Puppy Love Bonus Chapter Read online

  PUPPY LOVE

  BONUS CHAPTER

  GIA ROSE

  Copyright © 2018 by Gia Rose

  Cover design © 2018 by Gia Rose.

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  CONTENTS

  1. Sarah

  1

  SARAH

  ONE MONTH LATER

  When Sarah was younger, she was convinced she was fearless — no insects, no animals, no vile things found in the back of an encyclopedia could scare her or even begin to turn her stomach.

  But that was before she’d agreed to meet Hayley’s family.

  Of course, she’d already met Lori on more than one occasion, and she’d never forgotten what Lori thought of her as a kid, but that was different — Sarah wasn’t engaged to Hayley back then.

  “Are you gonna make it?” Hayley asked from the driver’s seat of their car as she parked in the driveway of Lori’s house. It’d been years since Sarah had been there, but it looked exactly as she remembered it, and she lost herself in the details of the home just to forget where she was: the waterlogged wood of the front deck, the peeling paint on the garage, the cracks in the siding of the house.

  “If I do, I think I deserve a medal,” Sarah said and Hayley laughed before putting a hand on Sarah’s leg to give it a soft stroke.

  “How do you think I feel? You and Lori have always been like oil and water, and yet here I am trying to mix you together again anyway,” Hayley said. “But it’ll only be as bad as you go in there thinking it’ll be. You know, self-fulfilling prophecy and all that.”

  “If you say so,” Sarah said. “I haven’t seen her since before you moved. I can’t imagine she’s going to be happy to see me again. Not to mention Amber.”

  “Oh, Amber will be the easy one, don’t worry about her,” Hayley said. “Honestly, if she was still on tour and couldn’t be here for dinner, I wouldn’t have let it happen. She’s always been the kind of mediator between me and Lori.”

  “That really isn’t making me feel any better. Amber never approved of us either,” Sarah said, her heart racing in her chest, her palms sweating.

  “She’s come around, trust me. Look, it’ll just be an hour, two at the most, and then we’ll be on our way outta here,” Hayley said, reaching for Sarah’s hand. “If you can get on a stage and sing with me in front of hundreds of people, I think you’ve got what it takes to survive an hour with my family.”

  Sarah sighed and squeezed Hayley’s hand.

  “You’re right, I’m sorry. This is just nerve wracking. I’ve always wanted Lori to like me and, well, she never has,” Sarah said.

  “Don’t take it personally, she’s the same way with me,” Hayley laughed.

  “That’s awful,” Sarah said. “But at least you still have a family to share the news with, I guess.”

  “Aww,” Hayley said and leaned over the console to give Sarah a hug. “I’m sorry, honey. I really wish your grandparents were here to share it with us, but I’m sure they’re watching from wherever they are.”

  “You know, my grandma always said you and I would end up together, and I used to scream at her that she was crazy,” Sarah said and Hayley laughed as she let Sarah go.

  “Really? That’s so sweet,” Hayley said.

  “I didn’t think so when I was a kid, but yeah, she was right,” Sarah said. “All right, let’s go in there and get this over with before I turn into a puddle of my own nervous sweat.”

  “You’re gonna be fine, everything’s gonna be fine,” Hayley said and Sarah climbed out of the car to take several deep breaths. At some point she knew she’d have to face Lori — she couldn’t marry Hayley and not be involved with her family to some degree — but knowing that ahead of time didn’t make confronting it in the moment any easier.

  Hayley came around the car and took Sarah’s hand in hers. She gave Sarah a kiss on the cheek and flicked the tip of her nose with her thumb.

  “No matter what happens in there, I love you and we’re getting married. That’s all that matters,” Hayley said. Sarah smiled, took one last deep breath, and let Hayley lead her up the front porch steps.

  Hayley knocked three times on the door and within seconds her mother appeared behind the screen, looking like a mirror image of Hayley. Sarah’s forced a smile.

  “Late as usual,” Lori said.

  “Better late than never, right?” Hayley asked.

  “Not when there’s food getting cold,” Lori said. “Come on in.” Hayley stepped inside, still holding Sarah’s hand, and Sarah didn’t fail to notice Lori scrutinizing her as she passed.

  “It’s good to see you again Mrs. Shannon,” Sarah said.

  “I stopped being a Mrs. years ago, call me Lori,” Lori said. So much for a warm welcome.

  “Oh my god, Hayley, is that you?” a voice shouted from the kitchen around the corner and a few seconds later a woman a few years older than Hayley, who looked like Hayley’s evil twin in a red beanie, shot out of the kitchen to throw her arms around Hayley.

  “You look so good!” Hayley said as she admired her sister.

  “So do you! I guess the farm life is going well?” Amber asked.

  “Yeah, great,” Hayley said, smiling at Sarah. “This is Sarah. I’m sure you remember her at least a little bit.”

  “Of course. How could I forget the girl who stole my little sister’s heart and sent her home with frogs in her pockets?” Amber asked and made to hug Sarah as Sarah laughed.

  “It’s good to see you again, Amber,” Sarah said. Maybe she really had come around like Hayley said.

  “Likewise. God, you both look so good, and you’re way too damn cute together,” Amber said.

  “Yeah, adorable,” Lori chimed in. “Are we just going to stand here and let the food get even colder or are we going to eat?”

