an avid bikerâs lean body, Sam was the six-foot-tall Ken to Reneâs brunette-haired Barbie.
Bella couldnât fault his personality, either. Somehow Sam had managed not to inherit the pretty boy jerk gene. He was sweet, kind, andâmost importantlyâhe adored Rene to a fault. Add Samâs brilliantly successful software company to all of that personal yumminess and he wasâas Rene told anyone whoâd listenâthe perfect husband.
The disgusting, fuzzy, caterpillar-like growth marring his upper lip was his only glaring flaw. Someday Iâd sneak up behind him and shave it offâif I could ever manage to get close enough to touch it without getting sick to my stomach.
Rene waved her hand dismissively. âIgnore her, Sam, and consider yourself lucky. At least Bella doesnât bark at you.â She flopped on the sofa bed. A Pigpen-like cloud of dirt, dog dander, and dust mites swirled around her. She sneezed uncontrollably into her hand and looked around the room. âThis place is tiny . Whereâs Samâs and my bedroom?â
âYouâre sitting on it,â Michael replied.
Reneâs eyes widened. âYou have got to be kidding me.â She sneezed again. âThis will never do.â She stood up and brushed the newly acquired layer of dander and dog fur off of her pants. âTell you what, letâs go have lunch. Sam and I drove past a Chinese place in Eastsound that looked pretty good. A slice of chocolate truffle pie from the pie shop around the corner doesnât sound half bad, either.
âWhen we get back, weâll stop at the office and see about getting Sam and me our own place.â She scratched Bellaâs ears. âMaybe Sam will even splurge for a larger cabin for all five of us.â
_____
The rest of the day went by in a heartbeat. We started at the Chinese restaurant. Michael, Sam, and I stuffed ourselves full of stir fry, while Rene made small piles of fried rice and pushed them around on her plate. After that, we spent the afternoon wandering around Eastsound. Sam and Michael werenât exactly enthusiastic about our choice of girlie activities, but Rene and I enjoyed browsing through the townâs many quaint stores.
My budget allowed primarily for window shopping, so Rene spent enough money for us both. She wasnât in the mood to try on clothesâa first for herâbut she indulged in a multitude of books, trinkets, and designer chocolates. She even managed to nibble on that coveted slice of pie.
I tried to make good on my promise to buy Bella a new crate, but the local pet boutique didnât carry any large enough for my horse-sized German shepherd. Bella would have to make do with the space Michael had created behind the bed.
Now, five minutes before our six oâclock dinner reservation, we all meandered along the path to Eden, the centerâs on-site restaurant. Well, three of us meandered. Rene stomped. She pouted and griped and whined and lamented, acting like a starving three-year-old whoâd been denied a pink frosted sugar cookie.
âSold out? How can the entire property be sold out?â
âIt isnât, Rene,â I replied for the thousandth time. âSam said there were plenty of campsites available.â I nudged her ribs with my elbow. âYou might have even been able to score a yurt!â
She grumbled an unrepeatable reply and accelerated. I hurried to keep pace beside her. âI told you, this week is special. Itâs the grand opening of the new construction, and the site managers are getting married. Iâm sure they have a ton of out-of-town guests.â I shrugged. âYouâll have to live with the sofa bed.â
Rene pouted her way up the staircase. âDid you see the dust that came out of that couch? Iâve already taken a double dose of Benadryl, and my eyes are still swollen like grapefruits!
âRene, honey,â Sam said from
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