Chasing Bailey, page 18
part #3 of Lake Harriet Series
“What happened?” the vet asked as he and the technician carefully lifted Bailey onto the stretcher.
“A car hit him. He’s still breathing, though,” Lisa told him. They took him inside with Lisa and Avery right behind them.
“Wait out here,” the tech said. “We’ll let you know how he is right after we check him.”
Lisa watched Bailey being rolled to the back room. Her face was tear-streaked, and her mascara had smeared. Avery’s heart went out to her. She was shivering, so he took off his coat and slipped it over her.
“Come on. Let’s sit,” he said gently. The place was empty since they’d been closing when Kristen had called them. They found a pair of chairs in the small waiting room and sat, side-by-side.
“I can’t lose Bailey,” Lisa said softly. “Abby will be heartbroken.”
“We aren’t going to lose Bailey.” Avery spoke in a soothing tone. “He’s young and strong. He’s going to be fine.”
Lisa nodded but didn’t look convinced. “I shouldn’t have called for him. It was a stupid thing to do. He’d be fine right now if I hadn’t called for him.”
Avery placed his arm around her shoulders in a comforting gesture. “It wasn’t your fault. You didn’t see the car coming. It was an accident.”
“I’m going to kill Andrew,” she said with disdain.
Avery’s brows shot up. “Why?”
“He’s the one who put Bailey in the front yard. If he hadn’t done that, Bailey wouldn’t have dug under the fence and run across the street.”
“Oh. So, things aren’t going well between you and Andrew?” Avery asked, surprised.
She gave him a frown. “No. Why would you think they were? I’m counting down the days until he leaves.”
Avery thought about what he’d seen through her front window on Saturday night. They hadn’t been discussing their future together like he’d thought. Relief flooded through him. “I just thought, you know, spending so much time together might remind you of the good old days.”
Lisa snorted. “I honestly can’t remember any good old days. I do know that the first thing I’m going to do is kick him out of the house. He’s been taking advantage of our deal way too long, and now this happened. He’s out of there!”
If there was ever a perfect time to tell Lisa he was sorry, now was it. He wasn’t going to let the moment pass. “Lisa? I’m sorry about everything I said to you the last time we spoke. You were right. I don’t understand how hard it is to pinch every penny, and I’ve never had anyone in my life I was responsible for. I understand now that you did what you had to do for Abby. I hope you’ll forgive me.”
Her face softened. “Of course I forgive you. And I’m sorry too. I didn’t mean to make it sound like your problems were any less important than mine. I was angry and upset, and scared. I think you’re pretty amazing.” She gave him a small smile. “You keep saving me. Even when I don’t think I need saving, there you are. I don’t know what I would have done without you tonight.”
“Oh, sweetie. That couldn’t be any further from the truth,” he said, gazing down into her beautiful blue eyes.
She looked at him quizzically, but then the veterinarian came in and interrupted their conversation. Lisa sprung up, bracing for the news about Bailey.
“Bailey is doing okay,” the vet said. “He had a pretty good blow to the head, but he’s awake now and the X-ray shows no signs of bleeding or swelling in his brain. He has two broken ribs and his right front leg is broken, but otherwise, he’s fine.”
Lisa let out a long sigh. “Thank goodness. Can we see him?”
“He’s drugged up pretty good right now. I’m going to keep him that way for a while, so he doesn’t move around and re-injure those ribs. I’ll put a cast on his leg and let him sleep tonight. It would be best if he doesn’t see you, because dogs tend to get overly excited when they see their owners.”
“Oh.” Lisa looked disappointed. “How long will he have to stay?”
“I’d like to keep him a couple of days to make sure he rests quietly, then I’d also like to take one more X-ray of his brain before you bring him home. Just to be on the safe side. I’d say he could probably go home by this weekend, or maybe Monday at the latest.”
“Can we visit him tomorrow?” Lisa asked.
“Maybe for a few minutes. I know you’re anxious to see him, but rest is what’s best for him right now.” The vet smiled. “He’s a pretty lucky dog. To be hit that way and still be alive is rare. I think he has an angel looking over him.”
