Chapter Twenty-five

His face stung like a son of a bitch, but Alex didn’t care as they parked outside a filthy brown ranch house that looked like it had been built in the 1940s and had never been painted since then. There was no “lawn” to speak of, just dirt and brush and an old refrigerator under what might have been a laundry line at one point.

The front porch railing was broken in several spots, and the windows were so dirty, they looked fogged.

But none of that mattered to Alex. All he cared about was the constant, endless, steady barrage of barking that came from way in the back, behind so many bushes he couldn’t see what was there. But he could hear what had to be dozens of dogs.

“Should we knock or try to find our way back?” Grace asked, inching closer to him.

“We should—”

The front door swung open, and a woman in jeans and a filthy T-shirt stepped out. “Yeah?” she called.

He whispered under his breath, “Just follow my lead, and don’t question if I sound a little dumb. The dumber I am about dogs, the more they’ll trust us.”

He touched his hat and took a few steps closer. “Afternoon, ma’am. I was told I could buy a Labrador dog here.”

“Who sent you?”

Shoot. He took a breath and a chance. “Friend of Marty’s. Preferred I didn’t use his name, but he told me about Maggie. Is she available?”

The woman practically spit. “Maggie? You don’t got enough money to take my Maggie.”

Just as he’d hoped. “Well, we do have money, for the right dog. One that can still breed. A Lab, right, honey?” he asked Gracie.

“I like brown ones,” she said.

“But we’ll take anything,” he added, not wanting to give away that they even knew there was a brown one there. At least, he hoped there was.

“We got some Labs,” she said, turning to the house. “Martin! There’s a couple here for a dog.”

She disappeared into the darkness of the house, and Grace and Alex stood stone-still for a beat, not sure what to expect next. Then the scrawny man Alex instantly recognized as the one who’d been at the winery stepped out, wearing the same damn Tabasco shirt he was last time. Something told Alex he hadn’t changed it since then.

“Lab only?” he asked without preamble.

“Or Lab mix,” Alex said. “Just breedable.”

The man took a few steps down and scrutinized him long enough to make Alex’s heart kick up a notch. He couldn’t recognize him, could he? Without the beard? And with sunglasses and a hat?

“Jakey said someone might come by,” the man finally said.

Alex silently blessed Jakey, whoever he was. He nodded, wanting to keep conversation to a minimum. “Lab?”

“I’ll get her.” He started walking around the side of the house, but Grace inched forward.

“Can we see all that you have?”

Alex almost grunted. Not only did he not want her to see what might be back there, he wanted to get the dog and get out, fast.

Marty turned and stared at her. “No phones,” he said, then gestured for them to follow.

As they rounded the house, the barking got louder, and they finally reached an open area between woods where two long rows of open, filthy, roofless pens were filled with about a dozen or so dogs of every breed. At least two were visibly pregnant. Some slept, some howled, some paced, and a few fought with their roommates, but every one of them had a desperate, miserable look on its face.

Nope. It sure as hell wasn’t Waterford Farm.

“She can breed,” he said, stopping at a pen that held two dogs, neither one of them brown, and if they had Lab in them, it was about one-tenth.

Next to him, he felt Grace shudder, silent as she looked around.

“Don’t tell me,” the guy said. “You want puppies.”

She shook her head. “Just a…”

Alex squeezed her hand. “A Lab we can breed,” he said.

“You a breeder?” the man asked, squinting at him. “’Cause you look familiar.”

He shrugged. “We’re thinking about getting into the business.”

Marty snorted and jutted his chin at Grace. “Ain’t for the faint of heart.”

Wordlessly, Grace squared her shoulders and looked him in the eye. “My heart’s not faint,” she said. “I just want to adopt a dog. Can you show us all the Labs you have?” She glanced around at the pens. “I don’t see…what I want.”

“I got one more,” he said. “But I’ll tell you right now, she ain’t cheap. She shows and makes a fortune. I’m not giving her to you for less than five grand.”

Alex had done enough research these past few weeks to know that was sky-high, but not out of the realm of reality for a dog who could win financial prizes at competitions.

“I can write you a check,” Grace said.

“Cash only, dollface.”

“Then we’ll get cash,” she ground out. “We’d like to see the dog.”

