of them have read your books. They even started their own Chloe Sanders fan club. And of course, family and close friends will be there. And you’re a friend.”

Cary inwardly groaned. Chloe looked at him.

Kelly started up again. “We tried so hard to win one of the three birthday parties you gave away last year. And it would be so great if you could come. I don’t mean you’d have to give books away. I would buy them, of course. You have no idea how much it would mean to Bella. She adores you.
Adores
you. Last year, when I got mad at her for her grades, she said she was going to run away to your house. Not that she really knows where you live.” Kelly frowned. “Okay, she does know, she Googled you, but she promised not to go there.” Eyes filled with pleading, Kelly added, “Please come to her party.”

“Oh, I would—”

“I’m sure Chloe will look at her schedule and get back with you,” Cary said, shooting his sister a look that had sent criminals to their knees.

His sister, obviously not a criminal, ignored the look. “We’re cooking fajitas and hamburgers on the grill. And we’ll be serving margaritas for the adults. And my husband makes the best margaritas. I mean, to-die-for margaritas.”

“That sounds lovely,” Chloe said.

“Then you’ll come?” Kelly asked. “Say you’ll come.”

“Well, I. . .”

“Kelly,” Cary said.

His sister looked at him and then back at Chloe. “I know I’m begging and being completely rude right now.” She held out a hand to Cary. “And I know my brother is going to kill me for this, and I’ll let him, but it’s for my daughter. So I’ll take whatever punishment he sees fit. Just please, please say yes.”

Chloe’s gaze shifted to him again, and he saw it in her blue eyes. She was going to say yes. Or rather, she couldn’t say no.

“Okay,” Chloe said.

Cary started to bellow out a big ‘hell no,’ but then he got this quick visual of Chloe on his arm at his sister’s house. Hanging out, drinking margaritas, and laughing. It was a nice vision. One that felt so wrong and yet so right at the same time.

“Thank you!” Kelly ran over and hugged Chloe.

Chloe, still caught in his sister’s embrace, looked over Kelly’s shoulder at him.  He mouthed the words,
I’m sorry
.

She smiled with understanding. And damn if that smile didn’t yank on his emotions.

Releasing Chloe, his sister ran over to him with her arms outstretched. “You are going to get the Best Uncle Ever Award.” She hugged him and took her purse and bag. “Told you she liked seeing you naked,” Kelly whispered.

She pulled back. “Now I’ll go and let you two do whatever it was that you were doing.” She started toward the door. “By the way, he’s a good guy. A little grumpy at times, but good as gold.”

Cary growled.

“See?” His sister grinned and blew him a kiss.

He watched her leave, feeling as if he’d been bulldozed. He looked at Chloe. “Do you see what I mean about having siblings?”

Chloe laughed.

“If you don’t want to go, I’ll explain it.” And damn if he wasn’t holding his breath.

“And disappoint your niece? No. That’s fine.”

What about me?
he wanted to ask. Was Chloe going to disappoint him? An odd thought hit. Until now, he’d been worrying about disappointing her, when and why had things changed?

He looked at Chloe and didn’t know if he wanted to kiss her or run like hell. It was as if he’d accidentally stepped on a Chloe train and couldn’t get off. Who the hell was he kidding? He didn’t want to get off. The only way he was getting off this train was if someone pushed him.

And God help the poor soul who tried.

He walked up to her, put a hand on each side of her face and kissed her. She didn’t resist. Her tongue touched his. She shifted closer to him. His body grew tight. “You want to see the rest of my place?” he asked.

“Are you trying to get me back in bed?”

“Please. Do I look like the kind of guy who would do that?”

She grinned. “A little. But I think I’d better set up Cupcake’s litter box first.”

“Yeah,” he said and then his gaze caught on the grocery bag by the door. “Shit!”

“What?” she asked.

“Kelly didn’t take the dog food . . . or the dog. Where’s Pooch?” A hiss and bark echoed from the back of his condo.

“Crap,” Chloe said. “I don’t think I shut the door.” They ran down the hall. The door was open. He did a quick glance around the room, and Chloe got on her hands and knees to look under the bed.

Her head quickly popped back up. “They’re not there.”

He started to walk out to check the other parts of the condo, when he heard a slight shifting noise from the carrier. Dropping down on his knees, he looked inside. And there, all the way in the back, cuddled up together, were Pooch and Cupcake. The cat was bathing the dog’s ear.

“Hey.” He motioned to Chloe, still on her hands and knees, to come over, and then put a finger to his lips.

She crawled over and dipped her head down. She glanced back at him over her shoulder and smiled.

“That’s sweet. She’s like that with Sheri’s dog, too.” Chloe sat on the floor, pulled her knees up to her chest. He moved in behind her, pulled her close. She fit perfectly in the V of his legs. Her gentle weight against him, the feel of her hair catching on his five o’clock shadow, just her being here at his place, it felt good. Felt right.

He kissed her cheek, wanting to keep her. Keep her this close.

“I guess that proves it,” she said, giggling and pointing back to the carrier.

“Proves what?” he asked.

“Size doesn’t matter.”

Chapter Thirty-two