Elli (A Second Chance Novel Book 1) Page 26
“I love you, Tante Izzy.” Elli laughed.
“Oh, Mon Dieu. I forget.” The old lady reached into the purple, pink, and green daisy purse hanging from her arm. “I’ve got somethin’ fer youz.” She handed Elli an amber bottle of liquid. “Da Traiteur fixed youz a love potion.”
Elli immediately tried to hand the bottle back to Tante Izzy. “I don’t want or need this.”
She stepped back. “Now, youz be careful when youz drink it. It’s mighty potent. Youz and Ben need to drink it at da same time and kiss immediately after. If’n he won’t drink it, sneak it in his coffee, then plant a kiss on his lips.”
Elli knew arguing with Tante Izzy was a waste of time. It was best for her to keep the potion and throw it in the garbage later. She shoved it into the back pocket of her jeans.
“Heed my words, now, youz hear?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Elli really did love this crazy lady. “Is it too early for gumbo?”
“Not when youz as skinny as a worn shoe sole.”
Elli laughed. “I’m skinny, but you have the body of a supermodel.”
“Youz got dat right.” Instead of heading to the tent, Tante Izzy climbed the steps and opened the back door. “Ben. Allons manger.”
Ben came to the screen door and looked at Tante Izzy. “I’m not hungry. I’ll eat later.” Through the screen, he looked at Elli and pointed a stern finger at her. “You. Inside.”
Elli sighed. “Tante Izzy, I need to see a man about a dog.”
“Remember what I told youz bout da potion.” She turned and walked away. Elli noticed that she was wearing popsicle pink sneakers that lighted with every step she took.
“How’s Doe?” she asked when she stepped inside the house.
“I fed her and put her in the kennel in the spare bedroom.” He walked into the kitchen and Elli followed. “The smaller kennel space will help calm her.” He poured a cup of coffee and Elli remembered the amber bottle in her pocket. She pulled it out, thought about throwing it in garbage, but decided to wait until later. She stuffed it in her front pocket and sat at the kitchen table.
“Thank you for taking care of her.” Elli stood and got a bottle of vitamin water from the refrigerator, not noticing how she opened the crazy, off-kilter door without a thought. “I don’t know why she flies off the handle like that.”
“I do.” They sat across from one another at the table. “I made a few calls and found out that Doe was abused.” When Elli gasped, Ben grabbed her hand and rubbed the top of it with his thumb. “It’s bad. Her previous owner was a cruel son of a bitch. He burned Doe with cigarettes for kicks.”
“I saw some raised circles on her belly. I felt some beneath her fur, too. I thought it was some sort of birthmark. It must be scars from the burns. Oh, poor baby.” Elli’s throat tightened with emotion. “Thank God, Aunt Rosa rescued her and gave her a loving home.”
Ben let go of her hand and looked away. “Elli, I…”
“Her reaction to cigarettes makes sense,” she interrupted. “Last night, with Doug, she went ballistic. He was smoking at the time. He was probably smoking a cigarette when she bit him.”
“You were with Doug last night?” He ran his hand through his hair. “You don’t need to answer that.”
“Okay. I won’t.” It offended her that he would think she was with his father-in-law just before they had been together on the side of the road. Did he really think she was that lacking in morals?
“Good,” he said, his lips moving over clenched teeth. Then he grabbed her by her arm. “No. Not good. If I don’t do other women when I’m with you, I expect the same in return.”
“Do you really think I was with Doug?” Elli narrowed her eyes, not wanting to miss a single shift in his expression.
Ben returned the stare; his eyes revealed nothing of what he was thinking, then his shoulders dropped and he shook his head. “No, cher. I don’t think you were with Doug.” He shook his head again and released her arm. “That’s not to say I don’t think Doug is making a play for you.”
“Like Heather is with you.”
Ben smiled and leaned back in his chair. Elli’s heart began to pound. The man looked so crazy-sexy sitting there in arrogant splendor. “Are you jealous, cher?”
She snorted again. “Get over yourself.”
He stood, walked around the table, and squatted next to her. He touched her chin and turned her to face him. Elli sighed. “I like the fire in your eyes when you’re jealous. It makes me want to throw out my chest and beat on it.”