He hesitated a minute, his attention on Alex, sizing him up for the money, maybe. Or remembering where they last met. “Show us the dog,” Alex said coolly.

“Come on.” He took them to a small barnlike building on the other side of the house, pushing open the door to let some light in.

A brown dog was lying on the ground, chained to a stationary tub, her distinct white markings barely visible through the dirt on her fur.

“Oh.” The sound came out of Grace’s mouth like a soft whimper.

“She’s a little, uh, too energetic,” Marty said quickly. “Can’t be trusted loose.”

Alex tamped down the anger that rose in him, knowing that showing any emotions would tip their hand and trying to figure out how he could get five thousand in cash and come back.

“Hey there,” Grace said, breaking away to walk up to the dog. “What’s your name?”

“It’s Coco,” the man said, and Alex prayed Grace wouldn’t react to the name not being Sugar.

But he had nothing to worry about. She folded down next to the dog and stroked her. “Hello, Coco. You are a pretty girl.”

“Coco” lifted her head with mild interest.

“You can breed her right quick,” Marty said. “She hasn’t whelped for a while.”

Liar. Alex swallowed the word and went up to the dog, who was the exact color as Jack.

“How many times has she been bred?” he asked.

“Just once. I had her since she was a pup.”

More lies. Alex watched Grace, waiting for any kind of reaction to what she had to know were lies, but she just continued to stroke the dog’s head, cooing into her ear. Finally, she looked up at Marty.

“If you’ll take a check, I’ll give you seven thousand right now. I want this dog.”

The man frowned a little, the greed making the creases in his face even deeper. “I don’t…”

She flipped open a small handbag on her shoulder, pulling out a checkbook. “Name your price, sir. I can afford it.”

And the truth was, she could.

He huffed out a breath, silent long enough for Alex to hear his own heartbeat kick. Was this dude smart enough to know that if she could afford it, she wouldn’t get her breedable Lab here at this disgusting mill? Marty had to know the dog was stolen, maybe had stolen it himself. So…how greedy was he?

“Eight-five,” he said.

Oh, he was very greedy.

“Done.” She opened the checkbook and slipped out a pen. “Who should I make it out to?”

“I’ll fill that part out,” he said, his voice tight with the very idea that he was about to have eighty-five hundred dollars.

“Unchain her,” Alex said, itching to get out of there with the dog.

The other man walked over and flipped the latch on the chain, and the dog instantly rose with the relief of having the weight off her. Alex squeezed his fists, willing himself not to lose it while Grace scratched out the check and signed it with a flourish, standing up with a quick glance of victory to Alex.

The minute she did, Alex’s heart dropped with a stunning realization. If Marty looked at that check, with her name, address, or Overlook Glen Winery on it anywhere, their cover would be blown.

He slipped his hand into the dog’s collar. “Let’s go,” he said, as much to Grace as the dog, hustling toward the door.

“Bye,” Grace said brightly. “Thank you.”

The man didn’t answer as Alex rushed the dog to the door, using his free hand to grab Grace and shepherd them both along as quickly as possible without drawing undue attention from Marty.

Just as they stepped outside, Alex glanced over his shoulder in time to catch Marty staring at the check in his hand, and even from this distance, he could see those frown lines deepen. He looked up, looked back down, and Alex didn’t wait for it all to click into place.

“Move it!” he ordered Grace, tugging at Sugar’s collar to get her to run. But the dog just stopped and looked up at him, clearly terrified of her next ordeal.

“Hey, wait a second!”

“I’m taking you home, baby. Run, Gracie!”

The dog refused to budge, and Alex sure as hell didn’t want to yank her.

“Shug-Shug!” Grace said on a loud whisper. “Go!”

She did, instantly, trotting a few steps.

“Hold on right there, you two!”

The dog froze at the man’s angry voice, cowering in fear. Alex bent down and wrapped his arms around Sugar’s belly, getting a loud bark in his ear, but he managed to hoist her in his arms. Grace ran a few feet ahead of him, pushing branches out of the way as they rushed over the path to the front of the house.

“Keys are in the ignition,” Alex called. “You drive!”

“Hey! I know who you are!” Marty called. “Get back here! You can’t have Sugar! Suzanne! Stop them!”

Without missing a beat, Grace yanked open the Jeep’s back door for Alex to get in, then whipped open the driver’s door to dive behind the wheel.

