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Except I hadn’t been able to do that much since the arrival of our new friends. We’d make it to the park, but there wasn’t time to let them just be dogs there.I’dbeen getting more exercise than any of them.
Millie let me slip the loop of the leash around her neck. I passed her off to Vivian. She bucked toward the door, ready to take off.
“I think we’ll just do one at a time,” I said.
“I can handle another puppy,” Vivian said, even as Millie inched her closer to the door with her sheer strength.
“That’s okay.”
I leashed another dog and handed him to Daniel. In no time, they had four excited dogs stamping their feet in anticipation.
I loved that sound.
“Call me if you need me.” I waved my cell phone.
They disappeared out the front door. Millie yanked Vivian ahead of the group and the sound of their laughter could be heard through the windows.
I wandered into the back.
“I’m not complaining, but what brought them to our doorstep?” She scooped the gourmet dog food in a bowl.
I lifted both shoulders and lowered them. “I honestly have no idea. I haven’t talked to Vivian or Muriella in . . . a while.” The days all ran together and I couldn’t keep them straight.
“They came in the nick of time.” She wiped under my eyes with her thumb. “You’ve got bags. And it’s not from being ancient like me.”
As soon as she filled a bowl, I put it in a kennel. The sweet smacking commenced before I could set the food down.
“In case you haven’t noticed, the last few days have been stressful.” I fell into work beside her.
“I noticed those dark circles under your eyes too.”
I hadn’t looked in a mirror except to brush my hair . . . and I hadn’t spent more than a few seconds on that. And makeup? I didn’t even know where mine was.
“You don’t like my new look? Zombie extraordinaire?”
Muffy jumped up and down as I set his food on the floor. He gobbled half of it before I closed his kennel door.
“I didn’t realize it was intentional.” She scrunched her face up. “In that case, you’ve nailed it.”
I held up my hand to high-five, and she shook her head.
“Have you noticed since Mr. October—”
The bell jangled over the front door, cutting off Miss Adeline . . . thankfully. I didn’t particularly want to talk about Teague. All the mixed signals had me off balance. I still hadn’t figured out what I wanted his signal to be exactly.
Bark. Bark. Bark.
“I’d better go make sure all the dogs and people are in one piece.”
A man in a suit with a clipboard stood just inside the door. His gaze scanned the kennels lining the reception area like a robot doing inventory.
“Can I help you?” I asked in a raised voice over the barking.
He scowled. “Inspector Dawson from the Department of Agriculture and Markets.”
That icky, nervous feeling that always attached itself to surprise visits squeezed my chest.
I fashioned a smile on my face, though it felt plastic. “Where’s Inspector Smith? She usually drops in.”In the summer.But why bother pointing that out?
