Valentine Hound Dog: The Hart Family (Have A Hart Book 2) Read online

  “Okay, on my way. Let me know if you need anything.” He forced a smile and waved as he rolled the trash can from the classroom.

  He was over crushing on her. She was sweet and kind, and at one time, he thought he had a chance because she didn’t look at appearances. Not once since he’d come out of the burn ward did Melisa ever flinch from the sight of him. Her family had accepted him as one of theirs, and of course her brother Connor was still his buddy, even if they were no longer the two-man team they used to be. Unfortunately, now that Connor was promoted to chief, he didn’t hang out as much anymore, which meant Larry was facing a Friday night with a TV dinner in front of a basketball game.

  A piercing wind blew as he lifted the dumpster lid, threatening to blow it down. Larry held the lid with one hand and hefted the trash bag into it. Letting the lid slam, he turned toward the warmth of the building.

  Something moved near the dumpster, darting behind it. Probably a rat. He should set traps, but not tonight. The wind whined and howled as he opened the door.

  Another whine and something furry touched the back of his leg. It was a puppy, likely a basset hound, with a brown and black patchwork face and white paws.

  “What’cha doing here, boy?” Larry bent down and held his hand out for the puppy to sniff. There was no collar, but the puppy appeared well groomed and plump. “Did you get lost?”

  The puppy licked his hand, and Larry scooped him up. “I bet you’re hungry. Tomorrow I’ll put up a poster. See if anyone lost you.”

  He rubbed the puppy’s head and long ears while the puppy licked his jowls and yawned. How could he resist such cuteness?

  * * *

  “I can’t believe I lost him,” Jenna cried on the phone to her sister, Melisa. “One minute, he was following me to your apartment building, and the next minute he disappeared.”

  “Following you?” Melisa glanced at Rob who was driving her home from work. “Didn’t you have him on a leash?”

  “The leash and collar were in the shopping bag. I don’t have five hands. I was carrying him and then when I got to the security door, I had to put him down to punch in the code.”

  “Couldn’t you have set the bags down?”

  “No, that little rascal would have stuck his nose in and stolen a chicken strip.”

  “Rob and I are on our way. You stay put and we’ll help you look.”

  “Okay, hurry. It’s getting dark, and he’s only a tiny little puppy. I’ve already run all around your building but no one’s seen him.”

  “Maybe he went back home. Where did you get him?”

  “The rescue center down near where you work. But there’s no way he could have made it back. He’s so tiny and there’s so much traffic.”

  “Don’t worry, we’ll find him,” her sister said. “We’re almost home.”

  “Good. I don’t know how much more stress I can take. What with the show, the firemen not cooperating, and now my model gone.”

  “Model? Which one?”

  “Little Treat, the puppy.” Jenna couldn’t help pulling at her hair. “He’s my signature piece.”

  “Signature piece? Wait? What about the gowns and the outfits?”

  “Those are a mess. I need to get back home and sew, sew, sew.”

  “Then what are you doing with a puppy?” Her sister’s voice took on a motherly, or was it a teacherly, tone. How was it that Melisa was younger than her and so calm?

  “He’s supposed to be Connor’s bribe so the firemen can undress for my show!” Jenna wailed. “Now, the show will be a flop, all because I lost Little Treat.”

  “You’re not making any sense.”

  Melisa’s boyfriend’s Infiniti convertible slid to a halt in front of the apartment building. The passenger door flung open and her sister bounced out, ready to help her.

  “I, I, need a paper bag,” Jenna said, blowing and huffing. Her hands were tingly and she wasn’t sure if she could breathe.

  Melisa took the cell phone from her and led her to the car. “Get in. Rob, Jenna’s hyperventilating again.”

  Again? Did she really stress out that often? She dutifully followed her sister to the car and got in the back seat. Rob, Melisa’s boyfriend, was an ER doctor, but oh, how embarrassing. They should be looking for the puppy, not wasting time treating her.

  “I’m okay. I’m fine.” Jenna placed her hand over her belly and held her breath, or tried to. “It’s okay. We need to find Little Treat. It’s getting too dark to see.”

