“Dammit, Buster, act right. Go with Andrew.”
The dog whimpered, crouching down. Andrew knelt next to him.
“Something’s wrong.”
“Do you want me to find a local vet?” Renee asked. She knew of a nice woman with a practice nearby. Renee had taken Fred in to make sure he was all right, but except for the spitting and hissing, he seemed to be in excellent health.
“I don’t think he’s sick,” Andrew said, stroking Buster’s head. “But he’s sure upset about something.”
Renee thought about how they still had the rehearsal to get through, not to mention an entire wedding, and at the rate they were going, nothing was going to happen. She might not be able to fix Asia’s attitude but she could help them learn what was wrong with the dog.
“Give me two minutes,” she said and hurried out of the room.
“Great,” Asia yelled after her. “Now you’re leaving, too? What am I paying you for?”
Renee ignored her and quickly texted her mother. Verity replied immediately, saying she would be right over. Renee returned to the main room where Asia stood by herself while Andrew was still huddled by the dog.
“My mom’s going to stop by,” she began.
“Oh, really? Your mother?” Asia’s tone was sarcastic. “Did you forget your lunch or your schoolbooks?”
“Asia, stop it.”
Asia turned on him. “This is my wedding,” she screamed. “No one is taking it seriously.”
“Your wedding? Not our wedding?”
“Don’t you dare start your damn semantic games with me, Andrew. This is not the time.” She spun to face Renee. “What?”
Renee forced herself to relax. She might not be able to change Asia’s energy, but she didn’t have to feed it.
“My mom is something of an animal expert. I’m hoping she can tell us what’s wrong with Buster.”
“An expert? Do tell.”
Renee smiled. “She has a show on Animal Planet.”
“Oh.” Asia looked impressed. “Okay, that would be great. Once we get the damn dog fixed, we can move on to where everyone went to.”
The last few words were delivered at a shout.
Andrew shifted so he was sitting on the floor. Buster stretched across his lap and closed his eyes.
“We should never have had a dog in the wedding,” Asia muttered. “Not that my stupid brother is any better.”
Verity walked in. “I came as quickly as I could.”
“Thanks, Mom.” Renee made introductions, saving the golden retriever for last. “This handsome guy doesn’t want to cooperate. I thought maybe you could help us figure out why.”
“Of course.” Verity started toward Buster. Her warm smile quickly faded as she stumbled to stop. The color drained from her face and she immediately turned and ran from the room.
“This is ridiculous,” Asia snapped. “What is wrong with everyone tonight?”
Renee didn’t answer. Instead she said, “I’ll be right back,” and went after her mother.
While she didn’t know the details, she could guess the problem. Buster had told Verity something her mother didn’t want to hear or share.
She found Verity in the hallway, leaning against the wall. Her mother was still pale and her breathing was shallow.
“I won’t,” her mother said, closing her eyes. “I won’t ruin your life again. I love you and I want you to be happy.”
“Mom, what are you talking about?”
“Those people. The wedding. I can’t say it. Don’t make me say it.”
“Since when do you have a choice?”
Renee kept her tone gentle, but her words were true regardless. Eventually Verity would have to blurt out whatever she’d sensed. It was just a matter of time.
“I don’t want to hurt you.”
Renee hugged her mother. “Mom, you won’t. Nothing you’re going to say affects me. Even if it does, I love you.”
“What’s going on?” Andrew asked, hurrying up to them, Buster at his side. Asia trailed behind them.
“This is insane,” she said. “You’re ruining my wedding.”
Renee looked into her mother’s eyes. “It’s okay,” she said. “Just tell us what Buster told you.”
Verity looked at the dog. “He’s upset. He loves Andrew and knows how hurt he’s going to be. He wants to tell him, but he can’t, so he’s trying to deal with it as best he can.” She closed her eyes. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay, Mom.”
Verity looked at Asia. “He knows about your affair. I don’t know who the man is, but it’s not your fiancé. Buster doesn’t want to live with you anymore. He wants to live with Andrew.”
“What are you doing?” Asia screamed, rushing toward Verity. “You bitch! How could you do this? I’ll sue you. I swear to God, I’ll destroy you.”
Jack stepped into the hallway and grabbed his sister.
“Jesus, sis.