1105 Yakima Street - Debbie Macomber [111]
“I wonder if the girls have some hope of a reconciliation,” Grace mused, and didn’t realize she’d spoken out loud until she noticed both Cliff and Beth looking at her.
“I think it’s a good idea for Kent to stay at the Thyme and Tide,” Beth said, not responding to Grace’s comment. “Really, I couldn’t have him at the house. It…it would be too uncomfortable.”
“Yes, I imagine it would.”
“When does he arrive?” Grace asked.
“The twenty-third… This is all so unexpected—and then there’s Ted.”
The only Ted she knew was the local vet. Considering how often Beth visited him, it made sense that they might have struck up a friendship. She gathered that Ted donated some of his services, since Beth was essentially running a charity.
“The vet,” she said, confirming Grace’s assumption. Beth nervously rubbed her hands together. “We’ve sort of been…seeing each other. Nothing serious, though.”
Grace couldn’t keep from smiling. She’d hoped for something like this. Ted Reynolds was about Beth’s age, attractive and unfailingly good-humored. Grace and Olivia had half-jokingly commented that Ted’s single status was a waste. There weren’t that many eligible, good-looking men around.
“Then this morning…” Beth stared down at the floor. “Remember how I said people have been bringing me dogs?” She drew in a deep breath. “Well, this morning I got a big surprise on my front porch.” She let out her breath. “A basket full of puppies. A large basket.”
Grace could feel her pulse accelerate. If Beth had to find homes for a whole litter of puppies, then she wouldn’t be keen to take Beau.
“How many puppies?” Cliff asked. “And what breed?”
“Ten. And they seem to be black Labs. Or part Lab, anyway.”
“Ten puppies?”
Beth nodded. “They’re adorable, but ten? How am I ever going to find homes for ten puppies?”
“Actually, make that eleven,” Grace murmured.
“Eleven?”
“Don’t forget, Beau needs a home, too.”
“Beau?” Beth’s eyes flew to Cliff.
Cliff responded with a shrug.
“Beau,” Grace repeated. For some time she’d suspected that Beth and Cliff had joined forces against her, and this proved it. Well, they could scheme all they wanted, but they wouldn’t change her mind. The puppy had to go.
“But…but didn’t you say something about asking Maryellen and Jon to take Beau?” Beth looked at her with desperate eyes.
“I decided against it,” Grace said stiffly.
“The thing is,” Cliff explained, “Grace wants Beau to be adopted into a good family. But she doesn’t want him going to one of our children for fear she’ll see him on a regular basis. Because, unwilling though she is to admit it, she loves that dog.”
“That is not true,” Grace insisted, but her argument fell on deaf ears. It was all too obvious that neither one believed her.
Even Beau’s soft snore sounded more like a snort of disbelief. Seeing him curled up so contentedly on her lap made her realize how far she’d lowered her guard when it came to this puppy.
“Fine. I’ll call Maryellen and ask if she’ll take Beau for the kids,” she said, hoping to dispel their skepticism. “Maybe she’ll want him as a Christmas gift.”
“Thank you,” Beth said gratefully. She finished her eggnog and brought the empty glass to the sink. “And thanks for the drink. I’ll wait to hear from you about Beau. I apologize if I vented. It’s just that everything seems to be coming down on me at once.”
“We completely understand,” Cliff assured her.
Beth left a few minutes later and, the second the door closed, Cliff presented Grace with the phone.
“What’s that for?”
“Aren’t you going to call Maryellen and Jon?” he asked, arching his brows. “The kids are old enough for a puppy. And Jon’s certainly expressed an interest in getting a dog.”
“I’ll do it later,” she told him, not ready to make the call. She couldn’t understand why it had to be done right away. “In fact, I think it might be better if we waited until just before Christmas.”
“I thought you wanted him to go to his new home as soon as possible.”
“Maryellen