  “Alright, relax, dungeon master,” Amber said and Lori looked like she’d been slapped. Hayley choked back a laugh and Sarah stood frozen unsure of what to do or say. “Can I get you two a glass of wine?” Amber asked.

  She was much friendlier and bubblier than Sarah remembered, but then again, the last time Sarah saw her Amber was sixteen and still living with Lori — that would’ve made anyone miserable.

  “I would love one,” Sarah said and Amber laughed.

  “Nervous?” she asked.

  “That’s putting it lightly,” Sarah said.

  “Nothing a nice glass of red can’t fix,” Amber said and went into the kitchen to pour Sarah and Hayley a glass. “Please, come in, have a seat. There’s plenty of room and I won’t bite, though I can’t speak for Mom.”

  “Very funny, Amber,” Lori said as she followed Sarah and Hayley into the kitchen. Though it’d been years since Sarah had seen it last, it still seemed to have shrunk, though that could’ve just been because there were four women in a very small space.

  “I can’t believe my little sister is tying the knot before me,” Amber said as she handed Hayley a glass of wine. Sarah took one as well and drank liberally from it. It wasn’t bitter, so it must’ve had time to breathe.

  “Neither can I,” Hayley said. “But then again, you aren’t exactly the marrying type, are you, Amber?”

  “I dunno about all that. Just because I spend my time touring the country playing really loud music in really sketchy bars doesn’t mean I don’t want to settle down someday,” Amber said.

  “You know what Mom always says, ‘Someday and one day aren’t days of the week,’” Hayley said, looking at her mom as she said it. Lori scowled.

  “Make fun of me all you want, Lord knows you girls wouldn’t be who and where you are today if it weren’t for me there pushing you,” Lori said.

  “Probably not. We’re just having fun, Mom,” Amber said and gave Lori a hug. “Lighten up a bit, this is a time to be happy. Hayley’s getting married soon.”

  “And I am happy for her. Can’t you tell?” Lori asked and Hayley and Amber both burst out laughing.

  “Not exactly, Mom,” Amber said. Sighing, Lori sat down at the head of the table — because of course she belonged there — and massaged her temples.

  “This isn’t easy for me either, you know,” Lori said.

  “Why is it hard? It’s supposed to be a good thing, that’s why we’re here celebrating,” Amber said.

  “I know that. But I feel like I’m really, finally losing my girls and I’m really all alone in this house and I don’t know what to do with that,” Lori said and for the first time in Sarah’s life, she saw real emotion on Lori’s face that wasn’t disgust or disapproval.

  “Aww, Mom, you aren’t losing me! I’m back in town now for the first time in years, you’re gonna see me way more than you did before. Right, Sarah?” Hayley asked and Sarah nearly choked on the wine she’d started sucking down to downplay the awkwardness.

  “Right, of course. You’re more than welcome to come out to the farm sometime, Lori. We have horses, I could teach you to ride,” Sarah offered.

  “She really could. She taught me and you know I’m hopeless when it comes to anything athletic,” Hayley said.

  “Really?” Lori asked, looking up at Sarah with sparkling eyes.

  Sarah couldn’t believe what she was agreeing to, but Lori seemed genuine enough, and truthfully horse riding had a special way of
connecting people. Maybe it could help Sarah work through her differences with Lori, and it would force Hayley to see her mother more often too. Any way Sarah looked at it, it didn’t seem like a bad idea.

  “Absolutely,” Sarah said and Hayley beamed at her from behind Lori. She mouthed a silent “Thank you” and Sarah smiled back.

  “Well hot damn, look at that, we’re bonding already,” Amber said and everyone laughed. “I told you red wine was a miracle worker.”

  “Thank you, Sarah,” Lori said and reached for Sarah’s hand on the table. Lori smiled and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I know it never seemed like it, but I’ve always thought you were good for Hayley, pulled her out of her shell. I just didn’t want you to steal her away from me.”

  “There’s plenty of me to go around, especially with all of Sarah’s cooking,” Hayley said and they all laughed again.

  “I am happy for you though, Hayley. I don’t want you to doubt that,” Lori said.

  “I know you are. You’ve just always had a strange way of showing love, but I’ve managed to translate it for most of my life so I think I’ve got it pretty well figured out,” Hayley said.

  “Well someone get me a direct line to Hayley then because I’m still stuck on the first day of Lori 101,” Amber said. Lori scowled at her, but she laughed anyway.

  “Then let me be clear for once: Sarah, I’m glad to welcome you into our family officially. You’ve always been a part of it anyway, but I’m happy you’re making it permanent,” Lori said and Sarah’s breath caught in her chest.

  It was the first time she’d ever really felt part of a family since her grandparents passed when Sarah was young, and it was from the least likely person.

  “Thank you, Lori,” Sarah said through her tightened throat.

  “All right, enough with the tears. Let’s celebrate! That’s what we’re here for, right?” Amber asked and Sarah smiled. Amber and Hayley started dishing up mounds of the various items Amber and Lori had cooked, and as they skittered around the kitchen collecting utensils and condiments, laughing all along, Sarah smiled.

  Hayley sat next to her and took her hand in hers before placing a kiss on Sarah’s cheek.

  “Welcome home,” Hayley said into her ear and Sarah beamed.

 

 

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