Little Girls and Puppy Dog Tales

Chapter 7

“I’m Patrick Rowan Morrison-Anderson,” he said to the other two people in the room. “My dad thought you might like to talk to me about Bree.”

“Sweetie, let me introduce you to our guests,” Emmett gushed. “This is Mrs. Celeste and her husband Sam,” Emmett said as he did the honors, his eyes not so subtly giving Sam an appreciative look. Patrick rolled his eyes with a grin as Drew shook his head.

“Rein it in, Auntie Emm, or you’ll give them the wrong idea,” Patrick teased; Emmett shrugged his shoulders and laughed. Patrick was used to all the leers and innuendos that got bandied around the lane, he just thought they were hysterically funny and went with the flow. “It’s very nice to meet you,” Patrick said to the Watson's.

“It’s very nice to meet you. We’ve heard so much about you from your, uh…” Celeste wasn’t sure how to refer to Rachel. “Um, Rachel,” Celeste stammered. Patrick smiled; he smiled that soft sincere smile that all the Kinney men seemed to have that enamored them to most gay men and to every female within a hundred mile radius.

“Aunt Rachel is the best,” Patrick stated with love.

Celeste looked up to the young man who was just about to enter his teens. Standing tall and lean, he had the same build as his father but without the muscles. Celeste knew Patrick had plenty of time to build up his musculature. From what Celeste remembered of Brian, he had the same build unless he let himself go and from what Celeste knew of the man, he’d never let that happen. Celeste briefly scanned the room, spying a family picture of Brian, Justin, Bree and Gus prominently displayed on a wall. Next to it was a picture of Patrick with his dads and one of just Bree and Patrick. There were many other pictures of all the family children. There was also a picture of the “Kinney men” standing all together. The resemblance between all four men was remarkable. Patrick followed Celeste’s gaze and found her staring at the picture.

“That was my idea, for the picture, I mean. Gus isn’t always here. He’s finishing up his MBA at Penn, he interns at Kinnetik whenever he gets the chance or he’s off visiting his boyfriend in New York. I thought it would be cool to have a picture of just us guys. I didn’t know you had a copy, Auntie Emm.”

Celeste moved closer to the wall to get a better look at all the photos displayed on it.

“Our rogues gallery,” Emmett teased. Celeste gave him a smile.

“You all look so much alike. Tall lean and hazel eyes,” Celeste noted. With one obvious difference when it came to Patrick, his flaming red hair, just like Bobby and Rachel.

“I was told that during my conception my parents had a mantra they kept repeating,” Patrick said as he moved closer to the wall. He didn’t realize Emmett had so many pictures almost chronicling their life on the lane.

“What was it?” Sam asked, who for the most part had silently been observing his wife, ready to take her from the lane if this visit proved too upsetting for her.

“Red hair and hazel eyes,” Patrick said with that gentle smile. Celeste murmured the same words just as Patrick did. “She told you,” Patrick said to Celeste.

“Yes, she did. She’s a lovely woman your aunt.”

“Yes, she is and I’m very grateful to her,” Patrick stated softly but poignantly as he looked directly into Celeste’s eyes. Aside from Bree’s fathers, Patrick was the closest to Bree; they shared everything. The look in Patrick’s eyes spoke volumes to Celeste. Celeste took a deep breath and visibly relaxed.

“We were told you want to study architecture when you go to college, just like your dad,” Celeste said.

“So much better than the law,” Sam murmured.

Patrick arched one red eyebrow in a very familiar way that made Emmett snicker. He had been on the receiving end of that eyebrow for decades.

“Don’t mind him, he’s a cop and they hate all lawyers,” Celeste stated with a negligent wave of her hand. Sam tried to pout but wasn’t very convincing. Everyone laughed and the tension seemed to be broken.

“I thought about the law but I like working with my hands. I even like it when Bree and Uncle Bri make me weed the garden with them,” Patrick grinned.

“Does everyone on this lane like to dig in the dirt?” Sam grumbled.

