That Man of Mine Read online

  But as appealing as all that was, it wasn’t his bad boy self she’d fallen in love with. It wasn’t even the fact that he was drop dead gorgeous. It was the way he made her feel when she was with him. Like nothing bad would ever happen to her when they were together. Zeke Grant had a presence. Good or bad, everyone felt it. He wasn’t someone you ignored. And when she was with him, she became someone no one could ignore either. It had made her feel powerful. And wanted. And safe. And once she felt all those things, there was no going back to the way she’d felt without him.

  So Mimi had lied to her parents and told them she was out with friends, and because they had no previous reason to mistrust her, they’d believed her.

  Despite the anxiety caused by the deception, it had been the happiest time of her young life.

  “Is that Dad’s bike?” Claire asked, her voice filled with awe. “Did he really use to ride that thing?”

  “Yep,” Mimi said tightly.

  Cameron jumped out of the minivan and walked over to the bike. He ran his hand reverently over the worn leather seat. “Dad said one day he’s going to give this to me.”

  “Goody,” Mimi muttered as visions of a teenage Cameron whipping around town on a motorcycle danced through her head. “As if your sister hasn’t already turned me gray.” She shuffled the kids toward the building. “C’mon. Let’s go.”

  She opened the door to the animal shelter. Lanie Miller, the shelter’s director, stood by the information desk talking to Zeke. He wore jeans and a T-shirt and the soft brown leather jacket Mimi had given him a couple of Christmas’s ago. Drop dead gorgeous then. And drop dead gorgeous now. Concentrate, Mary Margaret.

  Lanie spotted them and waved them over. “How exciting! The Grant family is getting a dog!”

  “A little dog,” Mimi emphasized.

  “Yeah, one that doesn’t shed, is already house-broken, and can feed itself,” Claire added with a snicker.

  Zeke looked at his daughter. “Don’t be a wise-guy.” But there was no heat behind his words.

  “You have to admit, Mom’s requirements are a little unrealistic,” Claire said.

  Lanie looked confused, not that Mimi blamed her. “I thought you said you wanted a watch dog.”

  “Absolutely,” Zeke said. “He needs to have a good warning bark.”

  “And he has to be able to do tricks,” Cameron added.

  Lanie smiled patiently at Cameron, like she’d heard this from a dozen twelve-year-old boys before. “What kind of tricks?”

  “He should be able to catch a Frisbee.”

  “Mmm…” Lanie glanced between the four of them. “I’m afraid I’m fresh out of all the above. Why don’t we start by seeing what’s available? I have lots of cats right now. But my dog population is a little sparse.”

  “A cat?” Mimi piped in. “I love cats! They’re so independent.”

  Cameron made a face. “You said I could get a dog.”

  Lanie opened the door to a large room, where they were greeted by a cacophony of barking and meowing. “Cats on one side, dogs on the other, but as you can see, my dog side doesn’t have much to offer. Not that these dogs aren’t all great, but I’m not sure we have one that meets all your, uh, needs.”

  Cameron ran to a crate that housed a suspicious looking ball of wiry fur. “Move along,” Mimi said, “I can pretty much guarantee that dog sheds.”

  Claire split off from the group toward the cat section of the room and Mimi followed behind Cameron. He stopped at each crate to inspect the dog inside, giving each one a thorough look over. Every once in a while, he’d study one dog a little longer and pet it. Mimi was impressed by how serious he was taking the whole thing.

  Zeke walked alongside her, or rather loomed alongside her, like he owned all the space around him. And everything in it, too. Including her. “How are you feeling?” he asked quietly. There was sympathy mixed with humor in his voice.

  “I feel great. Thanks for asking.”

  “So, you’re over Thursday night?”

  “Thursday night… Oh! Was that you who gave me a ride home from Bunco?”

  He stopped and looked at her. “You weren’t that drunk.” Then his gaze narrowed. “Were you?”

  She wanted to laugh. He must have realized she was joking because he grinned at her and began walking again. “No, I wasn’t that drunk, although,” she frowned, “I have to admit, I really don’t remember anything we said to one another.”

