It Happened at the Park
Practical city planner,
Cassidy Grant, just inherited her sister’s beloved dogs. Except she’s a career
girl into heels and matching accessories, she’s not a dog mom. Worse, she’s
required to take the furry darlings to the dog park.
Jilted, Ethan Sheppard
finally got a dog. And he loves their bonding trips to the dog park. He’s also
the secret cartoonist whose drawings poke fun at the city leadership.
After they meet, Ethan learns
Cassidy’s going to be fired if she can’t identify the cartoonist, but telling
her will cost his job.
Genres
Contemporary Romance | Novella White Satin – Sweet
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Excerpt
“Promise me.”
Just hearing the
urgent concern threaded through Cindy’s voice made Cassidy cringe. Vainly she
tried to push off her sister’s earnest request with a laugh. It didn’t work,
falling pitifully flat.
“Promise me,” Cindy
persisted.
Sagging, Cassidy
relented, bowing her head in quiet defeat. “Yes, of course. It won’t be
necessary, but I promise.”
Satiated, Cindy
leaned back, a peaceful smile on her face. It was the first one Cassidy had
seen in days. Cindy was the realist of the family, whereas Cassidy refused to
believe in any other outcome than the one she wanted. Hence the reason this
whole discussion, and promise, were unnecessary. Except it made Cindy smile.
That was enough.
Looking back now,
their conversation had been something she overlooked the significance of. She’d
missed it by a mile. Cindy had requested to see her, saying it was urgent, so
she rescheduled the day’s calendar and sandwiched Cindy in between two important
meetings. Now, she had to admit she hadn’t been willing to give her sister’s
concern the attention it deserved. Turns out, it was more important than her
meetings.
Now, seated with her
other sister, Karen, and Cindy’s lawyer, and gazing at the thick file, she
could not suppress the shivers claiming her. Despite the climate control of the
room, goosebumps peppered her skin. Cindy had been the baby, youngest of the
three sisters. How was anyone expected to think she would be the first to
leave?
Cassidy thought back,
before the meeting where she was obligated to make that promise. Cindy was the
free spirit, the happy-go-lucky and most extroverted of the trio. She seldom
had as much as a cold. No one imagined her getting sick, seriously sick. Least
of all, Cassidy.
She still clearly
pictured the day the three of them went to the beach for a weekend. Last year.
Cindy had begged Cassidy and Karen to put their lives, jobs and family on hold
to accompany her to what she called fulfilling her bucket list. She’d won the
trip as part of a magazine sweepstakes prize and didn’t want to go alone.
She sighed. That
weekend at Rainbow Beach was as vivid in her mind as the beach’s picturesque
name. She closed her eyes, still seeing Cindy laughing and splashing in the
waves in her new striped bikini, bought just for the trip. She’d thought the
water too cold for swimming, but it never stopped Cindy. Cindy always laughed
at life. Cindy’s gift was the ability to see the humor in anything and bring
others to see it as well.
Like the time Cindy
made them rent horses and go riding. It was supposed to be fun, she’d promised,
a gleam in her eye. It wasn’t too bad until Karen got bucked off and landed in
a big mud puddle. She’d only hurt her pride, lost the horse and had to ride back
behind Cassidy. By the time they reached the stable, Karen’s horse was waiting
and they were laughing. The stable man thought they were crazy.
Karen said it took
three washings to get all that dried mud out of her hair and clothes.
“So now it’s
settled,” Higgins said, closing the file and breaking through Cassidy’s
memories. He gave her a long study before continuing. “It was quite simple and
clean how Cindy wanted her assets dispensed and her remains handled. Do either
of you have any questions?”
Yes, she had
countless, but only one this guy could answer. She cleared her throat. “I still
don’t understand why I have to take them. Personally, Karen is much better
suited for this.” She flicked a wrist at her older sister. “She’s already a mom
so what’s a couple more?”
Higgins pulled his
glasses off. “That may be, Miss Grant. However, your sister determined you were
the better guardian for them.”
“Allergies,” Karen
cut in. “Don’t forget about the allergies.”