“Most certainly not!” Emmett huffed. “I’ll admit to planting some herbs in my little greenhouse,” Emmett said as he pointed toward the back of his cottage. “But these hands are made for cooking. The only flour I deal with is for baking!” he declared with a flourish.

“I see,” Celeste said as she turned toward Drew who was quietly standing behind Emmett.

“No ma’am, no flowers for me but I do rake up once in a while,” Drew admitted. The wind was picking up and they all could hear the rustle of the leaves.

“I bet you get a lot of leaves,” Sam commiserated; he too did a lot of raking this time of the year. The men all nodded.

“We’re luckier than most, Uncle Bri hires a landscaping service to do the big stuff but he tends the gardens himself.”

“All of them?” Celeste asked.

“Yes, with Bree. She loves gar-gar.” Patrick giggled realizing what he just said.

“Gar-gar?” Sam asked.

“When Bree was learning how to talk, she couldn’t say the word garden. It came out as gar-gar. It stuck. Uncle Bri has all these clothes he wears when he’s about to work in the garden. So does Bree, she looks just like him,” Patrick giggled. So did Emmett.

“Brian’s a label queen, even when he’s digging in the garden,” Emmett stated as his mind began to wander when images of a sweaty Brian entered his brain.

“Stop it, Auntie Emm,” Patrick said with a little nudge. Drew loudly cleared his throat as Emmett gave them all a toothy grin. “I think Bree and Uncle Brian are down by the stream. I’d be happy to walk you down. Have you seen the B&B yet?”

“Not yet although your father told us all about it,” Celeste replied. “We did see the greenhouse. It’s beautiful; almost magical.”

“Yeah, my dad had fun with that one. And Uncle Brian likes spending time in there. He says that planting and weeding is relaxing. Seems more like work to me,” Patrick shrugged.

“Your uncle is a busy man with his empire and all; toiling in the earth provides him balance,” Emmett stated sagely making Patrick give him a double take.

“I guess so,” Patrick muttered as he was about to defend his own fathers who worked just as hard as Brian.

“Your fathers work just as hard and each relax in different ways. Your Dad loves building things when he’s not in his office designing new buildings,” Emmett stated. “And your Poppa loves to throw that ball of his around or read. Have you noticed, he loves to read?” Patrick nodded; his Poppa always had his nose in a book.

“What do you do to relax, Auntie Emm?” Patrick asked with a knowing grin.

“Cook! And I’ve made some of those hors d’ oeuvres that your uncle is very fond of so while you show the Watson’s the B&B and then take them to the stream, I’ll just bring a basket of goodies to your cottage,” Emmett said. The basket turned out to be two huge trays of goodies that required the small trolley Emmett used to transport his delicacies up and down the lane.

“You want me to drive you up there?” Drew volunteered.

“No thank you, Honey, but I wouldn’t say no to your help.”

“You got it Babe,” Drew said with a handsome smile. “We’ll see you later,” Drew said to Celeste and Sam as he showed them out with Patrick.

*****

“This is beautiful. I keep saying that, don’t I. Your whole lane is just amazing!” Celeste gushed as she toured the B&B cottage with Sam and Patrick.

“And your father built this?” Sam asked. “Will ya look at this fireplace! I’d love to have a small place somewhere with a fireplace, but are they safe?”

“Perfectly safe and my father makes sure that each house that he builds a fireplace in is properly maintained,” Patrick proudly stated. “He’ll even give lessons and set up a regular maintenance schedule. Grandma Claire has a fireplace too so my Dad knows all about them.”

“And your Poppa?” Sam asked.

“Not so much but I guess he learned. His parents don’t have a fireplace,” Patrick went on to explain. “Grandpa Dan is a doctor too.”

“Oh, what kind of doctor?” Celeste asked as she ran her hand over the Shaker furniture.

“He was a cardiologist but now he’s the town doctor.”

“That’s a very important job especially in small towns. And you’re not interested in becoming a doctor?”

