11. Chloe

C hloe looked up from her phone, kind of hating what she had to say to Tori, Raina, and her mother after just twenty minutes of wedding planning. They'd moved heaven and Earth—and two babies—to get this time together and even sat outside on the inn's porch because the cleaning crew was working inside.

But it just wasn't meant to be.

"You're not going to believe this." She winced, expecting them to be furious. "Travis just texted that he went down to Jax and was allowed to get Judah for the whole day. Only twelve hours—which is so sad, it hurts—but he said Judah's very quiet and he wanted to bring him to the refuge to see the dogs and…and…"

"Go," Tori said when the other two were silent.

But they'd been nearly catatonic this whole meeting. Raina threw out a few ideas and Mom? Susannah was in another zone.

"Are you sure?" Chloe directed the question to her mother, who was the one who'd needed help with this event.

Susannah blinked, yanking herself from wherever she was. "Go…where?"

Chloe snorted softly. "Mom, are you sure you're up for this? For this wedding?"

"Yes. Yes, she is," Raina answered for her. "It's just so hot out here and it's not even the middle of June. In a month, we'll have to hand out battery-powered fans as wedding favors."

"I like that idea," Tori said, pointing at Chloe. "Add it to your list."

The list was woefully short, to be honest. "This is all so much easier than when I did—or didn't, to be more accurate—the wedding planning thing. Basically, we're having a family gathering at the inn. Rose has the flowers covered and—" She glanced down at her phone to see a call from Travis. "Sorry. Now he's calling."

"Go!" This time Tori stood. "I'm taking off, too. My line cook just texted that the café is swamped, and they need me. Can we regroup on the wedding planning at some point?"

Raina and their mother agreed and, in less than a minute, Tori and Chloe were walking to the street where they'd both parked.

"Honestly? I'm glad you broke up this meeting," Tori said softly. "Raina and Suze are frustrating me. I mean, for a stay-at-home mom, Raina was reading and writing texts like she was back at the helm of Wingate Properties, and Suze seems a million miles away."

"I noticed that, too, but…" Chloe glanced at her phone, realizing how close Travis was. "I gotta run, Tori. They'll be fine."

Tori answered with a sigh of frustration, but Chloe couldn't stay and discuss the issue. Yes, Raina seemed preoccupied. And Mom? She hadn't been herself for a few weeks.

Maybe it was the pressure of this wedding.

Making a promise to herself to pay more attention and take the reins on this one, Chloe hustled home as fast as she could, unable to ignore the fact that Judah and Travis had all of her heart right now.

Using the dashboard, she called Travis back.

"I'm on my way to the refuge," she said the second he answered. "How's Judah?"

"He's good, but I told him we're going to see dogs and he has made it clear he only likes ‘wittle wittle' dogs."

She cooed at the baby talk. "Tell him he's in luck! Not only is there Lady Bug, but I got a Yorkie named Cupcake yesterday and he's going to love her!"

Travis chuckled, sounding so relaxed, considering how big this one-on-one day was.

"Are you on speaker?" she asked. "Can you tell me what changed your mind?"

"Not speaker, he can't hear. And, I don't know. Mae called to check on us and mentioned there are a few couples who might…" He lowered to a soft whisper. "Foster Judah—"

She gasped softly, hating the thought of him going to live with a forever family that wasn't them.

"Chloe, come on," he murmured, no doubt picking up on her worries.

"I know, I know. It's fine. Let's just focus on today and making it amazing for him, okay?"

"Yes, I love that. See you in a bit."

Chloe pulled into the refuge and did a quick handoff with Ashley, who filled her in on more boarding reservations that had come in over the last few hours. They quickly reviewed the kennel management checklist—everything had been cleaned, dogs were fed, and the kitty litter was disposed of.

With everything under control, Chloe zipped through the place, trying to see it through Judah's little eyes. He probably wasn't passing judgment, but the small house had undergone a lot of renovation in the past few months, and she was proud of what it had become.

