Chapter 27
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
A s the evening sun dipped below the horizon, Claire and Rob found themselves pulling into the parking lot of a somewhat rundown apartment complex. The building had seen better days, and Claire couldn’t help but wonder if they were in the right place.
“Are you sure you want to foster a dog? I hope I didn’t push you into this,” Claire said, eyeing the tired facade of the building as Rob parked the car.
Rob looked at her, smiling as he placed his hand reassuringly over hers. “Not at all. I’m actually pretty excited about it. But are you sure this is the right place?”
Claire double-checked the address that Marie had texted her earlier. “Yes, this is it.”
Claire rang the doorbell, feeling the evening chill seep through her jacket. The door swung open, and her jaw dropped. Standing on the other side was a woman Claire could scarcely recognize as Sandee—dressed in jeans and a dirty sweatshirt with her hair in disarray.
“You?” both women said almost simultaneously.
“You live here?” Claire asked, her eyebrows knitting together.
Sandee crossed her arms over her chest, defensive. “Yes. Peter and I have separated.”
At that moment, a cacophony of barks and yips filled the air as a cluster of dogs scrambled about. Sandee smiled, crouching to pet them and hushing their noisy enthusiasm. She opened the door wider, inviting Claire and Rob inside.
Claire gestured toward Rob. “This is Rob.”
“Yes, from the bread store,” Sandee said, extending her hand to Rob.
Rob chuckled, “Yes, and I remember you like crusty French bread.”
For a brief second, Claire felt a pang of jealousy. Was Sandee flirting with Rob? But she quickly reassured herself. She trusted Rob, and Sandee seemed more interested in the dogs than in Rob.
“You can take your pick.” Sandee gestured to the dogs.
Rob scanned the excited faces and wagging tails before his eyes settled on the dalmatian mix. “How about him?”
“He’s yours! But understand, we’re trying to find the owners of these lost dogs,” Sandee explained, petting the chosen dog affectionately. “If they’ve run off because they’re scared, they might get separated from their families. So he might not be with you for long. But if we can’t find his owner, you’re more than welcome to adopt him, of course.”
Rob seemed to mull this over as he petted the dog, clearly already enamored.
As Claire and Rob prepared to leave, she turned to Sandee. “By the way, I managed just fine at the animal rescue charity tent today.”
For a fleeting moment, Sandee’s eyes met Claire’s, and she looked genuinely regretful. “I’m sorry I couldn’t make it,” she said, gesturing toward the whirlwind of canine activity around them. “As you can see, I’ve been a bit tied up. Just got back, actually.”
Claire’s curiosity was piqued. Marie had mentioned something about a volunteer from their group going to New York City for an emergency rescue operation. She’d never imagined that Sandee, who always seemed so wrapped up in herself, would do something so selfless.
“You went to New York?” Claire couldn’t hide her surprise.
“Yes.” Sandee nodded. “It was a last-minute thing. They needed all the help they could get.”
Claire was momentarily taken aback. Perhaps there really was more to Sandee than met the eye. The thought was humbling and nudged at her preconceptions.
Claire wanted to say more, but the dog was already tugging Rob toward the door, and she wasn’t even exactly sure what to say.
Claire and Rob returned to the car, the dog happily sitting in the back seat.
“Do you think you’ll keep him if they don’t find the owner?” Claire couldn’t help but ask, noticing how Rob already treated the dog like a long-lost friend.
Rob sighed. “I don’t know. It’s tough. I’m worried about getting too attached and then having to give him up.”
Claire chuckled. “Then don’t name him!”
Rob looked puzzled. “But we have to call him something. Just calling him Dog doesn’t seem right.”
The conversation shifted as Rob looked over at Claire. “You know, I thought you said Sandee was all about appearances. Wearing designer clothes, always perfectly styled. But she seemed rather down-to-earth today,” he noted, one hand resting on the steering wheel, the other patting the dog sitting behind them.
Claire bit her bottom lip, her mind reeling with the day’s revelations. “She did, didn’t she? I’ve always had this image of her, and today just didn’t fit that mold. Maybe you’re right. Maybe I’ve been seeing her in just one light. Tammi did say that people are complex, and maybe she’s wiser than I give her credit for sometimes.”
Rob nodded. “Tammi has a good head on her shoulders. It’s easy to pigeonhole people based on a few interactions, but everyone has layers we don’t see.”
Claire sighed. “True. It’s a lesson I keep learning. But you know what they say, ‘A leopard doesn’t change its spots,’” she added cautiously, still not fully ready to change her opinion about Sandee.
“Spot! That’s a great name for him!” Rob exclaimed, his face lighting up as he turned to pet the dog again. “See, he likes it.”
Claire chuckled, her heart warming at Rob’s enthusiasm. “He does seem to be responding to it,” she admitted.
Rob grinned. “It’s settled, then. Spot it is, at least for now.”
After closing the door behind Rob and Claire, Sandee collapsed on her worn-out couch, her muscles aching and her mind buzzing. She looked around at the whirlpool of wagging tails and excited eyes surrounding her. There was Bella, a golden retriever with a heart of gold, and Rosco, a lumbering, lovable mastiff. Dexter, the high-energy border collie, was already vying for her attention. And then there was Peanut, the tiny Chihuahua, who hid behind the larger dogs, trembling and clearly still frightened by all the recent changes.
She reached into a jar on the coffee table and pulled out some of her homemade red Beach Bones treats. “Okay, everyone, treat time!” she announced. The room erupted into happy barks. Even Peanut inched forward at the smell, his tiny nose twitching.
As she handed out the treats, her mind wandered back to Claire’s unexpected appearance. She hadn’t known Claire was dating Rob. The moment their eyes met, she’d seen something flicker in Claire’s gaze—an inkling of understanding, maybe? As if Claire finally saw that Sandee wasn’t the villain she’d painted her to be. And was that a hint of jealousy? Sandee had to admit, Rob was kind of cute. But the idea of encroaching on Claire’s territory never crossed her mind, and besides, Sandee was done with men for the foreseeable future.
Her relationship with Peter had taught her the importance of focusing on herself, her own happiness, and these abandoned animals that gave her so much joy and purpose. “Right, guys?” she asked, scratching Bella’s ears, earning a thump-thump of approval via the dog’s wagging tail.
She thought about the uneasy truce between her and Claire. If there were ever a time for the ice to thaw, it seemed like now could be it. But Sandee wasn’t going to make the first move. She’d extended the olive branch before, and it had snapped. This time, if Claire wanted peace—if she wanted to negotiate about Beach Bones—she’d have to be the one to extend her hand first.
And until then, Sandee had these wonderful dogs to keep her company. She sank deeper into her couch, allowing herself a rare moment to just breathe, each wagging tail and wet nose nudging her closer to something that felt like redemption. “We’re a motley crew, but we’re perfect,” she whispered, smiling as even little Peanut finally hopped onto the couch, curling into a tiny ball beside her.