Three

“Zelda?” I walked behind the desk and looked down at her. The sliding glass doors opened to admit someone.

Zelda placed a finger over her lips in a signal to be silent.

Trixie yelped at the man who entered. She backed away from him with a growl but never took her eyes off him.

Judging by the stubble on his face, he hadn’t bothered to shave in a few days. His unkempt light brown hair was short. If he had done anything to it when he rose in the morning, it wasn’t with a comb. He wore a white T-shirt and carried a leather jacket over his shoulder. Altogether he had the type of rugged look that was popular. But something about his eyes made me wary. Not to mention Trixie’s reaction to him.

“May I help you?” I asked.

“I hear Zelda York works here.”

Zelda’s hand clutched my ankle, and I jerked ever so slightly. More deftly than I’d have liked, I lied to him. “She’s off today.”

He was staring at Trixie, who now peered at him from the far side of the registration desk, which was actually a counter.

Trixie growled softly.

“What’s wrong with that dog?” he asked.

She had never reacted that way to anyone before, but it would have been rude to point that out to him. I glanced at Huey, who sat like a perfect gentleman but didn’t take his eyes off the man. “The other dog is new. I think his presence upset her.”

Another lie. I didn’t really like this skill I had developed. I wasn’t even sweating or feeling guilty about it.

He nodded and leaned against the desk. “You must be new around here. I don’t remember meeting you before.”

“Holly Miller. Are you a frequent visitor to Wagtail?”

“Nice to meet you, Holly Miller.”

Any polite person would have said the same thing, but there was something about his tone that was slick, like he was trying to flirt.

“I’m Hank Abernathy. Listen”—he reached a hand across the desk—“since Zelda isn’t here, how about having some dinner with me?”

The hand on my ankle squeezed like talons.

“I’m sorry. I have to work.”

“What time do you get off?”

This guy wasn’t giving up. So far I’d told him nothing but lies, which bothered me in principle. But when I looked into his eyes I felt the desire to keep him away from Zelda by getting rid of him. “I’m sorry, but I think my fiancé might object to that.”

And at that moment, just like magic, the doors slid open and Ben, my former boyfriend, walked in.

“And there he is now!” I chirped.

Hank’s eyes shifted, giving me the willies. “See you around then.”

Heavens. I hoped not!

He strolled out the doors. When they closed behind him, I looked down at Zelda. “Who was that?”

“Is he gone?” she whispered.

Ben walked around the corner of the desk. “What’s going on?”

“You can stand up now,” I assured her.

In spite of that, Zelda raised her head slowly, peeking over the top of the desk at the door before standing fully erect. “That was my good-for-nothing ex-husband.”

“You’re kidding. The one who left you broke and loaded with debt?”

“The very same. It’s a shame he’s so handsome. He sucks me back in every time I see him.”

“Not today,” I pointed out.

“Trust me. I have to stay away from that man.”

“Was he violent?” I asked.

Zelda snorted and giggled. “Are you kidding? He’s too lazy for that. He’d probably like to shack up with me and mooch off of me again. Three square meals a day and a comfy bed at my expense? No, thanks. I’m done with him.”

Even though I hadn’t looked forward to seeing Ben, he had arrived at a perfect time. Ben wouldn’t deter many men, but his mere presence had done the trick of getting rid of Hank.

Bespectacled and studious-looking, he was the ultimate geek. Ben had asked me to marry him by texting me a message of cryptic abbreviations. And then he had followed up that abysmal act with what could only be called a pity proposal. It was more like a business transaction because I had lost my job, and he thought I had no foreseeable source of income. I turned him down and had come to the realization that he wasn’t the right man for me. But I didn’t mind being friends. My irritation that he hadn’t told me he was coming to visit faded. After all, he had gotten rid of Hank by showing up.

I crooked my finger at him and walked over to the beautiful shepherd mix. “This is Huey. Did you really ask for a dog from the If the Dog Fits program?”

Instead of petting Huey, as I would have, Ben studied him. “I thought it would be a small dog, smaller than Trixie. Huey is huge.”

“He’s a great dog, though. I’ve had him with me for an hour, and he’s been a sweetheart.”

Ben nodded reluctantly. “What do I do with him?”

Zelda burst out laughing. “Huey says he would like a long walk and then dinner, preferably beef and a cookie for dessert.”

“Ohh-kay,” Ben drawled like he wasn’t sure. “He’s much bigger than I expected,” he repeated.

“Are you afraid of him?” I asked.

“No. Well, maybe a little. Has he ever bitten anyone?”

“If he had, I’m sure they wouldn’t have assigned him to you.” Feeling sorry for Huey, I handed Ben a fistful of tiny dog treats. “Why don’t you give him a try?”

Ben brightened up. “You and Trixie could come hang out with us for a bit.”

“I can’t. I’m working. Why don’t you and Huey go get a latte?” Maybe if Ben spent some time with Huey, he would see what a gentle and sweet fellow he was.

Ben pitched his duffel bag into the office and picked up Huey’s leash. “Will he just come with me or do I have to say some magic word?”

Zelda elbowed me. It was all I could do to keep a straight face. Ben was clueless. I rushed over with a Sugar Maple Inn GPS collar and fastened it on Huey. “Just in case,” I whispered into Huey’s ear. He wagged his tail and kissed my nose.

*   *   *

At nine o’clock, a golf cart, better known as a Wagtail taxi since the town had severe restrictions on cars, pulled up outside.

