Puppy Love

  Puppy Love

  Port Perry Girls Book Two

  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

  2. Hayley

  3. Sarah

  4. Hayley

  5. Sarah

  6. Sarah

  7. Hayley

  8. Hayley

  9. Sarah

  10. Hayley

  11. Hayley

  12. Sarah

  13. Hayley

  14. Sarah

  15. Hayley

  16. Epilogue - Sarah

  Free Bonus Chapter

  Lost and Found: Port Perry Girls 1

  Coming Soon: Stray Hearts

  1

  Sarah

  What do you think, Lady?” Sarah asked her Yorkshire terrier as she put the finishing touches on another dog’s haircut.

  Lady yelped her approval and paced in a circle around the table while waiting for Sarah to lower Sammy the dog down for a sniffing inspection.

  Thankfully, Sammy was Sarah’s last client before she had two whole days off for the weekend and more than anything else her throbbing wrists were thankful for it.

  Since starting the Sitting Pretty dog-grooming salon in Port Perry a few months prior, Sarah had been so busy she hadn’t had time to slow down and pay attention to her body — who would’ve thought there would be so much demand for dog grooming in a tiny town anyway?

  The barking of Lady and Sammy snapped Sarah out of the dazed, exhausted state she’d fallen into. They chased each other around the store, a blur of brown and black fur, barking and nipping at each other playfully.

  “Where did you two get so much energy, and how can I steal some of it?” Sarah asked as she sank down into a chair by her grooming table. She didn’t even have the will to clean up the clippings from Sammy’s haircut.

  After grooming at least eight dogs — she’d lost count of exactly how many she’d done — Sarah genuinely couldn’t care about some hair on the floor.

  The only thing she wanted was to soak her aching body in hot water in her tub at home with a hefty glass of wine. As far as she was concerned, if she never saw another dog other than Lady again before Monday, it would be just fine with her.

  The front doorbell jingled as Sammy’s owner, Chloe Williams, walked inside. She took one look at Sarah and laughed.

  “Ready for the weekend, huh?” Chloe asked as she pushed a strand of the long brown hair streaming from under her bright red beanie behind her ears.

  “You have no idea,” Sarah sighed and started to stand.

  “You don’t have to get up for me, it’s fine. I bet you’ve been on your feet all day,” Chloe said.

  “How did you know?” Sarah asked, silently relieved Chloe didn’t care. Sammy came running from some unseen place and jumped up Chloe’s legs. Laughing, she bent down to scratch him around the ears.

  “Hey bud, you’re looking much better,” Chloe said. “Was he okay for you?”

  “Perfect, which you wouldn’t believe given how activated he is now, but maybe he’s just happy to be free of all that fur,” Sarah said.

  “It was a little out of control,” Chloe laughed.

  “I take it that means you’ve been pretty busy yourself, right?” Sarah asked.

  “Seriously! I can’t believe how busy things are for a local paper these days. It’s nuts at the Post pretty much twenty-four seven,” Chloe said. “Anyway, could I get Sammy on the schedule for next time? It was a bit of a nightmare trying to get in here.”

  “I’m booked all the way out for the next two months,” Sarah said, and Chloe whistled.

  “Are you serious? Jesus, girl, you must be raking in the dough,” Chloe laughed.

  “I am, but I’m also running my body down into nothing in the process,” Sarah sighed. “And don’t even ask me about what a social life looks like because I couldn’t tell you.”

  “Maybe you need to take a break or something,” Chloe said. “I was gonna offer to write a little fluff piece on the business for you, but I guess that’ll have to wait.”

  “Not now while the iron is hot. Once things start to slow down, and I’m sure they will after a while, I might think about it,” Sarah said and flexed an arm at Chloe. Chloe laughed and shook her head.

  “But if you keep going at this rate for too long, you might not have a body to soldier on with,” Chloe said.

  “Touché,” Sarah said. “Anyway, I guess I should get my lazy butt up off the chair so I can cash you out.”

  “Or, you know, I could just do it myself. Isn’t that what all the stores are moving towards these days anyway?” Chloe asked.

  “I had no idea you had such a sense of humor,” Sarah said as she forced herself out of the chair before she fell asleep. Chloe followed her to the register and rested her elbows on it while Sammy jumped up and down beside her, desperate for attention.

  “I’m a writer, it’s kind of necessary to have a certain amount of wit, even at a ‘serious’ news publication,” Chloe said, though she rolled her eyes. “Anyway, how much do I owe you?”

  “Thirty bucks,” Sarah said as she punched the amount into the register.

  “Really? That’s not what the sign says,” Chloe said.

  “Call it the old-friend-from-high-school discount,” Sarah said.

  Chloe dug a wad of cash out of her back pocket and slapped a fifty-dollar bill down on the counter. It was far more than necessary, and as soon as Sarah opened her mouth to object, Chloe hushed her.

  “Please, keep the rest. You deserve it, you’re working yourself to the bone here,” Chloe said.

  “Are you sure? You really don’t have to do this. I mean, it’s not like I’m hurting for money or anything,” Sarah laughed.