  “Really?”

  There was some small inflection in his voice that made her pause before admitting, “Nope. Is…there something I should remember?”

  “No,” he said, but Mimi got the impression he wasn’t being a hundred percent truthful. “By the way, I haven’t had a chance to thank you for backing me up the other day at lunch. With Allie,” he clarified. “I’m glad we’re on the same page about the wedding.”

  “Of course,” she said.

  “So, how are the plans going?”

  “To be honest, we haven’t gotten much further than the date and the church. I told her to make up a list of people she wanted to invite. Once we have a number we can look into reception venues.”

  He placed his hand over her arm, stopping them both. Cameron was now far enough ahead that he wouldn’t be able to hear them. “I know I said it before, but thank you,” he said.

  “For what?” she squeaked. His hand felt warm and firm against her skin. She wanted to pull away, but if she did, then he’d know the effect he had on her. Although, it was probably moot. He’d always known the effect he had on her.

  “For being there for Allie.”

  “I love her. I’ll always love her…no matter what.”

  “Look, baby, can we talk?”

  “We’re talking now.”

  “I screwed up. Let’s go back to counseling.”

  Her knees began to go wobbly. When he looked at her like that, turning on the Zeke Grant charm, it was impossible to say no to him.

  “What’s going to be different this time, Zeke?”

  “This time I’m going to do everything I can to make it work. And yeah, I know how that sounds.” He blew out a breath, like he was frustrated. “I love you, Mimi. And I know you still love me.”

  Her heart flew up to her throat. His confidence was so…infuriating. But it was one of the things she both loved and hated about him.

  “When did you start riding your bike again?” she asked.

  His right eye-lid twitched. She knew he hated the way she’d just changed the subject, but he played along anyway. “I pulled it out of storage last weekend and took it to a shop in Destin for a tune up. She might be old, but she still rides pretty well.”

  “You’ll be careful, right?”

  His gaze met hers. “Does this mean you still care?”

  Well of course she cared, and he damn well knew it. But they were here to pick out a dog for their son. Why did he have to turn everything around and make it all about them? “Cameron asked me about our living arrangements. He wants to know what’s going to happen next.”

  “That’s up to you,” he said.

  “We don’t have to decide anything right now, do we?”

  “No, I guess we don’t.” He shoved his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket. “I moved into Rusty’s cousin’s cabin last night. It’s no luxury hotel but it’s free and relatively clean. I might even be able to get some fishing in while I’m there. Maybe Cameron can join me next weekend? I think he’d get a kick out of the place.”

  Before either one of them could say anything else, Cameron turned to them, his brown eyes shiny with excitement. “I like this one.” He pointed to a dog (at least Mimi thought it was a dog). It was medium sized and gray and sort of…ugly. She hated thinking that, but it was true. It wasn’t even cute ugly. Nor was it cuddly or small. His tongue hung out between his mouth and he was panting heavily.

  “Why is he breathing like that?” Mimi asked. “Is he sick?”

  “He looks lik
e a bulldog mix,” Zeke said. “Or a pug, maybe?”

  “That’s Toby,” Lanie said. “He’s kind of a sad case. His former owner took a job as a merchant marine and had to leave him behind. He’s three and very sweet. And no, he’s not sick. That just the way he breathes. He’s neutered and up to date on his shots, too.”

  “Does he shed?” Mimi asked. “Because he looks like he’s the kind of dog that sheds.”

  “Well…”

  “How’s his bark?” Zeke asked.

  “I have no idea,” Lanie said. “He’s been here a couple of weeks now but I don’t think I’ve heard him bark. He’s a little depressed, I think. Not unusual considering he’s probably missing his owner.” She opened up the crate and put her hand on the dog’s head. He seemed to enjoy being petted (at least Mimi thought he did), but he didn’t wag his tail so it was hard to tell. “I’ll be honest, you’re the first people who’ve shown any interest in him.”

  Oh, Lord. Talk about a guilt trip.

  “He seems tame enough,” Mimi said. “But he’s a lot bigger than what I wanted. Maybe, we could come back next week? Will you have more dogs then?”

