“You’re going to love me,” he said when I climbed in.
Already on my way there, I thought. Don’t give me more reasons. “Why?” was the only thing I said.
“I brought my mom’s Yorkie for you to play with.” He reached behind my seat and pulled out a little ball of brown-and-black fur. I immediately reached for the dog and pulled it against my chest.
The dog stretched his head up and started licking my chin as his tail beat against my arm over and over. “Aww. You’re right, I do love you.”
“Thank you,” Seth said.
“I was talking to the dog.” I buckled my seat belt. “What’s her name? His name?” I lifted the dog to check.
“Her,” he said.
“Yes. That’s correct.”
He laughed. “Her name is Quinn.”
“Hello, Quinn. You are the most adorable thing in the world.”
“More adorable than Heeboo?” Seth asked.
“Shhh.” I pushed the hand that wasn’t holding Quinn against the side of Seth’s face. “We don’t compare around here.”
He laughed again. “You are the cutest.”
“Are you talking to me or to the dog?” I asked.
“The dog, of course.”
I set the dog in my lap and met Seth’s eyes. “Thank you, by the way. For coming.”
“I’m glad you thought of me to help. How many friends did you try before finding one to respond?”
“I … no … um … ”
“Wow, how far down the list was I? You can’t even remember.”
“I remember,” I said, then held my phone out for him. “This is the address.”
He looked at my phone and the map I had up on it. “Got it.” He pulled onto the road.
“This would be a good plot in one of your stories,” I said. “The one with the messed-up adult. Or almost-adult.”
“What do you mean? Is your brother in some kind of trouble?”
“I don’t know. Maybe … probably. Money trouble. He’s always in money trouble it seems.”
“Everyone has problems. There is no judgment here.”
“Please. Judge away. I would if I were in your shoes.”
“I don’t think that’s true.” Out of the corner of my eye I saw his hand move my way, and then, as if he changed his mind, it was back on the steering wheel again.
As the car got closer to our destination, I was even happier that Seth had brought the dog. She was curled up in my lap and I was petting her over and over. She was the perfect distraction for my nerves.
“I know I wasn’t … I mean last time I … when we were in the tunnel … I’m sorry I … ” Why couldn’t I just spit it out? I was a jerk and scared and …
“What about last time?” Seth asked, his eyes on the road. “I was telling you a funny story. It was supposed to make you laugh. I think I should be apologizing for making things weird.”
“No, you don’t need to apologize.”
“Is everything better with your friends? You had been in a fight with them last time.”
I sighed. “No. Not really. Hopefully we can work it out. We always have in the past.”
“I’m sure you will.”
I nodded.
“Is this it?” he asked as he parked next to a white truck with the words Wendell Construction on the side.
“This is it.”
We got out of the car. Seth took the dog from me and let her down on a patch of grass. The front door of the condo was open and I knocked on it. “Hello!” I called out.
“Back here,” a voice said.
I gripped the envelope to my chest and glanced over my shoulder. Seth scooped up the dog and tucked her under his arm. The dog looked tiny there and I smiled at how sweet Seth looked holding her. He joined me on the porch.
I pushed the door open farther and stepped inside. It was definitely a construction zone. Walls were in various stages of repair, pipes and wires were exposed, wood and drywall sat in piles on the ground. But I could see the vision. Beau was going for an open concept, with vaulted ceilings reaching all the way to a second-floor landing area, where a bed was visible through black metal railing. The kitchen was at the back of the room. A man stood assembling (or maybe disassembling, according to his phone threats) handles on gray cabinetry. A large, cage-looking light fixture hung over an island.
The man, Paul I assumed, wiped his hands on his pants and turned to face us.
“You have my money?” was his greeting.
I held up the envelope. “Can I see the bill? And I’ll need a receipt.”
He seemed put out by my request, mumbling about how he already gave Beau a bill detailing the work. But he dug through a bag on the island, then pulled out a crumpled piece of paper.
“Cute dog,” he said to Seth as he handed me the paper.
“Yeah, thanks,” Seth said.
For whatever reason the statement about the dog made me trust the guy more. I looked over the detailed bill. I could see the things around the room that it referred to—the new cabinetry, light fixtures, electrical, and on and on. I handed Paul the envelope.
He opened it immediately and looked at the check. “If this bounces, we’re done.”
“It’s good,” I said.
He nodded, then went back to the island and wrote me out a receipt. Then he cleaned up his stuff. Seth raised his eyebrows at me, then pointed his chin at the dog.
“Yes, please,” I said.
He placed Quinn in my arms. I immediately kissed her head and continued to observe Paul until he’d packed everything and left the house. I was finally able to breathe.
Seth turned a big circle in the room, looking up at the exposed pipes in the ceiling that made the room feel industrial in a cool way.
“This is pretty amazing,” he said. “This is your brother’s place?”
“Yes.” I walked over to the window and looked outside. The view out there was just as cool—a big courtyard patio with a fireplace and fountain.
I checked my phone again but there was no missed call from Beau. I pointed to the stairs. “Can you just … give me a second?” I asked Seth.
“Of course.”
I placed Quinn on the ground to stretch out her legs and I bounded up the stairs. I wasn’t sure what I was looking for. Proof that my brother was making smart choices? Something that told me everything would be okay? But I only found the opposite in the form of a stack of casino receipts on his nightstand. I was going to kill him.
Seth was sitting on my brother’s expensive-looking couch when I came back down.
“Everything okay?” he asked.
Everything was not okay, but I sucked up my anger and shrugged. “I don’t know. I can’t get ahold of my brother. Do you mind … can we wait here for a little while?”
“Sure.”
“You don’t have to wait with me. You can leave. My brother will give me a ride home when he gets here. I just—”
“Maddie, it’s fine. I’ll wait with you.”
“Okay. Thank you.” I sat down on the couch next to him. “Where did Quinn go?”
He pointed to the corner of the room where the dog had found one of my brother’s tennis shoes and was sleeping on it. I smiled. “I want a dog.”
“You don’t have one? I thought you, the animal lover, would have five dogs.”
“They’re an added expense and my parents couldn’t afford one. And my dad’s allergic to cats. So yes, we are an animal-free house. Another reason why I love working at the zoo.”
“Another reason? Aren’t the animals your only reason?” His dark eyes challenged me.
“Well, there’s the train ride and carousel, too. We can’t forget those.”
He smiled and I bit my bottom lip, containing my own smile.
A metal nut was on the floor by my foot and I picked it up, then looked around the room.
“Are you trying to figure out where it came from?” Seth asked.
“Yes. It’s so random. Is there a bolt around here missing a nut or does Mr. Paul Where Is My Money Wendell just walk around with spares in his pockets?”