Good Guys Love Dogs (31 page)

“But I should
have trusted him.

“I guess that's
the lesson to be learned here.

“How am I ever
going to go out there? she wailed.

“How can you not?
Your husband, who happens to

adore you, has just gone to an awful
lot of trouble to throw

you a surprise anniversary party. I
think the least you can do

is go back out and give him a big
kiss.

Phoebe got up and turned on the
water faucet. She

rinsed her hands and dabbed at the
mascara smudges

beneath her eyes. “What
will I say to him? To everyone out

there? I can't believe I thought he
was having an affair!

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“Just go back and
tell them you were overwhelmed by

what he did. It's certainly
understandable. No one has to

know the other part. Not even Frank.

“I've been so
awful to him.

“Then I suggest
you make it up to him here in your

new house after everyone else goes
home.

Phoebe caught Colby's gaze in the
mirror and smiled.

“That sounds like
something Dr. Green would say.

“So maybe I
should have been a radio psychiatrist.

Colby managed to smile back at her.

“I take it that's
Rachel with Ian, Phoebe said, her

disappointment obvious.

“Yes. His
fiancée. The one you didn't believe existed.

“Oh, her.

“Yes, her.

“I might have
been blind to my own situation, Colby

Wil iams, but I can see as plain as
the nose on my face that

you're crazy about that man. When
are you going to admit

it to yourself?

Colby moved to the other mirror and
feigned intense

concentration as she finger-combed
her hair. Frank had been

unjustly accused. But Ian turned out
to be just like Doug,

after al . Nothing he'd ever said or
done meant a thing.

There was another woman in his life.
Colby was the intruder,

a role she had no desire to play.
“Phoebe, think of how

you've felt these past few months,
thinking Frank had

someone else. I don't want to be the
other woman. If I

ever find the right person, I want
to be the only one for

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INGLATH COOPER

him. I want what you and Frank have,
or I don't want

anything at all.

Phoebe started to say something,
then stopped. She put

her arms around Colby and hugged
her. “I'd like to argue

with that, but I can't. I want that
for you, too. He could

have been the one, though. I just
know it.

“He could have
been, Colby admitted. She tried for a

bright smile.

Phoebe sighed. “Back
into the fire?

“Let's go.

For the next couple of hours, Colby
stayed inside and

mingled. Final y, she made her way
out to the deck and

breathed in the crisp night air,
grateful to be alone to wilt

for a moment without anyone
noticing.

Maybe seeing Ian with Rachel was the
cold dose of

reality she needed. Facts were
facts, and when they were

staring you in the face, they were
awful y hard to deny.

And the fact was, that as easy as it
had been to pretend

otherwise these past few months,
Rachel Montgomery

would soon become Mrs. Ian McKinley.

“Colby?

She swung around, startled. “Ian!
What are you doing

out here?

“Looking for you.

“I don't think
that's wise.

“Colby, I wanted
to explain—

“There's nothing
to explain.

“This isn't what
you—

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“If you remember,
I'm the one who told you I didn't

want to see you anymore, she said,
the two glasses of

champagne she'd hastily swal owed
earlier boosting her

courage. “You
real y didn't need to draw me a picture

tonight. I was quite clear on how
things are.

She moved to step around him and go
back inside.

He reached for her arm. Colby—

“Ian? Rachel
stood at the patio doors, looking at them

with a question in her eyes. “I
think they're getting ready

to cut the cake.

Colby pul ed free of Ian's grasp,
ignoring the look of

frustration on his face. “I'd
better go lend a hand, she

said, and left them alone.

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47

s soon as Lena had seen Luke come
through the

Afront door, she'd found a place in
the back of

the room where she hoped he couldn't
see her. She stayed

inside until Phoebe arrived, then
slipped out to the

backyard when no one was looking.

How would she ever face him? She'd
been avoiding him

in school for days now. If she had
known he'd be here, she

would have pretended to be sick and
stayed home.

It was cold outside. Lena shivered
and pul ed her coat

closer around her, shoving her bare
hands in her pockets.

Some fifty yards from the house sat
a gazebo of sorts. She

hurried across the yard and let
herself inside. A shaft of light

shone on the benches that circled
the gazebo wal s. Lena

went to the back of the building and
sat down in the

shadows.

She'd been out there for no more
than a minute when

she heard footsteps outside the
door. Great. Who could that

be? She tucked herself into the
shadows and stayed quiet.

“Lena?

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GOOD GUYS LOVE DOGS

Oh, no. Luke's voice. What was he
doing out here?

The door opened, and he stuck his
head inside. “Lena, I

know you're in here. I saw you from
the deck at the

house.

“Go away, Luke.

He closed the door behind him,
cutting off the only light.

“I'm not going
away. Why have you been avoiding me?

She made a sound of half laughter,
half disbelief. “I

haven't been avoiding you.

Even in the dimness she saw that he
didn't believe her.

“My dad said your
mom found birth control pil s in your

backpack. Since I was accused of
being the reason why you

had them, I'd say I'm not out of
line in asking about it.

Lena's whole body went warm with
embarrassment.

She was thankful for the darkness.
How had she ever

gotten herself into this? “I
decided it was time for me to

have sex. Everybody else does. And
obviously, you aren't

interested in girls who don't.

“Why do you say
that?

She tilted her head to the side and
gave him a look.

