“MOM!” RENEE CAME to her feet and circled the desk. “What are you doing here?”
They hugged. Verity was exactly Renee’s height with slightly darker red hair and blue eyes. She’d always been an attractive woman but after Renee’s father had left, she’d never allowed another man in her life.
“I thought I was coming to San Diego in a few weeks.”
“You were, but I needed to talk to you so I thought I’d pop by and surprise you.”
Renee did her best not to panic. Her mother was in town. Her mother was in town! No and no! This was bad and it was going to get worse and there was literally nothing she could do to make things better. Even more upsetting, mentally screaming about it wouldn’t accomplish anything because now she had to deal with the reality of it.
For months, there had been nothing, but in the space of a few hours, she’d told Jasper about her mother and now Verity was here—as if conjured.
“Is this your office?” her mother asked, looking around. “It’s very nice.”
The space was maybe ten by ten, with a desk, a file cabinet and two chairs. Hardly anything luxurious, but then Renee always had her client meetings in one of the two conference rooms and she and Pallas spoke wherever they happened to be and this was a mess!
“Thanks,” she said, trying to focus. “Sorry, Mom. You threw me with your unexpected arrival. Let’s go to the break room. It’s more comfortable. On the way, I’ll give you a tour.”
“That would be so nice.” Verity linked arms with her. “I want to see everything.”
Renee let go of the fear and worry and told herself to simply enjoy being with her mom. Whatever else had happened, she knew her mother loved her and would always be there for her. The other stuff wasn’t anyone’s fault.
“As I’ve told you, we have theme weddings here. This weekend is a Star Trek wedding, complete with costumes.” They walked downstairs.
Renee took her by the bride’s room and then down the hallway into where the ceremony would take place. Instead of an arch, or an altar or anything signifying a church of some kind, there was a replica of the bridge of the Starship Enterprise.
“Oh, my. Is that where they’re getting married?”
“It is. Both families worked on it, then had it delivered here. It’s mobile so when the ceremony is over, we’ll wheel it out to the reception area. We bring in another captain’s chair and a small table and that will be where the bride and groom eat. They have some really fun things planned.”
“It’s quite elaborate.”
“It is. Not every wedding is this complicated. Some are easier. We’ll be having a Halloween wedding soon. That requires more props but less custom furniture.”
Verity smiled. “It’s lovely and you’re doing such good work here.”
“You can’t know that.”
“Of course I can. I know you.”
Renee showed her how they could hang different panels to simulate different places. “We have gorgeous wood panels, but we don’t use them much. They’re too valuable. Plus printed paper is easier to deal with and a whole lot cheaper to customize.”
They walked through the open courtyard where most of the receptions took place, then went back inside and headed for the break room. Renee poured her mother a cup of coffee and got herself some water. There had already been too much caffeine in her morning. After sitting at one of the small tables, Renee braced herself for whatever her mother had to tell her.
“So, you came a long way just to talk,” she said brightly.
“I know.” Verity worried her lower lip. “I needed to see you, and speaking over the phone just isn’t the same. I thought I’d stay a few days, if that’s all right.”
So not a quick visit, Renee thought, hoping her disappointment didn’t show. She wanted to suggest they both head back to San Diego, only there was no way she could simply take off, and making the suggestion would hurt her mother’s feelings.
“That sounds great,” she lied. “You’ll love my apartment. It’s small, but I can sleep on the sofa.”
“Oh, no. I wouldn’t want to get in the way. I’ve already booked a room at the Sweet Dreams Inn.” She smiled. “I have the Harry Potter room. I think it’s going to be very fun.” Her smile faded. “A hotel is better, sweetie. I don’t want to be a bother.”
And there it was—the sense of being a terrible daughter and horrible human being. “Mom, you’re not a bother. I want to spend time with you. Stay with me.”
“Thank you, but I’ll be at the hotel.” Verity looked at her and then away. She shifted in her seat.
Renee suddenly remembered there was a reason for the visit and from the looks of things, it wasn’t happy. She went cold all over. What if her mother was sick? What if it was something bad?
“Mom, tell me.”
Verity smiled. “It’s actually good news. Very exciting. I’ve been in talks for a while now and I didn’t want to say anything until I was sure...”
She picked up her coffee, then put it down. “It’s not that I haven’t loved being a hairdresser. You know my clients mean the world to me. But I’m not twenty-five anymore and the long days on my feet are getting to me so when I had this opportunity—”
“You’re not sick?”
“What? Of course not. Oh, darling, is that what you thought?” Her mother grabbed her hand and squeezed. “I’m perfectly fine. And I’m getting a show on Animal Planet.”
