Falling for Rayne (11 page)

             
Ivy reached over and patted her knee. “Mom and dad didn’t mean to make us so miserable. They thought they were doing the right thing.”

             
Rayne grimaced and nodded as she began to dig another hole. “I know. I love them and I miss them like crazy but a part of me is kind of relieved too. I feel so evil admitting that.”

             
Ivy snorted and shook her head. “You’re not evil. You’re human. And so am I because I’m relieved too. I just don’t want to get lost though. I don’t want to dive into all of our freedom so deeply that I can’t find my way out again.”

             
Rayne pushed her hat back and stared at her sister. “Like I said, we’ll start small. We’ll take baby steps together. You won’t let me get lost and I won’t let you get lost. We’ll leave bread crumbs for each other. Which reminds me, did you talk to Asher about singing in his band?”

             
Ivy nodded her head and pushed the strap of her tank top back over her shoulder. “I called him last night while you were out with Casanova over there. He wants to meet me and Cleo at this bar downtown so we can sing karaoke. He wants to see how I do in front of a crowd. If I can please a bar full of drunks, then he’ll give me a chance.”

             
Rayne grinned and laughed a little. “Wow, that kind of sounds like fun. Darn, I just agreed to go to a concert tonight, but if it gets over early we’ll come by and cheer you on. I love singing Karaoke,” she said wistfully.

             
Ivy laughed. “I still remember that time in Amsterdam when you dragged me to that bar and we sang all night long. Best memory of my life.”

             
Rayne reached over and slung an arm over Ivy’s shoulder and leaned her head against her sister’s. “Mine too. I just wish I sounded half as good as you do. Asher is going to beg you to be his lead singer after tonight.”

             
Ivy shrugged off the compliment and leaned in closer. “Just between you and me, I think Cleo has a thing for Asher. She can’t stop talking about him.”

             
Rayne grinned. “I thought I was picking up some vibes there. I wouldn’t be surprised. What about you? I kind of picked up on the fact that Becket can’t seem to keep his eyes off of you.”

             
Ivy blushed and looked away. “It’s the pink hair Rayne. You know that. People stare when someone looks even a little bit different. Don’t go seeing romance where there is none. Just because you’re dating a hot Marine, doesn’t mean I ever will,” she said morosely as she glanced around the yard as if she was looking for the man in question.

             
Rayne pursed her lips. “I guess we’ll just have to wait and see then, won’t we?”

             
Ivy shrugged and smiled lightly. “I guess so.”

             
They spent the next hour working and laughing and then went inside to shower and eat breakfast. After getting online and Googling the nearest animal shelter they were on their way. Cleo drove them in her Mini-Cooper and after getting lost a few times, they found their address.

             
Rayne pushed the door open and was immediately assaulted by the smell of animals. She covered her nose with her hand as Cleo stared at her with a raised eyebrow.

             
“Princess much?”

             
Rayne glared but didn’t remove her hand. Ivy looked pale but determined and soon they were being ushered to the back to see the dogs. Cleo took charge and tapped the tall woman on the arm. “Excuse me, is this a no-kill shelter?”

             
The woman frowned and shook her head. “No, and isn’t that horrible? I wish we were. But there’s just not enough room or funding.”

             
Cleo frowned and looked pointedly back at Rayne. She nodded her head automatically.
Noblesse Oblige
meant making donations to worthy causes when the opportunity arose.

             
“Please show us the dogs scheduled to be killed today,” Cleo said quietly and Rayne grabbed her throat as Ivy held on to her arm.

             
“What if I don’t like any of the dogs? Will they just all be killed then?” Ivy whispered in a horrified voice that carried throughout the whole shelter, making a few heads turn their way.

             
Rayne didn’t answer, knowing Ivy wouldn’t like the truth. The woman led them to the far back to five cages and pointed at them.

             
“Meet Howard, Jack, Dolly, Genghis and Patch.”

             
Rayne stared at the motley crew of dogs and frowned. She was used to seeing manicured poodles. These dogs looked like mongrels.

             
“Howard is a mutt, I’m not sure what he’s made up of. Jack looks like he’s mostly a Mastiff. Dolly is a mix of lab and poodle. Genghis there is a pit bull and Patch is a Basset Hound. Would you like me to bring one of them out of their cage?”

             
Rayne looked at Cleo and Ivy who were still contemplating the life and death of dogs in a shelter. She motioned to Jack, the large slobbery looking dog, thinking he would make the best guard dog. “I think Jack looks like a nice dog. What do you think Ivy?”

             
The woman opened the cage and hooked a leash to Jack’s collar, leading him out of the cage. He looked to be very docile and quiet. She leaned down and held her hand out for him to sniff and stared into his big, sad brown eyes and felt her heart turn over. “
Poor baby
,” she whispered, as she leaned over and petted him. “No one likes to be caged up,” she whispered, knowing that for most of her life, she had felt that way.

             
Ivy knelt down beside her and leaned in close. “We’re taking them all. I’m sorry Rayne, but I can’t take Jack here knowing that Dolly and Genghis are dying tonight. We’ll find homes for them, I swear, but I’m not leaving them here to die.”

             
Cleo walked over and overheard Ivy’s last words and nodded. “I’ll adopt one myself. That means, we’ll just have to find homes for three others.”

             
Rayne sighed loudly and massaged her temples. “Five dogs?
Are you two insane?
If the shelter can’t find people to love these dogs, how are we going to?” she hissed.

             
Ivy shrugged, looking mulish. “I don’t even care Rayne. I’ll do it. You know how you’re feeling so alive and free lately? Well, saving these animals would go a long way to helping my soul feel something. If I can’t feel alive, I’d at least like to feel like I’ve done something good in this world.”

