loss surfacing when she remembered him. "He invented things. Nothing big, just little things in his spare time. He had one of his kitchen gadgets patented."
"And what would that be?"
"A suction device that drew the yolk out of an egg without breaking the shell or disturbing the white." As a kennel person rather than a kitchen one, Tessa never understood why anyone would want to do this, but her dad had been really excited about it.
"Sounds... interesting."
She laughed at his hesitation. "Interesting, it was. Marketable, it wasn't."
"But a good effort, I'll wager."
"Uh-huh." Tessa rolled her mug between her palms, warming them. "He left a lot of ideas unfinished when he died. I like to think one of them might have worked out for him one day." She smiled at the memory of her loving but eccentric father. "But he needed someone like Rand to bankroll him. Selling household appliances—unenthusiastically—didn't bring in much money."
Milton studied her. "You loved him a great deal."
"He was a great dad—and my best friend. I miss him every day." Her lower lip trembled. All these years and she still got teary when she thought of him.
Milt patted her hand. "Then whether his inventions were marketable or not, I'd say he was an unparalleled success as a man."
She nodded, lifted her chin, and smiled. "Yes, he was." She set her mug on her plate and carried it to the dishwasher. "And now I'd better get going. Marie, that's the owner of the kennel, will be wondering where I am."
"What would you like for dinner?"
Tessa cocked her head. "I'll have what you're having—and I'll have it here in the kitchen. I think Rand can do without my company at dinner."
"But I—"
She stared him down.
Milt didn't argue. "What time will be you home?"
Odd, he should use the word home. "Around six? Will that be okay for you."
"Perfect."
As she loaded Licks into her Chevy, Tessa glanced at the sky. The sun was starting to peek through the morning clouds. It wasn't going to rain after all.
She touched her lips for the hundredth time, reliving the heat and heart in Rand's kiss. A wonderful breakfast, the sun in the sky, and the memory of Rand's mouth on hers... it didn't get any better than this.
Life was alive with possibilities.
* * *
"We've got an offer on Dawg's Inn," Marie said. "It's a good one, Tessa, but—"
Tessa was still numb. Marie had come into her office within five minutes of her arrival, looking as if the weight of the world were on her shoulders rather than the good news she and Gordon had hoped for. Tessa wanted to be happy for them—and she was—
but she couldn't quite grasp the fact Dawg's Inn was about to be sold.
"The thing is the people buying want to run the place themselves." Marie looked as though she were going to cry. "And I don't think they plan to keep you on." She wiped at her cheek. "I don't know what to say, Tessa. You know Gordon's health isn't the best, and this offer—well, it's all cash for both the business and the land it sits on. It's a good offer, very fair. Except for you." Now she was crying in earnest.
Tessa forced herself to stand, went around her desk and hugged her employer and her friend. "You have to do it, Marie. You know you do. I know you do. It'll be okay. I'll help as long as I'm needed, then I'll find another job."
"But it's so sudden. So..."
Tessa took a step back, said sternly, "You're to quit fretting about me, Marie Linden. Hear me? Put that worrying time into planning a cruise around the world—or whatever it is you and Gordon want to do. I'll be fine." And didn't she wish she believed it!
"Oh, Tessa." Marie hugged her hard enough to delay her circulation. "I'm so sorry."
"Don't be. Please. It's high time I grew up—" she managed a crooked smile, remembering that she'd been fifteen when she'd started working at Dawg's Inn after school"—and moved on." But where would she move on to? Refusing to cry, she stepped back from Marie and asked, "When is the sale set to
"And what would that be?"
"A suction device that drew the yolk out of an egg without breaking the shell or disturbing the white." As a kennel person rather than a kitchen one, Tessa never understood why anyone would want to do this, but her dad had been really excited about it.
"Sounds... interesting."
She laughed at his hesitation. "Interesting, it was. Marketable, it wasn't."
"But a good effort, I'll wager."
"Uh-huh." Tessa rolled her mug between her palms, warming them. "He left a lot of ideas unfinished when he died. I like to think one of them might have worked out for him one day." She smiled at the memory of her loving but eccentric father. "But he needed someone like Rand to bankroll him. Selling household appliances—unenthusiastically—didn't bring in much money."
Milton studied her. "You loved him a great deal."
"He was a great dad—and my best friend. I miss him every day." Her lower lip trembled. All these years and she still got teary when she thought of him.
Milt patted her hand. "Then whether his inventions were marketable or not, I'd say he was an unparalleled success as a man."
She nodded, lifted her chin, and smiled. "Yes, he was." She set her mug on her plate and carried it to the dishwasher. "And now I'd better get going. Marie, that's the owner of the kennel, will be wondering where I am."
"What would you like for dinner?"
Tessa cocked her head. "I'll have what you're having—and I'll have it here in the kitchen. I think Rand can do without my company at dinner."
"But I—"
She stared him down.
Milt didn't argue. "What time will be you home?"
Odd, he should use the word home. "Around six? Will that be okay for you."
"Perfect."
As she loaded Licks into her Chevy, Tessa glanced at the sky. The sun was starting to peek through the morning clouds. It wasn't going to rain after all.
She touched her lips for the hundredth time, reliving the heat and heart in Rand's kiss. A wonderful breakfast, the sun in the sky, and the memory of Rand's mouth on hers... it didn't get any better than this.
Life was alive with possibilities.
* * *
"We've got an offer on Dawg's Inn," Marie said. "It's a good one, Tessa, but—"
Tessa was still numb. Marie had come into her office within five minutes of her arrival, looking as if the weight of the world were on her shoulders rather than the good news she and Gordon had hoped for. Tessa wanted to be happy for them—and she was—
but she couldn't quite grasp the fact Dawg's Inn was about to be sold.
"The thing is the people buying want to run the place themselves." Marie looked as though she were going to cry. "And I don't think they plan to keep you on." She wiped at her cheek. "I don't know what to say, Tessa. You know Gordon's health isn't the best, and this offer—well, it's all cash for both the business and the land it sits on. It's a good offer, very fair. Except for you." Now she was crying in earnest.
Tessa forced herself to stand, went around her desk and hugged her employer and her friend. "You have to do it, Marie. You know you do. I know you do. It'll be okay. I'll help as long as I'm needed, then I'll find another job."
"But it's so sudden. So..."
Tessa took a step back, said sternly, "You're to quit fretting about me, Marie Linden. Hear me? Put that worrying time into planning a cruise around the world—or whatever it is you and Gordon want to do. I'll be fine." And didn't she wish she believed it!
"Oh, Tessa." Marie hugged her hard enough to delay her circulation. "I'm so sorry."
"Don't be. Please. It's high time I grew up—" she managed a crooked smile, remembering that she'd been fifteen when she'd started working at Dawg's Inn after school"—and moved on." But where would she move on to? Refusing to cry, she stepped back from Marie and asked, "When is the sale set to
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