The Luck of the Paw (An Alpine Grove Romantic Comedy Book 9)

by Susan C. Daffron

  “Maybe Gizmo will settle down someday. That would sure make my life easier.”

  “I’m sure once you’ve moved and gotten settled he’ll do great.” Chris took off his glasses, put them on the nightstand, and slumped down closer to her. “I think the whole getting sick thing interrupted what I was trying to say, but I feel bad for saying you looked like Elvira. I think you’re really pretty and I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you at first. I had no idea your hair was this auburn color.”

  Mia smiled. “Well, it’s not always this red. It’s been a lot of different colors over the years. After my Debbie Harry bleached-blonde phase, my hair was so crispy fried from all the peroxide and nasty chemicals, I let it go natural for a while. It’s kind of a dark blonde, but I wanted a change so I tried henna. It’s easier on my hair than dye.”

  “Much better than the black.” He pushed a long strand back over her shoulder. “And less spiky.”

  “My hair gel days are behind me, along with a lot of other things.”

  “I know what you mean. I’m guessing you didn’t like high school much either. At some schools being a nerd might be okay, but it definitely was no fun at Windiberg High.”

  Mia raised a fist. “Go Trojans. Kill the Crows!”

  “Yeah, that’s right up there on the list of things I don’t miss: the stupid fifty-year football rivalry. Why do people care so much? I mean these old men would get in fist fights about it at the grocery store. You’d think they’d have something else to think about by now.”

  “I’m glad to know it wasn’t just me. It’s such a relief to be away from there.”

  “When did you change your name back?”

  “After high school. Putting Amanita on your resume doesn’t tend to improve your employment prospects. The people who know it’s a deadly mushroom think it’s creepy. The people who don’t know what an amanita is just think you have a strange name and that it might make you a little warped.”

  “Did you go to college somewhere?”

  She lifted her head to look at him. “No. You know what happened with my mother. I lived in Windiberg my whole life. Up until a little while ago, I’d never left town.”

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to bring that up again.”

  Mia sighed. “It’s okay. In a way, it’s kind of a relief that you already know about the whole mess. But yes, a murder-suicide in the family tends to derail a young aspiring college student’s plans. But it wasn’t like I was desperate to go. Teachers don’t like it when you refuse to speak in class, and my grades were terrible.”

  “So what did you do after graduation?”

  “Got various jobs. If it was a minimum-wage job in Windiberg, I probably tried it. I got fired a lot. I’d mix up my words and say something bizarre or insulting to a customer and they’d complain.” Mia raised her eyebrows. “It probably won’t come as a shock when I tell you that customer service is not my forte.”

  “Maybe not.” Chris grinned at her. “But you do seem to be feeling better. What was the job you were doing that you were so happy to quit?”

  “Data entry at Round House Distributing.”

  “You mean the carrot place?”

  “It’s not as exciting as it sounds.” Mia moved her shoulders in a halfhearted shrug. “But I could pay my rent. Usually.”

  “I guess leaving rent behind made it possible to travel? Or do you have savings? I’ve been trying to do that, but I’m really bad with money. Everything in San Francisco is so expensive.”

  Mia sat up a little. “Oh come on, architects have to make serious money. Those jeans and polo shirt you were wearing probably cost more than I spent on food last month.”

  “No wonder you were hungry. Wait! You dodged my question again. How can you travel? I really want to know. I’d give anything to quit my job at this point. Well, assuming I don’t get fired first.” He scratched his chin. “Wow. I really wish I hadn’t just told you that.”

  “It doesn’t sound like you like your job. Maybe getting fired wouldn’t be so bad.” Mia poked his forearm with her index finger. “I have lots of experience if you’d like some tips.”

  “You don’t understand. I’m stretched so thin financially, I don’t know what I’d do. I’ve got massive payments, student loans, bills. I actually hid my car so it won’t get repossessed while I’m here. I’ve screwed up a lot of things and this project here in Alpine Grove is my last chance.”

