Holiday In the Hamptons (From Manhattan with Love 5)

“In theory, but in practice I’ve never met a dog Harriet couldn’t handle. She’s a wizard when it comes to animals. That’s probably another reason why we should expand our offerings to include training.”

“But Harriet couldn’t train every dog.”

“Are you trying to burst my bubble?”

“No. I’m presenting a strong counterargument. If you can’t challenge me, maybe it’s not a sound business proposition.”

“The weakness is in needing new premises. That increases our fixed costs and our risk.”

“You’ve never been afraid of risk.”

“No, but this business means a lot to me, and it’s not just mine. It’s Harriet’s, too. I know how much this job means to her.” She glanced at him. “She started off studying veterinary medicine just like you.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“I think you inspired her. But she hated the way some owners behaved toward their pets. After this one guy told her there was no way he was going to throw away good money having his dog put down when he could die for free if left alone, she lost her temper.”

“Harriet?”

“You don’t believe me?” Fliss’s eyes gleamed. “You want to see my twin’s steely side? Mess with an animal.”

He took a can of soda from the fridge. “What happened?”

“She gave up. Probably the best thing that could have happened, although she didn’t see it at the time. I’d just finished business school, so I decided we should do something together. I did all the things she hated—paperwork, phone calls, face-to-face with strangers, that kind of thing. She did all the things she was great at—dealing with difficult animals, recruiting dog walkers, convincing clients that no one cared about their pets more than we did. And it was true. We were doing pretty well, getting by, and then about a year ago Daniel heard about this start-up. Urban Genie. Three women offering concierge services. Turns out there’s a lot of demand for dog walking. He recommended us. We’ve had almost more business than we can handle ever since.”

She’d set up the business as a way of protecting her sister.

“And now you want to be even more busy.”

“What can I say? Making money, growing, being a success—it gives me a thrill. Winning new business is my adrenaline rush.” She paused by the island, looking at the neat heaps of chopped vegetables. “When you said you’d take care of dinner, I wasn’t expecting this. What would you have done if I hadn’t showed up?”

“Eaten alone. Put some in the fridge for tomorrow. Maybe invited the neighbors.” Dealt with his disappointment and frustration. “I’m a Carlyle. We like entertaining.” He handed her the Coke. “Do you want a glass?”

“No, this is good. Thanks.” She snapped open the can and drank. “You have neighbors? I didn’t see any. The nearest house is back up the lane.”

“The Collins family. He runs a boat business, she’s a teacher. Two children, Susan and Marcus. And they keep two ponies.”

“Wow. You’re a real pillar of the community, Dr. Carlyle.”

“That’s the point of living somewhere like this. It doesn’t have to be anonymous.”

“I like being anonymous.”

“Why?”

She took a slug of her drink and watched while he cooked. “It’s easier when people don’t know your business. I walk into a store in Manhattan and no one knows who I am. I like that. Maybe it’s just me. I prefer to keep my life private from strangers.”

She preferred to keep her life private from everyone.

Including him.

“Sometimes it’s good to have connections. And everyone who isn’t family is a stranger until you let them in.” He cooked without consulting a recipe, confident enough in the kitchen to be able to keep the focus on her.

“As we both know, I’m not great at letting people in. Dogs, no problem. Humans—that gives me more of a problem.” It was the first time he’d heard her admit it.

“Not everyone is out to get you.”

“Maybe not.” She scanned the food. “So all this food is just for us? Because it looks as if you’ve invited the whole of the Hamptons.”