turned to Sara with a smile. “Amelia and I can't wait until you open your doors. We've been dying for a good place to get a cup of Joe. Tell me you're going to have coffee.” He gave her a pleading look.
“Several kinds.” She smiled. “Free cup with a purchase of a piece of coffee cake for the first week.”
He rolled his eyes and sighed. “Coffee cake!” He said it like a dying man. “It's been a long time since I've had coffee cake. We can't wait.”
Just then, bright lights turned into the parking lot. Sara recognized Allen's truck and smiled.
“Well, if I'd known there was a party…What happened there?” He rushed from his truck and stopped by the side of her car.
“Well, either my car was hit by a meteor, or part of Patty's building fell off and hit it.” She smiled. She watched Patty and Robert head into the store after they said their goodbyes.
He looked at her car and opened the door. Robert had set the large chunk next to the wall before he'd gone inside.
Now, she stood under her umbrella and watched Allen look up at the building with a frown. “Robert thinks it fell from the side?”
“Well, I don't know. But Patty's going to have the inspector out.” She looked up at the side of the building for what seemed the hundredth time.
“Hmmm.” He stood there looking up into the dark.
“You didn't have to stop. Robert cleared the glass from my seat. I'll be okay driving the short distance home.”
“Huh?” He looked down at her, still a frown on his face. “Oh, no. I needed to buy some dog food.” He turned back towards the building, this time searching the edge of the parking lot.
“Dog food?” She was shocked. She didn’t know he had a dog. She supposed there was plenty about him that she didn't know.
“Yeah, Beast will need some. Probably a bed and toys as well.” He continued to look along the wall.
“Beast?” She was getting confused. “I didn't know you had a dog.”
“I don't.” He smiled at her. “Well, you can't really call him a dog yet.” He walked over to his truck. He'd left it running and the lights were still on. She could see in the brightness that the rain had stopped. When Allen stopped to open the door of his truck, she heard a high-pitched bark. Then he pulled away from the door carrying a small, dark ball of fur.
“Oh!” She rushed over to his side and they stood under the front awning of the store as the puppy, formally named Beast, licked her face and hands.
“He'll grow into his feet,” Allen said smiling at her. She looked at the puppy’s paws and saw what he meant. “Hence the name Beast. One of the guys I work with had a litter. He brought a few in today trying to get rid of them before Christmas.”
She laughed. “What if he doesn't grow into them? You could end up with a petite dog.” She laughed when the puppy tried to crawl into her coat. She unzipped it a little as he snuggled into her chest. “He's cold. I don't think Patty will let you take him inside. I can stand out here and keep him warm if you want to grab his supplies.”
He smiled at her. “Are you sure?”
She nodded and watched him turn and go into the store. A minute later, Patty opened the door and smiled at her. “You can come in and at least stand by the doors. But no further.” Sara stood just inside the doors with the puppy sleeping against her chest in her coat. Actually, Beast was keeping her quite warm.
Less than ten minutes later, Allen walked to the front with a cart full of items.
“Did you buy Patty out of all the dog toys?” She laughed at his full cart.
“No, actually it looks like someone beat me to it.” He smiled. “She did have a full cat toy selection, though, and I thought Beast wouldn't mind.” He frowned a little. “At least not this first time.”
By the time Allen had checked out, Beast was fully awake again and trying to get down.
“Several kinds.” She smiled. “Free cup with a purchase of a piece of coffee cake for the first week.”
He rolled his eyes and sighed. “Coffee cake!” He said it like a dying man. “It's been a long time since I've had coffee cake. We can't wait.”
Just then, bright lights turned into the parking lot. Sara recognized Allen's truck and smiled.
“Well, if I'd known there was a party…What happened there?” He rushed from his truck and stopped by the side of her car.
“Well, either my car was hit by a meteor, or part of Patty's building fell off and hit it.” She smiled. She watched Patty and Robert head into the store after they said their goodbyes.
He looked at her car and opened the door. Robert had set the large chunk next to the wall before he'd gone inside.
Now, she stood under her umbrella and watched Allen look up at the building with a frown. “Robert thinks it fell from the side?”
“Well, I don't know. But Patty's going to have the inspector out.” She looked up at the side of the building for what seemed the hundredth time.
“Hmmm.” He stood there looking up into the dark.
“You didn't have to stop. Robert cleared the glass from my seat. I'll be okay driving the short distance home.”
“Huh?” He looked down at her, still a frown on his face. “Oh, no. I needed to buy some dog food.” He turned back towards the building, this time searching the edge of the parking lot.
“Dog food?” She was shocked. She didn’t know he had a dog. She supposed there was plenty about him that she didn't know.
“Yeah, Beast will need some. Probably a bed and toys as well.” He continued to look along the wall.
“Beast?” She was getting confused. “I didn't know you had a dog.”
“I don't.” He smiled at her. “Well, you can't really call him a dog yet.” He walked over to his truck. He'd left it running and the lights were still on. She could see in the brightness that the rain had stopped. When Allen stopped to open the door of his truck, she heard a high-pitched bark. Then he pulled away from the door carrying a small, dark ball of fur.
“Oh!” She rushed over to his side and they stood under the front awning of the store as the puppy, formally named Beast, licked her face and hands.
“He'll grow into his feet,” Allen said smiling at her. She looked at the puppy’s paws and saw what he meant. “Hence the name Beast. One of the guys I work with had a litter. He brought a few in today trying to get rid of them before Christmas.”
She laughed. “What if he doesn't grow into them? You could end up with a petite dog.” She laughed when the puppy tried to crawl into her coat. She unzipped it a little as he snuggled into her chest. “He's cold. I don't think Patty will let you take him inside. I can stand out here and keep him warm if you want to grab his supplies.”
He smiled at her. “Are you sure?”
She nodded and watched him turn and go into the store. A minute later, Patty opened the door and smiled at her. “You can come in and at least stand by the doors. But no further.” Sara stood just inside the doors with the puppy sleeping against her chest in her coat. Actually, Beast was keeping her quite warm.
Less than ten minutes later, Allen walked to the front with a cart full of items.
“Did you buy Patty out of all the dog toys?” She laughed at his full cart.
“No, actually it looks like someone beat me to it.” He smiled. “She did have a full cat toy selection, though, and I thought Beast wouldn't mind.” He frowned a little. “At least not this first time.”
By the time Allen had checked out, Beast was fully awake again and trying to get down.
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