“I don’t think she gave birth here,” Jack said. “I think she was neglected by whoever owned her and was moved out here after the pups were born. If she’d been here a long time that box would be chewed or crushed when she tried to get out or tried to get food. Here’s what we do—I called Lynne Murphy in Clear River and she’s open till six. I’ll help you put the dogs in your car and you can take them to her. We can’t leave them here. Lynne will have some options for you, but let’s make sure they’ve seen the vet.”
It was when Otis was sitting beside the car that Kaylee looked at him and said, “Okay.” He jumped in and watched over his find on the way to the vet. For the first time in her life, Kaylee was falling in love with a dog. She wanted Otis to be her own.
Kaylee was in new territory. Having an SUV full of dogs and puppies was a lot more serious than taking Tux to the vet in a little cat carrier. She was afraid one of the dogs would get excited, start jumping around, maybe spill out the puppies, maybe jump on her and cause her to go off the road, in general just disrupt her. Her hands were tense on the steering wheel, her arms stressed tight, and yet she made the whole drive without incident. And when she got to Dr. Murphy’s office, she asked for help getting them in from the car. And because it was quite cool, she cracked the windows and asked Otis to stay.
She had a pet registered at this clinic but they wanted to know if these dogs were going to go to the shelter or was she willing to pay for their treatment. She hesitated for just a moment and then agreed to take responsibility, hoping it wouldn’t break the bank. Then the waiting began. She checked on Otis several times until the receptionist asked her if she’d like to bring him in and offered her a leash. Otis was very cooperative and allowed the leash and sat with her in the waiting room. Finally she was called into an exam room, where she found a basket full of puppies on the table.
“These puppies are brand-new,” Dr. Murphy said. “Less than a week old. Mama is thin, neglected and malnourished but is in otherwise decent shape. The puppies are okay. I think Mama is some kind of Lab mix and actually a pretty girl. I’ve given her some meds to help with her appetite and parasites. All things considered, she’ll be fine with some nourishment and supplements. Are you going to take them home?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “I’m renting a house from Landry Moore.”
“Why don’t you check with him and ask him what he thinks you should do,” Dr. Murphy suggested. “You can always take them to the shelter in a day or two. This dog has no ID chip and no record of shots.”
“Where is she?”
“Oh, Lydia is cleaning her up. She’s a mess.”
And right then the door to the exam room opened and there stood Mama on a leash, looking almost beautiful. If it weren’t for the fact that she was on the thin side, she’d be perfect. “She had something to eat and a bath. I’ve never seen anyone in bigger need of a bath.”
“Look at you,” Kaylee said. Then she looked at Dr. Murphy and asked, “Can I just take them home?”
Mama and the babies were now occupying a roomy basket that had handles. That cut-up cardboard box was too torn up and melted down from being wet and trashed. It didn’t make it any farther than the dumpster behind the veterinary clinic. When Kaylee got everyone home she found a corner of her living room to put down a soft comforter for the little family. She rolled up blankets as borders for the puppies, but they weren’t moving too fast yet. She put a bowl of food she’d gotten from the vet and water outside the barrier for Mama.
The sun was already down and she was starving, but first she texted Landry.
If it’s not too late and you’re not too tired from a long day, can you stop by my house when you get home? Otis is here and I have something to show you.
In a little while he texted back, Is everything all right?
Sure. Everything is fine.
After she got something to eat and caught Otis eating some of Mama’s food, she dimmed the lights in the room, turned on the TV with the volume soft and sat on the floor beside the puppy pile. She picked up the puppies one at a time under the close scrutiny of Mama.
Then Tux wandered over, clawed his way over the blanket barrier and found himself a spot amid the puppies.
It didn’t occur to her until after the fact—Otis simply watched and didn’t protest the kitten’s presence at all.
She brought a couch pillow down on the floor and reclined with a hand in the puppy bin, gently stroking each puppy and a kitten and Mama.
Landry had no idea how taxing the day had been until he began the drive home from San Francisco and had to stop for coffee not once but twice. Most of his tension had come from the grim anticipation of how difficult it would be to talk to Laura about divorce. And it certainly was every bit as tough as he imagined. Before the meeting was over there had been tears. He’d never been worth a damn when a woman cried, especially if he was the cause.
He was so relieved that it was over. He would never have to do that again.
Then he got the text from Kaylee and he wondered what was going on. When he finally got home, he parked his car in his drive and walked next
