Chapter 15
15
P repare to be enlightened at your visit to Coffee Loft. It’s a real gem . ~ L. Ridman
S he left Cal on the patio, the sting of his comment still piercing her heart as she made her way through the shop. He’d claimed it was a joke—she was a self-professed cat person, wasn’t she?—but it hurt nonetheless.
Ginger retreated to her office to take inventory of the supplies she’d set aside for the fall festival, hoping to take her mind off Cal. She pulled down two plastic tubs and removed the lid from the first one. The twelve origami floral centerpieces she’d found at the downtown art fair back in June, one for each table, surprised her. She’d completely forgotten them. In the other tub, she’d stashed tea and coffee samples for giveaways, along with the cute insulated mugs with leaf motifs. There was more decor and merchandise that she’d forgotten about, probably more than she needed. She still had to make signs for the sale table and have Merris redo the seasonal drink board with the new drinks to debut for the weekend. Maybe she was more organized than she’d originally thought.
Glancing at her to-do list on the desk, Cal’s glossy black business card caught her attention instead. It peeked out from underneath the paper tablet where she’d left it the night she called him about the interview. She pulled it out.
Cal not jumping on her offer to dog sit Peaches shouldn’t bother her as much as it did. It was impulsive on her part, and thank goodness he had the sense to know that. Still, she’d wanted to help.
Is that all you want, Ginger ?
She stared at his card while the overhead light caught its sheen.
No, helping Cal wasn’t all she wanted .
Be honest now.
She loved his selfless commitment to the shelter. It wasn’t something that she’d thought about deeply until she interviewed him. Was her sudden appeal to watch Peaches an attempt to meet Cal on common ground?
The storm changed everything. He’d shown her a part of himself she’d never seen before. And it’d made her more curious than ever. But she was such an expert at keeping him at arm’s length, thanks to her ex-husband, that she hadn’t taken the next step.
She picked up her phone and tapped the icon of her new social media app, the one she’d asked Alice to help her download after the vet appointment. She’d only read a handful of Cal’s posts, but she couldn’t get enough of his photos.
Scrolling through his images, she stopped on one of her favorite photos.
It was a close-up of him hugging Ridley. He wore sunglasses and a wide smile. Ridley’s nose was so close it took up almost half the photo. It was the kind of image that made you smile long after you stopped looking at it.
She scanned a dozen more photos until a photo of Ridley wearing a top hat made her stop scrolling again. Next to him, practically tucked underneath his front leg, was a little tan-and-white dog, a Jack Russell terrier, the caption explained, wearing a double strand of pearls.
If I were a dog, I’d want to be just like my pal, Ridley , Cal had written. No matter who I bring into the house, he’s such a welcoming host. Wilhelmina, the proper little lady next to him in the photo, is a perfect example. While they might seem like the best of friends here, she wanted no part of him on day one.
Funny. That sounded familiar. She continued reading.
These two are now inseparable. Like a quirky old couple you’d see sitting on their front porch as you passed by in your car. I might be so lucky someday, finding my soulmate. Without the wet nose and twitchy ears, of course ?
“Ginger!” Merris whisper-hissed right over her left shoulder.
She whirled around, tucking her phone into the folds of her jacket. Her heart landed in her throat, rendering her speechless for a few seconds.
“What is it?” She tried to ignore the smugness on Merris’s face. Merris had seen what had Ginger so consumed, no doubt.
“Cal needs to see you.”
“Again?”
She nodded. “He’s still on the patio.”
“Well, what does he want?”
Merris shrugged. “Didn’t ask, and he didn’t tell.”
He leaned against a light post when Ginger made it back outside, looking like he was one cough away from an urgent care visit.
“Listen, please don’t agree to this if it’s not truly what you want,” he started to say until a coughing fit interrupted him. Ginger bent over to pet Peaches while he fought to regain control of his voice.
“I talked to Charleen about…your offer?”
“What offer?”
She knew what he alluded to, but playing dumb gave her a few extra seconds to process it. An arrow of panic rushed through her. She’d already dismissed the silly notion of watching his dog for a few hours when he nixed the idea. Now he was about to take her up on it.
What have I gotten myself into ?
“You volunteered to watch Peaches for a bit? Unless you’re having second thoughts.”
Her mind was a blank canvas. No words, no thoughts, nothing.
“And, listen. I really am sorry about the self-rec comment. It was a poor attempt at a little humor.”
But he looked so desperate, and she truly wanted to help. “ Don’t worry about it. I…I was just preoccupied with organizing the office. I thought you’d left.”
“Charleen said I could fill out the volunteer form and have you sign it. She knows I’ll vouch for you.” He smiled weakly, though it still had the same effect on her as his full-watt grin. This time it helped dispel the doubts that this bona fide cat person couldn’t dog sit for a few hours.
“Happy to help,” she said, bracing herself for the adventure. Daisy was going to flat out revolt. “I can swing by to get her after work.”
Cal pressed a hand against his heart. “Thank you so much.”