“Don’t you dare take that dog!” the woman called as she ran out of the front door, directly at Alex. He nearly stumbled from the weight of the dog, but righted his foot fast enough to reach the car before she did.

“That’s my dog!”

But he shoved Sugar into the back seat and threw himself on top of her, managing to pull the door closed.

“Go, Gracie! Fast!”

The woman pounded on his window, screaming, and Marty came running out from behind the house, hollering at them. When Grace hit the accelerator and revved the engine, it was enough for the woman to fling herself away from the Jeep.

Grace took off, spitting dirt and whipping the wheels around toward the road, but when Alex turned, he saw Marty climbing into the red truck.

“He’s gonna follow us,” he called. “Can you handle it?”

“Are you kidding? To save this dog?” She floored the gas pedal. “Hang on, you two!”

As she tore down the rutted road, Alex watched out the back, but they had a good hundred or more yards on him. “Turn here!” he ordered as they reached the first dirt intersection that he remembered, a road barely wide enough for two cars.

She swung the wheel to the left, making the Jeep fishtail wildly, slowing them down in the process. Sugar sat up and started barking loudly, barely drowning out Grace’s swearing as she fought to right the wheels.

She managed to get them straight and shot down the road, but Marty made the turn with ease, gaining on them.

“Oh my God, Alex!”

At her shriek, he turned to look out the front in time to see something bright yellow roaring up the road directly at them. And a black truck right behind it.

“We’re going to hit them!” She slammed on the brakes, making Sugar slide right off the seat onto the floor.

“What the…” He slapped his hands on the back of the seat. “That’s Garrett! And Liam. Stop.”

As soon as she did, Garrett’s bright yellow Wrangler slid up next to them. Grace got the window down, and Alex leaned forward, spying Shane in the passenger seat.

“Block the guy in the truck. Hold him off. We’re calling the cops! Go, Gracie!”

Gracie hit the gas without a second’s hesitation, sailed past Liam, who instantly pulled up next to Garrett, the two of them wedged side by side on the road. As Grace took the next turn, all Alex heard through the open window was the long blast of a horn, then old Marty screaming his lungs out.

By the time they reached the main road, he’d called the Winston-Salem Police, and they waited, silent and breathless, until the squad cars flew by, sirens blaring and lights flashing.

And then Grace climbed into the back seat, threw her arms around him and Sugar, and dropped her head back to laugh with the giddy, heady sense of victory.

“Mission accomplished, Alexander the Great.”

Alex just held her tight while Sugar lapped his weirdly smooth cheek.

* * *

By now, Grace realized that no matter the crisis or situation, this family gathered, usually at Waterford Farm. They laughed, rehashed, ate, drank, hugged, patted one another’s back, and included as many dogs as people in the whole process.

But this evening was a whole new level of family bonding, rehashing, and high-fiving, following the arrests of Martin and Suzanne Casper for the thefts of Sugar and four other animals, plus charges of animal abuse and cruelty.

Connor and Declan Mahoney, Aidan Kilcannon, and Trace Bancroft had followed Liam, Shane, and Garrett to the Caspers’ puppy mill, and they’d rescued every single dog there. Waterford opened its kennels and vet offices, while Daniel, Molly, and several vet techs checked each and every new arrival.

Waterford Farm had just acquired fourteen new dogs, several of them pregnant and more of them sick. And one of them belonged to Mark and Jennifer Sanderson, who finally had a working phone and were on their way to pick up their beloved Shug-Shug.

The rest of the family, spouses and children, arrived in waves, demanding details and crushing their loved ones with hugs. John came, too, having closed Santorini’s, and brought the two grandmothers and plenty of food. The atmosphere was charged, festive, victorious…and once again, Grace burned with that age-old jealousy.

Which was crazy. Not only was she used to this clan and made to feel a part of it, she had her own family waiting for her in California.

Still, she burned. If not with jealousy, then with a hungry, achy need she didn’t understand.

“Have some tea, lass.” Gramma Finnie put a knotted hand on Grace’s shoulder, then sat next to her at the giant farmhouse table in the kitchen so they could look into each other’s eyes. “Or would a nice shot of Jameson’s be fixin’ you up just fine? You sure deserve it after what you did today.”

“No Jameson’s, thank you.”