The world spun twice to the right, once to the left, then settled back in place. Renee told herself to keep breathing, that if she didn’t she would pass out, possibly hit her head and then who knew what might happen.
“I’m sorry, what did you say?” she asked, her voice faint.
“I’m getting a show on Animal Planet.”
What? “Talking to animals?”
“You know that’s not what happens.”
“Yes, I do, but you know what I mean. Is that what you’re going to be doing? Listening to animals then blurting out their every thought?”
She tried to sound curious rather than horrified. A show? Animal Planet was a big deal. If Verity had a show then her ability wouldn’t be a secret anymore. It would be out there for all to see.
“It won’t be like a talk show or anything,” Verity told her. “I’ll be visiting families to help them with their pets. I’m also going to do some shelter work. If I can let prospective pet parents know what they’re dealing with, the adoptions will go more smoothly.”
Which totally made sense, for those who believed in the whole I-can-talk-to-animals thing.
“I’m very excited,” Verity continued. “This is a wonderful opportunity.”
“It is. You’re going to be a big success, Mom. I just know it.”
Because why not?
On the one hand, she was thrilled for her mother. Verity had always worked hard to provide for her only child. She deserved something wonderful in her life. On the other hand, why?
“You can see why I wanted to tell you in person,” her mother said. “Plus spend a little time with you. Once we start filming, I’m going to be so busy, we might not see each other for a while.”
“You were right to come here,” Renee told her, confident that at some point, she would even mean what she said.
Everyone was going to know. There was no hiding the truth now. It would come out and when it did, well, things would go badly because they always did. But Verity was her mother and she loved her and if only her stomach would stop writhing and she could have a moment to think...
“Renee? Who are you—” Pallas walked into the break room. “Oh, hi. Sorry. I heard voices, which was odd, but now I see you’re visiting with someone.” She paused, as if not sure what to do.
Renee smiled at her. “Pallas, this is my mom. Verity, Pallas is my boss.”
“So nice to meet you,” Verity said, shaking hands with her. “Renee has told me all about you. She does love working here.”
“Good to know,” Pallas said with a smile. “Because I want her to stay forever.”
They both laughed. Renee wondered if she should try fainting. Maybe a head injury wouldn’t be so bad.
“My mom’s in town for bit,” Renee said.
“That’s so nice. Take the day off and get her settled. I can deal with whatever needs taking care of.”
“Actually the weddings for this weekend are pretty much on track,” Renee admitted. “Mom, why don’t I help you get checked in to the hotel and show you around town?”
“Nonsense. I can handle that myself. You need to work and I need to make a few phone calls. But I would like to have dinner later, if that’s all right.”
Renee wasn’t sure if her mother was really busy or if she was giving her kid an out. The former was acceptable and the latter made her feel crappy.
“Dinner is required,” Renee said lightly. “Then I’ll show you around. You’ll love the town. It has a great history and the people are so friendly.”
“We are,” Pallas assured her.
“Then it’s a date,” Verity said.
They rose and Renee walked her out to her car. She hugged her mother, promised to call her later, then watched her drive away. As she retraced her steps, she told herself to be happy for her mother. The show was such a wonderful opportunity. Maybe no one she knew would watch it or put together the fact that Verity and she not only looked alike, they shared a last name. Uh-huh. That was likely.
Pallas was waiting just inside the main doors. “Your mom seems nice. I’m jealous.”
Renee had met Pallas’s mother. Libby was a stern, difficult woman who obviously preferred her son to her daughter. It was not an easy relationship.
“She’s great,” Renee said, thinking that except for the whole animal thing, Verity was fantastic. “After my dad took off, it was just the two of us. She’s always been there for me.”
“That’s nice. I’m glad she’s going to be around for a while. I look forward to getting to know her.”
As Renee had no idea what to say to that, she simply nodded. “Uh-huh. So I’m going to get to work.”
“Sure, but if you want to go hang with your mom, you should.”
“And that makes you the best boss ever.”
Pallas laughed.
Renee retreated to her office where she paced and mentally screamed and paced some more. The truth was her mother was in town and nothing was going to change that. Nor was the show going away, so Renee would simply have to deal.
Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad, although if Jasper’s reaction was anything to go by, she wasn’t holding her breath on that one.
“Renee?”
She jumped and spun only to find Jasper standing in the doorway to her office. What was going on? Did she suddenly have the ability to make anything she thought of appear?
“I’m thinking of a million dollars,” she murmured under her breath. “I’m thinking of a million dollars.”
Jasper’s look of concern deepened. “Are you okay?”
“No. I’m not. I’m really not.” She glared at him. “Let me guess. You want to talk about it. You want me to admit I was lying about all of it, which you think is a really crappy thing to do. You don’t believe me at all. Which is fine because you know what? She’s here. My mother just showed up. Poof. One second she wasn’t here and the next—”
“You’re saying she transported in or something?”
