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Then Maggie thought of Ted. Where Justin was covered in tatts and had a pierced ear and wore chains and denim jackets, Ted was pristine, with white short-sleeved sport shirts and khaki pants and always a bow tie. His hair was sandy brown and clipped high and tight. He wore polished shoes unless he was going into the barnyard, and then he’d don blue denim overalls and mid-calf work boots and was usually in the process of either taking them off or putting them on. Justin teased him unmercifully. “Man, you’re making me nuts! Just wear the overalls, for god’s sake!”
But Ted would just laugh. It wasn’t his style. Ted and Kelly would definitely be an incongruous couple, but she said they were seeing each other. What exactly did that mean? Maggie couldn’t wait to tell Justin.
“Is it a secret, you twoseeing each other?”
“It is, sort of,” Kelly said. “We just never did anything public about it. He’s not married or anything, but his parents are snobs. I’m not sure me having a kid out of wedlock has anything to do with his reasoning, but I like it being private, to tell you the truth. I feel like it gives me an edge.”
“How so?” Maggie asked, intrigued.
“You know Amber’s working there, right?”
“I do know that. Justin just told me this morning.”
“She doesn’t know about me. And Amber has a rep around here as being a seductress.” While she was driving, Kelly stuck her chest out and made kissing noises that Maggie couldn’t help but laugh at. “So it will be interesting to watch if she tries to hit on Ted.”
“Is that likely to happen? Amber is serious about becoming a vet tech,” Maggie said, feeling a little defensive. Could Kelly be trying to set Amber and Ted up?
“Who knows. I’m not crazy about her working there, and Ted promised me it would remain professional at all times.”
“How can you prevent it from becoming otherwise? I guess you just have to trust him.”
“Yeah, you’re right. I try to trust Ted, but Amber, um, not so much.”
“There’s only so much we have control over. I have to let things go or make myself nuts.”
“Me too. My son’s father is one example. I tried to micromanage his relationship with Danny, but that wasn’t going to happen. I made it worse for my son because he would look forward to visits that never materialized. It would have been better if I just stayed out of it.”
“I’m so sorry. That sounds like one instance where it might be smart to try to orchestrate something.”
“Yeah, but you need to do it with someone who isn’t a jackass in the first place.”
“Your little boy is blessed to have a mom like you,” Maggie said, meaning it.
“Aw, thank you, but I’m not so sure. I was selfish to have him and think I could do it alone. I work, do the books for my dad’s hardware, and then the rest of the time I’m at the rescue. I had the rescue before Danny was born. Now that it’s folding, I’ll have more time with Danny. But I’m really going to miss it. It’s become part of my life.”
Ted LeBlanc was the son of wealthy parents and was a successful veterinarian in his own right. Maggie wondered if he helped Kelly out at all.
“Do you have your own place?” Maggie asked.
“Yeah, I stay in a small house in town that my dad owns. I had to get out of my folks’ place. That drove me batshit. My father is a control freak. I come by it naturally.”
“I feel sad about Steve’s dog.”
“Yeah, Justin didn’t seem too happy. I know what happened; my brother is in over his head like everyone else is, and he probably forgot all about the dog. My dad probably took the dog. My family has so many dogs, my dad’s place is like a rescue in itself. I’m sure Steve will be mortified when Justin tells him about Johanna. Steve’s an old softy. He’ll feel awful.”
“If I can, I’ll try to get Justin to be nice.”
“Thanks. I like you, Maggie. I feel safe with you.”
“You do? Well, that’s good, I guess. I’m pretty simple, to tell you the truth. What you see is what you get. I’m probably overcautious about people.”
“Wise,” Kelly said. “Here we are.”
She slowed down to an elaborate gated, wrought-iron entrance. The gate was open, and an elaborately painted sign said Open 9-5 PM Monday through Friday.
“The sign is BS,” Kelly said, snickering. They’re open around the clock; what’s open from nine to five is the gate. Ha! There he is with that blue glove on that goes up to his elbow. He must have had his arm up a cow’s twat.”
Mortified, Maggie grimaced. Kelly was like that, going from demure to irreverent in the same conversation. She beeped the horn of the van, and Ted waved, making light of the glove.
