Single Kid Seeks Dad

“Hello, Mrs. Crenshaw, it’s nice to see you,” Logan said smoothly.

The woman turned to him. “Hello, Logan. As I explained to your helper, I want you to find a home for this dog.”

“What’s wrong with him?” Lucy asked, tightening her hold on the wiggling puppy.

The woman stared at her as if she’d lost her mind. “You can’t see it? All you have to do is look at him. He looks like a patchwork quilt. My house is French provincial, not country or even modern.”

Logan smiled as the puppy stretched out his head and licked his fingers. “He looks like a healthy terrier to me.”

“Oh, he is. It’s just that Harry got it wrong again. Just as he did with that poodle. And the shih tzu. And that horrid little Pekingese with the strange face. You can understand, can’t you?” she appealed to Lucy. “My husband feels we need pets in the house. He thinks because we live in a rural area we should act more rural. I love animals, but he just doesn’t understand that they have to be the right kind of animal. This one isn’t it.”

Lucy looked over the woman dressed in pale-blue capris, a blue-and-pink striped boat-neck knit shirt and matching blue leather high-heeled slides. The designer sunglasses were propped on a nose that Lucy was positive had known a cosmetic surgeon’s skill. As a former travel agent, she’d dealt with enough women who had too much time on their hands and too much money to spend that she could understand their convoluted thought processes. She held the puppy protectively against her chest and felt the warmth of a slightly rough tongue sweeping across her chin.

“Have you thought about setting up an aquarium?” she asked.

The woman looked at her. “An aquarium?”

Lucy nodded. “You might consider setting up a salt-water aquarium. I’m sure you’ve been to the Caribbean.” The woman nodded. “Did you do any snorkeling when you were there?”

“Harry enjoyed swimming in the ocean. I never liked getting my hair wet.”

Lucy wasn’t surprised to hear that admission. “Then I’m sure he told you about all the colorful fish he saw while snorkeling. I don’t know how your house is set up, but I can imagine you have a large living room where you entertain a lot. The kind of room in which something unique can really stand out.” She paused long enough for the woman to nod her head. “That is the kind of room that is perfect for a large aquarium filled with beautiful exotic fish. You’ll find that the fish in a salt-water aquarium are more brilliant in color.”

“I see,” the woman drawled, her interest aroused. “I can imagine that some of them would be very rare.” Meaning expensive, Lucy thought.

“I’ve seen some rare fish that are just beautiful. Since the upkeep isn’t easy, I understand it’s best to have a professional come in to handle the upkeep of the aquarium.”

Mrs. Crenshaw considered Lucy’s suggestion. “With an aquarium I could choose a color scheme that would go with the furniture much better than I could with a dog,” she mused aloud. “I’ve seen those specialty fish stores. Someone there could assist us in setting up a salt-water aquarium.”

“Definitely.”

Mrs. Crenshaw smiled just enough to show she was pleased with the suggestion but not enough to cause lines. “What a wonderful idea. Thank you, dear. I’ll look into that.” She patted Lucy’s arm that still cradled the wiggling puppy. She turned to Logan as she pulled an envelope out of her purse and handed it to him. “Thank you, Logan. I’m sure you can find the right home for the dog.” She started to walk away.

“Wait! What’s the puppy’s name?” Lucy called after her.

The woman looked over her shoulder. “He doesn’t have a name.” She gave a little wave and hurried over to her Mercedes convertible.

Hugging the puppy against her chest and stroking his back the way she would comfort a baby, Lucy watched the woman drive off.

She looked at Logan. “She’s done this before?”

He nodded. “The poodle didn’t like her. The Pekingese had an ugly face. Then there was the Afghan that didn’t match the furniture. She said she couldn’t bear to return the dogs to the breeders, so she always brought them to me to adopt out. The problem is she has a husband who indulges her every whim.” He shook his head in frustration. “How did you know she goes to the Caribbean?”

“It was pretty much an easy guess. In my former life as a travel agent, I met women like her. I’d also say she enjoys Vienna, Paris and Geneva for their shopping and costly facial treatments.”

