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“We are, and I’m counting on you two to take care of our new pet. There are three puppies at the shelter right now, and we get to choose one of them.” She tousled Jeremy’s hair. “Do you think you’re up to the task of looking after a dog?”
“Yes!” Charlie cried, pumping the air with his fist.
“Can our puppy sleep on my bed?” her youngest asked.
“Maybe once it’s housebroken.” Theresa grabbed her purse and steered him toward to the door.
Jeremy frowned up at her. “What does house broken mean?”
“She means we have to train our dog not to pee and poo in the house, dummy.”
Theresa stopped. “Charles Anthony Rhodes, do not call your brother or anyone else names. It’s hurtful. Jeremy is nearly three years younger than you. We’ve never had a dog, a cat, or even a hamster. How’s he supposed to know stuff like that?”
The tips of Charlie’s ears turned red, and he looked as if she’d struck him. Guilt pinched at her, and she shook it off. She was determined to teach her sons to be respectful and compassionate toward each other. “Have I made myself clear? If not, you can stay here with Elli.”
“I’m sorry.” Charlie glanced at Jeremy. “We’re gonna have to teach our puppy not to go potty inside. You’re not a dummy, Jer. I am.”
“Don’t call yourself names either.” Theresa rolled her eyes. “Nobody in this house is a dummy. Not having been exposed to certain information before doesn’t mean a person is dumb, and it’s really unkind to say such a thing about anybody. We all have stuff to learn. Got it? Let’s go. We don’t want to miss our appointment.”
The boys ran out to the car and piled in. Once she made sure they were properly fastened into their car seats, Theresa slid in behind the wheel. John took the passenger seat, riding shotgun. Literally.
Two hours and a quick lunch at their favorite fast food place later, Theresa pulled the car into the animal shelter’s parking lot. “Ready?” She glanced back at Charlie and Jeremy before climbing out of the car.
Charlie grinned from ear to ear as he worked himself out of his seat belt and booster. Their bodyguard surveyed the area while Theresa helped Jeremy out of his car seat. They moved as a group toward the entrance, John acting as a human shield behind them.
Theresa drew a few looks as they entered, but nothing out of the ordinary. Honestly, without makeup and her hair done up, she really wasn’t that recognizable. Plus, she’d definitely put on weight which altered her looks.
“We have an appointment to check out these three puppies available for adoption.” She pulled the folded paper from her purse, opened it, and slid it across the reception counter. The paper listed the ID numbers of the three dogs they were here to see.
The middle-aged woman behind the counter gaped at her. “You’re … aren’t you that singer who won Star Launch a few years ago?”
“Mm-hmm.” She nodded. So much for not being recognized.
“Theresa Rhodes! My daughter just loves you. Would you mind giving me an autograph for her? Peggy would never forgive me if I didn’t ask.”
“Sure.” Theresa did her best to smile as the receptionist took a blank piece of paper from the printer tray and grabbed a pen.
She slid them across the counter, and Theresa wrote a note thanking Peggy for her support. She signed her name, drew a heart, and passed the paper and pen back to the receptionist.
“Thank you so much!” The woman tucked the autograph under the counter before entering the puppies’ ID numbers into the computer. She pointed down the hall. “You can get acquainted with the puppies in the room at the end of the corridor. One of our volunteers will bring the pups to you there.”
The space they entered had a cement floor and a fenced-in area at the center. The ring had been formed with the same kind of plastic sectional fencing used for toddler play areas. Several folding chairs had been placed around the outside of the fencing.
They waited all of five minutes before the door opened and a young man led the three leashed puppies into the room. One of the puppies had part of its leash in its mouth. The dog chewed on the nylon as it pranced across the room with its tail wagging.
“I’m going to put the puppies in the ring. It’s always a good idea to observe them for a few minutes before you enter.” He smiled. “I think it’s great when people like you adopt rather than go through a breeder. On behalf of animal shelters everywhere, thank you, Ms. Rhodes.”
“Oh. Sure.” Obviously the receptionist had told the guy who she was. At least he didn’t seem star-struck. For that alone, she’d make a generous donation to the shelter.
“My name is Mark, and if you have any questions, feel free to ask.”
Mark led the puppies into the fenced ring and unleashed them. “All three are from the same litter. The mom is a lab mix, and the dad is a purebred German shepherd that escaped his owner’s yard. They’re eleven weeks old.”
Freed from their leashes, the puppies pounced on each other and rolled. Charlie laughed, and Jeremy looked as if he wanted to join the furry jumble of wriggling bodies.
“I like that one,” Jeremy said, pointing to the puppy whose ears and markings were most like a German shepherd’s.
“Me too,” Charlie added.