             
Rayne narrowed her eyes at her sister warningly, but Ivy turned away and pointed to Dolly. “I want Dolly. Please let her out of the cage.”

             
Cleo stood next to her and pointed to Patch. “I’ve always wanted a Basset Hound. Come to mama,” she cooed and Rayne groaned.

             
The woman smiled brightly as she realized that she was getting rid of five dogs at once. “They’re all amazing dogs ladies. Jack used to live with a cute couple but when they had a baby, the wife insisted on getting rid of him. Sad too. Mastiff’s are really good around children and are very protective.”

             
Rayne petted Jack and smiled. “Well, that’s just what I need Jack. A good dog like you who will love me and protect me. You and I are going to make a good team.”

             
Jack made a loud sighing noise and laid down next to her as she continued to pet him. He lifted his head and looked at her with his soulful brown eyes again and she shook her head.
This was her dog
. She grinned and looked over at Ivy who was pursing her lips and shaking her head.

             
“She’s definitely my dog, but no way am I going to call her Dolly. If this is my first dog, I’m going to dang well name her myself.
Hmm
, she looks like a Kenya to me. What do you think Rayne?”

             
Rayne tilted her head and smiled at the Lab-poodle mix. “Well, I agree, Dolly is kind of old fashioned but can she pull off Kenya?”

             
The woman smiled and leaned down to pet Dolly. “To be honest, she’s a trendy new breed. A lot of people these days are purposefully mixing Labs with Poodles. No shedding, high intelligence and they’re good for people with allergies. And they just happen to be gorgeous. They’re calling them labradoodles.”

             
Ivy sighed happily. “I have a trendy labradoodle. Labradoodle. Labradoodle. I love that word! Kenya, you’re just the cutest little labradoodle I’ve ever seen,” she cooed as Kenya looked at her warily.

             
The woman smiled sadly and leaned down to pet Kenya. “She might take some time to bond to you. She was owned by an older couple and the wife had a stroke. She couldn’t move around very well and ended up tripping over her and so they had to get rid of her. Kenya took it hard.”

             
Ivy’s face fell as she stared at her dog. “Oh honey,” she said petting Kenya gently. “I’ll make it up to you. I’m going to take you to the beach tomorrow and we’ll have fun playing in the water. How does that sound?”

             
Rayne grinned at her sister and was suddenly very glad that they were all getting dogs. She’d never seen this side of Ivy before. She was going all soft and sweet over a dog and she was glad to see it.

             
Rayne pulled her phone out of her back pocket and took a quick picture of Ivy nuzzling Kenya’s face. Cleo grabbed her phone out of her hand and motioned for her to pose with Jack.

             
“Your turn Mama. Smile with your sweetheart there,” she said and took three quick pictures.

             
Rayne took her phone back and glanced at Cleo’s dog, who was laying on the ground just observing everyone. “Kind of a calm little dog, huh?”

             
Cleo walked back to Patch and sat down cross legged. “I’ve heard of Basset Hounds. They kind of have minds of their own. Like me.”

             
The woman nodded her head and walked over to Patch, leaning down to pet him. “And that’s why he’s here. Abandoned at the City park by a family who ran out of patience most likely. I’m positive he’s a purebred too. By nature they’re trackers so they’re always exploring interesting smells so if you call him, he might ignore you. They’re not the most obedient dog and they do have minds of their own.”

             
Cleo grinned and ran a hand over Patch, frowning at the hair she picked up.

             
“Oh and they shed. A lot,” the woman added, wincing fearfully in case Cleo changed her mind.

             
Cleo laughed with a shrug. “So did my ex-boyfriend. I’ll pick up a Dirt Devil on my way home. Not a problem.”

             
Rayne grinned and then frowned as she caught sight of the Pit Bull and the mutt still in their cages, staring at them woefully. Ivy and Cleo noticed them at the same time because they both turned and looked at her with pathetic expressions on their faces.

             
“Our house is big but adding three dogs to the equation will be hard enough. I’m totally fine taking Jack, Kenya and Patch, but guys come on. We can’t take two more.”

             
Ivy shook her head and stood up, putting her hands on her hips. “I won’t let them kill those dogs. Give me a week to find them a home. If I can’t, I’ll bring them back to the shelter.”

             
Cleo clasped her hands and the woman helping them even gave her a pleading look.

             
“
Fine!
But you’re taking care of them Ivy. Seriously, not me. And if they mess up all my flowers, I will personally sew up every hole and tear in your clothes.”

             
Ivy laughed at that but then sobered as she turned to the woman. “Will they mess up my sister’s flowers?”

             
The woman nodded her head. “Yep, they will. Especially the Basset Hound. Possibly Jack.”

             
Cleo looked sternly at Patch and shook her finger in his face. “Time to be good Patch. We just got you off death row and all you have to do in return is to leave Rayne’s pretty little flowers alone. Do we have a deal?”

             
Patch passed gas loudly and Ivy burst out laughing as Cleo gagged and scooted back. Rayne frowned and shook her head. “Looks like Patch is going to be an indoor dog.”

             
An hour later, they had all five dogs home. Rayne had sent Cleo to the store to get supplies for their new family members and Ivy was on the phone with a mobile dog groomer making an appointment.

             
“Tomorrow when the yard crew shows up, we’re going to be ready,” she said putting her cell phone down. “One of those guys working for Garrett is probably dying for a dog. A free dog who by tomorrow is going to look like a million bucks,” she added.