“I thought about it but I really like building things like my Dad.” Sam nodded. His father was a cop and Sam was very proud to follow in his footsteps. “I think you have a good head on your shoulders,” Sam declared giving Patrick his seal of approval. Sam met so many kids that took the wrong path; it was refreshing to meet a polite well rounded intelligent young man.

“What’s this stream your, um, Emmett mentioned?” Sam wasn’t about to refer to Emmett as “aunt.”

Patrick smirked. “It’s our own secret thinking place,” Patrick tried to explain. “I was told that one of the reasons why Uncle Brian chose this place was because of the stream that runs through the back of the property. There’s a big rock that we call the thinking rock. There’s one similar to it by the stream on Grandma Claire’s land. My Dad told me he liked sitting on the rock when he was a kid; it’s a great place to think about stuff. Uncle Brian thought so too.”

“I’d love to see it,” Celeste said with hope that she’d finally meet Briana.

“Then come with me and I’ll show you,” Patrick said as he led the Watson’s out the back of the B&B past the greenhouse; they couldn’t help but stop for a moment to look at the pond and the fish swimming lazily in the last of the sun’s heat.

Patrick led them via the back path that took them close to the Wendy house.

“A playhouse?” Celeste asked as she stared with disbelief at the elaborate structure with its own fenced in yard and garden.

“Bree’s Wendy house,” Patrick stated.

“I’ve seen real houses that don’t come close to this,” Sam said as he scratched his head and stared.

“I’ll show you the inside but approach slowly and stay behind me for a minute,” Patrick instructed them.

“Snakes?” Sam took a guess.

“Worse, Lady Lucie and her brood. She’s still very protective of them although they’re almost ready to go to their new homes.”

“Your Dad mentioned that, and we met Beau,” Celeste said with understanding. She was all too familiar with new mothers and their babies.

“Beau’s the greatest dog in the world. He protects the lane and us. Lucie too.” At the sound of his name, Beau came bounding out of the brush near the tree line.

“Whoa, he really is big dog. He’s got to have some wolf in him,” Sam said as he stood his ground. He knew one of the worse things to do was to run from a large dog. You wouldn’t stand a chance.

Patrick smiled. “Hey Beau, can we meet your pups?” Patrick asked the big dog. Beau smiled a proud doggy grin then ‘woofed’ as he led the humans to his pups. He announced their arrival loudly.

Out of the open door of the Wendy house came Lucie with her sleek cream colored coat; her puppies followed, bounding out of the door and tripping clumsily over their big awkward paws.

Celeste, Sam and Patrick couldn’t help but laugh.

“Four have homes, we’re keeping one to be Beau junior. Only one more to be adopted,” Patrick explained.

“Would that be Juan?” Sam asked as the bold pup separated himself from the pack and stomped over to him. Sam squatted and held his hand out to the little furball. As Juan sniffed the proffered hand, Lucie issued a warning growl. “It’s okay, Mom, I won’t hurt your little man,” Sam said in a tone that immediately endeared him to his wife. It was one of the reasons Celeste fell in love with Sam.

Lucie walked forward toward Sam to check out the man herself although she knew instinctively that the stranger was okay. She could smell Beau on him and he was with her other pup, Patrick. Her big pup would never endanger her babies.

“Go slow,” Celeste whispered a little worried.

“I will,” Sam assured her.

Lucie strode over to Sam and gave him a good assessment.

“Did I pass inspection, my lady?” Sam asked good-naturedly. "I don't think any of my superiors ever inspected me that closely."

The big dog looked straight into Sam’s eyes sensing strength and respect then let out her bark of approval. With that Juan and his mother bumped Sam with their heads. Everyone laughed as Sam tipped over and fell on his bum. The other pups took that as a sign to attack and they piled onto Sam. Patrick and Celeste left Sam to play with the puppies as Patrick showed her to the Wendy house.

“I don’t believe this. If my kids had this they’d never come back into our house!” Celeste exclaimed. Patrick nodded.