Yiayia slid in on her other side, offering a plate of pastries. “Then how about some kalitsounia? My darling Alexander helped me make them.” She leaned in to press her shoulder against Grace’s. “He’s the best, isn’t he? Especially with his handsome face back on display.”

“Yes, he’s wonderful.”

“Such a husband he’ll make,” she added.

“Agnes, will you please try some subtlety?” Gramma Finnie chided, pressing her bony arm against Grace. “We don’t have to push you now, lass, do we?”

She sighed and smiled from one to the other, wondering if now would be the time to tell them that she’d found her family and…

“He proved himself today, though, didn’t he?” Yiayia asked. “You know he’d do anything for you.”

“We all would,” Gramma added, clearly the more controlled one in the odd relationship. “This family just adores you, lass.”

“And I adore you all,” she said quickly. “I’ve never seen anything quite so…cohesive.” She gestured toward the little groups gathered around the kitchen, with a few of the Kilcannon men reliving their day’s adventure, while Katie and Daniel each held a baby and listened, laughed, and had an opinion or two.

“’Tis a fine clan,” Gramma Finnie said. “You’ll find none better.”

“And you need a clan,” Yiayia added. “There’s nothing like being surrounded by Greek love on Easter.”

“Or the Irish on Christmas.”

“Or all of us on every single Sunday.” Yiayia squeezed Grace’s hand. “As my friend said, I’m not known for my subtlety, but I am quite revered for my honesty. Some say I’m honest to a fault.”

“There’s nothing wrong with honesty,” Grace reassured her.

“Then listen to me. Yes, Alex is an extraordinary man, and I haven’t seen him as happy as he’s been these last few weeks since…since he left for France, I guess.” She frowned, glancing around the room as if she wanted to find him, but he’d left a few minutes ago to check on Sugar.

“And I don’t know you as well as I’d like to,” Yiayia continued, “but you do seem to fit well with him. And with us. And, dear girl, you need a family.”

“I…” Have a family. “I know.”

Gramma took her other hand and rubbed her knuckles. “The Irish say, ‘Without love, there is no family, and without family, there is no love.’”

Yiayia put an elbow on the table, leaning forward to look past Grace to Gramma. “That sounds suspiciously like Socrates, Finola.”

Grace laughed softly. “I’m sure the sentiment is the same in any culture.”

And so very true.

“Our point is this,” Yiayia said. “You are alone in this world, and you don’t have to be. This is your family, right here, ready to love you. That’s all.”

Grace swallowed, knowing she should tell them what had happened this week. That she wasn’t alone anymore, that she had a family, and that they loved her, too.

“Family is everything,” Gramma said. “I don’t know who said that, but they were right.”

Yes, they were. Real family, right? Blood family? Family that she’d searched for and finally found? Family that—

The kitchen door popped open, and Alex stood there, his newly shaved face still a little rough and red. “The Sandersons are here,” he announced. “And they brought the puppies.”

“Oh.” Grace pushed up and slid out from behind the table when Gramma stepped aside, but the older woman grabbed her arm.

“I’m prayin’ they pay back your good deed by givin’ you those sweet pups.”

“You and me both, Gramma. But what I really want is to see them back with their mother.” She smiled at Yiayia, then Gramma. “Because you’re right, family is everything, whether you have two legs or four.”

The grandmothers shared a victorious glance, and Grace didn’t have the heart to tell them their speeches and quotes had hit her heart…and maybe, as much as she was tempted to slide into this family, the right thing to do was stay with her biological family. Just like the right thing to do was reunite the puppies with their family.

“Come on.” Alex reached for her hand. “Molly’s bringing Sugar. She’s a little undernourished and has a slight infection on her paw, but she’s going to be fine.”

They headed out into an early evening chill, and the entire family spilled out behind them. As they all walked down the driveway in a pack of twenty or more, Molly, Pru, and Darcy joined them from the vet’s office, with Sugar walking slow but steady between them, her hair glossy from a good brushing and a big pink bandanna around her neck.

Just then, the Sandersons’ van rolled into Waterford, slowing and then stopping near the crowd, and Grace recognized the couple who climbed out, both of them beaming at the dog.

“Shug-Shug!” Jennifer ran to her, and Sugar barked noisily, her tail swishing as she rushed to her mistress, a small limp barely slowing one happy dog.