Avery glanced at Lisa, thinking of Abby. Yes, Bailey had two angels who loved him very much.
Avery drove Lisa back to the neighborhood as she texted Kristen to let her know how Bailey was.
“Kristen says she’ll keep Abby overnight since the girls are almost ready for bed. Maybe that’s a good thing. I don’t think I have the energy to explain to her what happened to Bailey. It’ll be easier tomorrow.”
Avery asked if she wanted to get something to eat, but she shook her head. “There’s one more thing I need to do. It’s time I told Andrew to get out.”
They were just driving up to her house as she said that. When he stopped the car, Avery touched her gently on the arm. “Do you want me to come inside in case things get ugly?”
“Thanks, but I’ll be okay. I need to do this one by myself.” She leaned over and kissed his lips lightly, then, looking determined, stepped out of the car and headed up the sidewalk.
Chapter Twenty-One
Lisa walked inside her house, went directly over to Andrew, and said, “I want you out of here!”
Andrew stared at her like she was crazy. “What? What’s going on?”
“I’ll tell you what’s going on,” she said, barely able to control her anger. “You almost killed your daughter’s dog tonight by being careless and letting him out where he didn’t belong. You’re lazy and selfish and you’ve overstayed our deal. I want you out of here by noon tomorrow, no excuses.”
“Oh, come on, Lisa. This is ridiculous. It’s just a dog. Don’t I even deserve top billing over a dog?”
“No, you don’t.” She walked past him to her bedroom and tossed a few personal things and a change of clothing into a tote bag. When she came out, Andrew was still lying on the sofa as if she hadn’t said a thing. “You’d better start calling your friends and get someone to take you and your crap out of here tomorrow morning,” she told him.
“Who am I supposed to call?” he asked, sounding like a petulant child.
“I don’t care!” she yelled. “Call an Uber. Call a moving company. It’s not my problem. Just make sure you’re gone tomorrow before I get home or I’m calling the police and having you removed.”
Andrew glared at her. “All this over a stupid dog that you didn’t even want in the first place,” he grumbled.
Lisa grew so enraged she could have smacked him over the head. She walked closer and looked him in the eye. “That dog is your daughter’s best friend. That dog has become a part of our family and is more loyal than you ever were. So you’d better never say anything like that to me, or around Abby again.” She pointed her finger at him. “And you’d better honor our bargain. I kept up my side. If you try to lower Abby’s support payments again, I’m suing you. I have a signed document, by you, stating you won’t try again. You’d better live up to that promise.”
Andrew stared at her, dumbfounded, but didn’t say a word. Lisa walked back outside and slammed the door, then stood there a moment, unsure of where she was going. She had planned on going to Kristen’s to spend the night, but as she stood on the porch, her eyes were drawn to Avery’s house. Exhausted from her emotional day, she let her legs take her to the only place she wanted to go.
Avery opened the door and looked at her with wide eyes. He’d changed into sweats and looked warm, comfortable, and cuddly. “Hi.”
“Hi,” she managed, suddenly feeling self-conscious about coming here. This wasn’t something she’d normally do, but she’d been drawn here after the stressful day she’d had. She forced herself to continue. “Can I stay here with you tonight? After everything, I don’t want to be at my house. I don’t want to be alone.”
He opened his door wider and moved aside. “Sure. Of course. Come in.”
Lisa walked in and glanced around. He had a brown leather sofa and chair in the living room along with a television set sitting inside a large cabinet. Beyond that, the kitchen looked nice and neat, the counters clear of the usual items homes had. The walls were bare and there was nothing personal in the rooms. Unopened boxes were piled in the corner. It looked like he’d just moved in, even though he’d been there over a year.
“Am I interrupting your work?” she asked, peering at the front bedroom where the light was still on.
“No. Actually, I’ve already sent the book off to my agent and editor. It’s in their hands now.”
“Congratulations,” she said. “What are you working on now?” She nodded toward the office.