Like she could. What
a convenient excuse. “But I work crazy long hours. They will never see me. I’ll
never see them. And it’s unfair to expect me to do all that stuff Cindy
listed.” Truly, the promise was the short part. The following laundry list was
exhaustive. She’d seen business contracts and budgets that were shorter.
Higgins eased out a
sigh. “That may be as well, but unless you want to contest the will, and turn
it over to probate to eventually decide upon, your best option really is to
fulfill your promised obligation to your late sister.”
That stupid promise,
made under duress, on a tight schedule, in Cindy’s room. What had she been
thinking? Like normal, she hadn’t been. Cindy had a penchant for making her
brain freeze like she was eating ice cream too fast. “Fine. So where are they?”
She was acutely aware of Karen’s quiet smirk and Higgins’ satisfied mile. She
thrust her hand out for the records of her new charges.
“Happy Days Daycare.
Directions are on that top page.”
Half an hour later,
and still lamenting silently over the legal facts, and that stupid promise,
Cassidy pulled her BMW convertible into the Happy Days parking lot. Looking
around, she felt dismay, and a little disgust, filling her. Picking up her
phone, she dialed Karen’s number.
“I’m here at Happy
Days. Did you know what this place is like? And I haven’t made it out of the
car yet. The noise is deafening. Everyone here is running around, drooling and
carrying on. I swear they all have rabies.”
“Yes, I took them
there, remember? Just take a big breath, march in there and claim them. I mean,
they are your niece and nephew.”
“Very funny, Karen.”
Why was she the lucky one to have all the allergies? Entirely too convenient.
“This is only a
primer of what is ahead, Cassidy. Just think of all the things you will have to
do now.”
Cassidy had done
nothing since she left the lawyer but think about her laundry list. Eyeing the
building, she felt her brows pull up into a scowl. That would only add
wrinkles. “You’re no help. Good bye.” Dropping the phone in her bag, she
clutched both it and the file from the lawyer and pushed the door open with the
toe of her heel. For Cindy, she would do this. Primer? Ha, she’d show Karen.
Really, how hard could this be?
Within moments of
introducing herself, Cassidy gazed in dismay. Squaring her shoulders, she
studied the situation analytically. Okay, the smaller one was Tessa, and the
larger one was Remi. She was positive of that before it was pointed out to her.
Once the ponytailed daycare employee removed them from the mats in their play
pen, they settled down and gave her a curious exam. Were they missing their
mommy? Were they wondering why she was here instead of Cindy?
Another employee told
her about their recent escapades and yet another brought out their stuff.
Endless stuff. Toys, beds, clothing, food, snacks, where did it all end? She
would have to put the top up on the convertible. Two bouncing ponytails helped
her take it all to the car, both offering their condolences for Cindy. Cassidy
could see Cindy had been a favorite mom at Happy Days Daycare.
She filled the BMW’s
trunk with as much of their stuff as she could, cramming more in the narrow
back space. That left only the front seat for Tessa and Remi. She cringed as
she pictured the mess they were going to make on the upholstery and glass.
Watching the Ponytails
kneel and give final hugs and kisses to Tessa and Remi, and their own eager
interactions, Cassidy was struck by how little attention she ever paid them.
These were the loves of Cindy’s life and she knew next to nothing about them.
Did that make her a bad sister? Or as Karen put it, a bad auntie?
“Okay, guys, let’s
go,” she said, holding the passenger door open for them. She shook hands with
the Ponytails, thanked them for their excellent care and assured them she would
fill in for Cindy the best she could. Leaving the deafening thunder of Happy
Days in her rear view, she glanced at the two subdued dogs huddled on her seat.
What the readers say about- It
Happened at the Park
4/5Amazon Review
IT HAPPENED AT THE PARK by Ryan Jo Summers is a contemporary
romance that gives all your emotions a workout. The workaholic heroine inherits
her deceased sister’s dogs. The hero prefers his dog and laidback lifestyle
over women at this point in his life for a good reason. Adorable dogs, grief,
secrets and a witty love story all come together in this realistic romance.
5/5 Amazon review
The characters were delightful. And while the premise might
seem shaky to some, honestly mayors, governors, and presidents have proven all
too often to be vindictive tyrants when their thin skins are pricked, so the
premise works.
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