“And here are your babies!” Mark opened up the side door to the van, and the puppies bounded out, Jack in the lead. He started toward his mother, but stopped and barked at Alex, waddling right over to him instead.

“Jacko!” Alex reached down and picked him up, but the minute he did, Jack barked again, with a little confusion in his eyes as he looked at Alex.

“That’s right, no beard,” Alex said on a laugh. “Small sacrifice to save your mom. Now go see her.”

Grace rubbed Jack’s head. “Go on, honey. It’s a big day for little Jack.” As she said the words, her eyes welled up, and the sudden ache for her own “little Jack” hit her hard. Yeah, he was her little brother, and she’d missed his whole life. Now she could share the rest of it.

Bitsy was running in circles, making her way to her mother, and Gertie walked a little slower, wary of the crowd and noise.

“Oh, baby.” Grace went up to her and lifted the sweet little puppy, inhaling her familiar smell. “I’ll take you to her.” She walked a few steps closer to Sugar, who was already lapping her tongue over Jack to the cheering and hollering from the family as everyone congregated around the reunited mother and son, snapping pictures and soaking up the beautiful moment.

Sugar stopped her ministrations of Jack and looked up, barking once, then reaching a paw out to Gertie.

“You two remember each other?” Grace asked as she dropped to her knees in the grass. “Gertie, this is your mama.” She cursed her tears, wishing them away, but really not being able to do anything about her emotions. “She’s missed you, Sugar.”

Sugar barked and crawled a little closer, instinctively less aggressive with Gertie than she had been with Jack. Gertie gave a quick lick to Grace’s hand, then squirmed out of her hold to get to her mother. She rolled over, spread her paws, and let her mother kiss every inch of her.

Finally, Grace looked into Jennifer Sanderson’s eyes, not at all surprised to see the older woman openly weeping.

“Thank you,” Jennifer said. “Thank you for all you did for these puppies and Sugar.”

Grace just nodded, not trusting her voice.

“I know you want them kept together,” Jennifer whispered. “Always, as a threesome.”

“Please. It’s the only thing I ask.”

“I promise I will never let them be separated. Never.”

“Thank you.” She reached for Bitsy, who finally made her way over and circled her siblings to get closer to Mom. “And if you’d call them by the names I’ve given them,” Grace added. “It would mean so much to me.”

“We are,” she said. “This guy only answers to Jack, and Gertie is Gertie for life. And this one.” She squealed as she picked up Bitsy and rubbed her nose against her fur. “Is my itsy Bitsy.”

Just as Grace’s heart couldn’t take another minute, Alex came up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. “You okay?” he asked.

She looked up at him, trying to smile through the tears. “I’m happy for them.”

“They belong together,” he said.

“Families do,” she whispered. He gave her shoulders a squeeze and nodded, as if he already understood her decision. But she’d have to tell him. She’d have to tell them all, and that wouldn’t be easy.

She stood and let the others have a chance to love the dogs and talk to the owners, inching away from the crowd with Alex. They stood off to the side under a tree, taking a minute to listen to the laughter and barking.

“You’re leaving, aren’t you?” he asked softly.

Her heart dropped. “Well, I did get a pretty solid lecture about the importance of family from your grandmothers.”

“Big help they are,” he said on a dry laugh. “I think they meant my family.”

“They did, but…” She looked up at him, then touched his strong, hollowed cheek with her palm. “If I don’t go, I’ll always wonder what it might have been like.”

“If you do, I’ll always wonder what it might have been like.”

She held his gaze. “Did you mean what you said in the car when you shaved?”

“Yes,” he said. “And is there any chance you feel the same?”

Yes. Every chance. But she held the words in her heart. Because they’d be three thousand miles and worlds apart, both attached to families that meant everything, and two weeks just wasn’t enough time to make huge decisions or declare love.

“I’ll never forget you, Alex,” she said softly, hating the disappointment that darkened his eyes. “And yes, you can have the winery. It’s yours. Make it the restaurant of your dreams, and I’ll…I’ll…”

“You’ll have the life and family you’ve always wanted,” he finished.

“Then this…” She swallowed and then said the words she hated most in the whole world. “This is what’s best for us.”

He just closed his eyes, exactly like she had every time a family had sent her away. And one more time, Grace Donovan had to leave a place she wanted to call home.

Because it was best for her.