“What? No! She drove, you idiot. I’m saying—” She shook her head. “Never mind. That’s not the point. She’s here because she wanted to tell me about getting a show on Animal Planet. That means everyone is going to know. Everyone. So telling you was just a practice session and we all know how that went, but who cares because you think I have a screw loose and...”
A thought formed. Of course. Why not?
She looked at him. “I will meet you at your place in an hour. I’ll bring my mom and then we’ll see who doesn’t know what they’re talking about.”
He frowned. “Renee, I’m really worried about you.”
“I’m sure you are. That’s nice. An hour. Then if you’re not convinced, we’ll make an appointment with the doctor of your choice. Fair enough?”
“Sure.”
She ignored his patronizing tone and the fact that he still didn’t believe her. It didn’t matter now. She would convince him the only way she knew how. At the very least, she was about to have the satisfaction of watching Jasper eat his words. Metaphorically, of course.
RENEE KEPT HER attention on her driving as they headed up the mountain. Beside her, Verity looked out the window and admired the scenery.
“I can’t believe how different the topography is up here,” her mother said. “We’re only a few miles from town, but it’s totally different. How wonderful to live so close to the mountains.”
“It is nice. I don’t get up here often, but I really should make more of an effort.”
She could start camping, she thought, holding in a laugh. Or hiking. Maybe she could commune with the wild animals. They could tell her about buried treasure or an abandoned gold mine. Only they didn’t talk to her, they spoke with her mother and now everyone was going to know.
Renee had yet to find her zen center on the topic—obviously—but she was going to have to get there eventually. After years of ducking and weaving, of hiding, pretending and twisting the truth, the family secret was going to be exposed and then...well, she didn’t know what was going to happen.
“So who is Jasper?” her mother asked. “Dare I hope you’ve met someone?”
Renee wanted to bang her head against the steering wheel. She’d been so intent on showing Jasper she wasn’t a loon that she’d acted without thinking and now she had to tell her mother that she and Jasper were...were...
“We’re friends,” she said cautiously. “He has a dog, Koda.”
“Friends? What kind of friends?”
“The kind who don’t fall in love and get married. I’m sorry, Mom.”
“Renee, you have to get yourself out there. You have to be willing to risk your heart again.”
“No, I don’t. You haven’t. You haven’t been with anybody since Dad left.” She paused, realizing she actually didn’t know all that much about her mother’s love life. “Not anyone special enough to tell me about.”
“That’s different. I’m fine. You’re the one I’m worried about.”
“I’m fine, too.”
Her mother looked at her. “Not everyone is going to be frightened of me,” she said gently. “You need to give people a chance to surprise you.”
Renee held in a sigh. “That’s the problem, Mom. They rarely do.”
JASPER HAD NO idea what was going on. He didn’t want to believe Renee was unhinged, but she’d been acting strangely ever since telling him she believed her mother could talk to animals.
Nothing about the past few hours made sense. They’d had a great time together the previous night. The sex, the conversation, all of it. They’d laughed, they’d gotten to know each other better. Was she reacting to that? Was she so scared of getting involved that she was putting up barriers to keep them apart?
He didn’t think that was possible or even likely and if she didn’t want to see him anymore, why not just say so instead of inventing such a weird story? It wasn’t like her at all and that was what troubled him the most.
He glanced at his watch. She should be here any minute, he thought, admitting he was unexpectedly nervous about seeing her. He didn’t want there to be something wrong with her. He wanted them to go back to what they had been. He liked her and liked what they had—he didn’t want to lose that. But in the end, it might not be up to him.
He heard a car pull up and hurried to the front door. Renee got out, along with an older woman who looked enough like her for Jasper to believe it was her mother. Verity Grothen was about her daughter’s height, with a similar build. Her hair was darker, her eyes blue, but they definitely came from the same gene pool. While Verity was casually dressed in jeans and a flowy blouse thing, Renee still had on her work clothes.
“You made it,” he said, moving toward them. He held out his hand to Renee’s mother. “I’m Jasper.”
“Verity.” She smiled. “It’s very nice to meet you.”
They shook hands, then she glanced past him and raised her eyebrows. “Who is that handsome boy?”
“That’s Koda,” Renee said, leading the way inside. She hesitated just before reaching Koda, then seemed to steel herself before petting him.
So she wasn’t afraid of dogs in the traditional sense, Jasper thought, not sure if the news was good or bad.
He and Verity went inside and followed Renee into the family room. Koda eased in behind Jasper, as if not sure what to expect.