  Melisa held a small lunch bag over her mouth and nose and after a few minutes, Jenna was able to focus, even though her heart was full of anxiety and she wished she still chewed her nails.

  “What does the puppy look like?” Rob asked. “We need to put up flyers.”

  “He’s a basset hound, ten weeks old. He’s so adorable, long, floppy ears and big round eyes. He’s got a black and brown head and a black back with white paws.”

  “We should organize a search,” Melisa said. “Last Christmas when I lost Cassie, Larry and Rob went door to door. Let’s go to the Love Bean and gather our friends.”

  The Love Bean was a quaint hipster coffee shop in the neighborhood which had somehow survived the influx of Starbucks and Peets in this partly gentrified section of San Francisco.

  “I have his picture on my phone to make the posters,” Jenna said. “But don’t you two have a date? I can’t make you miss the opera for this.”

  “Hey, it’s not a problem,” Melisa said, eyeing Rob who nodded. “How can I sit in an opera house not knowing if your puppy is safe?”

  “We should call Larry,” Rob said. “He has the maps of all the apartment buildings from last time. It’ll be easier to print them out rather than make new ones.”

  “Right, then we can go door to door and see if anyone picked up a puppy.”

  “I hope this works.” Jenna squeezed her eyes shut, trying to dispel the stars she saw. Part of her dizziness could be due to starvation, but maybe not. Maybe she was about to faint. Not eating could do this, but if she was going to fit into her signature gown and walk down the runway, she’d need to lose ten pounds by Valentine’s Day. “How am I going to lose weight unless Little Treat eats my table scraps? I picked the chubbiest puppy for that reason.”

  Chapter Three

  Larry fed the puppy a few scraps of meat before fashioning a leash from a piece of rope he had lying around. The puppy wasn’t quite potty-trained and had already had an accident, but then, his tail was wagging so fast and he was so happy and excited to be loved that it was only natural he’d forgotten.

  What a sweet little guy. He was chubby and well-fed, and so friendly with plenty of huggable loose skin, floppy ears, and a tail that wagged and wagged like a flag in the wind. The little guy vacuumed up food and was a messy drinker, slobbering water all over the floor.

  Larry hugged the puppy and tied the rope around his neck. “What am I going to name you?”

  “Waaaroof” the puppy barked, shaking his jowls.

  “How about a tough guy name? You a tough guy?”

  The puppy raised his head and howled, “Woorrooahh.”

  “You like doing motorcycle noises? I bet you do.” Larry nuzzled the puppy who licked or slobbered all of his face, slathering him with drool.

  “How about Harley? You like Harley?”

  He couldn’t help it. Even though little Harley probably belonged to someone else, until Larry located the owner, he’d need a name, and what with his long brown ears and black body, he looked like a dog in a motorcycle jacket.

  “Waaarroof.” Harley shook his ears making a slapping noise as Larry led him from the apartment. His tail stood straight up like a banner and he pulled on the rope, eager to get outside.

  The little guy waddled out the door and tumbled down the stairs, tripping over his long ears.

  “You silly puppy.” Larry rubbed his belly and put him back on his stubby little legs. “Never gone downstairs before, have you?”

  Harley
didn’t care. He bounced down the sidewalk, sniffing the air, the sign posts, and every tree trunk, hydrant, and even car tires. His nose wiggled and twitched as he caught something interesting.

  With a shake of his head, he bounded toward a streetcar track.

  “Whoa there, little guy.” Larry scooped the puppy up. “What’cha doing? Chasing rainbows?”

  “Waaroof.” Harley stuck his long tongue out and mopped Larry’s scruffy face. He’d been thinking of growing a beard, although the scarred areas on his left side had lost their hair follicles. It would be uneven at best. What the heck. It wasn’t as if anyone at the school cared what he looked like, and now that he wasn’t a firefighter, he could grow his hair long and wear a beard if he wanted.

  “Okay, okay, kissing time is over.” Larry set the puppy down and wiped his face with the back of his sleeve. “Race you to the park.”

  He didn’t live too far from Golden Gate Park, and he was sure Harley would love to run on the grass, leashed of course. Whoever lost this sweet little puppy had to be careless. Imagine not even putting a tag on the dog, or a collar. Their loss.

