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“I suggest you ask first before you get your hand slapped again.”
“Well, duh. So tell me about your puppies.”
“They’re some kind of mixed breed. I think they have some lab in them.” He tapped his phone and showed her a photo. “About four months old.”
“They’re adorable.” Melanie bubbled. “Do they have names yet?”
“I was thinking maybe Ben and Jerry.”
“You’re going to name your dogs after ice cream?” Melanie squeezed more lemon on her fish.
“What’s wrong with ice cream? If I recall, you happen to like it.”
“Have you spent any time with them?”
“Uh, no.” He tightened his lips. “I took one look at them in that wooden crate and said, ‘I’ll take them.’ ”
“A side of you I’ve never seen before.”
“So we’re even.”
“Where are they now?”
“At the vet, getting checked, vaccinated, chipped, and fixed.” Gilmour rattled off the doggie to-do list.
“When do you get them?”
“If their tests are good, and their surgery goes well, it’ll just be a couple of days.”
“Well, a lot has happened today.” Melanie sopped up the olive oil and lemon sauce with a slice of pita bread. “Including finding a really good restaurant in my new neighborhood.”
Gilmour smiled. His relationship with Melanie was moving from work buddies to a fine friendship.
Chapter Thirteen
Moving In and Moving On
Melanie knew she would qualify for a mortgage. It was a matter of how long the paperwork would take for her approval. Tammy, the real estate agent, had a business relationship with one of the local banks and helped push the loan through within two weeks.
While she was waiting, Melanie had the kitchen measured for cabinets and a countertop. It was a railroad design, with cabinets along the walls. The space led to a dining area that faced the backyard and opened to the living room on the left. She chose a simple design with white doors and brushed nickel hardware. The countertop was a simulated gray slate. It was a neutral palette that would allow her to add color on the walls, or furniture, which was also something she had to consider. But before she could purchase a sofa, she had to install a finished floor. She decided she would run the same light gray oak throughout the main level. It would give the space a sense of continuity. An electrician installed recessed lights in the kitchen and checked all the outlets. She was willing to pay for whatever needed to be done to pass the bank and the building department inspections. True, she was taking a gamble by putting out her own money, but it simply felt right. If all went according to her plan, she would be in her new house before the holidays.
* * *
Within two weeks, the bank called, informing her she was approved for the loan. They set the closing for three weeks from that day. Melanie scrambled to be sure everything else was moving as scheduled. She felt as if she were part of a juggling act, managing work, coaching, renovating, and preparing to be responsible for two new creatures.
With the help of her mother, she found an estate sale where the entire contents of a house was up for grabs. For now, all she wanted was a dining room table and a sofa. She didn’t want to buy anything new until she and the dogs assimilated to each other and the new environment. It was going to be a lot of newness and renewal in the next few months.
* * *
Time was moving quickly. The next six weeks passed in a whirlwind. She closed on the house, had the Sheetrock and floors installed, and the walls painted very pale gray. Next came the kitchen. She’d picked cabinets that were in stock, as well as countertop material, and the installation went smoothly, though it was a hustle to get everything done by her move-in date.
Cosmo and Kramer were about to be relieved of their military duty. She appreciated Gilmour’s very generous offer to look after them while he was trying to train his own puppies. It was a lot to expect, even though he’d made the offer, probably out of guilt. After all, he’d signed her up for something before consulting her. Any normal person would have gone ballistic, but as with almost everything else, she took it in stride. Besides, one of the main reasons she wanted to buy a house was so she could have a dog. Instead, she’d have two. What was one more in the grand scheme of things? Plus, they’d keep each other company while she was at work and coaching.
Melanie had worked with Cosmo and Kramer a couple of years before. She was profiling a serial bomber in Belgium and looking for a way to track him. The dogs provided the perfect solution. When they located the building, the dogs detected the bomb, and it was defused. There was no sign of the bomber until they heard a small explosion a half block away. He was arrested after he blew his foot off.
* * *
Two years later, Kramer and Cosmo were called to duty again for a bomb threat but had been injured in the process. Cosmo had lost the sight in one eye. He could still see out of the other, but that wasn’t good enough for the military. Kramer became deaf in one ear, but he behaved as if he had no idea his hearing was impaired. If you asked him, and if he answered, he would tell you he was just fine. Then your name would be Dr. Dolittle.
