long he sat there Garrett wasn’t sure, but darkness had fallen over the trees, with only slivers of moonlight poking through the branches. When he stepped into the clearing, the full moon sailed high in the sky and lit his way back to the house. He hoped to sneak up to his room, since the actual “contest” didn’t start until tomorrow. With any luck, they’d all disappear with the morning fog.
Garrett and Bear trudged the path toward the house. “Good night, ol’ boy,” Garrett said, hooking the hound to a chain and giving him one more scratch behind the ears. Then Garrett straightened. As if on cue, Bear yawned and walked back to his doghouse, completing their nightly ritual.
When Garrett stepped inside the back door and into the kitchen, he was pleasantly surprised by the silence that met him. Seeing a note on the kitchen island, he walked over and picked it up. “Dad, we took the women to the coffee shop. Figured you’d appreciate some time to prepare for tomorrow. Be back in a little while. Love, Molly.”
“Ah, thanks, girls,” he said to the empty house, feeling himself relax. Pulling a cold soft drink from the fridge, he grabbed a hunting magazine and settled into an overstuffed beige chair in the den.
This evening held promise after all.
Recognizing some of the familiar sights in Bliss Village, Lauren knew the taxi had to be getting close to the bed-and-breakfast, though not close enough for her. The stench of stale smoke and cheap cologne filled the car, making her wish she’d not eaten the greasy hamburger at the airport. Even Nocchi whined and pawed at her nose. A country-and-western tune whined through the radio speakers, while the taxi driver concentrated more on scratching the whiskers on his face than driving.
Frustration mounted as Lauren fumbled through her bags in search of—but not finding—the paper with the information on where she would be staying. The bed-and-breakfast was located on Pine Road in Bliss Village and the name had “wood” in it—she remembered that much. If the driver went to Pine Road, they were sure to find it. She finally gave up her search for the paper, shoved everything back inside her bag and zipped it closed.
She glanced out her window. Earlier, they had passed a few quaint, cozy Victorian homes with warm, inviting lampposts and porches. Now they approached a more rustic area lined with cabins and woodsy-type homes. Lauren saw a sign on the lawn of the next property. Woods Inn Bed and Breakfast.
“There it is!” she said, pointing.
The driver hit the brakes and screeched to a sudden halt at the curb, practically giving Lauren a whiplash in the process. She knew some personal-injury attorneys who would love this guy.
Quickly she checked on her dog in the carrier beside her feet on the floor. The driver got out of the car and Lauren followed suit, then reached back inside for the carrier. Once outside, she took in a big breath of fresh air. The driver slid her bag from the trunk as if he hadn’t the strength to lift it, and let it drop on the street with a thunk. Feeling less than charitable, she paid him reluctantly for his services.
The taxi squealed off and she glanced around the property dense with pines and large, leafy green foliage. Gothic arches adorned the thick massive stone structure that loomed before her. Not exactly the cozy Victorian she had expected, but it had a sort of earthy quality about it.
Lauren grabbed her things and looked at the front door. “Well, here goes nothing.” Trudging up the incline toward her home for the next two weeks, she hoped Candace and Gwen were right and that she could get some rest here.
Once she reached the door, she set her luggage down beside her, took a deep breath and knocked.
Upon hearing the doorbell, Garrett leaned his head back against the comfy chair and glanced toward the ceiling. “Great, contestant number five.” He squeezed his eyes shut for a fraction of a second, as if it would all go away like a bad dream. With reluctance he pulled himself from the deep chair, walked down the hall, around to the front door and opened it. The visitor took him by surprise.
“Hi, I’m Lauren Romey. I have a reservation here.”
Now here was a welcome sight. Dressed in stylish jeans and a long white T-shirt adorned with a classy silver belt at her waist, this woman had definite potential. It didn’t hurt that she had hair the color of buttercups and eyes that made him feel he had stepped into the clear, blue-green water of Emerald Bay. His spirits improved considerably.
“Garrett Cantrell, owner of the place.” He shook her hand, then stepped aside to allow her entrance. “So you decided to come after all, huh?”
She raised her eyebrows and looked at him with surprise. “Oh, uh, yeah.”
“Here, let me get that for you.” He reached for her luggage. In her other hand, he noted a dog in a carrier.
“You have a dog, Miss Romey?”
“That’s what they call ’em where I come from.”
“Oh, a guest with a sense of humor,” he said with a smirk.
“Is that a problem?”
“The humor or the dog?”
She laughed with a little hesitation. Seeming to sense they were talking about her, Nocchi whined and pawed at the floor of her carrier. “Shh,” Lauren scolded. She turned back to Garrett. “They told me I could bring her. I assure you, Nocchi is harmless.”
“Nocchi?”
“Yes, spelled N-o-c-c-h-i, but it’s pronounced no-key.”
He thought he’d eaten an Italian dinner once by that name.
“Her name is actually Pinocchio. I call her Nocchi for short.”
Now he’d heard everything. A tiny black dog with a barely visible nose named Pinocchio. Okay, that was weird. Weirdbadandugly.com. Garrett stuck his face closer to the carrier to get a look at the animal. He rubbed his eyes and peered in again. The dog was actually wearing a dress. Not only that, but a denim sailor-type cap festooned with a matching bow sat a little crookedly on her head. Now he’d seen everything. Talk about your froufrou dogs. This was just wrong. No animal should have to suffer that type of humiliation. Garrett leaned in farther and squinted. “Is there something wrong with her, um, eyes?” he asked, pointing.
“Huh? Oh, that.” With a defensive jerk, Lauren pulled the carrier away from him. “She’s—” Lauren lifted her chin “—cross-eyed.”
Certain he had misunderstood, Garrett leaned toward her. “She’s what?”
Her chin rose another notch. “I said Nocchi is cross-eyed.” Her expression dared him to challenge her.
He thought she was about to add, “You got a problem with that?” But she didn’t. He bit the sides of his mouth to keep from laughing.
She turned back to her pooch. “Poor thing. She was dropped as a pup, and they said she’s been that way ever since.” Lauren stuck her fingers through the grated door of the carrier and stroked Nocchi. “I do have to be careful moving the furniture.”
Garrett shuddered.
Lauren missed it; she continued to stroke her dog. “She’s a shih tzu,” Lauren explained. “She never makes any noise—” Nocchi suddenly yipped and jerked back, making