“I was working on some notes for another book. Thankfully, the ideas never stop.”
She smiled. He looked as nervous as she felt.
“Are you hungry?” he asked. “A little magical elf must have picked up the grocery bags I’d dropped and put everything away in my kitchen. I found the fridge full and the rest on the counter.”
“That would be Kristen. Our neighbors are amazing. I don’t know what I’d do without them.”
“They are a great group of people,” he agreed.
She followed him into the kitchen, and he opened the fridge.
“Look. She even added a jar of homemade soup. It looks like vegetables and beef.” He pointed to the Ball jar in the fridge. “We could have grilled cheese and soup.”
“Now that you mention it, I am hungry. That sounds good.”
They worked side-by-side in the kitchen heating up the soup and making the grilled cheese. Avery added tomatoes to his sandwich, and Lisa told him to add some to hers. He pulled a bag of chips out of the cupboard and they sat on stools at the counter and ate, each drinking a beer, too.
“This is delicious,” she said after taking a bite of the sandwich. “I don’t know why I never thought to use tomatoes before.”
“It’s my mom’s recipe. She used mayo on the bread, which I didn’t, but it’s good that way too.”
They ate and talked about the accident, going over every detail again. She told him what she’d said to Andrew, and that she hoped he’d be gone by tomorrow morning.
“That’s why you didn’t want to stay there tonight?” he asked.
She nodded but didn’t add that she hadn’t wanted to be anywhere else but here, with Avery.
“Don’t take offense, but it looks like you never really unpacked. Didn’t you think you’d live here very long?” she asked.
“I don’t know what I was thinking,” he said. “I bought this place because it was still close to the trails around Lake Harriet, and because it looked like a quiet neighborhood where I could hide out and write. I was so angry then that I just never took the time to make this a home.”
“What about now?” Lisa asked. “Do you want to make it your home now? Or are you still thinking about buying back your other house across from the lake?”
“I don’t know,” he said honestly. “I did love that house, but I like where I am right now, too.” He smiled at her. “I especially like my neighbors.”
They cleaned up their mess and loaded the dishwasher, then Lisa went to sit on the sofa and Avery sat down near her. She yawned. She was suddenly so drained from all that had happened that day. Avery moved closer to her and she rested her head on his shoulder.
“What did you mean tonight at the vet’s when you said that saving me couldn’t be further from the truth?” she asked.
“Oh. That.” He slipped his arm around her shoulders and she snuggled in closer to him. “You said I was always saving you. But the truth is, you saved me.”
Lisa lifted her head and looked at him curiously. “I saved you?”
“Yes. Sure, I’ve helped you with some things, but they were all things you could have done yourself. The truth is, you and Abby and even Bailey are the ones who saved me. From myself. From being an angry, hateful, spiteful hermit.” He laughed a little and Lisa smiled.
“I’m sure you would have gotten over all that at some point without us,” she said.
Avery turned serious. “I’m not sure I would have. My writing was suffering, I wasn’t open to meeting anyone new or making friends, and I was just growing more bitter by the day. But after I met you, my life turned around. I could write again, and I could feel other things besides anger.” He reached for her hand. “You changed my life. I’m happy again. And when we fought about Andrew, I thought I’d lost you and that happiness. It was the worst thing I’d ever experienced. Worse than my marriage breaking up. Worse than losing my house. Because losing you and Abby was like losing the most precious gift anyone has ever given me.”
Tears filled her eyes as she listened to his words. “I felt the same way about losing you. I wanted to call and apologize, but I didn’t. I felt like I had way too much going on in my life and I didn’t want to complicate yours any more than it already was. But I missed you so much.”
“I’m falling in love with you, Lisa,” Avery said tenderly. “Is that weird to say? After only knowing each other a few weeks?”
She shook her head and smiled as tears fell down her cheeks. “No. Because I’m falling for you, too.”
He leaned down and their lips met in a soft kiss. She circled her arms around his neck, and he wrapped his around her, too, and soon their kiss deepened. When they finally pulled away, Avery grinned at her.