“Yeah, Bree and I had a few camp-outs here. Also with her best friend Ashley. Those two are hardly ever apart,” Patrick sighed making Celeste laugh.

“The young ladies like to include you in their tea parties?” Celeste guessed.

“Do they ever!” Patrick said as he showed Celeste the inside of the playhouse.

“A fireplace. A fireplace? Your father’s idea?”

“Uncle Bri. You’ll see when I show you the treehouse.”

“Did someone say treehouse? Whoa!” Sam said as he came up behind them. “Your father build this too?”

“We all did. Uncle Brian found a kit but my dad modified it a little. Made the roof stronger and waterproof and insulated the walls. Uncle Bri added the fireplace and Uncle Justin painted the mural.”

“Wait, that’s not you, is it?” Celeste asked as she looked at the first part of the mural with Brian, Gus and Justin. Then she saw the part with John and Bobby.

“That’s Gus. There’s me and Bree,” Patrick pointed to the other wall where Justin had painted the younger kids engrossed with their Lego’s.

“You said there’s a treehouse?” Sam asked as Juan stumbled into the playhouse. “Curious little guy, isn’t he?”

“That’s one way of putting it,” Patrick laughed. “Come on, I’ll show you the treehouse. It’s on the other side of my house then I’ll take you to the stream.”

*****

“They’ll be here soon,” Brian said to Bree. Brian waved his cell phone in the air. “That was Emm, your Patrick is leading them here. No more running, Squirt.”

“I know, Dada. I think I’m ready now.”

“You better be or your Daddy will be furious with both of us.” Brian’s phone vibrated again in his hand. He looked at the caller ID. “Speak of the devil. Hey, Sunshine.”

“Don’t you Sunshine me, Brian Kinney. You bring Bree home now!” Justin shouted and Brian held the phone away from his ear.

“Down, boy. I just heard from Emmett; Master Patrick is bringing them here to the stream. So we’re staying put for the moment. Your daughter is ready to meet the Watsons.”

“Oh,” Justin said a bit calmer. “Can I speak to her?”

“Hang on. Squirt, your Daddy wants to talk to you,” Brian said as he held out the phone to Bree. Bree took a deep breath as she reached for the phone.

“Hi, Daddy.”

“Hey, Baby Girl, you okay?”

“I’m okay, Daddy. Daddy, I’m sorry, please don’t be mad at Dada.”

“I’m not, not really. Not anymore. Are you sure you’re all right? We can send them home. You don’t have to meet them if you don’t want to.”

“I am. And I want to meet Mrs. Celeste. I’m not scared anymore.”

“Okay, Sweetheart. Do you want me to come down to the stream too?”

“Would you?” Bree asked.

“Of course I will. We’ll all come and then we’ll all come back here for dinner. How does that sound?”

“Perfect, Daddy!” Bree said excitedly and relieved that her Daddy wasn’t angry. “Later, Daddy.”

“Later, Baby Girl. Please put your Dada on the phone.” Bree handed the cell back to Brian.

“You still plotting my demise?” Brian snarked.

“Not at the moment, but your ass is mine later,” Justin warned.

“Yes dear,” Brian squeaked as he cut the connection then pocketed his phone.

*****

“This is not like any treehouse I’ve ever seen,” Sam said as he stood at the bottom and gazed upward. Little Juan was playing at Sam’s feet with Beau looking on. “This is a duplex. I wouldn’t mind living here.”

“I don’t think so but I wouldn’t mind a peek inside,” Celeste asked.

“Sure, go on up,” Patrick said as he showed them to the stairs which John had modified a little for this tree.

“Wow!” was all that Sam could say as he reached the balcony and went up the second set of stairs to the main room. “Holy Moly, another fireplace!” Sam stood dumbfounded.

“My Dad designed this and the guys built this for Gus. It was in my Grandma’s front yard for a long time until Dad had it moved here. Gus and Uncle Bri camped out lots of times when Gus was a boy.”

