Hounded (Going to the Dogs) (18 page)

Four days of grueling work and they were ready. Brooke, Callie and Harper were meeting them at the auditorium. She had their costumes, the dogs’ costumes and treats for them for after the performance. Jared had chosen the music, and when he told her the title she’d laughed. He’d also laid out the routine and figured out what to do with the dogs. Everything was rehearsed and set.

Currently she was in Jared’s truck, the three dogs in the back seat vying for the half open window and the warm night air.

Poe closed her eyes and took a steadying breath, trying to quell the churning in her stomach.

Jared glanced over at her. “Jitters?”

“A little.”

Shifting his arm, he slipped it around her shoulders and drew her securely into the curve of his body.

“Everything will turn out fine. You really want to win.”

“I have to win.”

“Competitive.”

She let him think that. She didn’t know why she couldn’t tell him about her mother and what she wanted to accomplish by winning the competition. But something held her back from telling him and telling her friends. This was between her mother and her.

“Have you heard from your brother?” She broke the silence, hoping conversation would help to take her mind off her nerves.

“Yeah, I called him after he slinked out of your apartment.”

“How is he doing?”

“Better.”

“So is there any chance of him getting back with this Pru?”

“When I found out Daisy was depressed, I went over there and I found him home from work looking like shit. He kinda broke down. He was supposed to have gone on this white water rafting trip with her, but because she’d left, he didn’t go. I suggested he go after her. I don’t know if he will or not.”

“Oh, poor guy.” She was genuinely sorry for Nate. Sometimes people were their own worst enemies. “I wish I could offer a friend, but two of them are getting married and Harper would eat him alive.”

“He did something to ruin it. So don’t feel too sorry for him.”

“Losing love is hard. When it’s something you did, I bet it’s even worse.”

His hands tightened on the wheel. She could only guess it was in response to his brother’s predicament.

“I bet it is,” he said with a rasp.

The Stark Auditorium was located not far from Times Square. The crush of traffic slowed them down until they were at a crawl. Finally they reached the parking lot and a free space. Pulling in, Jared turned off the engine.

When she went to get out, he grabbed her wrist. “Poe, wait.”

She settled back into the seat and he looked out the windshield for a moment. “Before we go inside and face that huge crowd, I just wanted to say that these past three weeks have been a blast. I’ve had such a good time with you.”

Her throat got tight. “Are you breaking up with me?”

“No! Are we dating?”

“Um. Yeah, I think so. Are you okay with that? I know you have to go back to your apartment.”

He nodded glumly. Then he leaned forward. “Let’s kiss for good luck.”

She was expecting something quick, but when her mouth touched his, he cupped the back of her head and they got lost in each other for a few moments.

When she opened the door, the summer heat enveloped her. She grabbed her tote from the front floorboards along with the three leashes before shutting the door.

After securing the dogs, Jared walked with all three of them while Poe carried their supplies.

There were registration tables set up in the main lobby area and Jared and Poe got into line at the
M
to
Z
table, where they were assigned a waiting area and given their place in the lineup.

Inside it was pure chaos. With so many participants and so many dogs, the noise was deafening.

“Poe!”

She turned at the sound of her name and saw her three friends in the stands, waving madly. She waved back just as madly.

“Break a leg!” Callie called.

Poe blew them a kiss.

Then it was Jared’s turn to stop. “Shoot! Nate’s here.”

Poe searched the numerous faces in the stands and saw him. He tipped his hat and raised his glass of beer.

“Is that going to make you more nervous?” she asked.

“Naw, but I’m sure he’s going to give me a hard time about it every chance he gets.”

“That’s what brothers are for. Come on. We’ve got to get to our area, change, and get these dogs into their costumes.”

“When do we go on?”

“We’re sixth.”

“Okay,” he said as they located where they were supposed to wait. Poe found a ladies’ room while Jared watched the dogs. She slipped on the black vest and buttoned it up, her hands trembling, then the beaded and fringed mini-skirt and the too-cool turquoise and black cowboy boots. Lastly, she fitted the cowgirl hat on her head. She was wearing her bat earrings for good luck.

When she got back to Jared, he looked her up and down, his eyes saying that he liked her outfit.

“Your turn. Hurry.”

He’d already prepared the dogs, and Poe covered her grin at how cute they looked in their saddles and horse heads.

Poe heard an appreciative whistle behind her. When she turned, she got the full impact of Jared walking towards her in a sinful pair of tight wranglers, a fringed black leather vest over his bare chest, scuffed and well-worn leather boots complete with spurs, and a black Stetson pulled down low over his eyes. He looked like a cowboy, and the clothes he was wearing wasn’t a costume. Jared was the real deal. He’d mended fences, birthed calves and branded them. Participated in cattle drives and he’d ridden a horse like he was born in the saddle.

For one sudden moment, she wanted to see him in that environment. She wanted to watch him in action. She knew what he could do with a rope when he was fooling around. She’d love to see what he could do when he was being serious. And she wanted to hear a real Roy-ism straight from the horse’s mouth, so to speak.

She’d never been far from New York City. She never really had the inclination or the money to travel like her friends, but she wanted to see Texas and compare it with the way he described it for herself, in the flesh. She wanted to learn to ride a horse. The woman who had whistled at him whistled again in appreciation and Jared shook his head.

“She’s not the only one who thinks you look damn sexy.”

He tilted his head and slipped his thumbs into his belt loops, “Aw shucks, ma’am. You’re plumb makin’ me blush, now.”