  The puppy jogged, bouncing up and down the way basset hounds did, his body looking like a caterpillar inching along, but faster. As soon as he scented the park, he tugged and pulled—pretty strong for such a little guy.

  Larry lengthened his stride and even though he limped from an old injury, they were soon racing to get to the park. Harley barked happily as he rolled in the green grass which had been revitalized after the winter rains ended the long Californian drought.

  “Wooarrohh,” he howled in a cute puppy voice and flopped his ears, rubbing them on the grass. He looked so cute, rolling and getting himself tangled in the rope, ears all akimbo and feet wrapped up. “Aaarroohhh.”

  Laughter spilled from Larry’s lips, and he got down on the grass and rolled around with Harley. “You’re such a funny boy.”

  Harley only widened his large, droopy eyes and panted, his doggy breath and smile dripping with drool. He burped and let out a large, long fart, then wiggled his nose happily.

  Larry hugged Harley and promptly fell in love. Harley didn’t care if he was too ugly to get a date. Harley wouldn’t play games with him and pretend to like him, then turn his back when someone richer or more attractive showed up. And most of all, Harley would love him just because they were both ugly and clumsy, burping, farting goobers.

  The only problem. Harley looked to be a purebred basset hound, and he belonged to somebody else. Larry was still too much of a Boy Scout to not attempt to find his owner. Then again, Harley wasn’t wearing tags or a collar, so who could blame Larry if he wasn’t able to locate the supposed owner?

  Larry would do the right thing, just barely. He’d tack up a sign at the school. Let the Vice Principal know and that would be that.

  * * *

  Jenna stuck her fingernails into her mouth and tasted hot spice. Yikes. What was she doing? She was a fashion designer and she had a major show. True, it was only a charity show, but it was her chance to prove to her boss that she could run things, organize an event, and at the same time, produce all the clothes.

  She, Melisa, and Rob walked into the Love Bean Coffee Shop to gather their friends for a search. How could Little Treat have disappeared? No one they met had seen him, and Melisa’s friend, Larry, the guy who’d organized the search when her lovebird flew away wasn’t answering his cell phone.

  Jenna didn’t know what she thought about Larry. He seemed to be an ever-present shadow lurking around her family. Aside from having had a crush on Melisa, he was also Connor’s best friend, but Jenna didn’t really know him, since she’d left home as soon as she turned eighteen.

  “Do we really need this Larry person?” Jenna heard herself saying. “Sure, he helped you with Cassie, but as I remember, he didn’t turn up any leads.”

  “He’s not answering his phone anyway,” Melisa said. “I left a message. Maybe he’s on a date.”

  “Little Treat isn’t a bird,” Rob said while texting. “So most likely if someone found him, they’d turn him in to the animal shelter.”

  How did he do that? Text and talk at the same time?

  “Maybe I should go back to the rescue and ask if they saw him,” Jenna said. “What if he was trying to go home?”

  Melisa blew on the foam of her latte. “Didn’t you say it’s close to my school?”

  “Yes, around the block. You think Little Treat went back?”

  “Could have,” Rob said. “He’s got a great sense of smell. I bet he could follow a trail a mile long.”

  “Well, I did walk with him all the way to your place,” Jenna admitted. Melisa had volunteered to let Little Treat stay at her apartment since their mother was allergic to dogs, and Jenna was living at the family home during her visit to put together the show.

  “Then we should retrace your steps,” Melisa said. “What are we waiting for?”

  “Actually, you two should go on your date,” Jenna said. “I feel bad already. Now that we know where Little Treat went, I don’t need you two anymore.”

  Rob’s eyebrow raised and he squinted. “You don’t know where the puppy went. You have a theory, but it’s unproven.”

  Jenna pushed from the table, leaving her coffee cup. “I’m sure he went back. The lady said Little Treat always shows up for dinner first. He has a clock inside of him and he knows when it’s dinnertime, and he’s the first to stop playing and get in the chow line.”

  “We’ll go with you,” Melisa insisted. “It’s dark and you shouldn’t be wandering the streets alone.”

