Rex extended his right hand, holding a glass of iced tea. He felt the coolness travel up his arm. His left hand dipped over the other side of the chair, grasping Kevin's collar. The dog panted. His beseeching gaze made Rex feel guilty. I'd like to let you run loose, ol’ boy, but not right now. We have Miss Kitty to consider.
Not only Miss Kitty, but Rex wanted Viv to get used to his dog and he felt a gradual approach would be necessary. Releasing Kevin to bound through the yard, bumping into potted plants, maybe even diving into her pristine pool, may not earn the dog another invitation.
Rex felt certain that once she accepted Kevin, she'd realize that he meant no harm. And that the inconvenience Kevin brought could be set aside when one considered the dog's ability to bring joy and enthusiasm along with his bad behavior. The jumping up and licking your mouth, for example. Not everyone's taste. And then there was the incessant toy squeaking. Oh, and the sleeping on the bed. Rex admitted that Kevin was a handful.
If he were to be completely honest with himself, Rex figured if Viv could accept Kevin, then she might be open to accepting him. Love my dog, love me. That kind of thing.
"Be good," he told Kevin in a stern voice. "Just lie down, would ya? Stop tugging on the collar. My fingers are getting sore."
Kevin lunged one more time. When Rex didn't release his grip, he finally sat down. He panted heavily, obviously displeased with the situation. Until Rex relaxed his hold and took a sip of his iced tea. Enjoying the cool slurp down his throat, he forgot to clamp his fingers around the dog's collar.
In a second Kevin rose and bolted toward the pool. "Kevin!" Rex hollered.
"Meow," Miss Kitty called. She peered out from behind the screen in her catio.
"Kevin!" Rex yelled again, but the dog paid no attention. He made a quick right turn and trotted toward the catio. Lifting his right paw, he scraped at the screen. Rex jumped to his feet, the glass slipping from his hand. Since it was plastic it only bounced, leaving ice cubes in its wake.
I can't have him busting through the catio screen. What would Viv say?
At that moment Viv came through the glass door. From underneath her wide-brimmed straw hat, she looked at Kevin and then Miss Kitty. "She knows that’s her territory," she stated calmly.
Rex felt embarrassed. He was unwilling to look incompetent in Viv's eyes. So he stood still, calling out in a calm and reasoned voice, "Kevin?"
Kevin jumped to a crouching position, his front paws on the pavement, his rear end in the air. "Bork," he called. But that wasn't to Rex. The dog only had eyes for the imperious cat.
"He just wants to play," Rex explained.
Kevin edged closer to the screen. When he lifted his paw to scratch, Rex yelled, "Stop it, Kevin." He turned to Viv to explain. "My dog is getting frustrated."
Viv only sighed. "Miss Kitty is not amused."
"Bork!" came Kevin's next complaint. This time the sound of his paw scratching against the screen door made Rex even more anxious. It was only a matter of time and the dog would break through and race inside.
"No!" Rex commanded. "Get back here, you mutt. Don't you have any manners? Miss Kitty isn't interested in playing with you." Inching closer, he reached for Kevin's collar. The dog ducked and ran to the other side of the catio.
"You could get a leash," Viv hollered.
"I'd have to go back to my house," he replied.
Kevin now stood on all fours watching Miss Kitty, who lifted her paw for a lick.
With Kevin mesmerized by the cat's nonchalance, Rex inched himself closer. "It's okay, buddy. She'll play with you later." Reaching over, he grasped the dog's collar. "Got ya!" Rex felt back in control.
Viv spoke. "Come over here. I found this. It should help." She handed him a belt. "Hook it around the collar. It will save your hand."
"Thanks," he muttered.
Viv sat down. He sat next to her, Kevin to the side of his chair once again. This time the dog lay on the concrete with a big sigh.
As the silence grew, Rex felt a pang of worry. She's been awfully quiet today. Was it Kevin, or maybe it's me…
"Hey," he began hesitantly. "Is everything okay? You've seem kind of distant."
She spoke right up. "I have been kind of overly introspective lately. I think it's nice that you noticed."
His heart thumped against his chest. Was that all it took—just ask her a question to make her happy? He felt proud of himself. He got ready to ask another question but was surprised when he couldn't think of one. It wasn't often that Rex Redondo didn't have words.
"I did notice," he said hesitantly. "How can I help?"
She seemed to be considering his question because she pulled her sunglasses down the bridge of her nose to gaze at him. "I think I'm at loose ends," she began. "I thought I'd be running a doula agency at this point in my life, but now it's just me. And frankly I don't have the energy to interview more women to fill the empty places."
Is this when I tell her that I'd be happy to apply as her next full-time job? For a lifetime, if she'll have me.
Rex sat back in his chair, amazed at where his thoughts had gone. He'd never been married or even in a serious live-together relationship. A single guy to the core of his being. Oh sure, by the time he hit fifty he'd thought about settling down. But there was always another sweet young thing admiring him from the front row that had changed his mind.
Until he met Viv.
"Does it help that we've taken on another investigation?" he asked quietly.
"I have to admit I liked investigating the last time. Not the dead body part though. That was awful." Her chin drooped. "But I haven't given up on my Desert Doula plan just yet," she said in a shaky voice. "It took a lot to set up the business and interview employees.
"I still have my phone hotline, of course. And I can still do seminars on birthing for new parents. But the truth is, at this point, I'm a one-woman agency." Her voice faltered. "At my age this feels like I'm being forced into retirement."
"I think I get what you mean," Rex said. "I keep saying I'm retired, but I'm not. I mean, who am I trying to kid?"
"It's different for you. You have a distinguished career in show business. It took me years to get back into a full-time business after raising my son. And now I can't imagine not working." Viv sounded sad. Then she continued, "I do still take classes on the latest research in birth and parenting. I get energy with that part."
"You've thought this thing through," he responded, a tinge of admiration in his voice.
She turned to him, a serious expression on her face. "So you're aware that's what you do, that you say one thing but do another? ‘I'm retired,’ but you're not really. I was thinking that you had no idea."
"Trust me, I'm aware. For what it's worth, Sutton calls me out on a regular basis. Most people aren't brave enough. But my ego isn't that fragile."
He took a deep breath. So that's what an honest conversation feels like. It's kind of a relief not to have to pretend.
No longer uncomfortable with Viv's silence, he closed his eyes. Appreciating the sun on his face, he let his mind wander. Peace settled over him as he realized that for now, all he wanted to do was sit by the pool with this beautiful woman.
That's more than enough for me.