Elli leaned closer to him, and the amber bottle weighed heavy in her pocket. She wanted to deny being jealous, but that seemed stupid and foolish. She was, and proclaiming anything else would be a lie. Still, she didn’t have to give it voice. Instead, she kissed him. A kiss that started sweet and gentle, then fired into something spicy and wild. When she leaned away from Ben, he looked as surprised as she felt as to how fast things heated between them.
“C’est si bon.” He squeezed her thighs, then stood. “With you, I expect one thing and get another, with lagniappe.” He hadn’t said it with heat, but when he began to pace, he looked angry. Elli wasn’t sure how to respond to what he said. Heck, she wasn’t exactly sure what he meant. She did know if she asked him to clarify what he said, he would snap at her and an argument would ignite. The dogs were a safer topic.
“I’m going to ask Doug to not smoke around Doe,” she began. “And maybe you can ask your staff to do the same.”
Ben stopped pacing and looked at Elli as if she’d grown two heads and a snout. “Doug doesn’t smoke.”
“Yes, he does. I told you, I saw him smoking last night. Doe immediately started growling and lunging at him.”
“Doug is smoking? I’ve never seen him smoke before.”
“You two probably don’t spend much downtime together.” Elli sighed. “Ben, I’m surprised you hadn’t noticed Doe’s reaction to cigarettes before. You’ve been around her for years.” Ben stood and began to pace. “What can I do to help her?”
He looked at her. “We’ll have to work on some behavior modification. I’ll…”
Suddenly, there was a banging at the door. It sounded frantic. “Daddy. Hurry!”
Ben and Elli rushed to the door. “Are you okay, Joey?” his father asked.
“Yeah. I’m fine, but I just heard two movie guys talking about seeing some beagles near the road. One of them said they almost hit one of the dogs with his truck. Dad, do you think those are the hunting dogs you’re training?”
Ben ran out of the house and Elli followed. When he jumped into his truck, Elli, Joey, Jenny, and BJ joined him. “If those dumb, carnie movie people let my dogs out, I’ll have my pound of flesh.”
Elli bit her lower lip. She said a quick prayer that the dogs were okay and the movie crew had nothing to do with them getting loose. They hadn’t gotten very far down the road when Ben slammed on the brakes, jerked the truck into park, and raced out of the truck. He left the door open as he ran after a dark brown and black beagle running along the bayou’s edge on short, muscular legs. Legs that looked exactly like Lucky’s. “Wow.” She leaned across the seat and closed the door before opening hers.
“Joey, stay right here. Keep Jenny and BJ in the truck with you.”
“I will. I won’t cause you any trouble. I promise.”
“Of course, you won’t.” Elli thought about what the child had said as she ran toward the bayou. It was an overstatement for the situation. She wondered why.
By the time she got to Ben, he had the young chocolate brown and black beagle in his arms.
“Oh my God, Ben, he doesn’t look like he’s more than a few months old. He’s a baby!”
“If this one is out, I’d bet my ass that there are five others running around somewhere.”
Elli started slapping her thigh, making smacking noises. “Here doggie, doggie.”
Ben rolled his eyes. “Let me call the dogs. You’ll scare them away with all those kissing sounds.”
“I think you’ve done enough.”
Elli knew better than to argue with an angry, worried man. “Tell me what to do to help, Ben,” she said with more force.
“Here.” She wasn’t expecting him to shove the beagle into her arms, so when he did, she was off balance and fell backward to the ground. Ben exhaled hard and helped her up. “Take him to Joey in the truck.”
The dog barked at Elli, then licked her right on the mouth. “That’s disgusting. I don’t even want to think about what you have been licking or putting in your mouth during your grand escape.” The dog licked her again. Elli started running to the truck with the dog’s smooth, brown ears and head bouncing with each stride.
She and Ben repeated the dog capturing and her running to the truck with two more dogs. The last two were resting under a big oak tree near the kennel, looking ridiculously content and adorable. They could have been posing for one of those doggie calendars. Ben swooped them up into his arms and handed them to Joey who was now in the truck bed with one of the other dogs. Four dogs remained in the cab of the truck with Elli and Ben. Her two dogs and the two energetic young beagles were happily wrestling and nipping at each other in the backseat.