  “No, not necessary,” Jenna argued. Her younger sister had pined after Rob all these years and had finally gotten together with him over Christmas. Rob was an Emergency Room doctor and it was rare for him to have a Friday evening off-duty. The last thing they needed was an older sister who couldn’t even keep a dog, much less a steady boyfriend. Not that she cared. The flakes who went out with her were only doing it to enhance their image—to get talked about in the fashion community, or maybe scam off an introduction to one of her fashion models. The worst were the athletes who one-upped each other on which supermodel they had as arm candy—not that she qualified since she was several inches too short and ten pounds too heavy.

  “I’m going now,” Jenna said. “Now that I have a plan of action, I’ll be fine.”

  Melisa cell phone rang, and she held up her hand to stop Jenna from leaving.

  “You have the puppy?” Melisa’s voice rose. “It’s a basset hound, right? Long brown ears, black torso, sausage shaped.”

  Jenna clasped her hands and closed her eyes, thanking God. Yes. Someone had found Little Treat. Connor would fall in love with the puppy and everything would go well with her show. Little Treat was her good luck charm. Her mascot, and even though he drooled a little too much, the lady at the rescue assured her that firemen loved drooling dogs. After all, they loved water. That made a lot of sense.

  Melisa hung up the phone. “Good news. Larry found the puppy and took him to his apartment. It’s not far from here. Just south of Golden Gate Park.”

  “Awesome.” Rob glanced at his watch. “Lacy and Brandon are at the Opera House already, and if we hurry, we can still meet them out front and have dinner.”

  “Great. Then you guys drop me off at Larry’s. I’m sure he’ll give me a ride back.” Jenna didn’t want to inconvenience her sister further. “I don’t want you to miss your opera.”

  Chapter Four

  “I can’t believe you’re Jenna Hart’s dog,” Larry said to Harley as he poured dried dog food into a bowl.

  Harley only grunted while he inhaled the food, crunching and smacking his lips. Crumbs flew from the bowl and when he shook his head, his ears flapped water from the water section of the bowl.

  “You’re a man’s dog. Look at you.” Larry scratched and bunched up Harley’s skin. “You slobber, you fart, you have bad breath. What would a fashion designer want you for? I’d picture
her with a greyhound, or a fancy, sleek Afghan hound with long, flowing hair, all elegant and wearing a jeweled collar.”

  Truth? He didn’t want to give Harley back to the likes of Jenna Hart. She lived in New York City and was only home for the holidays, flying in to show her pretty face, then disappearing back to whatever fancy-smancy lifestyle fashion designers lived.

  A basset hound puppy didn’t fit.

  Harley slurped the water in the dish, splashing it all over the floor. He shook his head, belched loudly, and put his front legs on Larry, begging to be picked up.

  “Oh, you cutie pie, you.” Larry lifted Harley onto the sofa and switched on the basketball game. The dog settled onto his lap like he belonged there.

  Larry stared at the game flashing across the screen while he rubbed Harley’s back. What could he say to Jenna to let him keep the puppy? If she was trying to make some sort of reverse fashion statement with the dog, well, that would be insulting. Contrast the beautiful with the ugly.

  Maybe it was a ploy to get men’s attention—a drop-dead gorgeous woman with a butt-ugly dog. Whatever her problem, he wasn’t about to let her solve it with little Harley. She’d always seemed high strung the few times he’d met her—not that she’d ever deigned to speak to him. Oh no. Miss Beauty Queen was always surrounded by slick guys—the type with gleaming teeth, smooth hair, sporting Italian suits and shoes, and driving European luxury vehicles.

  “I’m not going to let her use you,” Larry said to Harley who’d fallen asleep already. The puppy’s throat rumbled like the snores of an old man. “She’d probably put you in the garage and wear earplugs to go to sleep.”

  He pictured poor little Harley left out in the cold, his eyes large and droopy, while Jenna held a blond Pomeranian puppy whose puff-ball fur was scented with perfume. A jeweled collar would be full of tags, the most prominent, a heart shaped glittery one with the name Princess etched in rhinestone.

  Nope. Jenna was definitely not the type of woman who’d play tug-of-war with an old sock or pick ticks off a hound dog’s ears.