She leaned forward, but the brims of their hats collided. He smiled and whispered in her ear. “Remind me to teach you how to kiss Texas-style with hats on. It’s an art.”

She laughed and her butterflies flew away. They were going to win. They had to.

A man with a clipboard came over to them. “You’re on next. Get ready.”

He spoke into a walkie talkie. “Cue up music for couple 124. Good luck.”

They walked to the entrance, keeping the dogs on their leashes. Poe gave Daisy a quick glance and she was holding her own. Her Terribles didn’t need her to worry about their nerves. They had none.

The man stood with them just as the couple before them finished up their disco routine.

She turned to Jared with big eyes. “We would have followed them, and that
would
have been embarrassing.”

The same man said, “Go ahead and get to the middle of the floor. As soon as you’re situated, we’ll start the music. Go now.”

Poe said, “Dance.” Off their leashes, Edgar and Allan followed her while Daisy stayed close to Jared.

“Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the floor, Dr. Poe Madigan, a homegrown New Yorker, and her Jack Russell terriers, Edgar and Allan…and a former Marine, straight from the Texas Hill Country, Jared Taylor and his basset hound, Daisy.”

Once they reached the middle, she turned her back to him while he stood there. As soon as the music started and Toby Keith sang the opening bars of
Beer for My Horses
, she felt a tap on her shoulder and she whirled to find Jared. She pretended like he was asking her for a dance and pantomimed,
who, me?
with her hand to her chest.

She shook her head and he pulled at the lariat on his belt and started to twirl it around him with a deft ease that she still found so sexy. He whipped it over his head and then jumped through it one, two, then three times. After the final whirl, the rope landed over her, tightened and he reeled her in. She couldn’t help laughing along with the audience as there was a collective
awwww
. It was so much fun.

He let the rope drop. She reached up and he immediately settled her into a hold, and as soon as he did they started to move. Daisy wove between their legs while Edgar and Allan followed behind rocking back and forth on their paws like bucking broncs, Poe giving them hand signals as they moved.

When they went into the second verse, they all spread out to form a line, and they moved in formation, the dogs spinning when Poe and Jared spun.

It was going flawlessly. When they got to the last verse, they heel-and-toed their way into a circle and the dogs did their bucking bronc moves. The crowd went wild. Jared reached down into the bag they brought and grabbed three beer mugs, passing one to her.

They slammed them down at the end and all three dogs stuck their muzzles into the mugs.

She and Jared pressed their backs together and folded their arms, crossing one ankle over the other.

The crowd erupted into frenzied clapping and the announcer thanked them for the performance.

When they got back to their area, Callie, Brooke and Harper were waiting for them. Callie was jumping up and down. “Oh, my God. You were great. They were so good and looked so cute. Good job, guys!” She leaned down and generously rumpled each canine head.

“Thanks. I was a nervous wreck. I’m so glad Jared was out there with me.”

“I’ll have to admit. It was pretty fun. Kooky, but fun.”

They had plenty of time to wait, so they watched the rest of the routines until the final one ended. There was a break for judging, and the winners would be announced in thirty minutes.

“You want something to eat?” Jared asked.

Poe clutched her stomach and shook her head. “I’m too nervous to eat.”

A rush of clapping echoed in the auditorium. The judges were back, and Mrs. Craig stepped up to the podium. “When I call out your numbers, please make your way to the middle of the floor.”

She grabbed Jared’s hand and squeezed it tight.

“Number 73, number 112, and number 124.”

Excitement setting off sparks into her blood stream, she dragged Jared out into the middle of the floor.

Mrs. Craig said, “Thank you for such a wonderfully entertaining afternoon. This is a fitting tribute to my dear late husband, Seymour. I’m sure he’s as impressed with your performances as I am.” Her voice caught a little, but she regained her composure. “I met him during a competition like this, and we had forty wonderful years of marriage together.”

She had three cards in her hand, and Poe wondered if a person could die from anticipation. So much was riding on this.

“The third place winners are Number 112, Jack and Susan Watson, and their border collies, May and September. They will each receive five thousand dollars. Congratulations. You were marvelous!”

The couple to the right of them hugged.

“The second place winners are Number 124, Dr. Poe Madigan and Jared Taylor and their dogs, Edgar and Allan, and Daisy. They will receive ten thousand apiece. Congratulations! Such a cute dance routine.”

Poe didn’t hear the names of the winners, or of their dogs, as crushing disappointment overwhelmed her. Jared hugged her, but she just stood there, her hopes dashed. He led her back to the waiting area. All her friends were jumping up and down. “Second place. That’s great!”

Still feeling oddly disconnected, she just stood there.

“Poe, are you all right?” Callie said. It was an effort to raise her eyes to her friend’s face, and, to her horror, her own face crumpled and she sobbed into her hands.

“Oh, God. What’s wrong?” Brooke put an arm around Poe’s shoulders. “Jared, get her some water.”

“I couldn’t have come in second. It’s not enough.”

“What is she saying? I don’t understand her,” Callie said

Embarrassment infused her and she her face flushed, hot tears sliding down her face.

“Poe,” Jared said. “What’s wrong? Calm down.”

“Poe, it’s just a silly competition. Why are you so upset?” Harper asked.

“It’s not a silly competition. I was doing it for my mother. She’s going to lose her house, and it’s all because of me.”

“What?” Harper said. “You needed money? That’s what this competition was about?”

“Yes.”

Harper stepped back her face ashen. She bit her lip. “This is my fault.”

A rush of surprise paralyzed her. “How can this be your fault?”

“I paid off your partner to drop out.”