“Do you think the Newfies got out too?” she asked, worried about the cute little puppies.
“I don’t know.” His jaws tightened and his hands gripped the steering wheel. “They should be in the training barn, where I put them. I locked the building.”
“I’m sure they will be there.” She looked out the window, knowing she would only relax when she saw the puppies at the kennel.
“We’ll see.” He spoke through clenched teeth. “The beagles got out, and Doug was supposed to be there watching things at the kennel.”
She and Ben didn’t say a word until they settled the beagles in the outside pen and rushed inside the training barn to check on the Newfies. As soon as they stepped into the back room, the Newfies’ heads popped up from where they were napping and instantly began their happy puppy dance. Elli laughed aloud in relief, but Ben still seemed as upset as he did in the truck. He gave the puppies a treat, and in less than two minutes, they were back outside where Joey was sitting in the truck with her dogs.
“The Newfies are okay,” she told Joey with a smile.
“Phew. I was afraid they got stolen.”
Ben parked the truck in front of the office and spoke to Joey when he got out. “Grab a snack in the office. I need to talk to your grandpa.”
“Okay, Dad.” He smiled at Elli. “You want me to get you a snack, Elli?”
She touched the child’s sweet face. “No thanks. I’m saving my appetite for Tante Izzy’s gumbo.” Joey ran to the office with Jenny and BJ.
“Where is Doug?” she asked. “Where’s the rest of your staff?”
“I gave the staff the day off with all the movie commotion going on around here. I figured with the security you had hired, Doug was all I needed to keep an eye on our interest here at the kennel.” They started to walk toward Doug’s cottage. “Besides, no one wants to work the day before Mardi Gras.” He knocked at Doug’s door. “If Doug was doing his job, the beagles shouldn’t have gotten out.” When Doug didn’t answer after the second knock, Ben opened the door and stepped inside. The cottage smelled of stale beer, cigarettes, and excessive partying. Ben cursed.
“Someone had a party,” she said, stating the obvious. Elli pushed one beer bottle to the side with her foot and then another.
“No kidding.” Ben walked into what Elli figured was the bedroom and came out shaking his head. “The party made it in there, too.”
“What about Doug? Did he make it in there?”
Ben shook his head and started to walk to the kitchen but stopped near the kitchen table; a body curled in a fetal position was beneath it. “Not Doug,” Ben said after kneeling next to the young man with a bright purple streak down the center of his head.
“He’s one of the best boy grips. I recognize his stripe. Why isn’t he at work on the set? God, there’s going to be trouble.”
“And this one? Is he supposed to be working too?” Ben asked after walking into the next room. Elli stepped into the bright black and white, recently remodeled kitchen.
“He’s one of the prop guys, I think.” The mid-twenties guy rolled onto his back and looked at Ben.
“Dude.”
“Should we be worried about Doug?” Elli asked Ben.
“Probably not.” The words no sooner left his mouth than the rear door flew open. Doug walked in bare-chested, jeans hung low on his hips, and a beer bottle in his hand. His belt was unbuckled.
“Trespassing,” he managed in a voice sounding as coarse as lava rock. “Out.” He wobbled a bit as he pointed to the front door.
“The beagles got loose,” Ben told him, his voice clearly restrained. “How in the hell did that happen?”
“They were set free to dance and howl at the full moon with us last night,” a light female voice said as she walked into the kitchen through the rear door. She hugged Doug around the waist, but he shoved her aside. “Honey, what’s wrong?”
Ben sucked in a deep breath and balled his hands in fists but didn’t move. It was clear he wanted to clobber Doug, but showed remarkable restraint, considering what the girl had just said. Heck, Elli wanted to punch Doug. “How in God’s creation did you ever think that was a good idea?” she snapped at Doug. “How could you endanger those vulnerable animals like that? They are babies. An alligator could have eaten them!”
Ben gripped her arm to silence her. She jerked out of his hold. “I’ll handle this, Elli.” His voice was tight. His body was as rigid as a wooden post. He was visibly upset and she could see Doug saw it, too.
