“He likes you!” Hayden said, absentmindedly patting Allie on the head.
“No, he doesn’t. He just wants to adopt another dog.”
“Mom, seriously? He’s coming to the shelter again tomorrow to see you. The dog is just an excuse.”
I glanced at Justin, Hayden’s significant other, for help.
He waved his hands in front of his chest. “Don’t look at me.” He pointed to Hayden. “I’m afraid of both of you.”
“Hayden, honey, he just came by today to make a donation, that’s it.”
“Donation. Right. And I’m six feet tall.” She shook her head and laughed. “Mom, Daddy isn’t flipping over in his grave because a man is flirting with you. He would be happy for you.” She mumbled, “He would have been happier had you given Max a real chance, but whatever.”
Justin blinked and then popped out of his chair. “I think I need another beer.” He raced down the gazebo steps and through the yard to my house like a bat out of hell.
Hayden and I looked at each other and laughed.
She shrugged. “He thinks we fight all the time, but he doesn’t have a sister, so he doesn’t get it.”
“Poor thing. He must think we’re crazy.”
“Basically. Plus, he’s really scared of you.”
Allie cautiously lifted her front legs onto Hayden’s lap. She did it slowly and one at a time, like Hayden wouldn’t notice. Pitties are big snugglers, and Allie liked to be as close to her favorite humans as possible. Her favorite humans were few and far between, so she didn’t miss a snuggle opportunity.
“Scared of me? That’s ridiculous. I’m not that kind of mom.”
Hayden groaned. “You constantly watched him when we dated in high school. He’s got scars from that.”
I chuckled. “Okay, that’s true, but you’re both adults now. That shouldn’t matter.”
“Yeah, say that to the guy with the baggage who just bolted under the guise of getting a beer. And besides, it’s not just that. You’re like this butt-kicking, dog-whispering crime solver. Everyone’s intimidated by you now.”
I blushed and said, “Stop it,” though I really didn’t want her to.
She laughed. “You love it.”
“I can admit it’s kind of fun to have a tough-woman reputation, but that’s all it is. I’m certainly not tough.”
She made a tsk sound as she exhaled. “You’re the most modest woman I know.”
That made me happy. “Good. I just wish I had passed some of that to you.”
She laughed. “I’m more a Kingston than an Aspen.”
“I said that the day you were born.”
Justin crept back to us. “Do I need to down this really quick and run for the hills, or are y’all good here?”
“We were never bad,” I said.
* * *
Shelly Wishard, Scooter, and her new boy Leroy met me at the dog park.
Allie and Bandit greeted the other dogs, and the four of them ran off to play.
Bandit was my first foster fail. He topped the sweetest-dog-ever list in my book. He was a chunky black lab with a heart of gold, and I knew we’d be together from the day I met him. Allie was a recent foster fail, a blue pittie with a big head and a desire to love and protect her people. They hit it off from day one, and I’d missed hours of sleep from their collective snoring ever since.
Shelly pointed at the dogs. “Are they from the shelter?”
“They were. I fostered each of them, but happily failed miserably.”
She laughed. “I can’t imagine doing what you do. It must be heart-breaking.”
“I go home in tears a lot of days, especially when someone brings in a dog. They get so depressed in the crates, and it’s awful to watch. Bandit, the lab, was really depressed, which was why I brought him home to begin with. Now he goes to the shelter and is excited. He sees his buddies, but he knows he’s going home. We even hook him up with the scared dogs. He has a way of making them feel safe.”
She wiped her eye. “I feel like you just read me one of those Chicken Soup for the Soul books.”
“If only my days were more like those books.” I thought about the two puppies we’d lost. “Some of the dogs don’t make it. It’s hard.”
“That sounds awful. I cry when I see those commercials with the dogs all locked up and abused. Heck, I can barely leave that sweetie pie at home without feeling awful.” She pointed to Scooter. “I bought a TV to leave on while I’m at work just so he can hear human voices.”
“That’s sweet.”
“It wasn’t when I tried to figure out the remote.”
I smiled.
She shrugged. “I’ve never been a TV person. It’s off when I’m home, but he seems to like having it on. I’ll keep it on for the both of them.”
Something nudged the back of my knee. I turned around to see Boomer, Kevin Poplar’s gray husky, smiling up at me. He barked.
I crouched down and rubbed under his chin. “Hey, Boomer!”
The dog returned my greeting with an attempted French kiss, missing his mark but hitting my cheek instead. I wiped my face.
“Sorry about that,” Kevin said.
I bounced up on my feet. “No worries. He’s a big sweetie.”
“Boomer, go on,” he said, and Boomer trotted off.
“Kevin Poplar, Shelly Wishard. Shelly just adopted one of our boys—well, two, really—and Kevin’s looking to give Boomer a friend.”
“Oh, do you have a dog in mind?” Shelly asked.
“I would love one of the puppies, but I know my limits.”
“Do you have children?” Shelly asked.
I thought that was rather bold of her, but I was curious to hear his answer.
“Nope. Which is why I’m not getting a puppy. I’ve always heard they’re like kids, and since I’ve never had that experience, I’ll leave the puppies to the professionals. In theory, I’d love one, but I’m not as stupid as I look.”
“You don’t look stupid, and that’s probably smart,” I said. “Would you like to schedule your home inspection for later this morning?”
“I think noon would probably work. Does that fit your schedule?”
I nodded. “I’ll make sure it does.”
After a little more small talk, and a lot of flirting by Shelly, Kevin left. I saw a future for the two of them and suspected I’d see them at the park together soon. Whatever Hayden thought, Kevin Poplar didn’t appear interested in me, and I was fine with that. I’d spent a lot of time trying to imagine myself with someone other than Sam, and when I did, I could only picture Max Hoover. I just couldn’t take that leap. Max was a family friend—Sam’s best friend, actually—and I felt like I was betraying Sam every time Max looked at me the way he did.
I’m a firm believer we all have one soul mate, and if we’re lucky enough to find him or her, we have to hold on for dear life. If something happens, that’s it. We don’t get another chance. My love story with Sam was over, but I’d yet to close the book in my heart.
Shelly and I scheduled our first new adopter training session for the next day. After an adoption, we provide basic instructions, but each new owner is required to attend at least four lessons to learn how to work with their dog. Leroy responded well to praise and was easily trained. Shelly struck me as the type of person who would catch on quickly to the concept. Scooter was a little rough around the edges when we worked with him. We used collar training with him, and Shelly learned that quickly. Leroy didn’t require that, so we’d have to teach Shelly the differences.