I shrugged. “Probably, but here we are. What I’m offering is a very simple trade. You give us the dog and we leave.”
“Or you don’t and we start talking,” Zach said calmly, glancing at Colin. “Doesn’t Thayeralsosupport several museums all over the world?”
Colin nodded thoughtfully. “We do. We also have very close ties to a number of universities.”
I picked up where they’d left off. “They’re always inviting us to all their events. It’s amazing how many people you meet, networking at all those fundraising shindigs.”
The girl crossed her arms and glared at him now. “You told me she was out of the picture.”
“This doesn’t have to get messy, Thomas,” I said. “I’ve told you that already, but it can. Very easily. I’m already in Europe. While we’re here, we might as well pay a visit to?—”
“Fine,” he snapped. “Take the damn dog.”
“Smart choice.” Relief barreled into me, but I didn’t let it show. “We’re pressed for time, so if you’ll just go get him, we’ll be out of your hair in no time.”
He turned abruptly and disappeared down the hallway. The girl spun and ran back upstairs, and Colin grinned once they were both gone. “That went well.”
“We deserve a drink,” Zach muttered.
“And a marching band,” Colin whispered as Thomas came back down the hall with a giant brown dog in tow.
“Take him,” he said sharply, like the dog had gravely offended him. “I’m not giving you any of his things.”
I waved my hand. “That won’t be a problem.”
Stepping toward the dog, I reached out to let him know I came in peace. Then I crouched down, looking right into his kind brown eyes. The second Hubert caught my scent, his ears perked up, his whole body went still for half a second, and then he launched himself at me.
“Okay, hey.” I let out a surprised laugh as he pressed his head into my chest, tail going absolutely wild. “Yeah, alright, buddy. I like you too.”
He barked, licking my jaw before he started sniffing my jacket. I realized then that Jacque’s scent must still be on the fabric.
I scratched behind his ear. “I’m going to take you to her. Don’t worry.”
The guys and I left soon after with Hubert in tow. As soon as we got outside to our rented Mini Cooper, however, a snag I hadn’t quite expected quickly made itself known.
“How the hell are we going to fit him in there with us?” Zach asked, beating me to the punch. “None of us are small and he’s not either.”
“He’s a horse,” Colin said, staring at him before glancing back at our tiny car. “Logistically, this is a nightmare.”
Hubert clearly didn’t agree, seeming thrilled with every part of this situation. He wiggled like he was powered by pure joy, his tail going absolutely feral. If he’d had any more energy, he would’ve achieved flight.
“We’ll make it work,” I said finally, unlocking the car and opening a back door. “Even if it means we’ll have to invent a new level of discomfort.”
After a lot of shifting and leg contortion, we managed to squeeze in. Colin groaned before we’d even reached the end of the first block. “This is undignified.”
Zach sighed. “Undignified or not, we need to get far away from here before he calls the cops.”
“That’s a valid concern,” I said. “Let’s just keep going. We’ll survive.”
The drive back to the villa we’d rented was an experience. Thankfully, we’d planned ahead and opted out of staying in a hotel, choosing a pet-friendly place instead.
Hubert eventually settled, but only after thoroughly inspecting every inch of the car, including all of us. By the time we pulled up our driveway, I had dog hair on my jacket, my shirt, and probably even stuck to my soul, but I didn’t even care.
“I still can’t believe that worked,” Colin said, shaking his head as we headed inside. “I know we had leverage, but still.”
“I knew it would work,” I said triumphantly, leading Hubert in with me. “We filled up the food and water bowls, right?”
“Yep.” Zach watched with me from the door when Hubert bolted into the house ahead of us, immediately starting to explore. His nails clicked against the floor as he moved from room to room, his tail still wagging like it would never stop.
