close?"
"The lawyers are drawing up the papers now. We'll sign the agreement in a week or so. The new owners—their name is Carter, by the way—will take over on May first."
Six weeks! "May first it is," Tessa said, trying to sound cheerful.
Marie dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. "As a matter of fact, I'm expected at the lawyers' now. Can you manage things for a while?"
Tessa forced a laugh. "I think I can handle it."
Marie's own laugh was shaky. "Of course you can. I don't know why I said that." She kissed Tessa's cheek, touched it. "Oh, Tessa..." She turned and left the room.
Tessa walked over to the corner where Licks chewed ferociously on a rubber bone as big as he was. Absently, she picked him up, held him close. Other than Licks' training, she was basically out of a job. Despite the sun streaming in her office window, her skin chilled. All she'd ever wanted to do was work with animals.
At this rate she'd never be a vet. But the bigger problem was how she would be able to help out her mom and Annie.
She hugged Licks and kissed the top of his soft head. He thanked her with a nose nuzzle to the neck. "At least you don't have to worry, Licks, you're all set."
And so will I be—just as soon as I can think things through, come up with a plan. There's lots of jobs. All I have to do is find one. The phone rang. Another day at Dawg's Inn began. Her problems would have to wait until later.
* * *
Rand found Tessa behind the house, well after eight. Not that he was looking. She was working with Licks under the patio lights on the far side of the swimming pool. Licks was on a long leash, and from what he could see, she was teaching him to sit and stay. The pup was doing okay, too. His sudden surge of pride surprised him.
A strange dog sat beside Tessa, occasionally wagging its tail while watching Licks go through his maneuvers. When it spotted Rand, it fixed its gaze on him, rising to all fours when he drew close to Tessa.
Tessa obviously didn't hear him come up behind her, but the dog's low growl alerted her, and she spun to face him.
"It's okay, Millie. Good dog." The dog sat down and wagged its tail.
"Sorry," she said. "I didn't hear you coming." She tilted her head in that curious way she had. "Are you always so quiet?"
"Only when I don't have shoes on."
She looked at his bare feet, the towel draped over his shoulder... his swimsuit. Her eyes went wide. "You're going for a swim?"
"That's the idea."
She wore jeans, a sweater, and a fleece vest. March evenings in the Pacific Northwest weren't exactly balmy. "It's a bit cold, isn't it?"
He was holding an edge of the towel with each hand, so he jerked his head in the direction of the pool. "The water's heated."
She nodded, but didn't smile. She was different tonight, more subdued. "I'm outta here then," she said, giving a tug on Licks' leash. "Our boy here has had enough for one day anyway."
He lifted the edge of the towel, gesturing with it toward the strange dog. "You've got a new friend?"
"Old one. Her name's Millie. I missed her today, so I went home after work and picked her up." She looked defensive. "I told you I'd be bringing her here sometimes."
"Yes, you did. I'd forgotten. No problem."
The defensiveness left her face. "Good. I'll leave you to your swim then." Still no smile.
"Not so fast." He lowered his head, lifted her chin between his thumb and index finger. He scrutinized her face. "You've been crying."
She snapped her chin from his grip so fast he feared she would get whiplash. "I have not."
"Have so."
"Have not!"
"Have—" He wanted to grin.
"I haven't played that game since I was ten." She smiled but it didn't stick. "And yes, I've been crying, but it has nothing to do with you, so don't ask me about it, because I won't tell you anything."
"Okay."
She looked surprised at his easy acquiescence, then said, with the softest of sniffs and a trace of disappointment in her eyes, "Thank you."
"No thanks required." He touched a loose
"The lawyers are drawing up the papers now. We'll sign the agreement in a week or so. The new owners—their name is Carter, by the way—will take over on May first."
Six weeks! "May first it is," Tessa said, trying to sound cheerful.
Marie dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. "As a matter of fact, I'm expected at the lawyers' now. Can you manage things for a while?"
Tessa forced a laugh. "I think I can handle it."
Marie's own laugh was shaky. "Of course you can. I don't know why I said that." She kissed Tessa's cheek, touched it. "Oh, Tessa..." She turned and left the room.
Tessa walked over to the corner where Licks chewed ferociously on a rubber bone as big as he was. Absently, she picked him up, held him close. Other than Licks' training, she was basically out of a job. Despite the sun streaming in her office window, her skin chilled. All she'd ever wanted to do was work with animals.
At this rate she'd never be a vet. But the bigger problem was how she would be able to help out her mom and Annie.
She hugged Licks and kissed the top of his soft head. He thanked her with a nose nuzzle to the neck. "At least you don't have to worry, Licks, you're all set."
And so will I be—just as soon as I can think things through, come up with a plan. There's lots of jobs. All I have to do is find one. The phone rang. Another day at Dawg's Inn began. Her problems would have to wait until later.
* * *
Rand found Tessa behind the house, well after eight. Not that he was looking. She was working with Licks under the patio lights on the far side of the swimming pool. Licks was on a long leash, and from what he could see, she was teaching him to sit and stay. The pup was doing okay, too. His sudden surge of pride surprised him.
A strange dog sat beside Tessa, occasionally wagging its tail while watching Licks go through his maneuvers. When it spotted Rand, it fixed its gaze on him, rising to all fours when he drew close to Tessa.
Tessa obviously didn't hear him come up behind her, but the dog's low growl alerted her, and she spun to face him.
"It's okay, Millie. Good dog." The dog sat down and wagged its tail.
"Sorry," she said. "I didn't hear you coming." She tilted her head in that curious way she had. "Are you always so quiet?"
"Only when I don't have shoes on."
She looked at his bare feet, the towel draped over his shoulder... his swimsuit. Her eyes went wide. "You're going for a swim?"
"That's the idea."
She wore jeans, a sweater, and a fleece vest. March evenings in the Pacific Northwest weren't exactly balmy. "It's a bit cold, isn't it?"
He was holding an edge of the towel with each hand, so he jerked his head in the direction of the pool. "The water's heated."
She nodded, but didn't smile. She was different tonight, more subdued. "I'm outta here then," she said, giving a tug on Licks' leash. "Our boy here has had enough for one day anyway."
He lifted the edge of the towel, gesturing with it toward the strange dog. "You've got a new friend?"
"Old one. Her name's Millie. I missed her today, so I went home after work and picked her up." She looked defensive. "I told you I'd be bringing her here sometimes."
"Yes, you did. I'd forgotten. No problem."
The defensiveness left her face. "Good. I'll leave you to your swim then." Still no smile.
"Not so fast." He lowered his head, lifted her chin between his thumb and index finger. He scrutinized her face. "You've been crying."
She snapped her chin from his grip so fast he feared she would get whiplash. "I have not."
"Have so."
"Have not!"
"Have—" He wanted to grin.
"I haven't played that game since I was ten." She smiled but it didn't stick. "And yes, I've been crying, but it has nothing to do with you, so don't ask me about it, because I won't tell you anything."
"Okay."
She looked surprised at his easy acquiescence, then said, with the softest of sniffs and a trace of disappointment in her eyes, "Thank you."
"No thanks required." He touched a loose
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