  “But he’s the one I want,” Cameron said. “Please. I promise, I’ll do everything and I’ll even vacuum the house if he leaves his dog hair everywhere.”

  Mimi looked to Zeke for guidance, but he just shrugged as if to say this was her decision.

  “Please, Mom,” Cameron asked again.

  “Okay, sure. Why not?” she heard herself say.

  “If Cameron can have Cujo then can I have this little cat?” Mimi turned around to find Claire holding a kitten in her arms. “She’s so sweet!”

  Mimi had to admit, it was adorable. Tiny and furry and looking at her with the sweetest little olive colored eyes.

  “You’re leaving to go to school in seven months, remember?”

  “Seven months is a long way away. And you said yourself cats were way easier than dogs. They practically take care of themselves!”

  “I don’t know, Claire.”

  It was so impractical! Getting a dog and a cat at the same time. She knew how this would end. In about a week, Claire would tire of the kitten, and yes, even though cats weren’t a lot of work, Mimi would still be stuck taking care of it and emptying out the litter box.

  Mimi waited for Claire to come up another argument or plead with her the way Cameron had, but instead Claire’s face took on a resigned look. Like she knew Mimi would say no anyway. And that tactic worked better than any pleading or arguing could have.

  “Oh, all right,” Mimi said. “I guess one little kitten isn’t going to hurt anything.”

  “Really?” Claire’s voice hitched with excitement. “I going to name her Buttercup, from The Princess Bride.”

  “And I don’t want to confuse him, so I’ll just keep his name Toby,” Cameron added, scratching the dog behind his ears. Toby drooled in response.

  “Great!” Lanie said. “Normally, there’s a twenty-four hour waiting period to check out your paperwork, but hey, if we can’t trust the mayor and the chief of police, who can we trust? I’ll be right back.” She scurried off to her office, leaving the four of them, or rather, the six of them alone.

  Mimi glanced over to catch Zeke staring at her. “What?”

  “You’re just a big old softie, aren’t you?” he said.

  She looked down at their two children, both of whom were now on the ground playing with their respective new pets. They both seemed so happy. Which of course, made her happy. She could almost pretend everything was back to the way it used to be. When they were all happy.

  A part of her wished she could go back to being the kind of wife who could compartmentalize her life and put everything in its own neat little square. Then she could take each square out whenever she needed it. But that didn’t work anymore.

  Zeke said he’d go back to counseling. And he seemed sincere enough. She mentally shook her head. She shouldn’t do it. She shouldn’t take a step backward. But on the other hand, he was right. She did still love him and she didn’t want her marriage to end. So what other recourse did she have? Maybe the counseling would work this time.

  “Let me think about it,” she said quietly.

  He didn’t ask what she meant by that or what it was she had to think about. The relieved look on his face said he already knew.

  Toby didn’t just drool. He was the king of drool. It was like Hansel and Gretel and their breadcrumbs. All you had to do to figure out which direction Toby had gone, was follow the trail of doggie saliva.

  “See, Mom, he doesn’t shed!” Cameron had pointed out (with no hint of sarcasm).

  “Yeah, isn’t it great?” Claire said (sarcasm included).

  The only good thing about Toby was that he was indeed house-broken, for which Mimi was grateful. Especially on a morning like today when she was running late for her meeting at the bank. She’d been dreading it ever since she’d made the appointment with Bruce last week. But if she was going to try to get Billy Brenton for the Spring Into Summer festival, then she needed to know what had gone wrong last year.

  She clipped her hair back in a low ponytail, slipped on some pearl earrings, and ran to the kitchen to make sure Toby had water in his bowl, which, yes, he did. She had to admit, the kids were keeping up their end of the bargain. Cameron walked Toby before and after school and always made sure to keep his water bowl filled. And Claire seemed happier now with Buttercup around. She’d had a few friends over the other night and the girls had locked themselves in her room, listening to music and playing with the kitten.