No longer the ramshackle house with some kennels in the back for boarding and taking in dogs for rescue, Chloe had managed to make the house a home for people and animals. Travis had gutted and rebuilt her a beautiful kitchen at the heart of the place, and she'd turned the larger spare bedroom into the cat house. The smaller one functioned as her office, and the main bedroom had been transformed into a bright, cozy sanctuary of her own.

The screened-in back porch was comfortable and, like the kitchen, looked out into the spacious yard where she'd upgraded four kennels that were nearly always filled.

But was this a family house?

Not with only one functioning bedroom. Could she move her office somewhere—the hall or the back porch—and turn that smaller room into one suitable for a little boy? Possibly. Or maybe Travis could really build that addition they'd casually talked about. That could be a beautiful master suite and her current room could work perfectly for a little guy.

Whoa, talk about getting ahead of herself.

Just then, Travis's truck rolled over the gravel, so Chloe snagged little Cupcake and hustled to the front with the Yorkie in her arms and Lady Bug at her side. With the more intimidating Buttercup in the back, Judah should be very comfortable.

Travis got out first and she went right to him for a hug and kiss, looking into the back seat of the large truck to see a sweet little boy in a car seat, sucking his thumb, eyes wide, glasses just a bit crooked.

"He's really shy," Travis said. "Or scared. He honestly hasn't said ten words since I got him."

"It has to be hard, Travis. Of course he's scared. Let me talk to him."

When he opened the back door, she gave Judah a smile and held up tiny little Cupcake, who curled into a ball and tried to basically squirm out of Chloe's grip.

"This is one of my guests at Rocky's Rescues," she said. "Would you like to meet Cupcake?"

His dark eyes flashed but he shook his head hard, and Cupcake looked equally disinterested.

But Lady Bug was jumping, trying to get into the truck. She barked a few times, and Judah looked down at her. Lady Bug barked and whipped her fluffy tail furiously, scratching her little nails on the running boards, desperate to make a new friend.

Far more interested, Chloe had to admit, than Cupcake.

She turned and put the little Yorkie in Travis's hands. "Can you put her back in the house? She's happiest in my office and her bed's in there.

"I think we'll have better luck with Bugaboo."

"Bug-boo," Judah repeated, making Chloe laugh as Travis disappeared into the house.

"Yes, that's what I call this little munchkin." She bent over and gave Lady Bug a hand, which was all it took for her to leap up and scramble right into the car seat with Judah.

She barked, loud and high-pitched.

"She's saying hello, Judah."

He giggled, inching back at the dog's insistence, but he took his thumb out and tapped her head carefully, as if he didn't know if she might bite him or not.

"She's very friendly," Chloe said. "I've had her since she was a puppy and she's never bitten anyone."

He looked up at her, the first glimmer of real trust in his eyes. "Bug-boo?"

"You can call her anything and she'll answer. Her official name is Lady Bug. And I'm Chloe. Do you remember me?"

He nodded and looked down at his chest. Behind Lady Bug's little body—already nestled against him—she saw the Spider-Man T-shirt they'd given him.

"Yes, I was there for your Spidey birthday party. You want to get out and see my animal refuge? I live here, but so do lots of doggies and a few cats. But don't worry—you don't have to play with them if you don't want to."

Lady Bug looked up and licked his chin, getting another giggle.

"Well, you've made one friend, Judah."

He stroked her head with such a gentle touch that Chloe's heart clutched.

"Bug-boo."

"Bug-boo," she agreed. "And she obviously loves you."

He looked up, through the windshield. "Uncah Man?"

She fought a smile at the name. "He went to take Cupcake for a nap. Do you want—"

"No nap," he said with more urgency than she'd ever heard from him.

"No, no nap," she promised, reaching in to unlatch his seatbelt. "But I sure hope ol' Uncle Man remembered to pack some of your trucks. Because if we have anything around here, it's dirt. And that dirt needs to be moved."

He gave a slow smile and nodded, pointing to a few plastic grocery bags that held what looked like some clothes and toys. His suitcases, she presumed, with another hitch of her heart.