“I bet you do too,” Sam said. Patrick nodded.

“Bree too but she likes the Wendy house better because Beau can be with her,” Patrick added.

“He must be a great dog,” Sam said.

“Do you have a dog?”

“No. I did as a kid but I guess we thought with our crazy jobs...” Sam just shrugged his shoulders.

“My Dad trained Beau and Lucie but he says there’s something special about them. They're just smart, you know?”

“Yeah, I do,” said Sam.

“Another mural,” Celeste murmured.

“Yes, Uncle Brian and Gus.”

“Lovely,” Celeste said as she took another look around then started down the ladder.

“There’s a faster way down from the balcony,” Patrick said as he shut the trapdoor. He then showed the Watsons to the slide.

“Oh yeah!” Sam said then without hesitation sat on the top of the slide and pushed himself forward. “Here we go!” Sam shouted, laughing all the way down where he was greeted enthusiastically by Juan. Sam was still laughing as Celeste took her turn and then Patrick.

They dusted themselves off then began to walk to the path that would lead them to the stream.

*****

“Dinner’s almost ready,” Emmett announced. “What should we do?” he asked the family who were all helping.

“I don’t know,” Justin mumbled as he nervously nibbled the side of his thumb.

“Honey, why don’t we put the salad on the table and leave the rest in the warming oven. It’ll all keep for a while,” Jennifer suggested.

“We can go to the stream like you said and be there for Bree,” Rachel added.

Jennifer nodded thinking that was an excellent idea. “Sweetheart, you know you want to be there for Bree and I’m sure she wants you there too,” Jenn said.

“I’m sure Brian will appreciate your support. He’s been trying to calm Bree down all day,” John said.

“We’ll take some flashlights to them,” Emmett said practically. “The sun’s going down. By the time they head back it’ll be pitch black outside. We can bring some jackets and sweaters too.”

“Okay,” Justin said as he let out the breath he was holding.

They family made sure the dinner was properly stowed away, Justin found Bree’s favorite pink hoodie while John and Bobby took out some lanterns and flashlights. They took some extra sweaters just in case and within minutes the family was traipsing down the garden path to the stream.

*****

“Dada, I hear something,” Bree said. It was starting to get dark and the wind was blowing stronger; the heat of the day was quickly dissipating.

“I’ll bet it’s Beau,” Brian stated just as the dog came around the little bend and into the clearing just before the stream.

“Beau!” Bree happily squealed as she jumped down from the thinking rock and went to hug the big dog. Beau shared his warmth with Bree, puffing up with pride as the very special member of his pack relied on him.

“Hey Dog, you alone or is anyone with you?” Brian asked as he patted the large head. Beau looked up at his human and gave a deep bark. “I think that means company is on the way.”

“Hey, Uncle Bri,” Patrick called out as Celeste and Sam approached.

Bree stood up after giving Beau one more affectionate squeeze then she handed grey bunny to Brian. Brian could see his daughter’s spine straighten as his own did when he was about to secure a new client with one of his fabulous campaigns. Brian smirked to himself; Bree was a chip off the old block. Um, not so old block.

Brian watched as Bree steadily approached the woman he assumed was Celeste. She was a little older as they all were. But Celeste still had that youthful appearance like Justin. Celeste was a lovely looking woman and Brian could see what Bree would look like in the years to come.

Through the dimming light Brian saw several more people slowly come closer. He smiled as he shook his head. His cwazy wittle cavalry was coming to the rescue, all headed up by Justin.

“Hey,” Justin said softly as he sidled up to Brian then gave Brian’s lips a quick peck before handing him a small flashlight. Justin then pecked the top of Bree’s head as he helped her into her hoodie. He zipped it up then gently turned Bree around so she was once more face to face with Celeste. Justin watched as did the rest of the family as Bree took a deep breath then thrust out her hand.

“Hello, my name is Briana Victoria Kinney-Taylor and I’m very pleased to meet you!”