Puppies on Parade

by Debby Mayne

  “Of course I don’t mind.”

  Over the next fifteen minutes, they unwrapped that pallet and prepped a few other areas of the store. Once they were done, Brice brushed his hands.

  “That would have taken me more than twice as long if I had to do it alone. Let’s get some coffee.”

  On the way to the break room, Brice grabbed a bowl from the pet section. Once they got to the small area in the back, he filled the bowl with water from the small sink and placed it on the floor for Hank.

  He pulled a couple of mugs from the cabinet above the coffee pot and looked over his shoulder at Emily. “How do you like your coffee?”

  “A whisper of cream.”

  He laughed. “I’ve never heard it put like that before. I’ll try to get it right and not give you a shout of cream.”

  Once he had two mugs filled with coffee—one with what he hoped was the right amount of whisper and the other one straight up black—he sat down at the table with Emily. She accepted her mug, took a sip, and nodded. “Just right.”

  The coffee wasn’t the only thing that was just right. As he sat across the table from her, he realized that he was intrigued by everything about Emily Moore, from the slight upward curve of the corners of her lips to her athletic build. Even her hair that had a slight windblown look took his breath away.

  “Hank is something else.” The soft tone of her voice made him smile.

  “Something else in a good way, or—”

  “Definitely in a good way.” She laughed. “Who needs entertainment when he’s around? I can sit and watch him all evening without getting bored.”

  “I’m surprised you have time for any entertainment at all.” He stopped himself before he added he didn’t see how she’d have time for Hank who obviously needed a tremendous amount of attention.

  “I’m not an all-work kind of girl.” She took a sip of her coffee and placed the mug on the table. “At least I don’t want to be. Unfortunately, there have been times when I’ve neglected everything but work.”

  “Trust me, I understand.” He paused and offered her what he hoped was an understanding smile.

  “I know you do. Only a business owner would understand.”

  That simple statement said a lot, and it made him feel better than anything else she could have said. It was nice to know she believed him. “I’ve been guilty of burning the midnight oil with my business.”

  “It’s hard not to do that, with everything a business needs … and there’s always something that needs to be done.”

  “If you want to tell me this is none of my business, that’s fine, but I’m wondering why you decided to get a dog.”

  She let out a chuckle. “I’m wondering the same thing. But after we settled in last night, I realized I’ve been missing something important, and it was really nice to have him right there beside me.”

  “Maybe I should get a dog.”

  She lifted one eyebrow in a comical manner as a hint of a smile played on her lips. “Maybe you should.”

  “I can even bring a dog to work with me since I own the place.”

  She nodded. “True.”

  His gaze locked with hers, and he felt as though the floor fell out from beneath him. That same feeling he couldn’t describe that happened to him every single time they looked at each other. And instead of decreasing in intensity, it increased exponentially.

  “Or if you want, you can borrow Hank to hang out here … at least until you find your perfect dog match.”

  Laughter escaped Brice’s throat. “Do you think you can spare him, even for a little while?”

  “He hasn’t even been with me a whole day,” she replied. “But I have to admit he’s gotten under my skin.”

  Hank’s ears twitched as he sat beside them, looking back and forth as they spoke. There was no doubt in Brice’s mind that he knew they were talking about him, and he seemed to love it.

  Brice patted Hank on the head. “For a puppy, you sure are smart.”

  “I think it’s more of a sense thing than smarts,” Emily admitted.

  Brice leaned back and studied the woman and her dog. He’d known about Emily ever since he’d moved to Mooreville, and he’d seen her around town. But until yesterday, he didn’t fully grasp all the great things he’d heard about her. One of his pals said she was the smartest person in town, but Brice assumed that was based on her obvious business acumen. Another guy said she was elusive to the point of being an ice queen, and she shot guys down so fast no one dared ask her out. She definitely wasn’t an ice queen from what Brice had seen.

  “So what are your plans for the day?” He leaned back in the small chair and smiled at her.

  “I’d planned to do some research on a new business, but I might wait until tomorrow for that.” She glanced over at Hank. “I’m thinking it might be better to spend some time with my new buddy.”

  “You don’t take much time off, do you?”

  She shook her head. “No, and that’s one of the reasons I decided Hank was just what I needed.” She paused. “When it’s just me, there doesn’t seem to be a reason to take time off.”

  “I get that.” Brice had spent quite a few nights in his hardware store thinking of ways to increase his bottom line. “But I’ve discovered that a little down time can actually increase productivity.”

  “I’ve heard that.” She gave him a sheepish look. “Unfortunately, I never even considered putting it into practice.”

  “Same here.” Brice stared at his coffee mug for a few seconds before an idea struck him. “Why don’t we have a little down time together?”

  “Sure. When?”

  “Today.”

  She narrowed her eyes and stared at him. “I thought you had a sale going on today.”

  “I do, but I also have some extremely capable staff who can run this place without me.” He cleared his throat. “I think it’s time I let them do it too.”

  “Okay, so what do you want to do?”

  He gave her a half smile. “I was hoping you’d think of something.”