“You mean because
of Melanie?

Again, she said nothing.

“I never would
have taken her to the dance if you hadn't

broken your word to me.

She looked up in astonishment.
“Broken my word?

About what?

“I trusted you
not to tel anybody about my past. Then

all of a sudden I'm getting tracked
down by the school

dope heads looking for a connection.

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INGLATH COOPER

Lena had no idea what he was talking
about. She hadn't

told anyone. “But
I didn't. . . And then she remembered.

“Oh, Luke. I'm
sorry. I did tel Mil ie. She's my best friend.

And she swore on her life that she
wouldn't. . .I'm sorry.

He studied her for several long
seconds, a torn

expression on his face. He'd trusted
her, and she had let him

down. She felt about two inches
tall. She deserved his anger

and more.

“I wanted to ask
you to the homecoming dance, he

final y said, “but
I was mad at you when I thought you'd told

everybody.

“I don't blame
you. I'd be mad at me, too.

“Why'd you tel
your mom we were having sex?

“I didn't
exactly. She just assumed it.

“You must have
said something to make her think—

She dropped her gaze to the floor.
To her horror, tears

wel ed up in her eyes and trickled
down her cheeks. She

wiped them away with her hand,
hating herself for not being

able to hold them back. “I
figured that's why you took

Melanie to the dance.

He looked at her in astonishment.
“Wel , it wasn't. We

didn't.

Immense relief flooded through her.
She glanced up.

“You didn't?

He shook his head. “And
if you're honest with yourself,

you'll admit that part of your
reason for getting those pil s

had something to do with your mom.

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GOOD GUYS LOVE DOGS

Lena didn't say anything for a few
moments. He was

right. “I guess I
wanted her to know I would never let

what happened to her happen to me.

Stil holding on to her arm, he pul
ed her against his

chest and hugged her. He smoothed
his hand across the

back of her hair and held her while
tears slid down her

cheeks. “Your
mom's a nice woman. My dad sure is

different since he met her.

“What do you
mean?

Luke shrugged, rubbing the center of
her back. “He

makes time for stuff. He didn't used
to do that. And things

are a lot better between us.

“I'm glad, Luke.
I wish things with my mom were the

way they used to be.

“Can't they be if
you want them to be?

“I don't know.

“My dad wasn't
around as much as I would have liked

when I was growing up. He worked a
lot. Rather than talk

to him about it, I just bottled up
al my anger. When I got

into trouble, I guess I figured that
was one way to get him to

notice me. I know now that it wasn't
the right way.

Lena pressed her face to his chest.
She knew what he

was trying to say to her. That it
was up to her to fix things

with her mom. She wanted to. She
real y did. She just didn't

know where to begin.

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48

uring the drive to Oak Hil , Ian and
Luke said

Dvery little. Rachel did all the
talking.

“I bet you two
will be glad to get back to the city.

The people here are as nice as they
can be, but things

are certainly different. You can't
tell me you haven't

been getting bored, she said,
looking over her shoulder

at Luke in the back seat.

When Luke didn't respond, Ian said,
“Actually, we

haven't. There's plenty to do around
here.

“Like what? she
asked with a laugh. “Once you've

rented every movie at the local
video store, I'd imagine

you're in trouble.

Logically, Ian knew Rachel was half
joking, but her

comments irritated him. She'd
written Keeling Creek off

as a backward hick town. Maybe a few
months ago, he

would have, too. But he had changed.
The realization

made him more sure than ever that
what he was about

to do tonight was the right thing.

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He'd been on edge all week, having
decided not to

see Colby until he talked to Rachel.
He'd tried to get in

touch with her earlier in the week
with no success. Her

secretary had said she would be in
California with a

client for a few days. He'd left
numerous messages at

her hotel, and the two times she
returned his call, he

had been out. This afternoon, she
had shown up at Oak

Hill to surprise him. And she had.

At the house, Luke went straight
upstairs, leaving

them alone. They walked into the
kitchen, where Ian put

on some coffee. “Would
you like a cup? he asked.

“You know I don't
have caffeine after six.

“Sorry. I forgot.

She studied him for a moment.
“You've been

forgetting a lot of things lately.
Like remembering to call

me.

He met her gaze. “We
have to talk, Rachel.

“So you said in
your email. That's why I came

straight here when I got it.
Something
is
wrong, isn't it?

“Rachel, I don't
think there's any easy way to say

this—

“You didn't want
to take me with you tonight, she

interrupted. “I
have the distinct feeling you wouldn't

have if you hadn't promised to be
there early and open

the house for your friend. After I
showed up at the last

minute, you could hardly leave me
here.

“Rachel—

“It's that woman,
isn't it? she said. “Your little

country vet.

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INGLATH COOPER

“Her name is
Colby, he said in a quiet voice. “And

in every way that counts, this has
nothing to do with

her.

“Then what does
it have to do with?

“Me. Changes.

“If you're
talking about your life here, that's not

going to be forever. You'll come
back to New York and

things will be like they always
were.

“No, they won't.
I'm
different. In ways I never

imagined. I arrived here a
workaholic, Rachel. For too

many years, I haven't spent ten
seconds thinking about

anyone but myself and my work. And
for that, I almost

ruined my relationship with my son.
Since I've been

here, I've realized how much I
missed out on. With

Luke. . .and, well, just living.