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“Yeah, pretty much,” she said with a sigh.
The chime rang over the door and the family who’d been eyeing the puppies outside stepped in. The father had obviously caved since both children were practically bouncing out of their shoes with excitement.
“Welcome,” Mac said, grinning down at the kids. “Talked him into it, did you? I’ve seen y’all come by a couple times this week to look at the puppies.”
“We want the white-and-brown one!” the little boy said. “I’m going to name him Doug because that’s my best friend’s name, and Doug has a brown spot over his eye just like the puppy.”
“I’m sure Doug will be honored,” Mac said. “Hold on just a second and I’ll have someone come help you with all the paperwork.” Then she looked back at Zoe and winked. “Give me just a minute and I’ll finish matching you with your perfect animal.”
“I can hardly wait,” Zoe said, laughing and shaking her head. Whoever Mac O’Hara was, she was a handful.
A few minutes later Mac came back with a man who was wearing the same shirt as Mac. Like all the people in Laurel Valley, he had a summer tan and the physique of someone who spent their off hours on the lake or the ski slopes. He smiled at the family and ushered them over to the counter to fill out paperwork, and Mac waved Zoe to the door she held open that led into the kennel area.
“So how close was I on your personal assessment?” Mac asked her.
“You’d make a fair palm reader at the county fair.”
Mac grinned. “Ahh, my ancestors would be proud. Anything sounds better than sitting in a stuffy office all day for the rest of my life.”
“So which one of these is my perfect match?” Zoe asked.
“You’re definitely a cat person,” Mac answered instantly. “But I have a feeling you’re also stubborn and you don’t change your mind easily, so I’m open to suggestions.”
“You have more wisdom than my ex-husband,” Zoe said dryly. “And I’d agree with you. A cat would go much better with my schedule. But I work from home and I have no travel plans for a long while, so I want a dog. I’ve never had a dog. Dogs are man’s best friend, right?”
“Right,” Mac said. “Just keep your shoes and handbags out of reach. They look expensive. To a puppy, everything is a chew toy.”
“Oh, I don’t want a puppy. I want an older dog. One that’s already trained and has lived some life. I want a dog with experience.”
“Uh-huh,” Mac said doubtfully. “I think I’ve got just the dog for you. And this is his lucky day because he’s supposed to be shipped out in the morning.”
“Why?” Zoe asked, brows raised. “What’s wrong with him?”
“Oh, nothing,” Mac assured her. “He’s the sweetest dog. But he’s been here six months and that’s our limit for keeping animals before we send them to another shelter.”
Mac made a slicing motion across her neck and Zoe’s eyes widened. “I thought this was a no-kill shelter?”
“It is,” Mac said. “So we send them to a shelter over in Boise when they don’t get adopted. Since I’ve started working here we haven’t had to send one animal to the farm. That’s what I call it. I’m really good at getting people to adopt animals.”
“Poor thing,” Zoe said, imagining a geriatric mutt with one eye and a limp that no one wanted. “Show him to me. I don’t mind an older dog. Even if he’s ugly. I’m sure he’ll make a great companion.”
Mac led her past a kennel full of terrier puppies, a German shepherd, an English bulldog, and an assortment of mutts. They reached the very last kennel and Zoe’s heart thumped wildly in her chest. She had no idea what she was looking at. A yeti or bigfoot was a possibility. She’d never seen so much white hair in her life. Not to mention he was the size of a small horse.
“It’s your lucky day, Chewy,” Mac said, putting her knuckles up to the kennel gate for Chewy to sniff.
“Chewy?” Zoe asked.
“As in Chewbacca,” Mac said. “Cause he’s so big and hairy.”
“I can see that.” Zoe felt the spit dry up in her mouth and had trouble swallowing.
“He’s some kind of sheepdog mix, but he’s full grown so you don’t have to worry about him getting any bigger. And he’s already outside trained. Though his table manners could probably use some work. But there’s a great obedience school on the other side of town.”
“Uh-huh,” Zoe said, staring into a face with so much hair she wondered if there were eyes in there somewhere.
“I brush him every day,” Mac said. “He really likes to be pampered. And he’s really very sweet, and smart too. Sometimes I think he knows exactly what I’m saying. It’s a little weird, actually. He only jumps when he’s excited, but you’ve got to kind of brace yourself because he weighs more than either of us and you’ll end up on the ground before you know it. But obedience school will really help him. He just doesn’t realize how strong he is. How can you say no to that face? I can’t even imagine him going off to the farm.”
Zoe swallowed the big lump in her throat. She couldn’t send Chewy to the farm. That would make her an accomplice to murder.