“Renee tells me you’re an author,” Verity said easily. “While I’m sure I’ve heard of you, I have to admit, I don’t read suspense novels. I prefer a little less violence and death.”
“Makes sense.” He wasn’t sure what to do. Stay standing? Sit down? Bolt?
He motioned to the sofa, then said, “Can I get you something?”
Renee ignored him. “Mom, could you talk to Koda, please?”
Her mother’s looked sharpened, but she nodded and sank to the floor, then called Koda over. The dog crossed to her before sitting in front of her. Their eyes met.
Jasper didn’t know what was about to happen. Renee wouldn’t look at him and from the tension he saw in her body, he knew she was on the edge.
He returned his attention back to Verity and Koda. They just stared at each other for a few seconds, then Koda whined and lay down while Verity stroked him. She nodded, as if she were getting information and wanted the dog to know she understood. Which wasn’t happening, he reminded himself. Whatever was going on, it wasn’t—
“He’s a sweet boy,” Verity said, looking at Jasper. “He belonged to an older woman who got very sick. Koda says she went away. I don’t know if that means they had to move her into a nursing home or if she died. She made her son promise to look after Koda, but instead he dumped him somewhere that frightened Koda. He was lonely and scared and starving when you found him.”
“Everyone knows how I found Koda,” Jasper said, trying not to sound disappointed in the badly done show. “The touch about the old lady is nice but—”
Renee glared at him. “Just listen,” she snapped.
Verity looked between them before continuing. “He still misses her, but thinks she would approve of you, Jasper. He wasn’t sure, at first. You almost didn’t keep him, but he’s glad you did. He likes living here. He likes the forest and the house and how you whistle for him when he’s gone too long exploring. You have nightmares and at first they frightened him. He would get on the bed to calm you. Now he knows you’re going to be okay. Sometimes he wakes you up so you stop screaming, but most of the time he only has to bump your arm to settle you. If he does wake you, he pretends he has to go out so you don’t know it’s really to help you.”
She paused and looked at Koda. “He says you work too much and should take more breaks and you need more people in your life.” She smiled at Renee. “He likes you and wishes you weren’t so scared of him. He would never hurt you.”
Jasper sank into a chair, unable to grasp what she’d told him. While she could make up a bunch of crap about Koda’s former owner, there was no way she could know about the nightmares or the fact that Jasper had almost not taken Koda or how much he worked or any of the rest of it. No one knew. No one except Koda himself.
No, he thought, shaking his head. It was a trick. It had to be. Only it wasn’t and with a certainty he couldn’t explain and that sure as hell didn’t make sense, he believed her. He believed her!
Holy crap—Verity could talk to animals.
He looked at Renee. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
She rolled her eyes. “Really? Because I did tell you and you said I was lying. You thought I was insane.”
She was right. He’d gotten angry because he’d been disappointed. He’d thought she was playing him. But she hadn’t been. She’d been telling the truth and based on what he’d just heard, he had no choice but to believe her.
“I didn’t get it,” he admitted. “I mean I know you said the words, but this is incredible.”
He glanced at his dog, not sure what to say to him. “Is he happy?”
“He seems to be.”
All this time Koda’d been thinking those deep thoughts and Jasper hadn’t known. He returned his attention to Verity. “How does it work? Do you hear words or get impressions or what?”
“There are some words. The ones the animal knows. Koda knows his name. It was Buddy before, by the way, but he likes Koda. The rest of it is feelings or images. I see what they see, feel what they feel. It’s a one-way communication. I can’t ask questions. They tell me what’s most on their mind at the moment.”
“Is it all animals or just some?”
“So far, it’s been all animals. Domesticated animals are easiest. I’ve tried to communicate with wild animals, but everything is a jumble. We need a joint frame of reference.” She rubbed Koda’s ears. “He’s a very good boy. You were lucky to find him.”
“I was.”
And now being a pet owner suddenly seemed like a much bigger responsibility.
Renee watched him cautiously. “So you believe me?”
“Sure. You heard what she said. How could I not believe you both?” He thought about how he’d acted before. “Man, I was a jerk. I’m sorry. It was just too incredible. But it’s real.” He grinned. “Damn.”
She didn’t seem convinced. “You seem okay with it. Are you sure?”
He thought about the question, wanting to let it all sink in. Was it unexpected? Of course. But the world was filled with things he had to take on faith—things that were real but that he couldn’t see. Like gravity and quarks.
“Your mom can communicate with animals. That’s fantastic.”
She didn’t look convinced. “I don’t think it’s sunk in yet.”
“Renee, I’m not going to get upset. I think it’s a great gift.” He looked at Verity. “You’re really lucky.”
“That’s what I think, too.”