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“So what brings you here?” Greta’s dark eyes glinted with interest.
Pepper stepped forward. “I think he’s here for—”
Greta stepped between Pepper and Simon. “I’ve got this.” The woman never took her eyes off Simon. “Pepper, don’t you have something to do?”
Pepper gaped at the back of the woman’s head. Had Greta really just dismissed her from speaking to the father of her baby? How dare she?
Just as Pepper was prepared to set Greta straight, Daisy started barking. While Greta was distracted, Simon signaled for her to let this woman dig her own hole.
“Pepper, take that little monster back to her cage.”
She was tempted to ask the woman if she was referring to herself. Instead, she quietly walked away.
* * *
Had that really happened?
Simon was so relieved to have disentangled himself from Greta. For some reason, he thought people that headed up animal shelters would be kind and generous. Obviously, that wasn’t always the case. But since the shelter meant so much to Pepper, he’d minded his manners and not told the woman exactly what he thought of her rude and pushy tactics.
Simon caught up with Pepper and Daisy. “Does that woman really run the shelter?”
Pepper nodded. “No one can figure out how she got the job.”
“She certainly doesn’t like animals.”
“Not at all.”
“But she does like money. She hit me up for a very large donation.”
Pepper’s cheeks grew pink. “I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be. I wasn’t giving that woman anything.” When he realized that might have come out wrong, he added, “But if you were to ask, that would be a totally different matter.”
“I might take you up on the offer. The shelter is hurting for money so badly that they’re starting to turn away animals.” Worry reflected in her eyes. “We’ve tried everything we can think of to raise money, but it never seems to be enough. But that isn’t the reason you’re here.”
He made a mental note to have the shelter looked into. He was more than willing to make regular donations, but first he wanted to make sure where his money would be going. And he didn’t want Greta to take credit for the shelter’s turnaround.
“I have your phone.” He held out the phone to her, and with her free hand she removed his from her pocket.
“And here’s yours.”
Daisy started to wiggle, so Pepper put her back on the ground. “Would you like another treat?”
Arff! Arff! Arff!
“I’d swear she knows what the word treat means.”
Daisy barked again.
Pepper pulled another treat from her pocket. She held the biscuit out to Simon. “Would you like to give it to her?”
He shook his head. “I don’t think so. I don’t know anything about dogs.”
“Well, then you and Daisy will get along fine. She doesn’t know much about people, but she’s learning.” Pepper placed the little biscuit in his hand. “Place it on the flat of your hand and hold it out to her. She’ll do the rest.”
Simon crouched down and did as Pepper said. Daisy was hesitant, but couldn’t resist the treat. He couldn’t help but smile at the eager look on the puppy’s face or the thumping of her tail. She was really cute—not that he was a dog person.
When he straightened, she said, “Maybe you want to look around and adopt a dog. Or perhaps you’re more of a cat person. Or maybe one of each.”