G inger eyed Peaches through the bedroom door as she sat at the kitchen counter catching up on paperwork later that night. The old girl walked three circles in the center of her bed then lay down in a tight ball, keeping her sad, watchful eyes on Ginger the whole time. To her credit, Peaches was still pretty spry for her age. She’d leapt onto the bed with little effort as soon as she’d finished a thorough investigation of the rooms. And to Ginger’s surprise, Daisy hadn’t caused a ruckus yet, though her expression told Ginger she wasn’t thrilled with the situation.
When she’d shown up at Cal’s home earlier, he’d handed her a pink quilted bag filled with snacks and toys for Peaches.
“She’s been hiding under the dining room table since I brought her back home. I’m not sure this will work,” he’d said. He’d looked so tired. The bags under his eyes had only deepened since that afternoon.
“Peaches,” she’d called. Little feet skittered on the hardwood floor a few seconds later, and a white blur tore around the corner, flying toward Ginger.
“I don’t think it’ll be a problem,” she’d said. The relief on Cal’s face when he saw Peaches reaction to her made the dog hair and bad breath she’d have to endure more than worthwhile.
Now Ginger tried to focus on the spreadsheet in front of her, but Peaches kept drawing her attention.
“I’m sorry, Peaches.”
The dog’s ears pricked.
She left the kitchen counter to settle next to the dog on the bed. When she laid a hand on the dog’s back, the dog shook intermittently.
“You poor thing.” She stroked her fur and hummed the first song that came to mind, a Billy Joel tune that had been playing in Coffee Loft as she left for the day. “You’re all out of sorts, aren’t you?”
She felt the bed shift behind her back. Soon enough, Daisy hopped over her legs, landing in front of her and Peaches. She settled on her haunches, the tip of her tail switching back and forth.
“What?”
Daisy meowed and blinked.
“You could be a little more welcoming, you know.”
Blink .
Ginger knew this dog-sitting thing would be all-consuming, but now that she was in the thick of it, ensuring Peaches’ comfort wasn’t so much a burden as it was a priority.
Her phone buzzed on the nightstand. She sat up, crossing her legs when Cal’s name showed on the screen.
“How’s she doing?” he asked as soon as she answered the call.
“She’s a little nervous. I think Daisy might surprise me, though. I’m expecting her to roll out the welcome mat any minute now.” She eyed Daisy who’d stretched into a sphinx position, looking ready to pounce.
“It’s only been three hours,” Cal said. “The first three days are the most traumatic, and it can take up to three weeks for a shelter dog to start feeling at home.”
“That’s a long time.” She resumed stroking Peaches. “On the bright side, you sound better.”
“A power nap does wonders,” he rasped in a throaty whisper that made his already deep voice even more appealing.
“I’m glad it worked.”
“Is now a good time to pick her up?” he asked.
She paused with her hand on Peaches’ back. Daisy extended her body to its full length, stretching toward the dog. Peaches, in turn, slowly met Daisy’s nose with her own. It was a split-second acknowledgement, but it warmed her heart. The endearing sight almost prompted her to lie alongside them and join in with a group hug.
“I can’t believe it.”
“What?” Cal asked.
“I think I just witnessed Daisy’s version of a peace offering. ”
“I’m jealous. Is she for hire?”
She scratched Daisy between her ears. “Maybe Peaches just needed to start with someone her own size. Ridley can be a scary moose.”
“I’ll give you moose, but he’s far from scary,” he said with a chuckle.
“Can I keep her overnight?” she blurted.
There was a lengthy pause.
“Hello?” Had the call disconnected?
“I’m here. My ears might be plugged,” he said. “Did you seriously just ask for a sleepover with Peaches?”
“Is that a bad idea?” Maybe she was asking for trouble, or at least a sleepless night, but the sweet exchange she’d just witnessed raised her hopes for helping Peaches feel better, and in the larger picture, Cal.
“Only you can answer that,” he answered. Was it her imagination or had Cal’s tone changed? He sounded…awestruck.
“Let’s try. Do you have to run it by Charleen again?”
“No,” Cal said. “The form you signed means you’re an official foster.”
She sat up straight. “An official foster. This is a big deal.” She should take ownership of this. Maybe Coffee Loft could sponsor something for the shelter.
“It is. Even if your only reason is to help me out.”
“I…I think it’s a bit more than that.” Her bubble deflated a little.
“Well, I do appreciate it. And I can be there in no time if you need rescuing.”
Rescuing .
She liked the sound of that.
After she hung up, she watched Peaches and Daisy make more tentative strides toward one another. Peaches laid her paw over Daisy’s paw. Daisy circled Peaches and sniffed her tail. Peaches licked Daisy’s paw, which earned her a quick swat, but that didn’t do much to rebuff the bold little dog. She licked her other paw in a sassy, “take that!” move. Ginger laughed.
Ginger reached for her phone again on the nightstand. She lay back against the mattress and angled her phone above her head, trying to get all three of them in the frame together. When she managed it, she snapped her fingers. Miraculously, Peaches and Daisy looked up at her phone, and she took the photo.
She rolled over to study her attempt at a selfie. With a little editing and cropping, it wasn’t too bad.
Giggling, she sent it to Cal.
Beautiful , he replied seconds later.
They look happy, don’t they ? she responded.
Yep! Luckiest animals in the world right now , he sent back.
She spent the rest of the night rereading those words.