"Well, let's get moving some dirt, my friend. Bug-boo will certainly help. And by help, I mean bark in your face and lick the dirt off your hands."

Again, he smiled, his whole face brighter as they unloaded. He was barely out of the truck when he grabbed one of the yellow plastic trucks and ran to a patch of dirt, Lady Bug jogging along with him.

In an instant, he was on the ground, making "vroom-vroom" sounds not much louder than Lady Bug's happy barks.

"Can you make me a great big mountain of dirt, Judah?" Chloe asked.

"Dirt!" he exclaimed as he got to work.

Just then, she turned to see Travis standing on the front step, watching, an unreadable expression on his face.

With a quick check of Judah, she walked across the driveway, holding out her arms, unable to wipe the smile from her face.

"He's happy," she announced.

He didn't answer, but gave her a funny look, then pulled her in for a hug. "Oh, Chloe, what am I gonna do?"

She inched back, looking up at him. "You want him, don't you?"

"I don't…I do…I have no idea. It's such a massive, life-altering, world-shaking decision."

"I know," she agreed, turning to look at the child pushing a pile of dirt and saying something softly to the little dog skittering in excited circles around him. "I don't know who loves who more. I had no idea Bug was longing for a kid."

"I wasn't."

"I know," she said, sliding her arm around him. "Certainly not a five-year-old who is technically your half-nephew."

His eyes shuttered.

"Travis, just enjoy the day. Let him play. You don't have to make a decision now."

"But the more time I spend with him…" He gave her a look. "Mae said there are two couples seriously considering him. And not just for fostering."

"For adoption?" she asked, punched by that news. "Like, we could get squeezed out completely if we wait too long?"

"Babe, I am not ready to say yes to this."

"I know, I know," she agreed. "I mean, the living situation alone is daunting. Unless we…" She squished her nose. "Did the addition of a new main bedroom suite and—"

"Not yet, Chloe," he said gruffly. "One day at a time."

"Okay. But if someone…" Her voice trailed off when a car turned into her driveway. "Might be a customer, but no one called. Can you stay with Judah?"

He nodded, heading over to the little boy while she walked closer to the car, spying a much older man behind the wheel, with snow-white hair and a weathered face. Slowly, he turned off the ignition and finally opened the car door.

He looked up at Chloe with watery blue eyes, blinking as if the sunlight or seeing a person surprised him.

"Hello," Chloe said, resisting the urge to give the man a hand. "Can I help you?"

He finally got out of the car, standing to maybe five-five, a little old man with a cardigan, brown pants, and white sneakers.

"Where's Rocky?" he asked. "Rocky Zotter? The owner of this place?"

"She retired and moved away," Chloe explained. "I'm Chloe Wingate, the new owner, but I didn't change the name. It's still Rocky's Rescues. What can I do for you?"

"Do you board cats like Rocky did?"

"Absolutely." She beamed. "In fact, I have a just-completed cat room, with wonderful climbers, spacious individual kennels, all air-conditioned. Would you like to see it?" When he nodded, Chloe called to Travis and Judah, "Be right back, you two. Quick tour." Then she turned to her guest. "What's your name, sir?"

"I'm Henry," he said. "But everyone calls me Hank. Except my dear late wife, who called me ‘Old Hank,' which I never thought was very funny. But I guess I got the last laugh, 'cause I'm old and she's…" He pointed to the sky and made a sad face.

"I'm sorry, Hank," she said, guiding him inside.

"Oh, this is all different," Hank said, pausing to look around. "Brighter and newer than when Rocky was here. I'm glad I drove all the way up from Long Point to come here."

"I've spent the last few months and a whole lot of dollars fixing it up," Chloe said. "Let me show you the new cat room."

Which could have been a little boy's bedroom, but she had no idea she'd need one, and the cats brought forty bucks a night.

She opened the door to see her two current boarders, one asleep, one climbing a cloth-covered stairway to nowhere.

"Very nice," Hank said. "Can I make a reservation? I have to go into the hospital for a procedure in a few weeks and I have to feel like my little man Elvis is safe and sound."

