Chapter 20 #2
“My aunt Suzy said you were having a big event, so I figured I’d come check it out. I just had to say good-bye to Justice. Lost him to liver cancer last fall.”
“I’m sorry. Have you met Buster yet?”
“Just through his kennel.”
“Let me give you a proper introduction.” I stopped when I got to Buster’s kennel. “He’s one of my favorites.”
“Seems like a good guy.”
“He is.” My favorite dog wasn’t going to go home with just anyone. “He needs someone who will make sure he gets his exercise. He’s a big couch potato.”
“That’s what I love about this breed. They’re huge snugglers.”
I opened the door to the kennel and clipped a leash on Buster’s collar. “Let’s take him out where he’s not distracted by the others.”
We walked past a few people who were checking out other dogs. Buster followed, his tail wagging. We reached the door, and I pushed it open. Sunlight streamed in and I shielded my eyes. Something big and dark sat in the middle of the drive, blocking the cars behind it.
“What in the world?” I muttered to myself.
“What’s going on?” Jasper asked.
“I have no idea. Here, you want to take Buster around the lawn and get to know each other?” I passed him the leash, intent on finding out who had driven a semi into the middle of my dog adoption event.
“Thanks. We’ll stay close.”
Satisfied that Buster was in good hands, I turned my sights on the truck. A man got down from the cab, a clipboard in hand. I met him halfway to the building.
“Can I help you?” I asked.
“I’ve got a delivery here for an Alex Sanders.” The man held out the clipboard. “If you’ll sign, I can unload the cargo.”
“What is it?” I glanced at the clipboard. Something about live animals jumped off the page. “Wait, you don’t have penguins in that truck, do you?”
“Sure do. Where would you like me to put ’em?”
My heart leapt into my throat. “Nowhere. We’re not ready. You’ll have to take them back.”
“Lady, I just drove all the way from Houston. There’s no way I’m taking them back.”
“But . . .” This was Alex’s problem. He was the one who ought to be fixing it.
“Can you sign please? Once I leave here, I get to go home for a few days.”
“Hold on a minute. I need to make a call about this.”
He huffed out a breath and rolled his eyes. “Sure, take all the time you need.”
I handed the clipboard back, then pulled my phone out of my back pocket. It didn’t turn on. I’d forgotten to plug it in last night since I’d been so busy with Alex. Speak of the devil . . .
Alex came rushing up the drive with his nieces and his grandfather in tow. “What’s going on?”
“Expecting a delivery?” I thrust my hands to my hips.
“I wasn’t. But I was just at the aquarium, and they heard we were ready for the penguins, so they went ahead and sent them over.”
“Seriously? What are you going to do about it?” I gestured to the line of cars waiting to turn into the parking lot. “I’ve got people trying to get in here to meet the dogs. You know, the dogs you need me to get out of here.”
He put his hands to his temples. “Just give me a minute.”
“I don’t have a minute.”
“I’m on it.” He leaned down and pecked my cheek. “I’ll figure this out and then be in to help. Girls, why don’t you go with Zina?”
“Can’t we meet the penguins, Uncle Alex?” Dolly asked.
“Later. Just go with Zina, please?” He gave Dolly a gentle nudge toward the warehouse.
I took Dolly’s hand. “Come on, you can help me round up the dogs. They probably shouldn’t be out here if your uncle is about to parade some penguins across the parking lot.”
I took a few steps toward the warehouse, when I heard a chorus of oohs and aahs.
Too late. The driver had opened up the back of the truck.
A crowd of people stood on the drive, staring and pointing and smiling at the back end of the semi.
Those were my people. They’d come to meet the dogs, not ogle Alex’s penguins.
Before I could complain, a loud bark came from my left. Buster. He charged the crates the driver had started unloading from the truck. Jasper ran after him.
I stumbled toward the dog, trying to grab onto his leash.
Buster had always been a giant lug of a beast who usually wouldn’t move from his bed unless I offered him a treat.
But now, he looked like one of those dogs who performed in agility competitions.
He hopped the small makeshift fence we’d erected around the building and made a beeline for the penguins.
“Grab him!” I instructed anyone who might be near enough to snag his leash as he flew by.
Alex sprang into motion, hurdling over one of his nieces in an attempt to intercept Buster before he reached the crates.
The dog ran past, seemingly intent on reaching the birds.
For a split-second time seemed to stand still.
I imagined what Buster might do to the poor birds.
If someone didn’t stop him, everyone who’d come to meet the dogs available for adoption might bear witness to a bird bloodbath.
“Buster!” Dolly pulled something out of her pocket and waved it in the air.
I strained, trying to see what she had.
“Want a treat?”
The dog stopped in midair, spinning around like he’d hit an invisible wall.
Then he bounded over to Dolly and sat down right in front of her.
The child was an angel from heaven, sent down to save me.
I was sure of it. In the few seconds it took me to reach Buster, Dolly had him eating out of the palm of her hand. Literally.
“Dolly, you’re a lifesaver.” I wrapped an arm around the little girl and pulled her in for a side hug. “Thanks so much for catching Buster.”
“He likes cotton candy.” Dolly smiled up at me, her mouth covered in a mix of pink and blue spun sugar.
“How did you know that?” I bent down to make sure the leash was securely attached to Buster’s collar.
Dolly looked at me like I was the dumbest adult on the face of the planet. “Everyone likes cotton candy.”
Alex let out a nervous laugh. “Who knew?”
“Thank goodness Dolly seemed to.” With the crisis averted, my attention moved to the number of crates the truck driver had lined up on the driveway. “What are you going to do with them? You said six. There are more than six there.”
“There was a little miscommunication about the number.” Alex’s foot tapped on the gravel drive. “Give me a minute. I need to go inside and make sure the dome is ready.”
“You can’t leave me out here with . . . with . . .”
“Ms. Baxter?” Cyrus Beasley, photographer for the local paper, stood next to me, a camera hanging from his neck.
I wanted to follow Alex into the building. Maybe together we could figure out what was going on and how to salvage the adoption event. But instead I stood in the center of the chaos and turned toward Cyrus. “Yes?”
“Is it true your dogs are going to be sharing living quarters with some penguins? How long do you expect them to be in town?” He held his phone in hand, waiting for me to respond.
I stared at him as the question sank in. Dogs. Penguins. Living together. This couldn’t happen. The penguins weren’t supposed to arrive for another week at least. I was supposed to have time to find the dogs homes before then.
“Ms. Baxter?” Cyrus lifted his phone, holding it closer to my face. “The residents of Ido want to know what’s going on right under their noses here. Are the penguins going to be safe sharing quarters with your pit bulls?”