  She laughed. “We’re a mess, aren’t we? I mean, after all, here we are, two adults who own and run businesses, and we don’t even know what to do when we’re not working.”

  “Why don’t we leave here—as soon as my employees arrive, that is—and go figure it out?”

  “Sounds good to me.”

  He stood up. “Want more coffee?”

  She started to shake her head, but she stopped and nodded. “Sure, that sounds good.”

  As they sipped their next cup of coffee together, Hank alternated between sitting and lying down. Never once did he seem anxious or eager to leave.

  Brice finished the last sip of coffee and stood to carry his mug to the sink before turning around to face Emily. “We could take a lesson from him.”

  “I’m sure there are a lot of lessons we could learn from him, but what, specifically, are you talking about?”

  “He knows how to relax and take things as they come.”

  She looked at her dog and nodded. “Yeah, he’s pretty good at that.”

  After Emily finished her coffee, he cleaned her mug and picked up the leash. “So Hank, my man, what do you want to do today?”

  Hank scrambled to his feet and let out a soft, “Woof.”

  “I sure wish I understood what he was saying.”

  Brice held out his hands. “I’m not one hundred percent positive, but I think he said he’d like to go to the dog park.”

  Emily imitated Brice’s gesture. “I should have figured that out for myself. When will your employees get here?”

  As if on cue, a couple of people wearing the store polo shirts walked into the break room to put their lunches in the refrigerator. Brice explained what was going on and said if they needed him, he’d have his phone ringer on.

  Ross gave him a thumbs-up. “We’ve got this, boss.”

  “Everything in the garden center is twenty percent off, except the perennials. They’re th
irty percent off.”

  Melba and Ross exchanged a knowing look. “Yes, we’re aware of that. And all the winter merchandise is half off.” She tilted her head toward Brice. “You two go on and have some fun. Don’t worry about us. We’ve both been here long enough to know what to do.”

  “I know you do.” Brice gestured toward the door. “After you, Emily and Hank.”

  They hadn’t gotten out the door when Brice overheard Melba say, “It’s about time he did something besides work.”

  “I think he was just waiting for a pretty girl to come along.”

  Brice turned to Emily to see if she might have heard. If her flaming red cheeks were any indication, she heard every word.

  The three of them walked half a block before he finally took Emily’s hand. He wasn’t sure she’d be okay with that, but the only way he’d know was to try.

  Chapter 5

  Emily hadn’t experienced this giddy sensation of puppy love since early high school. After that little romance fizzled shortly after it began, she decided falling for a guy wasn’t worth the heartache. She’d fallen into a pattern of focusing on everything but matters of the heart and hadn’t bothered to break it.

  “Whatcha thinking?” Brice asked as they turned the corner toward the dog park.

  “Just silly thoughts.” She wasn’t about to tell him what was really on her mind. “I wonder if Hank has ever been to the dog park.”

  Brice leaned down and looked Hank in the eyes. “How about it? Have you ever been to the dog park?”

  Hank’s ears twitched, and then he picked up his pace. Both Brice and Emily laughed.

  As they made the last turn toward the park, Emily noticed that Hank had started panting. “I think he’s been there, and he’s excited about going back.”

  “No kidding. Mr. Friedman must have taken him there in the past.”

  The instant they arrived at the park gate, Hank turned and looked Emily in the eyes. “Want me to let you loose?”

  He let out another, “Woof.”

  Emily’s ancestors were animal lovers, so they put a tremendous amount of their attention on making sure the citizens had plenty of ways to enjoy their pets. This dog park was the result of a bequest by one of her great-great uncles who had a menagerie of dogs, cats, birds, and various reptiles in his mansion on the edge of town.

  A chest-high chain link fence enclosed an area the size of an average city block. It featured a variety of equipment to provide exercise and entertainment for dogs as well as plenty of benches for their people. There were also plenty of pet waste stations scattered around, along with signs for owners to pick up after their four-legged friends.

  Emily studied Brice’s expressions as he looked around the park. “Have you ever been here before?”

  He shook his head. “No. Until now, I never had a reason to.” He smiled down at her. “How about you?”

  She nodded. “I used to come with my grandfather.”

  “What kind of dog did he have?”

  “He had several as I was growing up. My favorites were the German Shepherd and Yorkie. They were the best of friends, in spite of the difference in their sizes.” She explained how much her family had always loved animals and that she was the only Moore she knew of who waited so long to have a pet.

  “I wonder where he came up with the concept for this place.”

  “My great-great-uncle saw a dog park in one of the bigger cities, and he thought it was a great idea since so many people chose to live in town rather than out in the country.” She gestured around. “So he took everything he liked and added a few more things to bring it here to Mooreville.”

  “I’m impressed.” Brice shifted to face Emily. “I remember the first time I saw this in the city budget and thought it was odd that there would be one line item that didn’t have to be covered by taxes.”

  She smiled at him. “Based on what my family has told me, the cost of running this place is covered for the next several generations.”

  “It is.”

  “Does it bother you?”

  He narrowed his eyes and gave her a curious look. “No, not at all. Why do you ask?”

