LITMIR.BIZ

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“I’ll be ready in fifteen minutes.”

      She disappeared, leaving him to ponder the odds that she would actually wait for him. Maybe she was upset about dealing with her brother. Families could be complicated. Most likely, Audie’s unemployment made things worse.

      When Drew stepped out onto the front porch two minutes ahead of his deadline, Beth was perched on the top step. Despite the heat, she was wearing faded jeans that would protect her legs. A yellow cotton sunhat perched on top of her head. Her long, blond curls were tucked up in a jaunty ponytail. She smelled of sunscreen.

      He touched her shoulder briefly. “Let’s go. Where would you like me to drop you?”

      Beth shot him a sideways glance as they climbed into the overly-warm cab of the truck. “I’d like to check on Megan at the animal shelter.”

      Drew cranked up the A/C, wondering if Mother Nature realized that it was October. The temperature was supposed to be winding down. “Are the two of you friends?”

      “Recent friends.” Beth’s gaze was pensive as she stared through the windshield. “When I first moved to the farm, it felt lonely at night. Megan helped me adopt a sweet puppy. His name was Gus. Half cocker spaniel, the other half pure mischief. I built a fenced-in enclosure, but he got out one day. One of my customers ran over him.”

      Without thinking about it, Drew reached across the small space that separated them and touched her hand. “That sucks. I’m really sorry.”

      She didn’t look at him, and she moved her hand. “I felt so guilty.”

      “You shouldn’t. That’s what puppies do. They get loose. And run out into the road. Sometimes it doesn’t end well. Did you ever think about getting a second dog?”

      “For about two seconds. Love can’t be transferred automatically, you know. I loved Gus. But maybe I don’t need a pet. I’m having a hard enough time taking care of myself.”

      She said it matter-of-factly, and now Drew was the one who felt guilty. Here was a woman who had battled long odds to pursue a dream. But he’d overlooked her hard work and dismissed her modest success in his single-minded determination to safeguard his horses and his business.

      From Beth’s perspective, he must have seemed like an arrogant jerk. He chewed on that unpalatable bone until they pulled up in front of Royal Safe Haven. The animal shelter was located near the hospital in an industrial area of town.

      Beth scanned the premises. “It looks like they’ve been spared.”

      “It’s hard to believe, because the hospital lost an entire wing. But it was the oldest section, so maybe it wasn’t up to modern codes.”

      The grounds of the shelter were covered in tree limbs and foliage and debris carried in from parts unknown. But the single story brick structure appeared solid.

      Megan McGuiness, the owner, greeted them with a harried expression. “Thank God. I hope at least one of you is here to lend a hand. People have been dropping off strays all morning.” The green-eyed, curvy woman was pale beneath her sprinkling of freckles. Her straight, bright red hair framed her face in tangles.

      Beth hugged her, despite the assortment of stains on the other woman’s clothing. “Drew is committed to a work detail in town. But I can stay for a while.”

      “Bless you.” Megan arched her back and winced. “The animals went nuts. Clearly there was no way to get them all in a storm shelter. I’m grateful we escaped the worst of it.”

      Beth turned to Drew. “I still want to see the damage in the rest of Royal. And help if I can. But I’d like to stay here with Megan for a couple of hours. Would you mind coming back to get me?”

      “Of course not.” He focused his attention on Megan. “Is there anything you need in terms of supplies? Anything I could round up in town?”

      “Some tarps would be great, but I have a feeling those are going to be scarce as hen’s teeth. Still, I’ll take what you can get. And a roll of twine.”

      He grinned. “Beth can text me if you think of anything else.”

      Megan’s smile turned sly. “What I really need is adoptive homes. How would you feel about taking a couple of cats, Drew?”

      He grimaced. “I’m allergic to cats.”

      “They’re barn cats. You have a barn. It’s a match made in heaven.”

      Beth held up her hands when Drew blanched. “Don’t look at me,” she said. “My house is barely standing. It’s no place for an animal right now.”

      Drew gave in with good grace. He and Megan had gone out once about a hundred years ago, so he cared about her...though more as a sister. “Fine. Two cats. No more. I’ll send one of my guys to pick them up this afternoon if I can find anyone who’s not working cleanup.”

      Megan went up on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. “I knew there was a reason I liked you.”

      He rolled his eyes. “Flattery doesn’t work on me. I’ve already agreed to the deal. You don’t have to oversell it.”

      Beth chuckled. “You’d better run, Drew. The last time I was here she had two iguanas and a python. I think you’re getting off easy.”

      * * *

      Beth smiled at her friend as Drew drove away. “I should have already asked. How is Evie?” Beth had met the four-year-old when Beth had adopted the puppy. Evie’s precocious charm had won her over immediately.

      Some emotion flickered in Megan’s eyes. “She’s good. She’s fine.”

      Since the other woman’s tone of voice indicated she didn’t want to talk further about her child, Beth backed off. “Tell me what to do. I know you’re overwhelmed.”

      For the first time, Megan took a deep breath, her gaze sober. “Is it true that your house is badly damaged?”

      Beth nodded. “My place took a direct hit. The fields are ruined. One corner of the house is a shambles. Drew and I were trapped in the storm cellar overnight when my car decided to land on top of us.”

      “Dear Lord.”

      “Yes. We were lucky. I still get shaky thinking about it.”

      “Well, I can take your mind off your troubles, I guarantee. Come on inside and you can help me decide how to rig up some extra cages. I won’t be able to use the outdoor dog runs until I get help clearing everything the storm dropped on top of us.”

      Within the walls of the building, chaos reigned. Dogs howled. Cats screeched. It was as if the animals realized that a disaster of epic proportions had swept the county. And perhaps they did.

      When Beth voiced the thought, Megan nodded. “They understand, they really do. Dogs and cats are remarkably intuitive. Of course, right now most of them are cranky because their routines have been altered. But they’ll settle down soon. I hope.”

      For the next couple of hours, Beth worked until her back was sore and her legs ached. Feeding and watering the clientele took a long time, not to mention finding places for the new residents displaced by the storm.

      At one point, pausing to catch her breath, she leaned down and picked up a tiny puppy with matted golden-brown hair. He reminded her a lot of Gus. The little dog curled into her arms with what she could swear was a sigh of relief. Murmuring to her newfound friend, she stroked his ears. “If you don’t have a name, I’ll call you Stormy. I know...it’s cliché. But all the little girl dogs will think you’re cute.”

      Megan returned from outside where she had been hosing out buckets. “Looks like somebody loves you.”

      Beth’s heart turned over in a wistful flip of longing. “Do me a favor, Megan.”

      “Of course.”

      “If no one comes to claim this sweet

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