Before We Kiss (Fool's Gold #14)(57)

Ana Raquel strolled in. Fayrene rushed to her.

“Help. They’re not having fun. Do something.”

Her twin raised her eyebrows. “I’m a chef, not an entertainer.”

“Give them food, then. That will distract them.”

“We’re supposed to have the mixology class in a few minutes, and make appetizers. Greg is bringing the rest of the ingredients before he heads off for the wine tasting. We can’t start until he brings the rest of the food.”

“We have to do something.”

“You know this is your gig, right? There’s technically no ‘we.’”

Fayrene was about to beg when Ryan walked in. He held Caramel in his arms. When she spotted Fayrene, she wiggled to get free and rushed over to greet her.

Fayrene picked up the happy dog and held her close. Protection at last. Ryan gave her a brief hug and kissed her cheek.

“It’s quiet in here,” he said. “Too quiet.”

“I know. I thought they’d be more interactive. We have to do something.” She’d figured they would supervise, not be in charge of helping them get along. Weren’t kids supposed to be friendly and outgoing? She remembered having tons of friends when she’d been young, and talking to virtually anyone who would listen.

Ryan picked up a pen and wrote his name on a tag, then put it on his shirt. “No worries. Watch the master at work.”

He took Caramel from her and carried the dog over to the milling children.

“Who here likes dogs?” he asked.

A few hands went up.

“Who’s afraid of dogs?”

Fayrene saw one of the littler girls stare at the ground, but no one said anything.

“Can you tell me what kind of dog this one is?” Ryan asked.

There were blank stares.

“A Pomeranian. Her name is Caramel. She’s got a lot of fur, but underneath, she’s tiny.”

“She has really little feet,” a young girl said. “But she’s pretty.”

“She is. She’s also friendly and loves people.” He winked at a blonde girl in sandals. “She likes to lick toes.”

The girl giggled.

“I’m going to put her down and let her get to know all of you. While we’re doing that, let’s get on our name tags. We don’t have much time before the activities start.”

“What activities?” one of the older boys asked. “Because it’s not fun yet.”

Ryan patted him on the shoulder. “Patience, my man. You know what a cocktail is?”

The kid grinned. “We get to have them?”

“Almost. We’re making mocktails—cocktails without the alcohol. And appetizers. Oh, and there’s going to be a band later.”

“A live band?” one of the girls asked.

“Yup.” He put down Caramel and pointed to the table. “Let’s figure out who we are and then we’ll get going on the fun.”

Fayrene breathed in deeply, then exhaled with relief. This was going to be okay. Ryan was here and, as far as she was concerned, he was her hero. She would reward him later, but for now, she had a dog-wary little girl to help out.

She crossed to the petite brunette and smiled at her. “What’s your name?”

“Sally.”

Fayrene sat on the floor in front of the girl. “Do you have dogs at home, Sally?”

“No. My dad’s allergic. I’ve never been around dogs before.” Sally watched Caramel move around the room. “Does she bite?”

“Not at all. Why don’t you have a seat and I’ll introduce you. It’s easier to make friends after you’ve had an introduction.”

Sally’s hair was in a thick braid down her back. Her eyes were big and solemn. She hesitated, then dropped to the floor. Fayrene called Caramel over.

The little dog came running and jumped gracefully over Fayrene’s crossed legs, then sat facing Sally. She was panting a little, which made her look as if she was grinning.

“The best thing to do with a dog you don’t know is ask the owner if it’s friendly. If the owner says it is and you can pet it, you want to introduce yourself first.” She petted Caramel. “Now close your hand into a fist and let her sniff you. That’s dog for saying hi.”

Sally bit her lower lip, then slowly extended her small fist to the dog. Caramel leaned in and sniffed delicately before giving her a quick lick.

Sally jumped, then looked at Fayrene. “Does that mean she likes me?”

“It does. You want to pet her?”

Sally nodded. She inched closer and reached out to touch Caramel’s back.

“She’s soft!”

“I know. And feel how much fur there is. She’s really small underneath.”

Sally continued to pet her. Caramel jumped over Fayrene’s legs again and moved next to the girl. She flopped onto her back, exposing her tummy. Fayrene showed her how to rub her chest and her stomach. Caramel sighed in contentment.

Sally laughed. “Dogs are funny,” she said. “But I like this one.”

Fayrene silently thanked her temporary pet and mentally promised bacon every morning for a week. One kid won over, eleven to go, she thought. But with a little more optimism than she’d had before.