  Mia wasn’t sure what to say. “I’m surprised. You seem like such a successful over-achiever with an amazing resume. Can’t you just get another job?”

  “I suppose. But I wouldn’t get a good recommendation, so it might be difficult. They stuck me on this residential project because it’s smaller and lower profile. Or maybe it was to get me out of the office, so the competent architects can focus on the huge commercial money-makers.” He shook his head. “Part of me just wants to get out of architecture entirely. I’m not kidding when I say I envy the fact you were able to just drop everything and hit the road.”

  “After a whole lifetime of wanting to be an architect? Are you nuts?”

  “Well, I could do something else.”

  “But why would you if you love architecture? Do you know how lucky you are? To have found something you want to do? That you like to do? And you even have a degree to do?” Mia slumped down onto the pillows. “I would kill for that. Every time I think of something I might try, I think of seventeen reasons it won’t work out. Even after years of reading every self-help and career book in the Windiberg library, I can’t seem to come up with anything.”

  “I guess I didn’t think about it like that because I’ve been so focused on the debt disaster I’ve created. I took some stupid risks.” He put his palm over his eyes. “Why am I telling you all this? Revealing all your dumbest mistakes and secrets is not the way to impress a woman.”

  “It’s okay. Maybe you needed to let it out.” Mia pulled his hand down. “And you know I’m a bigger loser than you’ll ever be.”

  His eyes widened. “That’s not true!”

  “Isn’t it?” Mia shrugged. “I’m the bizarre mushroom girl who never went to college and up until recently worked at possibly the most boring job in America. I was so worried about losing that crappy job, I was too afraid to even ask for a raise.”

  “Wait a minute. You still never answered my question. If you were that afraid of losing your crummy job, how could you quit?”

  Mia couldn’t think of any reasonable answer other than the truth. “I, well, I came into a little money.”

  Chris sat up straight and looked down into her eyes. “That RAV4 is brand-new. It wasn’t just a little money, was it?”

  Mia wished she hadn’t said anything. Given his financial problems, now Chris would be like everyone else and ask her for a loan. He probably already knew about the lottery—everyone else did. “Well, I’m more comfortable now. And before you ask, I’m not interested in investing in anything. No business ventures or pyramid schemes. And if you have a sick relative, I don’t want to know about it. My main accomplishment since high school has been turning frugality into an art form. This money needs to last me for a long time so I can finally figure out what I’m going to do with my life.”

  Chris raised his palms in front of him. “Whoa, where did that come from? I’m not asking you for anything.”

  “It’s only a matter of time. I’ve read a lot of books on financial management—which, by the way, are not particularly helpful if you have no money to manage. But they always warn against lending money.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Everyone who has found out about me…about the money…has asked for some.” Mia sat up and looked into his eyes. “And you just finished telling me about how you’ve completely mismanaged your finances. You know, don’t you?”

  “Know what?” Chris threw his legs over the side of the bed. “All I know is that you’re obviously feeling a lot better and it’s really late. I should probably ge
t going.”

  “Wait!” Mia reached out to grab his arm. “You really don’t know, do you?”

  “Know what? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “I’m sorry. You’ve been so kind to me tonight. It’s just like me to make a mock of things.”

  “You mean mess?”

  “Yes. Sorry. I’m not a particularly trusting person.”

  “I suppose given everything that happened with your family, that’s not a surprise.” Chris leaned back on the pillows and put his arm behind his head. “When we were talking, you went for a long time without mixing up words.”

  “I was relaxed. It happens more when I’m stressed out.”

  “That’s why you worked at the carrot place, isn’t it?”

  Mia curled up next to him again and gazed at the heavy drapes covering the window. “Entering data doesn’t cause much anxiety. I wore headphones and listened to music. People are less likely to talk to you if you’re wearing headphones.”

  “That sounds kind of empty.”

  “I guess it was, but I got used to it.”

  Chris put his arm around her, but didn’t say anything. Mia closed her eyes and listened to the sound of his breathing. He’d been right. It was nice not being alone, if it was only for one evening.