  Speaking of the kitten…Buttercup and Toby seemed to be getting along fine (thank goodness!), but Buttercup’s favorite sleeping place was Claire’s bed. Which Mimi had no objection to, except that her litter box was in the laundry room. Yesterday, Buttercup had been left in Claire’s room all day with the door closed and Mimi had come home to find Buttercup whimpering by the door, trying to get out. If Claire wanted Buttercup in her room, then she was going to have to leave the door open when she wasn’t home.

  Mimi opened the door and glanced around Claire’s bedroom. Naturally, the bed was unmade and clothes littered almost every square inch of the floor. She tried to rein in her blood pressure. Teenage girls were messy. It was just a fact of life. She wasn’t about to blow her stack over something so inconsequential.

  “Buttercup, are you in here?”

  A soft little mewl came from somewhere deep under the comforter.

  “Okay, so just checking,” Mimi said, feeling a little foolish talking to a kitten. “I’m going to leave the door open so you can get to your litter box. Be a good girl! And don’t make fun of Toby. He can’t help it that he drools.”

  Now that the pets were all accounted for, she grabbed her tote and headed out to the minivan. She’d spent last night reviewing the festival papers, making notes of her own, along with a list of questions she wanted Bruce to clarify. He’d been mayor for the past six terms (twelve whole years!) and in that time the festival had declined to the point that it was now a financial mess.

  She was going to have to approach him with tact. No one wanted to acknowledge their failures. But hopefully Bruce would be man enough to help her. He might not be mayor anymore, but he still had to want what was best for Whispering Bay.

  The Whispering Bay Community Bank was a short five minute drive from her home. Mimi introduced herself to the receptionist and the woman led her to an office in the back of the bank. Bruce sat at his desk looking very important as he stared hard into a computer screen. He waved her into a chair. “I’ll just be a minute.”

  Mimi made herself comfortable and waited. She pulled the festival folder out of her tote and laid it across Bruce’s desk.

  She waited for at least ten minutes before he glanced back over at her. “Mimi, what can I do for you this morning?” Despite that it was February and cool outside, the top of his balding head glistened with sweat.

  “Thank you for seeing
me, Bruce. I have a few questions about the Spring Into Summer festival.”

  “Yeah, good luck with that. It’s been a thorn in my side for the past twelve years.”

  “I don’t understand, I thought the festival practically ran itself,” Mimi said.

  Bruce made an impatient sound. “I don’t expect you to understand the finances, those are pretty complicated, but the bottom line is that every year we don’t raise booth prices, we lose more money. Security alone for this event is killing us. Plus, there’s the tents and the portable restrooms we have to rent. Chairs, lights, you name it. All that gets more expensive each year, but our revenue has stayed the same.”

  The current price for a business to rent a booth at the festival was two hundred dollars, and Bruce was right—the rate hadn’t been raised in over ten years. Mimi had thought it was reasonable, but maybe Bruce had a point. Maybe the festival should increase the booth price, although she hated doing that. It wasn’t just local businesses that rented booths. Housewives rented booths to sell their arts and crafts. Plus, there were dozens of non-profit organizations that rented booths at half that cost.

  “But, the main purpose of the festival isn’t just to raise money. It’s to promote the town and the local businesses, right?”

  “Yes, but the festival also has to sustain itself. It can’t drain money from the city budget.”

  Mimi nodded. This was the part of the conversation she’d been dreading. “Um, what happened last year with the whole Billy Brenton thing?”

  “What do you mean what happened?”

  Playing dumb didn’t look good on Bruce. Mimi was a patient woman, but she hadn’t come here to play cat and mouse with him.

  “What happened, as in, why didn’t he show?”

  “Oh, that. Not my fault. I had a deal with his manager. Yep. I had it all set up for him to come play and then at the last minute, he backed out.”

  “Wasn’t there some kind of legal ramification to that? Can’t the city sue him?”

  Not that Mimi wanted to sue Billy Brenton (she was his biggest fan!), but if he’d really signed on to do a concert then backed out at the last minute like Bruce claimed, then he should take fiscal responsibility for the mess he’d created. As much as she hated the idea of suing anyone, her first responsibility was to Whispering Bay.