“We’ll let you two talk alone.” Elli looked at the pretty, brown-eyed brunette with tangled hair and crooked her finger. “Come with me. Let’s go wash up.” She led the girl, probably just a year past legal, into the bathroom.
Ten minutes later, she came out of the small, mostly clean bathroom with the girl. Her face had been scrubbed, her hair combed, and her teeth washed with a face cloth. Elli tried to keep the conversation light, but the girl wanted to bare her soul on how she’d fallen in love with Doug. She went into great detail, to Elli’s dismay, about how they ran naked in the cane field and made love behind a small wooden shack in the middle of nowhere.
“Ready?” Ben asked, walking away from Doug, who was washing dishes in the kitchen. Elli nodded and Ben grabbed her hand and led her outside. “I don’t know what to do with him,” he confessed as they walked toward the office. “He’s been a loose cannon for some time, but it seems to be getting worse.”
“It’s tough to be employer to Joey’s grandfather.”
“Joey is his only connection to Sarah.” Ben stopped before climbing the couple of steps to the office porch. “I can’t let him be around Joey alone anymore. The man is irrational and bitter. Until a few minutes ago, I hadn’t realized how deep his resentment for me ran.” He looked at Elli. “He blames me for Sarah’s death.” He closed his eyes. “I think he’s an alcoholic.”
“Oh, Ben.” She hugged him and rested her head against his chest.
“It can be genetic, you know.” He sighed. “I worry about Joey having an alcoholic grandfather and mother, and”—he cleared his throat—“a grandmother. My mother.”
“Joey will be fine.” She looked at Ben. “He knows you love him. You are involved in his life, and you respect him enough to have him involved in yours. He’s smart and willful and good. You are doing a great job raising him, Ben.”
Ben pressed his lips to hers for a tender, chaste kiss. “Thank you. I wonder how much of his mother he remembers. He was only three when she died, but she did things with such drama that I wonder if he has memories of it.”
“Have you asked him?”
“No.” He looked at her. “I don’t want to stir the pot.” Elli thought about Joey
saying he wouldn’t cause her any trouble and knew the child probably did have bad memories of his mother. “Sarah did some crazy things with Joey at her side. She drank, smoked pot, and dragged him into dance clubs with her. She’d fly off the handle if he cried in front of her friends or didn’t behave like she thought a perfect child should.” Ben bunched Elli’s shirt into his fists. “She’d verbally abuse him, then she would hug him and sing to him and be so sweet Joey would look at her like she hung the moon. She did the same with me. She knew the right things to say to make me believe the rumors were lies. She manipulated me and I let her. I should have protected Joey better.”
“I haven’t known you long, Ben, but I know you are a good man who loves his son. It sounds like you did the best you could in a difficult situation. You can only act on what you know.”
“I loved her, or least the woman I thought she was—the woman she wanted me to think she was.” He shook his head. “We were married for five years. Two of those years were good and fun and easy. When I started seeing people whisper when I walked into a room or stop talking altogether, I knew something was wrong. People did that when I was a child and walked into a public place with my mother or father. It didn’t take me long to figure out they were gossiping about us and shut up when we got close enough to hear them.”
“That couldn’t have been easy for you. It must have brought back your childhood pain.”
He looked at Elli and his eyes softened. He didn’t say the words, but she saw them in his eyes. You understand.
“She manipulated me like my mother did my father. She did all the things to make me fall in love with her. Then, when Joey was born and she had the heir, she changed.” He looked over his shoulder, probably wanting to make sure Joey wasn’t listening. “I tried to make it work. I tried to get her to go to marriage counseling, private counseling. I researched how to make a problem marriage work. I even spent hours on the Internet trying to figure out what the hell was wrong with her…with me. I think she was textbook narcissistic.”
“You and Joey didn’t deserve that life.”
“No, we didn’t and I tried to change it. I tried to set boundaries for her. Nothing worked. She spent every dime we had in the checking account. I had to block her from our savings. She stole from the kennel’s petty cash. She treated her friends to lunch, dinner, and cocktails when we didn’t have any money left to buy formula for Joey.” He looked over his shoulder again. “She bought lovers, Elli. She paid for male prostitutes, and she had the friggin’ nerve to bring them into our home.”