“What?” she said, smiling back.
“This is all because of a silly black and white dog named Bailey.”
“Thank goodness for Bailey,” she whispered.
Later, Avery offered to make up the sofa for himself and let her have the bed.
“Do you mind if I sleep with you?” she asked. “I don’t want to be alone tonight.”
He nodded and when they slipped into bed, he curled his body around hers, holding her tightly. Safe and warm in his embrace, Lisa, for the first time in a long time, felt loved. She knew that she had the strength to face whatever tomorrow would bring because of her love for Avery.
***
Lisa called work the next morning to take a personal day. She needed to make sure Andrew had left, check on Bailey, and explain to Abby that her best friend was in the animal hospital and would be home soon.
Avery went with her to pick up Abby and then took them out to breakfast. There, they explained to Abby, in as simple of terms as possible, about what had happened to Bailey.
“Baywee come home?” the little girl asked, looking up at her mom with sad eyes.
“Yes, sweetie. He’s coming home in a few days. But we’ll have to take care of him, like we took care of you after you came home from the hospital. Do you remember that?” Lisa said.
“Okay. Baywee get a lot of love,” she told her mother.
Lisa smiled and kissed her on the cheek. “Yes. We’ll give him a lot of love.” She glanced up at Avery. “We owe Bailey a lot.”
Avery grinned back and winked.
Avery drove them to the veterinarian’s and the three were allowed to go into the kennel and see Bailey. The dog was lying on a blanket, sleeping, but he opened his eyes when he heard them. He didn’t move much, only wagged his tail as Lisa and Abby knelt beside him and pet him gently.
“Love Baywee,” Abby said, and laid her head on the dog’s back.
Tears sprung up in Lisa’s eyes as she watched her daughter. It was so sweet to see how much Abby loved Bailey. He was the puppy Lisa hadn’t wanted, but now, all she wanted was for Bailey to be home and healthy again.
“Where to now?” Avery asked as they piled back into the car.
Lisa looked at the time on her phone. “Well, I guess we should check to see if he left the house yet.” She made a point not to say Andrew’s name in front of Abby. After all, he was her father and she didn’t want her own opinions of him pressed onto Abby.
Avery drove them home. “Do you want me to go inside with you?”
“We’ll be okay. I’ll talk to you later,” she said. She wanted to kiss him but refrained. That was yet another thing she’d have to slowly let Abby get used to. Luckily, Avery understood.
When she walked in the front door, the house was still a mess, but Andrew wasn’t perched on the sofa as he’d been the entire time, and the television was turned off. She headed for the back bedroom and it was empty too. Lisa let out a long sigh. She finally had her life back.
As she began picking up the dishes and empty food bags, and Abby was playing with toys on the floor, she found a note on the kitchen counter. I’m sorry. That was all it said, but it was enough. At least Andrew had acknowledged he’d been in the wrong. It didn’t absolve him of everything, but at least it was a start.
She looked over at Abby and her heart filled with love for her daughter. Even though she knew she’d forever be tied to Andrew, she could live with it. Because she had Abby: the most important part of her life. She hoped that someday, maybe Avery would be a part of their life together, too.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Avery was excited about Thanksgiving this year. Last year he’d spent the day alone in his house, eating pizza. This year, he’d be with Lisa and Abby, and Kristen, Ryan, and Marie were also joining them. It would be like a good, old-fashioned holiday, and he was thankful to be a part of it.
Avery had a lot to be thankful for. Meeting Lisa and Abby had changed his life. He was happy, something he hadn’t experienced for a long time. They filled his heart with love and joy, and he couldn’t imagine life without either of them. And then there was Bailey. He considered Bailey his guiding angel, even if he’d once thought of him as the annoying dog across the street. Bailey had come home from the vet’s a few days after the accident with a cast on his leg. He’d moved slowly and awkwardly for a time but soon turned back into the busy dog he’d been before he’d been hit. The cast didn’t seem to slow him down. He was alive, and that was something Avery was very thankful for.
