Tail of Two Hearts. Charlotte Carter

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      Chapter Two

      As was his custom, Chase woke early the next morning. He let Boyo out the back door to a fenced area where he could do his business. The dog sniffed the perimeter of his domain. Boyo relaxed only after he was convinced that there had been no intruders since his last visit.

      Before long Boyo was back in the shop and racing up the stairs for his breakfast. His brownish coat was a typical shade for a basset hound but his curly hair was very much that of a poodle.

      Chase trotted up the stairs behind him.

      The fact that he owned a pet shop still amazed him. His life had definitely turned around the day some anonymous benefactor had decided to revitalize downtown Bygones and had offered matching funds for six new businesses to start up in the refurbished stores on Main Street.

      The minute he’d heard about the opportunity, he’d sent in his application. Until then, owning a pet store had only been a fanciful dream born of a few happy months as a youngster volunteering at an animal shelter outside of Wichita, plus a whole menagerie of strays he’d brought home over the years.

      By the time he was a teenager, his reality had been working grueling, mostly boring, hours, first as a worker and then as foreman, in a warehouse near Wichita.

      He had hated the drudgery of the job; he had ever since starting to work there as a teenager. But the wages had been enough that his mother had been able to cut back on the hours she had worked.

      In the small upstairs kitchen he fixed Boyo and Fluff their breakfasts. While they ate, he stood at the counter eating a bowl of cereal and drinking his morning coffee.

      As soon as he fed the puppies and kittens downstairs, and cleaned their pens, he would keep his eye out for Vivian’s car. He’d been thinking about her a lot. Eager to see her again. Although he wasn’t sure that was a good idea, he couldn’t seem to help himself.

      An hour later, just as he was finishing with Pepper’s cage, Chase spotted Vivian’s little red car go by.

      “What’s up? What’s up?” Pepper squawked.

      “I’m going to call on a very pretty lady. That’s what’s up.”

      “Pretty birdie. Pretty birdie,” Pepper announced in his shrill vocalization.

      “Yes, Pepper, I know.” Chase held out his hand so Pepper could hop off his shoulder, onto his hand and return to his clean cage with fresh newspapers on the bottom. A fine use for the local Bygones Gazette, he was sure.

      The parrot reached his perch and gave his feathers a shake. “Good birdie. Good birdie.”

      “You’re an excellent birdie, Pepper. I’m hoping one day soon you’ll find a new home.” Although he had to admit he was growing fond of the silly bird, he’d be more than happy to sell Pepper to a parrot lover. Business was business, right?

      The middle-aged man who had brought in the bird had told Chase that Pepper had belonged to his mother, now deceased. His wife hated the bird. So he had to get rid of Pepper.

      It was hard on long-lived creatures like large parrots. When their owner passed on, the birds experienced grief much like humans did. But after a few weeks here in the pet store, Pepper seemed to be adjusting to his temporary home and clearly enjoyed greeting customers.

      Sometimes not too politely, Chase thought with a frown.

      “I’ll find you a permanent home soon, ol’ codger,” he promised. Unfortunately he hadn’t had a single response to his advertisement so far.

      Chase washed his hands and tried to tame the lock of hair that kept falling down over his forehead, to no avail.

      Outside, another sunny but cool morning greeted him. The school day had already started, and none of the shops had opened yet, so there was little traffic on the street.

      Despite the Closed sign on Happy Endings’s door, Chase knocked on the glass window. He peered inside until he saw movement in the shop. Then he stepped back and cleared his throat. Absently, he rubbed his damp palms on his pants and shuffled his feet. She wasn’t expecting to see him today, and he wasn’t sure how she’d react to his idea for Saturday.

      Vivian lifted the sign and saw him. Her pretty blue eyes widened, and he heard her unlock the door. Her expression was both surprised and wary as she greeted him.

      “Sorry to come by so early, but I wanted to talk with you,” Chase said.

      “Sure.” She opened the door wider. “Is it about our Doggie Daze event?”

      “Yeah, sort of.” He stepped inside. As she closed the door behind him, Chase caught the fresh scent of citrus—Viv’s perfume or shampoo, he suspected. It mixed pleasantly with the unique smell of books and printer’s ink. He glanced around the shop—the walls painted in blue, green and tan—and its dozens of bookcases with their shelves filled with books. He noted that Allison apparently hadn’t arrived for work yet.

      “I wondered if you’d like to go with me to the Happy Havens shelter tomorrow?” he asked. “You could check out the dogs, decide which ones you’d like to bring in for your Doggie Daze affair.”

      “I’d love to! I’m sure Allison would let me come in a little late. She’s very excited about the event.”

      Her eager response, and the way her eyes crinkled at the corners when she smiled, delighted Chase. He was already looking forward to spending a little time with Viv. Getting to know her better. Just as friends, he reminded himself. He wasn’t looking for a romantic relationship. He had broken up with a woman in Wichita only a few months ago. No need to get involved again too quickly.

      They made plans to meet at his shop in the morning, and he’d drive them to the shelter.

      “Say, I put on a pot of coffee about five minutes ago. Would you like a cup?” Viv asked.

      He СКАЧАТЬ