  Mia blinked at the early morning sunlight emerging around the edges of the drapes. She sat up and looked around the room. Chris was standing up, peeking out the window. He turned and smiled at her. “I totally passed out. Are you feeling okay?”

  “Yes, although I think this skirt I ironed so carefully last night has a few new wrinkles. I’m also hungry, since dinner ended up being a non-event for my digestive system.”

  “I should probably get back to Lulu. Even she has limits on sleep.” He walked over to the bed and sat down next to her. “Are you going to be in Alpine Grove for a while? I’d like to see you again. Maybe next time we could go someplace that doesn’t serve mysterious dishes that contain seafood.”

  Mia laughed. “That would be nice. I’ll be here for a few days at least. I need to get my tire fixed and I want to do a couple other things while I’m in Alpine Grove.”

  “I’ve got to meet with the developer who is building the house, but is it okay if I call you here later?”

  “Sure.” She gazed at his warm brown eyes for a moment. Neither she nor Chris moved, and Mia wasn’t sure what to do. They’d confided a lot of secrets last night, but what did that mean? Probably nothing, except that they were both lonely.

  Chris leaned over to hug her and her tension melted away. The way he gave her a final squeeze, she could tell he was just as unsure as she was. He dropped his arms, gave her a half-smile, and stood up.

  Mia crawled out of bed and followed him to the door. “Thanks for making sure I wasn’t going to die. That’s the nicest thing anyone has done for me in a long time.”

  “Make sure you stay away from any and all forms of shellfish today. I’ll talk to you later.”

  Chapter 4

  Poodle Issues

  After Chris left, Mia went back to sleep for a while. When she woke up again, she slowly got out of bed and took her time going through her morning routine, enjoying puttering around without having to worry about a dog in the room. She spent some time looking at the postcards. They were typical cards with friendly messages along the lines of the time-honored phrase, “wish you were here.” The first one was a classic postcard with the words “Alpine Grove” emblazoned on it with photos inset into the letters. On the back, it said, “Miss you! Everything going well so far,” and was signed “Much love ~ CA.” Mia flipped the card around in her hands. Who was “CA”? How did she know her father? Of course, Mia was assuming the mysterious “CA” was a she. It could be someone named Carl for all she knew, although the handwriting had a definite feminine flair.

  After taking a shower, Mia walked to a little cafe near the H12, got some breakfast, and brought it back to the room. Then she called Kat, who suggested that Mia stop by around noon for the big canine excursion through the forest.

  Mia went to the tire place Kat had mentioned and dropped off her tire for repair on her way out to see Gizmo. It had only been one night, but she missed her goofy dog and as she drove down the winding driveway toward the kennel, she smiled at the idea of seeing his exuberant furry face again.

  She parked the car, got out, and rang the buzzer. From within the kennel building, Gizmo was barking enthusiastically, apparently going for a little competitive harmony with the baying of the beagle. Kat emerged from the house and waved as she walked down the driveway.

  Mia looked up at the large trees that surrounded the clearing. She needed to ask Kat what kind of pine they were. They had to be the biggest evergreens she’d ever seen.

  Kat strolled up to the RAV. “Hey, you look happier today!”

  “I got kind of sick last night, but I was able to sleep in late, since I didn’t have to worry about Gizmo.”

  “Well, he’s been having fun. I know how harsh it is to deal with dogs when you’re sick, so it sounds like it’s a good thing he was here. I’m glad you got some rest. Shall we go get him?”

  The two women went inside the noisy kennel. Kat handed her a leash and suggested that Mia collect Gizmo while she dealt with the beagle. They brought the dogs outside and Kat pointed at the brown-and-white dog. “Meet Lewis. He was adopted not too long ago and his new family is spoiling him rotten.”

  Mia bent to pet Lewis. “Aww, that’s so sweet. He’s adorable.”

  “Yeah, he’s got quite a set of vocal cords, but he’s a nice boy.” Kat started up the driveway toward the log house. “We need to go fetch my dogs now.”

  “How many do you have?”

  “Five.”

