Second Chances

Chapter 27

Trouble Jacks came racing into Carter and Casey's bedroom. He almost tripped twice over his long, floppy ears. The black leather sling-back sandal he held in his teeth weighed him down for only a second as he raced to a spot near Carter and Casey's bed.

Casey appeared in the doorway only seconds later. She pointed at Trouble, who had planted his rear under the bed. Only his chest and front paws still showed, along with the half-gnawed shoe, which he placed temptingly on the floor in front of him. "Trouble......" Casey crooned, tiptoeing towards the bed. "Give mommy back her shoe......"

Trouble yipped softly. As he panted, more drool dripped down in the shoe, causing Casey to cringe. But for the moment, the dog didn't move.

"That's a goooooood doggie." Casey tried to keep a pleasant expression on her face as she drew nearer to the canine commando. "Just a few more steps and then I'll have my shoe back and I won't have to turn you into cockapoo stew......."

Casey's hand was only inches away from her shoe when Trouble sprang. He barked loudly, causing Casey to startle and lose concentration. That split second was all it took for Trouble to grab the shoe again and disappear totally under the bed.

Casey sputtered angrily and dropped to her knees next to the bed. "Trouble Jacks!! You come back out here right now, do you hear me?" She slapped the floor twice with her flat hand for emphasis.

"Did dat dog get to his hideout with one of your shoes again, Mrs. Casey?" Casey didn't move from her position on her hands and knees but swung her head around to glare at Thomas. He was leaning against the doorjamb lazily with his arms crossed. "You want me to get you a rake from the pool guy? Maybe you can pull some of Trouble's loot out from under the center of the bed with it......"

Casey pushed herself up to a kneeling position and clapped her hands together briskly to dust them off. "You know, you have to admit one thing – that dog is brilliant. The bed is so big and I'm so short that there's no way my arms are long enough to reach him when he's right in the center." She extended her lower lip to puff at her hair, which had fallen in her eyes. "And since Trouble hasn't taken a fancy to Carter's shoes in a while, I can't expect any help from him....."

Thomas walked into the room. "You want me to try?" He bent his knees a little, looking under the bed. "I've got longer arms than you, and God only knows what that dog has got under there."

Casey rose to her feet and pushed her hair back off her face. "No, Thomas, that's OK." She glanced towards the two open Louis Vuitton suitcases on the bed. "I really don't need that shoe and I should finish packing if I want to make my flight."

Thomas folded his arms again and a stern look came over his face. "I guess I don't need to tell you again that I think this is a bad idea, Mrs. Casey."

Casey grimaced and grabbed some folded silk shirts from the bed. "No, you don't. You've already made that perfectly clear." Thomas remained rooted in place. When Casey saw his obstinate stance, she sighed and went over to him. "But Thomas, I just can't tell Carter about this trip."

She hadn't even told Thomas about all the details of her plan. As soon as she had made the decision, she decided that the sooner she left for Port Charles, the sooner she could be back in Malibu. Carter would be none the wiser and she would have the information to convince him to sever ties with the mobster. Casey put her hands on Thomas's folded arms gently but he just snorted and looked off towards the French doors.

"Batting those big brown eyes of yours ain't gonna change my mind, no it ain't, Mrs. Casey." He sighed. " Now, I'm not gonna ask what you're doing." He looked back to stare deeply into her eyes. "Cause your aura is still nice and pink and pretty, so I don't think it's anything that would hurt Mr. Carter or Master Jon." He narrowed one eye and raised the eyebrow above it. "But Mister Carter, he can't see your aura like I can, and he might get the wrong idea if he comes back and you're not here......."