Trouble In Spades (28 page)

Turns out, Verona didn't know anything about the phony charity—but she had known about Colin's affair. And overlooked it in the name of love.

On the patio, Verona said something to S. Larue that had him smiling. "Come on," I said to Ana, "tell me what the
S
stands for!" They'd been on five dates and I still didn't know.

"
I
don't know!" she said. "He won't tell me."

"There's got to be a way to find out."

She gave me a secret smile. "I think it's kind of mysterious in a sexy way."

"You're insane."

"They look good together, don't they?" Ana asked, looking toward the patio.

"Larue and Verona?" She elbowed me. "Ow!"

"Maria and Nate."

I turned and looked back at Nate and Maria. After all the fuss and muss, the Wedding of the Century had been canceled. Nate had barely come to before Maria marched in a justice of the peace and married Nate right there in his ICU room.

My mother had needed resuscitation, which was somewhat fortuitous, seeing as how she was, after all, at the hospital when she found out.

In between doctor's visits and physical therapy, they'd spent their honeymoon locked in their new house. In time, Nate would be just fine. "Yeah, they do," I said. "Happy too."

"Until she opens your present."

I smiled. "She'll get over it." I hoped.

Ana laughed. "Well, I'm going to go up and get a front row seat."

"Think I'll stay here out of harm's way."

"Smart idea."

I bent over the railing, watched the koi swim. Fountain grass swayed in the breeze and the black pebbles in the pond sparkled beneath the water.

Warm hands settled on my hips. "You look beautiful."

I turned around, looked up. "So do you." He was wearing a dark navy suit, tailored to fit his broad shoulders, and a soft blue button-down, left open at the collar. The colors set off his blue eyes, made them seem darker and deeper. "I'm glad you came," I said. "Are you?"

Bobby took my hand. "I could do without the murderous stares from your husband, but seeing you in this dress makes it worth it."

"He's almost my ex-husband."

"Can't happen soon enough for me."

"Slow," I reminded.

"How slow is slow?" he asked.

"Snail slow."

He moaned. "You're killing me."

"Sorry."

"Don't apologize," he said. "I can wait."

For how long? I wondered, but didn't voice the thought. I glanced toward the porch. Sure enough, Kevin was staring. I finger waved. I couldn't believe Maria had invited him in the first place, but then again, she always did have a soft spot for him. And my father was behaving amazingly well, considering. Still, I was keeping a careful eye on those knives.

Kevin turned away, said something to Riley and Katie that had them in smiles, as if to prove that my being here with someone else didn't bother him.

It was Verona, really, who had helped me decide between Bobby and Kevin. I didn't want to be that woman who continually wondered where her husband was, or who he was with . . . Living a lie just because it was easier.

Kevin had taken my decision relatively well. And as far as I knew, he was still living with Ginger.

"Oh no," I muttered.

"What?"

"Maria. She's opening my gift. And it's not the Egyptian cotton sheets she wanted."

I ducked behind Bobby, peered around him.

Maria lifted the top off the box, peeked in. A series of
yip
yip yips
filled the air.

I couldn't help but smile at the look on Maria's face when she pulled Gracie out of the box, set her down.

"Curiosity and the cat, c
hérie,"
as my mother would say. For the rest of us, that translates to "Curiosity killed the cat."

The same, unfortunately, holds true for dogs. Recently, I learned this the hard way while I had temporary guardianship of a slightly crazy Chihuahua who decided to eat a very dangerous snack—a morning glory blossom. Those gorgeous plants and flowers we work so hard to grow can cause serious illness or death to our canine companions. Every year, more and more cases of dogs dying from eating poisonous plants are reported. With a little know-how, you can help prevent this from happening to your four-legged best friend . . . and create a beautiful garden at the same time.

Know your plants
. There are many, many types of poisonous plants with varying degrees of toxicity. Some common yet dangerous plants and shrubs include holly, hydrangea, oleander, azalea, foxglove, and morning glory. Certain bulbs are toxic too, like amaryllis, lily of the valley, tulips, daffodils, and day lilies. Bulbs are especially tempting—and hazardous—for dogs who like to dig.

Plan ahead.
There are several ways to protect your pets from these dangerous plants. Clearly defined pathways will help keep your dog on the right track—and out of your garden. Raised beds, hanging baskets, and containers will help keep your plants—and your puppies—safe.

Head them off at the pass.
Beyo
nd fencing, another good deterrent is mesh bags filled with mothballs tucked here and there between plants. Sprinkling granular laundry detergent or cayenne or black pepper throughout your garden will keep even the nosiest of dogs out. Also, covering bulbs with chicken wire when planting should keep them from being dug up and possibly eaten.

Uh-oh!
If you suspect your mischievous mutt has nibbled on something he shouldn't have, contact your veterinarian ASAP, preferably with the scientific name of the plant if at all possible.

Compromise
. For those of you whose dogs refuse to stop digging, I suggest creating a garden just for Fido. Set aside a spot in your yard filled with loose soil. Bury goodies like bones and other toys so your dog can feel like he's gardening too.

Forewarned is forearmed
. For a complete list of toxic plants, shrubs, trees, and bulbs—and other helpful animal poisoning advice—check out the website for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals at
www.aspca.org
.

And as an added reminder, before you give a dog as a gift, make sure the recipient is ready and willing to become a puppy parent. Trust me on that.

Best wishes for happy gardening.

This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author's imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

TROUBLE IN SPADES

Copyright © by Heather Webber. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

eBook Reader October 2007 ISBN 978-0-06-155564-0

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