  She shrugged. “There have been a few people in town who think the money could be put to better use. In fact, one entire family—aunts, uncles, cousins, and all—left Mooreville over this park. They wanted to have a nicer community center and thought that the funds should be reallocated.”

  “That wouldn’t be right. The person who left the money for this dog park should have his wishes honored. It’s not like the tax payers are out that money.”

  Emily appreciated his insight. “Absolutely.”

  “Well, now that we have that settled, let’s see what Hank’s up to.” Brice stood and extended his hand to help her up.

  Hank had found a friend—a bulldog puppy that appeared in awe of the big dog. They ran around in circles, taking turns leading.

  Emily laughed as she shook her head. “I don’t think Hank realizes how big and goofy he looks.”

  “He’s clearly having a blast with that little pooch.” Brice paused to watch the dogs a few more seconds. “I wonder what the bulldog thinks.”

  The sound of someone approaching from the side caught their attention. “My little guy is having the time of his life with your dog.”

  Emily spun around and found herself face-to-face with someone who appeared to be about her age, but she’d never seen her before. She extended a hand. “Hi, I’m Emily Moore.”

  The woman shook Emily’s hand. “I’m Charlotte Ramsey, and my dog is Biscuit.” She turned to Brice. “Are you Mr. Moore?”

  Brice cleared his throat. “No, I’m Brice Johnson.”

  Charlotte’s face turned red as she lifted her fingertips to her lips. “Oh, sorry. I just assumed …” Her voice trailed off as she glanced away.

  “Don’t worry about it,” Brice said. “I don’t think I’ve seen you around before. Are you new in town?”

  Charlotte nodded. “I just got transferred here by the Recreational Facilities Corporation.”

  “Oh.” Brice nodded his understanding. “You’re the new manager for the skating rink.”

  “Yes, that would be me.”

  “They said they were bringing in someone who could turn the place around.”

  Charlotte gave Brice a confused look. “How do you know this?”

  Now Emily felt as though she needed to speak up. “Brice is on the city council, and he knows stuff like that before everyone else in town finds out.”

  Charlotte nodded. “That makes sense. They’ve had a lot of trouble with the rink here, and they thought I might be able to do something about it.”

  Emily was aware of the problems since many of them included crimes that made it to the front page of the Mooreville Gazette. “I used to go to the skating rink when I was a teenager. That was before all the problems.”

  “And that’s what my goal is—to bring it back to pre-problem days. I want parents to feel good about dropping their teens and preteens off without worrying about their kids getting in trouble with the law.”

  “If there’s anything I can do, let me know.” Emily stuck her hand in her pocket and pulled out a card. “Here’s my number where I can be reached almost any time.”

  “I’ll be glad to do what I can too,” Brice added. “I don’t have the same skills Emily has, but if you tell me what you need, I follow directions well.”

  Charlotte glanced back and forth between Emily and Brice and then nodded. “Thanks, y’all. I suppose I don’t have to tell you that the place was a wreck when I started working there.”

  Emily shook her head. “Last time I went to the skating rink was when it was for sale. It was pretty much abandoned.”

  “I can’t say I blame the parents for not wanting to take their kids skating,” Charlotte admitted. “But we’ve already gutted the interior, and I have a team of painters coming to freshen up the outside.”

  Brice nodded. “The city is looking at
the permits for all the work. Looks like you’re doing everything you can to bring it up to code.”

  “I’ve done this before, but this one is the biggest challenge. I understand the city recreation department does such a good job it’s hard to compete with them.”

  “Why would you want to compete with them?” Emily asked. “Maybe you should talk to the director about running some programs together.”

  “What a great idea.” A humongous grin spread across Charlotte’s face. “I’ll call first thing in the morning and see if I can get a meeting.” She paused momentarily. “I know the recreation director’s first name is Noah …”

  Emily nodded. “And his last name is Chambers. He’s a good guy, and I’m sure he’ll be happy to work with you. He’s done a few joint ventures before, so he knows what is and isn’t allowed by the city.”

  “Thank you so much.” Charlotte’s dog came running toward them, and she knelt down. “Having fun with your new friend?”

  Biscuit wagged his nubby little tail so hard his whole body wiggled. Hank approached on Charlotte’s other side and melted into her when she gave him a rub between the ears.

  Emily chuckled. “Hank likes you.”

  Charlotte smiled up at her. “From what I can see, Hank likes pretty much everyone and everything.”

  Hank leaned harder into Charlotte and looked up at her with his expressive eyes. Everyone laughed. Emily didn’t think her heart could melt any more, but it did.

  “I’ve always heard that Great Danes were sweet dogs,” Charlotte said. “And now I know it’s true. How long have you had him?”

  “I just got him yesterday.”

  Brice spoke up. “She got him from Mr. Friedman, over at the shoe repair shop.”

  A look of dawning came over Charlotte. “I thought I’d seen him before. Mrs. Friedman was leaving the shop with him as I was going in with my boots.”

  Hank let out another, “Woof,” making everyone laugh again.

  “I’m pretty sure he knows we’re talking about him,” Emily said.

  Charlotte nodded. “Oh, I’m sure he does. Biscuit gets excited when I talk about him too.”