“Thanks, and I’m glad. It’s been a bit of a whirlwind, but I’m really happy.”
“Well, if I can give you any advice, it would be not to get too busy to stop and smell the roses. Or to bake a pie. That’s always been my favorite activity and the one that reminds me of all the good this world provides.”
“I appreciate the reminder. Kelsey told me how amazing your pies are.”
“Did I hear you right that Kurt’s due back tomorrow? If so, I’ll bake one in the morning. Stop by and have a slice, if you will.”
Megan was accepting the invitation when the door swung open and a woman stepped in. She introduced herself as a legal assistant and said she’d be taking care of the paperwork.
Ida slipped on her glasses and skimmed the passage in the will that gave her permission to oversee the sale of her sister’s estate prior to Mr. Longtail’s passing, as long as the shelter could provide proof that he would be well accommodated for.
“Well, since Kurt intends to keep him right where he is, I can’t see how that mischievous cat could possibly be better accommodated. And my sister’s lovely home couldn’t have found its way into better hands, of that I’ll guarantee.”
The assistant smiled. “Great. From what I’ve been told, the sale won’t be final until the dogs have been rehabbed and moved to the shelter so as not to void permits, but a fair price has been agreed upon by both parties. So, if you’ve no objection, I just need a few signatures and the sale can proceed as directed in Amendment C.”
Ida signed in several places and afterward walked out into the main hallway with Megan.
“That baby of yours… Have you found out what it will be?”
Megan’s hand closed over her belly. “No, I guess we’re dinosaurs that way. Everyone I know has been having gender reveal parties, but we really want the delivery room surprise.”
“I, for one, appreciate that. If you ask me, a life well lived has exactly the right number of sincere surprises. It’s always good to take it slow and savor them.”
* * *
With Kurt away, Kelsey felt a bit like she was turning into him, flitting from one chore to the next and staying up way past her typical bedtime. She passed her first full night alone in the house with less unease than she might have expected. Tess, who was without a car on her return to St. Louis, had biked in for the day from her grandmother’s in the Hill, the Italian-American neighborhood where Tess’s family lived. She biked home just before dark, promising to return early the next morning.
After Tess was gone, Kelsey was alone in the quiet house. But rather than making her relive the unease she’d once felt arriving after dark to take care of Mr. Longtail, the house was almost cozy. Certainly, the dogs gave it warmth, but she suspected it was more due to her attitude. The Sabrina Raven estate wasn’t the home of a deceased and mysterious donor any longer. It was the former home of a remarkable woman who had cared enough for it and her cat to brainstorm an unusual bequest, and in doing so, had kept the old house from being stripped of its character by indifferent investors hoping to make a few dollars.
Even if Kelsey hadn’t been so comfortable staying, leaving the house unattended wasn’t an option, not with the protesters still afoot. Locking up the shelter for the night was different. It had a security system and was in a bustling part of Webster Groves. And while the protesters hadn’t thrown any bricks lately, when they weren’t demonstrating in front of the shelter, they were trying to overturn permits and spamming the social media accounts with hateful comments.
Before going to bed, Kelsey gave serious thought to sleeping on one of the downstairs couches in case the protesters showed up again, but she opted for the comfort of Kurt’s room where Mr. Longtail kept her company most of the night.
The next morning, after she and Tess finished the feeding routine, they headed to the side yard with Zeus and Orzo for one of the lighter training sessions of the day. Tess began working on basic training commands with Zeus, while Kelsey added to his challenge by creating constant distractions with Orzo. Once Zeus sat through a series of three basic command routines, he’d be awarded with a morning play session with his buddy.
A young jogger who lived one street over had met Zeus on a run and was showing serious interest in adopting him when the court determined he and a few of the other easily socialized dogs could leave. Even though she knew she had to let things play out, Kelsey could hardly contain her excitement over the possibility that Zeus could settle so close to the Raven estate. To one day soon be able to see the big, playful dog on a jog with a loving owner would be surreal.
Shortly after Zeus was released from training and the dogs were starting to play, Kelsey noticed Patrick’s gray Tacoma coming down the road.
“Patrick’s early today,” Tess said, surprising Kelsey by how accustomed she’d already become to the routine here. He typically didn’t show up until midafternoon to work with Devil.
“Yeah, and who’s that behind him?” Kelsey spotted an older-model minivan following just behind. She scrambled over to the rowdy duo of dogs and picked up Zeus’s leash in case he developed an interest in checking out the visitor.
Patrick parked and offered a quick nod their way as he headed toward the minivan that had pulled in the circular drive just behind him. Through the lightly tinted glass, Kelsey could make out the profile of a woman whom she guessed to be in her early fifties. Her hair