“Here they come,” whispered Zelda.

Two women approached the sliding glass doors at the same time.

A portly black woman wore her hair up in an elegant twist and toted a small dog in a Louis Vuitton carrier. Her sky blue dress accentuated her curves.

She was flanked by a slender white woman who wore her hair in a grown out pageboy cut that looked like she’d been in a wind tunnel. She wore a white denim jacket and carried a battered leather bag that had seen better days.

The women politely paused as if to allow the other one to enter first. But in the end, they pushed through together and exchanged a frantic look before rushing the desk. They arrived at the same time, and both said, “Do you have a room left?”

A harried man was right behind them. “Me, too!”

Zelda glanced at me. I knew what she was thinking. What if the guy was Gustav?

“Your name, sir?” I asked.

The portly woman heaved a sigh. “Do men always receive better treatment in this inn? I believe we were here first.”

The slender woman nodded in agreement.

“I’m sorry,” I said. “I guess it looked that way. We only have one room available, and it’s because a man did not show up. I’m just making sure that the gentleman behind you isn’t the one who had a reservation.”

The two women gazed at each other briefly then turned their heads toward the man.

Trim and attractive, he didn’t appear to be uncomfortable even though he was on the spot. He bowed to the two ladies. “Alas, I did not have the foresight to make a reservation.”

The women lost interest in him immediately.

“Please,” pleaded the portly woman. “I can pay. Double, quadruple even. Don’t you have some kind of fancy suite that no one booked?”

The slender woman tilted her head as if she couldn’t believe her ears. “Look, we arrived at exactly the same time. I think we should flip a coin.”

“Actually, I think I was here first.”

“We came in on the same Wagtail taxi!”

Zelda cleared her throat. “Uh, Holly, Sit has two beds . . .”

“Oh, no.” The portly woman cast a critical eye over the slender woman. “I’m sorry, but we’re strangers. That”—she coughed—“would not do at all.”

Zelda gazed at her. “What’s your name?”

“Hmm? Nessie Jamieson.” She smiled broadly, clearly believing that she had won the room.

“And you?” asked Zelda, turning to the other woman.

“Sky Stevens.”

“Nessie, meet Sky.”

The women forced smiles and nodded at each other.

The man behind them lost his patience. “Look, I’ll take the room. At this point, I don’t care if it has a sleeping bag in it.”

I forced the women’s hands a little bit. “I hear the hotel across town is booked.”

Sky said, “It’s been a long time since I had a roommate. What do you say? I’m pretty tidy, and I don’t snore.”

Nessie seemed pained. “Are you absolutely certain you don’t have another room? Hotels always have some rooms that are out of order. Don’t you have one with a clogged sink or something for her?”

Zelda shook her head so hard that her long hair jiggled.

Nessie winced. “Where do we sign in?”

The man behind them strode over to the love seat and turned to his phone.

I asked Nessie if her dog would like a Sugar Maple Inn GPS collar for their stay.

Nessie declined. “Lulu is never more than a few feet away from me.”

I showed them to their room. Delicate yellow walls gave it a cheerful feel. A stylish bombé chest separated the two beds. Each double bed featured a white duvet, loads of pillows, and a large yellow-and-white plaid blanket folded at the foot at the bed. Tasseled yellow curtains framed a large window that overlooked the lake and the mountains beyond. Two comfy armchairs in a blue-and-yellow French print flanked a table. A writing desk and another dresser completed the room.

“This is charming.” Sky dropped her purse on one of the chairs.

“Do you like dogs?” Nessie opened her fancy dog carrier and a bright-eyed papillon leaped out.

“I love them!” Sky knelt on the floor and Lulu made a beeline for her. Not to be outdone, Trixie raced over and demanded equal time.

Nessie watched them with wary eyes. “I see that you’re not wearing a wedding ring, Sky. Are you here to find a man?”

I was surprised by her question, but Sky took it in stride. “I’m widowed.”

“Oh! I’m so sorry. That must be difficult. I’m divorced.” The corners of Nessie’s mouth twitched. “Three times.”

Sky looked up from her petting session. “Actually, I’m a little bit embarrassed to admit it, but my daughter, Maddie, is here to meet a boy who likes animals as much as we do.”

“Does she know you’re here?” asked Nessie.

“No. She didn’t tell me her plans until the last minute. That’s why I didn’t have a reservation. I never expected everything to be booked. There must be a lot of animal lovers looking for their human counterparts.”

Nessie let out a guffaw and laughed so hard that she nearly bent double. “My daughter, Celeste, was left at the altar last year. I thought I’d never be rid of the idiot she meant to marry. Nobody ever saw a mama so happy that her baby was hurt like that. I danced the night away.” Nessie shook her finger in the air. “That man turned out to have two children he never bothered to mention to Celeste. Can you believe it? Now that girl has come up here to this pet matchmaking thing to meet somebody.” She flicked her right hand in the air for me to leave. “Holly, you can go now. We’re just a couple of mamas watching out for our babies.”

I quickly ran through my spiel. “Information about the inn is on the desk. We serve breakfast, lunch, and afternoon tea. Room service is available on request. You’ll see the special dog menu there, too. Just call me if you need anything.”

As I took my leave, I heard Nessie saying, “You know, we might be able to help each other spy on our girls. Celeste wouldn’t know you, and your Maddie wouldn’t recognize me.”