Logan absently stroked the puppy’s head as he opened the envelope and pulled out a check. Lucy glanced over. Her eyes widened at the amount written in a graceful script.

“She not only leaves the dog but gives you money to boot?”

“I think it’s guilt money on her part. Thanks to Mrs. Crenshaw’s donations I’ve been able to add four more dog runs, set up the cat palace and give Kristi and Jeremy much-needed raises,” he told her.

“But she basically abandons her dogs here.” Lucy looked down at the puppy, now happily snoozing in her arms. She didn’t want to put the dog down.

“Better she leaves them here than dumps them on the road.” Logan started to reach for the puppy but Lucy danced out of his way.

“He’s fine with me.” She cupped her hand over the back of the puppy’s head in a protective manner. “Besides, he’s upset. He just lost the person he thought was his mother. He needs some TLC before you can even think of putting him in one of those cages.”

“I have to check him out before I can put him up for adoption,” he pointed out in a low voice. “Besides, those cages keep him safe.”

“I want to adopt him.” The words left her mouth before her brain engaged. She took a deep breath as she looked down at the puppy snuggling contentedly against her. Feeling she needed him to understand she was serious, she repeated the words. “I want to adopt him.”

Logan was silent as he studied her. Lucy felt the rest of the world around them recede as she returned his gaze. Looking at the way his red Adoption Day T-shirt covered his chest, she was convinced that red was most definitely his color.

“That’s a pretty quick decision considering you said you know nothing about dogs.”

“He doesn’t deserve to be just dumped here like…like…” She found herself at a loss for words. “It’s as if that woman returned a dress that was the wrong color.”

“True, Mrs. Crenshaw isn’t the most thoughtful woman in the county, but she does have her good points. She knows I’ll find the puppy an appropriate home,” he explained. “I’m just hoping the next time around I won’t end up with a tank full of fish.”

The puppy sighed with contentment as Lucy lightly scratched between his ears. “I don’t think you will. It sounds like she’s happier when she’s spending her husband’s money. She’ll spend a small fortune setting up a salt-water tank that her friends will ooh and aah over. That’s all she wants. Having a dog didn’t give her that kind of joy.”

“She didn’t have that joy with a cat either,” he said. “The Persian had a habit of shedding fur on the furniture and she was positive the Siamese didn’t like her. Luckily, she didn’t try exotic birds.”

Lucy winced. “Then we’ll just hope that she loves fish.”

“Or the clinic will end up with a fancy tank in the waiting area.”

“Just don’t put it on the cat side,” she quipped. “Now, where do I sign the papers to make this baby boy mine?”

“I’ll stop by Mrs. Crenshaw’s house tomorrow to have her sign the dog over to you,” he told her. “And I’ll give you some puppy food to take home.”

She nodded. “After here, we’re going shopping at the pet store,” she cooed to the puppy. She studied the rhinestone-studded baby-blue leather collar with its matching leash. “She didn’t name you, but she gets you a fancy collar that doesn’t go with your personality. Don’t worry, I’ll find you a collar that’s more you and all sorts of toys for you to play with.”

“I have to say, when you decide to get a dog you don’t do it by half measures.”

Before she could reply, Jeremy called Logan and walked quickly away.

Lucy looked down at the puppy as he opened one eye and stretched his mouth in a jaw-cracking yawn.

“I wonder what Luther will think of you,” she murmured.

“Hey, Mom, cute dog.” Nick walked up to her. He frowned as he studied the puppy. “Where’d he come from?”

“You always said we should have a dog.” She stared into the face that stole her heart right away. “Meet Domino. He’s going home with us.” She laughed at the shock on his face. “Once we’re finished here we’ll have to do some shopping.”

Nick shook his head as he walked away. “When I said we needed a dog I was thinking more like a lab or German shepherd.”

By the end of the day, Lucy was exhausted. She could only sit on a folding chair and stare at the ground. Domino lay curled up in a tiny ball on her lap. Nick had collapsed on the grass beside her chair.