Page 7
“Roxie told me just the other day how well you were doing over at her clinic,” Miss Laverne said, giving Joy’s hand another pat. Then she looked up at me. “She said Joy is a natural.”
“I love it there. I even got to see her operate. She’s amazing.”
“What do you do there?” I asked.
“I’m a kennel assistant, and it doesn’t get any better than that. I get to pet dogs and cats every day. I basically make sure they feel loved.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle at her enthusiasm. “I’m sure there’s more to it than that.”
“Well, sure, I have to keep them fed and watered and ensure that they don’t scratch their incisions. Sometimes they’re coming out of sedation, and I have to really watch them. Since I work the night shift, I don’t get to take them outside and play, which is a bummer. But when they’re lonely or scared, I take them out of their cages for a cuddle.”
“How did you get the job?”
“Little Grandma hooked me up. It was a little spooky. She had already talked to Roxie before I even mentioned I was a little dissatisfied with Nashville.”
I’d never experienced Little Grandma’s hocus-pocus, but it was legendary.
“What about you, Graham? Where do you come from?”
“What if I told you I come from a little town in Tennessee?”
Joy giggled. “It’s not polite to call a guest a liar, so I’d have to say you’re pulling my leg.”
“You’d be right. I come from Bangor, Maine.”
“You’re a long way from home.” Joy sounded surprised.
“I wandered a lot after I got out of the service.”
“Oh. When did you leave the service?”
“Four years ago. I landed here in Jasper Creek a little over two years ago. I’ve got to admit, it feels like home.”
Joy grinned. “Yeah, this place has a way of making people feel at home.”
“This town is filled with great people,” I responded. “However…” I glanced over at Miss Laverne. “It’s still not safe to leave your front door unlocked. We’ve talked about that. I worry about your safety when you don’t lock your door.”
“The door was unlocked?” Joy’s eyes were so wide, I could see the whites.
I nodded.
She swiftly turned her head to look at Miss Laverne. “Graham is right. That’s not safe. It doesn’t matter where you live. You need to protect yourself.”
“Child, I promise you, nothing bad would have happened. I normally keep it locked, but I knew Graham was coming and we’d most likely be in the kitchen talking, so we might not hear him. I wanted him to let himself in.”
Joy clasped her fingers together so tightly, her knuckles turned white. “That’s really considerate,” she said slowly. “But it still concerns me.”
Miss Laverne looked Joy over and frowned. “Honey, I can see this means a lot to you. Of course I’ll keep the door locked from now on.”
Joy gave her a slow smile as she blew out a long breath. “Thank you.”
“Joy, you accomplished in five minutes what I’ve been trying to get Miss Laverne to do for six months. You’re a miracle worker,” I teased. She blushed.
“I would love to take you out to dinner,” I ventured. “It’s the least I could do for easing my mind.”
“Uhhhm.”
“You probably know more about Jasper Creek than I do, since you grew up here. I’d love for you to show me around.”