"Elvis will be very happy here, but I'm sorry you have to go to the hospital, Hank."

"Oh, it's fine. I'll be ninety this year. I didn't think they bothered with them medical things on old guys like me, but my doc says this'll give me at least five more years." He gave a yellowed grin. "And I want to have my Elvis next to me for all of them."

She smiled back. "I understand that, sir. Let's go make your reservation."

As she took him into the room she used as an office, they passed the kitchen bulletin board where she allowed clients to post pictures of dogs and cats or advertise adoptions. At the board, he stopped and stared at the colored printout of Rhett Butler's "Missing" poster.

"Well, I'll be. Why do you have a picture of my Elvis right there?"

She did a double-take. "Oh, no, that's not your cat. He's been missing for a few weeks. Is Elvis an orange tabby? They're so cute."

"He's…missing?" The old man seemed to turn pale. "From here? You lost him from here?"

"No, near Fernandina Beach. My sister's boyfriend was cat-sitting and—"

"That's Elvis," he croaked.

"Excuse me?"

"I haven't had him three weeks."

"Really?" Her heart jumped. Could she have found Rhett Butler?

"My lady who comes and cleans my place for me brought him to me. Said she picked him up on the street at one of the houses she cleans."

Chloe stared at him, then the flyer. "You have Rhett Butler?"

"I…I…" He looked closer. "Oh, dear. Yes. That's my little boy, Elvis." He grabbed onto the edge of the desk like he might faint. "I never imagined he belonged to someone—"

"He belongs to a woman who's in Europe right now, and a frantic cat-sitter who'll be overjoyed to hear this."

He stared at the flyer, fighting to take a breath.

"Are you all right?" Chloe asked.

"I'm…I'm…no. No, I can't give him up!"

"Maybe it's not the same cat," she said quickly, worried he was about to keel over.

"Oh, it's the same cat. But I…I…" He closed his eyes and a tear dribbled down his wrinkled face. "I love him."

"I'm sure you do, Mr.—Hank. But…" But he couldn't keep Rhett Butler, and Chloe sure didn't want to be responsible for the poor man getting that news.

"I think I'll just go now," he said, turning away. "I'll call you if I want to make a reservation."

"Please, please wait." It wasn't hard to catch up with him. "Can't they just come and see him? Maybe it's not Rhett Butler."

He kept walking, silent, right out the door and to the driveway.

"But…but…can I give you her number, in case you change your mind?" Chloe asked, feeling desperate that this might slip away. All she knew about him was that his name was Henry, went by Hank, and he lived in Long Point, which was a large area on the island that included townhouses, a hotel, and many, many homes.

He reached the car door and turned, shocking Chloe with full tears spilling. "I can't give him up. I can't."

"And maybe you won't have to, but they should be able to know."

A storm of emotions played over his weathered features, with his eyes registering grief and fury and fear and, finally, resignation. "I suppose it would be wrong to keep him. That's what my Margie would say."

"I don't know what it would be," Chloe said softly. "But someone does already love Rhett Butler very much and I'm sure she'd be grateful that you've taken care of him so well for these past few weeks."

Very slowly, he pulled open the car door. "I live at the Driftwood Villas," he said gruffly. "Unit 2A. I'll be home tonight."

"Thank you," Chloe whispered, helping him into the driver's seat right before he closed the door and broke into a visible sob.

Poor Sadie and Scout. This wasn't going to be an easy rescue, but at least they'd found Rhett Butler.

When Hank left, Chloe turned to the boys—one large, one small— and one dog, all playing in the dirt.

"Who likes chocolate?" she called.

Judah looked up, his face and hands covered in dirt, but his eyes told the story. He loved chocolate.

"Let's clean up and make a trip to town," she said. "I'm going to take you to the best chocolate shop in the world."

His eyes widened, but he instantly put a hand on Lady Bug's head, not having to say what he was thinking.

"No worries, darling," she assured him. "Bug-boo goes where I go. Uncle Man, we have a mission."

Travis popped up into action, like the great firefighter he was, and reached for Judah's hand—like the great father he could be.