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A gasp behind me made me look back. Nanette was staring at the check. “I think you accidentally put too many zeros on this.”
“No accident. I hope you can put the money to good use.”
Her free hand covered her mouth, and tears shimmered in her eyes. “Thank you so much. This will keep us going for at least two years.”
I didn’t reply, walking out without looking back again. I didn’t do tears.
Daisy jumped into the back seat as if she’d been doing it her whole life. I’d laid out a blanket for her on the leather seats, hoping to keep the scratches to a minimum. An Aston Martin wasn’t made to transport dogs.
I obsessively checked the rearview mirror, making sure she was comfortable. She didn’t mind the drive, her loud snores ringing through the car.
When I made it back home, delivery vans crowded my driveway, the gate was wide open, and people were everywhere.
Daisy’s head shot up as soon as I parked next to the garage off to the side. “You ready to see your new home?”
Her wagging tail thumped loudly on the seat in response.
I slid out of the car, then retrieved Daisy, walking her over to the grass to give her a chance to do her business.
After a lot of sniffing and more excited tail wagging and hand licking, she finally did her thing. Eager to show off my present, I walked her inside, nearly running over my brother.
Jude tripped in his haste to back up. “What the hell is this?” His girly shriek followed a jump into a side table.
“This is Daisy. Vanna’s birthday present.”
“There is something seriously wrong with you, brother. Girls want little fluffy dogs, not demon dogs who were bred to guard the gates of hell.”
I placed my hand on Daisy’s head, scratching her behind the ears. “She’s a Great Dane mix and a sweetheart. So be nice or you’ll hurt her feelings.”
Jude gaped at me. “Hurt her feelings? Are you kidding me?”
Giving him the finger, I walked my present into the living room, my brother following at a considerable distance. She strutted straight up to the couch, collapsing in a contented heap on the cushions.
“Vanna told me she always wanted a dog.”
He let out a strangled laugh. “Emphasis ondog, not horse.”
“Fuck off. She’s going to love my present.”
Jude stopped next to me, both of us watching Daisy roll onto her back, head half hanging off the couch. She groaned, her eyes closed, and then she started snoring.
Mom rushed into the room, her usually perfectly coiffed hair sticking up in wild tangles. “There you are.” She stopped in front of us, ignoring the giant dog snoring on the couch. She must have really been frazzled to miss the chainsaw in the background. “The flower guy hasn’t shown up, and he’s not answering his phone. And Freya just messaged to say they’ll be back in an hour. You need to get flowers. Now.”
Jude and I groaned in perfect unison. There would be no way out of this, so we might as well get it over with.
He turned for the door, slapping me on the arm. “You driving?”
“Sure.” I shot Mom what I hoped was a reassuring smile. I had no fucking clue where to get flowers from on such short notice. Because I knew Mom, and a few bunches of flowers wouldn’t satisfy her. “Can you watch Daisy while we’re out? I don’t want her chewing on anything that might make her sick.”
Mom frowned, looking around the room in confusion. “Who’s Daisy?”
Jude snickered beside me, pointing at the couch. Mom followed the line of his finger, her eyes going wide. “What in the world isthat?”
“That, dear Mother, is Daisy.”
Laughing, Jude walked out of the room, leaving me to trail after him, reassuring Mom. “She’s a sweetheart. You’ll love her.”
Mom blinked at me, then looked back at Daisy, who was oblivious to her surroundings.
