bringing a gift to a party. I’ve been rushing around and I didn’t remember to get anything.”
He grinned. “Don’t worry. I’ve got us covered. I had flowers delivered earlier today from the both of us. One of those fall bouquets. Jaime loves flowers.”
Wait. Jaime was a girl? He’d been telling her stories the past couple of days about how he and Jaime were always in trouble together as kids.
Before she could mention it, they were at the door of one of the largest homes on the block. A wraparound porch and two-story columns gave it a plantation house feel.
The open door led into a foyer the shape and size of a rotunda. It was a fit for the Southern mansion. Dark wood floors graced the area, and a huge round table with a bouquet of flowers sat below a crystal chandelier. There were two staircases with banisters draped in magnolia garlands.
“Oh. My. God! It’s my favorite marine.” A woman in a formfitting Catwoman suit threw her arms around Blake and kissed him hard on the mouth.
And he didn’t seem to mind a bit.
“Hey, stinky. What’s up?”
“You’re late,” she said when she stepped back and eyed him up and down. “And you aren’t wearing a costume. I told you that you had to wear a costume.”
“You know I don’t do costumes. I was giving a hand out at the animal shelter, which is why I’m late.” That seemed to remind him that she was standing there. “This is my friend Macy,” he said as he put an arm around her shoulders.
The happy smile faded from the woman’s face as she gave Macy the once-over.
“You that Yankee newspaper editor?”
“Jaime, be nice,” Blake warned, but with a playful tone to his voice.
Refusing to back down, Macy jutted out her chin. “Yes.”
“This is who you’re dating? Do we not have enough women in the South that you have to start in on the Northerners?”
Blake pointed a finger at his friend. “I really like her, so play nice. I mean it.”
Her hero. Macy smiled up at him.
“What, for goodness’ sake, is that?”
Harley cocked her head.
“That’s Macy’s dog, Harley,” he answered.
Jaime glanced back at Macy. “Great Dane?”
“Yes.”
The woman smiled at her. Then she put two fingers to her mouth and blew an earsplitting whistle.
A dark gray, almost blue, Great Dane with silvery eyes trotted into the room.
“Harley, this is Bruno.”
“If you don’t want that costume shredded in the next five minutes, I suggest you take if off of Harley. Bruno gets jealous when other dogs have things he doesn’t. Though, I’m definitely going to get him a costume for next year because that dragon outfit is too cute.”
Macy wondered if the dog might attack Harley, and she put herself between the two animals.
“Oh, don’t worry. He wouldn’t hurt a fly. But he would try to get that outfit off of her for himself. He loves everything with ruffles, patterns and either brown or green.”
Blake took the costume off of Harley and she shook herself.
“Now, Bruno, play nice. Take her out to the clubhouse.”
The dog glanced back at his owner and nodded.
Were all Great Danes so smart?
“Are you sure they’ll be okay?” Macy wasn’t worried about Bruno being with Harley, she was concerned as to how Harley would interact with him. She got along with the other dogs at the shelter, but she’d always been supervised.
“I’m sure,” Jaime said. “Blake, go say hello to everyone. I want to speak to your Yankee lady.”
Blake stared at Macy. “I think that might make her uncomfortable. It’s probably best if I stick around.”
Macy appreciated that he wanted to stay by her, but she wasn’t a child.
“Don’t worry, I won’t bite her,” Jaime promised. “Besides, anyone with a dog like that is okay in my book. Great Danes are sensitive and bright, and extremely needy. They take a lot of love, time and patience. That’s something your Yankee will need if she’s going to train you up, as well.”
Blake rolled his
He grinned. “Don’t worry. I’ve got us covered. I had flowers delivered earlier today from the both of us. One of those fall bouquets. Jaime loves flowers.”
Wait. Jaime was a girl? He’d been telling her stories the past couple of days about how he and Jaime were always in trouble together as kids.
Before she could mention it, they were at the door of one of the largest homes on the block. A wraparound porch and two-story columns gave it a plantation house feel.
The open door led into a foyer the shape and size of a rotunda. It was a fit for the Southern mansion. Dark wood floors graced the area, and a huge round table with a bouquet of flowers sat below a crystal chandelier. There were two staircases with banisters draped in magnolia garlands.
“Oh. My. God! It’s my favorite marine.” A woman in a formfitting Catwoman suit threw her arms around Blake and kissed him hard on the mouth.
And he didn’t seem to mind a bit.
“Hey, stinky. What’s up?”
“You’re late,” she said when she stepped back and eyed him up and down. “And you aren’t wearing a costume. I told you that you had to wear a costume.”
“You know I don’t do costumes. I was giving a hand out at the animal shelter, which is why I’m late.” That seemed to remind him that she was standing there. “This is my friend Macy,” he said as he put an arm around her shoulders.
The happy smile faded from the woman’s face as she gave Macy the once-over.
“You that Yankee newspaper editor?”
“Jaime, be nice,” Blake warned, but with a playful tone to his voice.
Refusing to back down, Macy jutted out her chin. “Yes.”
“This is who you’re dating? Do we not have enough women in the South that you have to start in on the Northerners?”
Blake pointed a finger at his friend. “I really like her, so play nice. I mean it.”
Her hero. Macy smiled up at him.
“What, for goodness’ sake, is that?”
Harley cocked her head.
“That’s Macy’s dog, Harley,” he answered.
Jaime glanced back at Macy. “Great Dane?”
“Yes.”
The woman smiled at her. Then she put two fingers to her mouth and blew an earsplitting whistle.
A dark gray, almost blue, Great Dane with silvery eyes trotted into the room.
“Harley, this is Bruno.”
“If you don’t want that costume shredded in the next five minutes, I suggest you take if off of Harley. Bruno gets jealous when other dogs have things he doesn’t. Though, I’m definitely going to get him a costume for next year because that dragon outfit is too cute.”
Macy wondered if the dog might attack Harley, and she put herself between the two animals.
“Oh, don’t worry. He wouldn’t hurt a fly. But he would try to get that outfit off of her for himself. He loves everything with ruffles, patterns and either brown or green.”
Blake took the costume off of Harley and she shook herself.
“Now, Bruno, play nice. Take her out to the clubhouse.”
The dog glanced back at his owner and nodded.
Were all Great Danes so smart?
“Are you sure they’ll be okay?” Macy wasn’t worried about Bruno being with Harley, she was concerned as to how Harley would interact with him. She got along with the other dogs at the shelter, but she’d always been supervised.
“I’m sure,” Jaime said. “Blake, go say hello to everyone. I want to speak to your Yankee lady.”
Blake stared at Macy. “I think that might make her uncomfortable. It’s probably best if I stick around.”
Macy appreciated that he wanted to stay by her, but she wasn’t a child.
“Don’t worry, I won’t bite her,” Jaime promised. “Besides, anyone with a dog like that is okay in my book. Great Danes are sensitive and bright, and extremely needy. They take a lot of love, time and patience. That’s something your Yankee will need if she’s going to train you up, as well.”
Blake rolled his
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