  “Maybe not, but money is time, and it looks like you could definitely use more of that,” Chloe said. “Anyway, I guess I can just call and see if you have any cancellations or something for next time?”

  “Yeah, I’m not doing a waitlist or anything like that, at least not yet, so just keep checking. There’s a good chance something will open up somewhere along the way,” Sarah said.

  “No worries. Besides, my schedule is kind of all over the place,” Chloe said. “Anyhow, I don’t want to keep you, so I’ll see myself out. See you next time.”

  “Have a good weekend,” Sarah called after Chloe as Chloe led Sammy out of the store.

  As soon as the door closed behind her, Sarah was on it, turning the lock to make sure no one else could step inside. Though she ran her business by appointment only, it didn’t stop someone from wandering in at the last minute, and that was the last thing Sarah wanted.

  “It’s just you and me girl,” Sarah sighed to Lady as soon as she’d locked the door and turned the sign hanging from it to the closed position.

  Lady yelped and ran a circle around her legs. “Does that mean you’re gonna help me clean this mess up?” Sarah asked, but Lady only panted up at her with her tongue lolling out of her mouth.

  “I didn’t think so,” she sighed.

  Sarah turned, and for the first time since finishing Sammy’s haircut, she realized just how much of a mess the shop was.

  She’d started the day being diligent about cleaning up messes as she made them, but as the day wore on, it was next to impossible to keep up. At this rate, it would take Sarah hours to get everything back in order.

  “I guess I have to start somewhere,” Sarah sighed as
she reached for the broom she kept by the front door and began sweeping the tumbleweeds of fur together. Lady barked at the broom and chased it, which didn’t make things any easier.

  “Knock it off, that isn’t funny,” Sarah said, but Lady only barked — and it wasn’t because of the broom.

  Sarah turned and found Jessica Grey, the town veterinarian, and Sarah’s best friend, standing and waving at her through the glass. If anyone could show up unexpectedly and still manage to make Sarah smile, it was Jessica.

  Sarah set the broom against the wall and let Jessica inside.

  “Hey, girl, long time no see,” Sarah said and threw her arms around Jessica. Jessica hugged her back and kissed both of her cheeks.

  “I'm sorry I haven’t been by more often, things are just kinda hectic right now,” Jessica said. “Between things at home with Olivia and the almost wacky amount of business we see over at the clinic, I just haven’t had time.”

  “Yeah, tell me about it. I’m struggling to stay afloat here,” Sarah laughed, waving her arms around the place to show Jessica just how much she meant it.

  “I mean, it’s money in the bank, right?” Jessica asked.

  “Yeah, that’s what I keep telling myself, but it’s kinda hard to keep that going when I’ve got next to no time to myself anymore,” Sarah said.

  “Well, that’s actually why I’m here. Olivia and I were talking about how much we missed you yesterday, and so she thought it might be a good idea to invite you over for dinner this weekend. What do you say?” Jessica asked.

  “I would love to, honestly, but I have so much stuff to catch up on at home. I’ve been working so much I haven’t even been able to do my laundry, as you can probably tell,” Sarah said, frowning down at her soiled T-shirt, the same shirt she’d been wearing for two days now because it was the least soiled among her wardrobe.

  “I know how that goes, it isn’t hard to get behind. Well, I don’t want to push you, but if you change your mind, let one of us know. We’d love to hang out with you, it’s been too long,” Jessica said.

  “We’ll see. I’m not saying no, it’s just that I have to get some things done before I make plans, and by the time I get them done, I might not have the energy to do anything else,” Sarah laughed.

  “I understand. Anyway, that’s not the only reason I stopped by,” Jessica said, and Sarah tensed at the twinkling in Jessica’s eyes. It wasn’t like her to be cagey, and it worried Sarah.

  “Oh God, I don’t like that look. I’ve never liked that look,” Sarah said, and Jessica laughed. “What do you know that I don’t? Some juicy gossip?”

  “I can’t believe I’m ahead of the curve on you about rumors for once,” Jessica laughed. “I don’t know how true this is, so I don’t want to get you too worked up, but I heard from one of the clients at the clinic today that Hayley Shannon is coming back to town.”

  “What?” Sarah asked, her head spinning. Hayley Shannon was coming back to Port Perry? The same Hayley Shannon who ran off five years ago, leaving Sarah behind to chase some crazy pop music record deal? Why would she ever want to come back?

  “Yeah, I don’t believe it either, but the woman I talked to swore she read it online,” Jessica said with a shrug. “I mean, I doubt it’s true, but I assumed you’d want to know just in case Hayley does come home.”

  “I don’t even know what to say,” Sarah said. She’d been exhausted before, but after hearing the news about Hayley, she was absolutely drained.

  “Are you sure? Could it be somebody else? I mean, why would she come back here after all this time? It’s not like there’s anything for a pop star to see or do in Port Perry,” Sarah said.

  “I’m not sure, maybe she just wanted to get in touch with her roots again or something like that,” Jessica laughed as she rolled her eyes. “Isn’t that what all the singers are doing now so they don’t look as fake on Instagram?”

