The Billionaire's Island Bride (South Shore Billionaires 3)

Cole came back and found her on the floor, a contrite and subdued Marvin beside her. “Did you reach him?”

She nodded and balled up the paper towel she’d found under the sink. “I’m to watch him for worsening symptoms and call him immediately if he gets worse or if we manage to get to the mainland.” She looked up at Cole, her eyes wet. “There’s no way. Even if we could handle the waves, the boats are locked away and we’d have to get them out of the boat shed and launch them...”

She got up and went to the garbage can, then washed her hands. “Oh, Cole, I’m so sorry this has happened when you’ve been so kind.”

“Don’t be silly. You haven’t done anything wrong.” Marvin was now lying on the kitchen floor and she saw the worry crease Cole’s forehead. “I made a few calls. If we can hold out another few hours, I might have a way for us to get him to the vet.”

She stared at him. “How?”

“My helicopter pilot. We have the pad here. He’s monitoring the winds and will call me the moment he’s cool with taking off.” He came forward and cupped her face in his hands. “It won’t be a fun flight, but it’ll be short. You just have to hang on a little longer.”

She nodded, incredibly touched amid all the worry tangling in her stomach.

Then watched as Cole, in his thousand-dollar sweater, knelt down gently, picked up all eighty pounds of her sick dog in his arms and went toward the living room. She followed him, swallowing sobs at the caring and loving way he was handling her beloved pet. And in the living room, instead of putting him on the rug in front of the fire, Cole put Marvin down on the sofa and sat down beside him. “There you are, dude,” he said soothingly, and Brooklyn sat down on the other side of Marvin.

“Cole, your sofa...he might be sick again. Or...worse.”

Cole met her gaze. “So what? It’s just a sofa. He needs to be comfortable and loved. And you need to be beside him.”

She had no idea how to answer, so she simply stroked Marvin’s head and prayed he’d be okay, and that this was some weird thing and he wasn’t very ill at all.

* * *

Cole and Brooklyn sat with Marvin into the night. Though Cole tried feeding him by hand and offering him water, the dog wouldn’t eat or drink. He threw up again, but Cole had retrieved the towel from earlier and put it nearby. It saved the sofa and towels were easily replaced.

Dogs weren’t. Even though Cole had never had such a companion, all he needed to do was see the look of anguish on Brooklyn’s face to know that Marvin had to be okay. Cole would do anything in his power to ensure it. Even wake his pilot and have a chopper chartered in the tail end of a hurricane.

Besides, he was horribly fond of Marvin himself. Other than his two best friends, he’d never received such an enthusiastic greeting as he did when he entered Brooklyn’s yard and Marvin came running out to meet him, barking and with a wildly wagging tail.

His cell rang and he jumped, then answered it. The call was brief, and then he clicked off and met Brooklyn’s hopeful gaze.

“He’ll be here in about an hour. It’d be faster, but he’s got to deal with the wind. Call the vet and give him the heads-up. You’re sure he has power?”

“The clinic is also on a generator. I’ll call him.”

“I’m arranging for a car to meet us at the airstrip.”

“Cole, I don’t know what to say.” Her eyes were luminous with tears and gratitude. “This is... I can’t even tell you.”

“Hush. Make your call and I’ll make sure we’re ready to go.”

It took some doing to get a car service, and a promise of a very nice monetary incentive. He also called Dan, updating him on the situation and letting him know there’d be a helicopter landing shortly. He wasn’t surprised when Dan and Raelynn showed up ten minutes later, concern etc

hed on their faces. They weren’t just employees, they were wonderful people and Brooklyn had won them over, too.

Too. There was no denying that he was more involved with her than he ever intended. That kiss in the kitchen tonight had been soft and sweet and so different from anything he’d ever experienced. For a guy who didn’t do intimacy, he was up to his neck in it right now.

Raelynn had made tea and pushed a cup in Brooklyn’s hands. “Here. Drink some of this and breathe.”

It was good advice, but everyone was on edge. Marvin had gotten down from the sofa, but he was so devoid of his usual energy. He once again sniffed at the bowls but turned away. He whined pitifully and then lay down on the floor, resting on his side.

Cole saw Brooklyn’s face start to crumple again, so he went to her and squeezed her shoulder.

Moments later they heard the rhythmic whomp-whomp of the helicopter approaching. Cole shrugged on his jacket, then held out Brooklyn’s so she could slip her arms in. When Dan gave the go-ahead, he once again hefted Marvin into his arms—the dead weight made him stagger slightly—and headed toward the helipad.

Brooklyn jogged beside him, carrying a blanket that Raelynn had pressed into her hands.

“Hang on tight,” the pilot shouted over the noise, but his face wore a grin. “Fasten your seat belts. It’ll be bumpy but short.”