Becca collapsed to the floor and started to cover her face with her hands only to hear a faint whimper. She looked up and saw Jazz standing just inside the front door, her expression worried, her brown eyes questioning.
“Oh, Jazz, I’m sorry. I forgot you were there.” Becca bit her bottom lip. Did saying that make her mother right?
No, she told herself quickly. Of course not. She’d been home five seconds—it would take a while for them all to adjust to a pet.
She shifted onto her knees, then held out her arms and said softly, “Jazz, come here.”
The black-and-tan Doberman approached, then sat obediently. Becca threw her arms around the dog and hung on. “It’s okay,” she whispered against the dog’s warm body. “You’re going to be safe now, I promise. I’m going to be here for you.”
She drew back and looked into Jazz’s face. “Thor is going to stay with our friend Lucas, and Bay will be with Aunt Stacey. Lucas is a good guy. He’s a detective with the Los Angeles Police Department. He’s been my mom’s client for about a year now.” She smiled. “He’s a grown-up, so you know what that means, although he’s pretty cool with me.” She wrinkled her nose. “He always has really young girlfriends. It was creepy at first, but finally I asked him if I had to worry that he would want to date one of my friends in a couple of years.”
Jazz’s ears perked up, as if she were interested in the answer.
“He said the younger woman thing was because of trauma and that he promised he would never embarrass me that way. He said he wanted me to know that he totally respected me and my mom and that he would be there if we needed something.” She stroked the dog’s head. “To be honest, he has been really supportive and stuff with us. I’m telling you this so you won’t worry about Thor.”
She thought about her aunt Stacey. “I’m sure Bay will be good with Kit and Stacey. They have a nice house and a yard. Uncle Kit’s really fun and Aunt Stacey is super smart. She’s going to cure MS or maybe help people with MS have less symptoms. I’m never sure when she talks about her work.” She hugged Jazz. “I get it. Even though you know everyone is okay, you’re going to miss your friends, though, aren’t you? I so get that. I miss Kaylee, but she’s off having fun with her new friends. You should see what she posts on Instagram all the time.” Becca waved her hands in the air. “Look at me! Look at me!”
Jazz’s steady gaze never wavered. Becca dropped her arms to her side.
“You have no idea who I’m talking about, do you,” she said with a sigh. “Sorry.” She thought briefly of pulling out her phone and showing Jazz the videos, then told herself the dog still wouldn’t care. Because this was all new to Jazz and no matter how well trained she was, she had to be scared.
“I remember the first night my dad left,” Becca admitted in a low voice as she sat on the floor and continued to pet the dog. “I was crying, my mom was crying, my grandmother kept asking my mom what she’d done wrong. It was horrible. Uncle Kit and Aunt Stacey had just gotten married and were on their honeymoon, so she wasn’t here.”
Becca sighed. “I don’t know if anyone’s told you this, but Great-Aunt Cheryl is gone. She was really old and she died.” She shifted so she sat directly in front of Jazz. “I promise I will always take care of you, Jazz. I’ll be here. I have to go to school and stuff, but then I’ll come home. You belong here now. With me.”
She smiled. “I always wanted a dog, but Mom said we couldn’t because Dad was allergic. After the drive home, I guess he really is. Anyway, I want you to know I’m going to take care of you. I have the book of instructions Great-Aunt Cheryl left me. I’ll get copies to Stacey and Lucas. You have to believe in me, okay? I’m going to be here. I’m not going to die like Great-Aunt Cheryl, and I’m not going to leave you like my dad.”
Tears unexpectedly formed. Becca brushed them away. It was one thing to be upset about the dogs, but she refused to cry over the divorce. It had been two years and she should be over it. At least that was what everyone else seemed to think.
She knew, compared to some of her friends, she had it easy. She wasn’t shuffled from house to house and she didn’t have to deal with a bunch of new stepbrothers and sisters. In fact, she rarely saw her father. He was too busy with his new life and Alicia.
“How’s it going?”
She looked up as Lucas walked into the living room, then leaned her head against Jazz. “We’re still getting to know each other. It’s only been a couple of days, so Jazz is a little scared.”
“Sure.” He sat in a club chair across the room. “There’s been a lot of change. How are you holding up?”
She glanced at him and rolled her eyes. “Why are you asking? You know I’m mad at my mom.”
“Yes, I do. Want to tell me why?”
She didn’t know what it was about Lucas, but she could always talk to him. Maybe it was because he didn’t speak to her like she was a kid—he treated her as if she were a regular person with thoughts and opinions and feelings.
When she’d first met him, she’d wondered if he was one of those creepy old guys she and her friends were always being warned about. One of her friends had a stepdad who’d tried to touch her, which was horrible and disgusting.
But Lucas wasn’t like that. He was nice. He listened and when he was around, her mom was a lot calmer. Becca had even gotten used to the really young girlfriends. Some of them were complete airheads, but a few had given her some fashion advice. Still, what was with naming your kid Persimmon?
“She always says no,” Becca grumbled, remembering the question. “I’ve begged for a dog forever and she said it was because of my dad. Then he moved out and she still said no. Great-Aunt Cheryl left the dogs to me in her will. They’re mine. Mom should respect that.”
Lucas didn’t say anything, but then he didn’t have to. She squirmed slightly. Jazz gave her a quick lick on her cheek before flopping to the floor. Becca sprawled out next to her and held her paw in her hand.
“Fine,” Becca said with a sigh. “Three dogs would be a lot, and I’ve never taken care of a dog before.” She glared at him. “There are instructions in the book and I’ve been reading them. I know how much they eat and when they have to be walked. I’m going to take care of Jazz. I’ll feed her and play with her and pick up after her.”
She shuddered as she thought of the volume of poop the three dogs had generated over the past couple of days. Gross didn’t come close, but everything had a price.
“I’ll even clean up the yard. I’m going to be a good dog mom. You’ll see.”
“Sounds like you have a plan.”
“I do.” She sat up. “Are you really taking Thor?”
“I am. He’ll be spending his days here while I’m at work, so Jazz won’t be alone.”
“Does Mom know?”
“I’ll tell her after dinner.”
Becca chuckled. “Thanks. She can’t tell you no and there’s no way she can watch Thor and make me get rid of Jazz, so thank you.”
“That wasn’t my master plan but it does seem to solve a lot of problems.”
He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a DVD case, then handed it to her. Becca look at the cover and laughed.
“You didn’t! Sixteen Candles. Thanks, Lucas. You know it’s my favorite.”
“I do know.”
Becca had a thing for the ’80s.