  “I wouldn’t know, I’m too busy brushing knots out of ratty dog fur,” Sarah laughed, and Jessica burst out laughing along with her.

  “God, I’ve missed your humor,” Jessica said.

  “Well, you haven’t been missing much of it lately,” Sarah said. “It’s hard to find anything funny when your entire life feels like it’s been ripped from Groundhog Day.”

  “Why does that sound like an invitation for me to leave?” Jessica asked.

  “You’re more than welcome to stay if you want to help me clean up this place, but somehow I doubt that,” Sarah said, and Jessica smiled. “I mean, it’s the least you could do after dropping this bomb on me.”

  “As much as I’d love to, I think I’m going to have to take a rain check. I’ve got things of my own I need to take care of at home and at the clinic,” Jessica said. “But keep your mind open about this weekend, the offer still stands — especially if you need to decompress about the Hayley thing,” she continued.

  “Will do. Thanks for letting me know, I guess,” Sarah said with a shrug.

  Sarah had no idea what she was supposed to do with the information about Hayley’s homecoming, but she did appreciate Jessica warning her ahead of time. What would she have done if she’d just run into Hayley on the street?

  “Hey, that’s what friends are for, right?” Jessica asked.

  “Sure. You know, other than helping clean up huge messes when asked,” Sarah said, and Jessica laughed.

  “Oh no, look at that, my phone is ringing. It’s Olivia, saved by the fiancée,” Jessica said as she pulled her phone out of her purse and held it up to her ear. Sarah doubted whether Olivia was even on the line, but she couldn’t prove it, so she let Jessica go with a wave.

  As soon as the door to the shop closed behind Jessica, Sarah let out the breath she’d been holding. She couldn’t believe Hayley Shannon, her ex-girlfriend and pop star known the world over, was coming back to Port Perry.

  Had something happened? Or was it really just an innocent visit? Sarah doubted it. Wherever Hayley went, drama wasn’t far behind.

  Though Hayley had agreed to sign a record-busting deal with BubblePop Records and then jetted off to the west coast instead of staying with Sarah in Port Perry, Sarah still cared about her and hoped Hayley was okay.

  Her entire life, Hayley’s family had pressured her into going into the music industry, a dream Hayley often said was more her mother’s than her own — did that have something to do with her return?

  There was only be one way to find out, and somehow Sarah wasn’t looking forward to it.

  A lot had happened in the five years since Hayley left, namely that Sarah had moved on — or at least she thought she had.

  But as she stood in the empty shop, the pounding of her heart in her chest the loudest noise in the room, she wondered how true that was.

  2

  Hayley

  Hayley drew in a deep breath as she stepped off the plane, reveling in the faint scent of salt in the early evening air.

  Though it wasn’t all that different from the climate in California, there was something about the coastal Northeast that had its own unique feel, a feel Hayley couldn’t believe she missed.

  Not much of the scenery had changed in the time Hayley had been gone, or at least not that she could see from the airport, but she wondered how true that would be as they drove into town — and how many awkward encounters they might have with locals who recognized her.

  Thus far, she and her management team had done a fantastic job keeping the secret under wraps — and Hayley wanted to keep it that way.

  She pushed her oversized beach glasses up over her eyes and pulled down her sun hat to cover her face. It wasn’t unusual to see private jets at the airport, and so as long as she kept her face concealed, no one would look twice at her.

  “Ready to go?” the driver, whose name Hayley hadn’t bothered to store when he introduced himself, asked.

  “Just a second,” Hayley said as she waited for her Yorkie, Princess, to catch up with her from inside the plane. The dog trotted down
the steps and sat down beside Hayley, just like she’d been taught to do.

  “Good girl,” Hayley said and reached down to give Princess a scratch.

  “Ma’am, I don’t allow animals in the car,” the driver said, but Hayley only had to lower her sunglasses and look him square in the eye to change his mind.

  She didn’t enjoy being difficult, but she wouldn’t make any sacrifices when it came to Princess. If she had to be back in Port Perry, she’d need Princess to help her get through it.

  “Well, I suppose just this one time. She seems like she’s well behaved,” the driver said.

  “She is. I didn’t name her Princess for nothing,” Hayley said and stepped around him, Princess right behind her. The sooner she got out of the airport and away from the public, the better off she’d be.

  Thankfully, the driver’s car, an unassuming white Cadillac of some variety, was parked nearby on the tarmac. The driver held the door open for Hayley and Princess, and Princess hopped in first, Hayley right behind her.

  “I understand we’re heading to Port Perry?” the driver asked after he’d loaded Hayley’s luggage into the trunk and climbed into the driver seat.

  “That’s right,” Hayley said, though she wasn’t in any hurry to get there.

  Given a choice, she would’ve stayed elsewhere — someplace with nicer luxuries, for starters — but she was trying to maintain as low a profile as possible. So, the only place she could stay where she wouldn’t draw attention was at home with her mother — the same mother she hadn’t seen in almost a year.

  As the car rolled into motion, Princess crawled into Hayley’s lap. Usually, Hayley wouldn’t have approved, but she needed comfort now more than ever.