honey?” her mom said to Aven. “We’re going to talk this over with Grandpa tonight. After we’ve discussed all the options, we’ll be able to make a better decision about it.”
Robyn sighed and tried to concentrate on the road.
“You know,” Mom said after she had hung up, “when Rick called this morning and you were in the shower—”
“What about it?” Robyn asked. She’d scurried as quickly as she could to take the brief call. Rick had inquired about her grandfather and their plans and then signed off to drive to work.
“We chatted for a couple of minutes, and he mentioned that he’s still going to church in Anchorage, but he wants to stop driving that far, even though he’ll miss his friends there.”
“Really?” Robyn stared at her. Had Mom been doing a little snooping on her behalf?
“I invited him to visit our church any time. It wouldn’t surprise me if he showed up some Sunday.”
Robyn said nothing but wondered how she would handle things if Rick walked into their church on Sunday. She was glad for the warning.
Twenty minutes later they reached the nursing home. Grandpa was eating an early supper from a tray.
“They say they’ll have me up and eating in the dining room within a few days,” he said after greeting them. “I’m not sure I want to.”
“What’s wrong?” Mom asked.
“I think they need a new cook. Cheryl, I miss your cooking. Did you bring me anything?”
Mom laughed and opened her tote bag. “Robyn made some brownies this morning while I was at work, though when she had time, I don’t know. She’s busy all the time without you there to help her.”
“That’s right.” Robyn passed the plastic container of brownies to him. “We’re in high gear, getting ready for the race. I need you, so hurry up and get better.”
He fumbled with the container, and Robyn leaned over to help him open it.
“So what’s going on at home?” Grandpa asked. “Didn’t you have a buyer coming yesterday?”
“Yes, he came,” Cheryl said.
“How many dogs is he taking?”
Robyn smiled at his assumption. “He wants four, but I don’t want to sell one of them.”
“Which one?”
“He’s got his eye on Tumble.”
“What? You can’t sell Tumble.” Grandpa pushed up on his elbow and scowled at her. “Did you tell him you’d sell our top stud dog?”
“No, Grandpa. I didn’t. But of course he saw Tumble when we went into the yard, and he took to him. He said he’d read about us before he came, and he might have had the idea in his mind all along to make an offer for Tumble.”
“Well, he can’t have him.”
Robyn looked at her mother.
“Fine. We’ll tell him that Tumble is absolutely not for sale. But, Dad …”
“What?” Grandpa lay back on the pillow, not entirely mollified. “That’s what comes of having that Web site. Everybody and his brother can look on there and see our best dogs.”
“That’s advertising,” Robyn reminded him.
“Yes,” her mother added. “A lot of people look at that site. The pictures of the dogs are the next best thing to seeing the actual dogs. I think it’s brought in quite a bit of business.”
“You think we should sell Tumble?”
“Not necessarily, but …” Mom cleared her throat. “You know things have been tight lately. I may be able to get a few more hours per week at the store, but …”
“No,” he said. “We don’t want you working more. I hate that you have to work away from home. If Dan was still alive, he wouldn’t hear of it.”
Mom pressed her lips together and looked toward the window.
“What?” Grandpa said again. “Is it worse than I know about?” When Cheryl still didn’t meet his gaze, he turned to stare at Robyn.
Her breath caught, and she started to speak but stopped. Were their financial straits as bad as Mom thought they were? She wished she could say with certainty that everything would be all right, but she didn’t dare.
After a long moment, Grandpa sighed. “I
Robyn sighed and tried to concentrate on the road.
“You know,” Mom said after she had hung up, “when Rick called this morning and you were in the shower—”
“What about it?” Robyn asked. She’d scurried as quickly as she could to take the brief call. Rick had inquired about her grandfather and their plans and then signed off to drive to work.
“We chatted for a couple of minutes, and he mentioned that he’s still going to church in Anchorage, but he wants to stop driving that far, even though he’ll miss his friends there.”
“Really?” Robyn stared at her. Had Mom been doing a little snooping on her behalf?
“I invited him to visit our church any time. It wouldn’t surprise me if he showed up some Sunday.”
Robyn said nothing but wondered how she would handle things if Rick walked into their church on Sunday. She was glad for the warning.
Twenty minutes later they reached the nursing home. Grandpa was eating an early supper from a tray.
“They say they’ll have me up and eating in the dining room within a few days,” he said after greeting them. “I’m not sure I want to.”
“What’s wrong?” Mom asked.
“I think they need a new cook. Cheryl, I miss your cooking. Did you bring me anything?”
Mom laughed and opened her tote bag. “Robyn made some brownies this morning while I was at work, though when she had time, I don’t know. She’s busy all the time without you there to help her.”
“That’s right.” Robyn passed the plastic container of brownies to him. “We’re in high gear, getting ready for the race. I need you, so hurry up and get better.”
He fumbled with the container, and Robyn leaned over to help him open it.
“So what’s going on at home?” Grandpa asked. “Didn’t you have a buyer coming yesterday?”
“Yes, he came,” Cheryl said.
“How many dogs is he taking?”
Robyn smiled at his assumption. “He wants four, but I don’t want to sell one of them.”
“Which one?”
“He’s got his eye on Tumble.”
“What? You can’t sell Tumble.” Grandpa pushed up on his elbow and scowled at her. “Did you tell him you’d sell our top stud dog?”
“No, Grandpa. I didn’t. But of course he saw Tumble when we went into the yard, and he took to him. He said he’d read about us before he came, and he might have had the idea in his mind all along to make an offer for Tumble.”
“Well, he can’t have him.”
Robyn looked at her mother.
“Fine. We’ll tell him that Tumble is absolutely not for sale. But, Dad …”
“What?” Grandpa lay back on the pillow, not entirely mollified. “That’s what comes of having that Web site. Everybody and his brother can look on there and see our best dogs.”
“That’s advertising,” Robyn reminded him.
“Yes,” her mother added. “A lot of people look at that site. The pictures of the dogs are the next best thing to seeing the actual dogs. I think it’s brought in quite a bit of business.”
“You think we should sell Tumble?”
“Not necessarily, but …” Mom cleared her throat. “You know things have been tight lately. I may be able to get a few more hours per week at the store, but …”
“No,” he said. “We don’t want you working more. I hate that you have to work away from home. If Dan was still alive, he wouldn’t hear of it.”
Mom pressed her lips together and looked toward the window.
“What?” Grandpa said again. “Is it worse than I know about?” When Cheryl still didn’t meet his gaze, he turned to stare at Robyn.
Her breath caught, and she started to speak but stopped. Were their financial straits as bad as Mom thought they were? She wished she could say with certainty that everything would be all right, but she didn’t dare.
After a long moment, Grandpa sighed. “I
Similar Books