  “How did you end up with so many?”

  Kat stopped and waited for Lewis to perform a complex sniffing routine next to a shrub. “I have no idea why this dog is so obsessed with that bush. When I moved here, I inherited four of the dogs and one was my fiancé’s. When he moved in, that brought the total canine count up to five.”

  “I’m not sure I’ve heard of someone inheriting dogs before.”

  “I inherited the house and they were part of the deal. At first, I wasn’t sure I could handle it. But then I couldn’t bear to leave them. So it all worked out in the end.”

  “I’d love to have more than one dog. Maybe one that doesn’t eat hotel rooms though.”

  Kat laughed. “Yes, that would be a drawing card.”

  They walked around to the back of the house and Kat handed Mia the leash. “Hang on to Lewis for a second. I need to get everyone ready. And when the door opens, be sure to get out of the way.”

  Mia nodded. Walking so many dogs seemed to be complicated. Kat went inside and a cacophony of barking arose from within. It was a miracle the woman wasn’t completely deaf. Gizmo looked expectantly at the back door and uttered a bark of encouragement when the door opened and the dogs shot out.

  Two dogs were wearing harnesses that were attached to each other with a leash. One of the dogs was a gigantic brown hairy thing and the dog he was leashed to was a golden retriever, who was running ahead of him. A pretty black-and-white dog charged out after them, followed by a tan collie mix. Kat came outside with a little brown-and-white dog and closed the door behind her. She took Lewis’s leash from Mia and gestured toward the forest. “Follow them. The trail goes off into the woods.”

  Mia and Gizmo walked alongside Kat, Lewis, and the brown-and-white dog. The other dogs raced around chasing each other among the trees. It was quite a show of canine vigor and Mia couldn’t help but grin at how much fun they were having. She gestured toward the pack. “What are their names?”

  “Chelsey is here with me and Lewis. The big one is Linus, the black-and-white one is Lori, the collie-ish mutt is Lady, and the golden retriever is Tessa.”

  “I love golden retrievers. Tessa looks so much like a dog I had named Rusty.”

  “Rusty is a popular n
ame for goldens. I guess people look at all that red fur and think rust! Kind of like Snowy for American Eskimo dogs.”

  Mia smiled. “I guess I wasn’t particularly creative back then. But he was the best dog. I still dream about him all the time.”

  “Tessa is a sweetheart as long as she gets her exercise. When I first moved here, I thought she might drive me insane though.”

  “How long have you lived in Alpine Grove?”

  “A little more than a year.”

  Mia stopped to wait for Gizmo. “I’m hoping to find someone who might have met my father here in the seventies.”

  “Well, my aunt Abigail lived here then, but unfortunately she died.” Kat gestured toward the house. “I inherited the house from her. From the sounds of it, she knew everybody. I have about four hundred questions I wish I could ask her.”

  They started walking again, and Mia shook her head. “The idea of finding my father is probably nuts anyway. Someone mailed me a set of postcards that were from someone who lived in Alpine Grove. I’m guessing my father was the one who mailed the package to me because the postcards were addressed to him.”

  “You can’t ask him?”

  “Not easily. We lost touch a long time ago. This is the first contact I’ve had since I was a kid. And of course, Gizmo ate the envelope, so I don’t have an address.” Mia stopped again as Kat paused to wait for Lewis. “I said some horrible things to my father right before my parents got divorced. I never wanted to see him again, but it’s been a long time and I’m curious if someone here might know where he is now.”

  “I guess no one in your family knows?”

  “My mother is dead. My dad was an only child and my mother said my grandparents are dead too.”

  “I’m sorry. What’s your father’s name?”

  “Dan Riggins. It just seems odd that he’d send these postcards to me after all this time. Maybe he wanted me to come here for some reason. I don’t know. Maybe he’s not even alive. I mean, someone else could have sent them for some reason. If I can’t find anyone here who knows anything, I guess I could hire a private investigator. Or just forget about it. I can’t decide. It might be better to just leave family stuff alone and let the past stay in the past.”