Chapter 3
Brent appreciated the fact Tony caught on quickly. Once Brent showed him how to leash and walk the smaller dogs, the boy went right to work. Brent wasn’t sure who enjoyed the interactions more: Tony or the dogs.
Every day, Brent tried to make sure the indoor dogs got outside three times. Sometimes more, if he could swing it. But the trips were usually much shorter than he would have liked. Tony took them outside, played ball or ran with them for fifteen minutes, and brought the contented dogs back in.
Tony was all smiles, too. And that smile was a mirror image of Nicole’s. There was no doubt they were mother and son. The rest of Tony’s features, however, must take after his dad. Brent remembered hearing someone talk at the skating rink a few years ago about how the guy had walked out on his family, but that was all he knew. Nicole certainly never talked about it. Brent couldn’t fathom leaving like that and wouldn’t mind meeting the guy long enough to give him a good right cross.
When Nicole asked what she should do, Brent suggested feeding and watering the cats.
“Do you want me to clean their litter boxes, too?”
Brent hesitated to assign the unpleasant chore on the first day. But it was clear by her expression the offer was sincere. He nodded. “If you’re sure you don’t mind. Here, let me show you where everything is.”
Nicole didn’t hesitate to get started. Brent followed her in, carrying a large bag of cat litter. Nicole seemed to be a natural with the animals. She talked softly to the cat she was working with while cleaning the litter box, filling up the food and water bowls, and even giving the cat some attention. A few minutes later, he returned with a new bag of cat food. This time, Nicole was loving on the little calico someone brought in last week.
The big shock was that the cat was purring as she rubbed the top of her head against the bottom of Nicole’s chin. And Nicole indulged the cat with scratches behind her ears and along her neck.
“You’re such a pretty kitty. I wonder where you came from. How anyone can see you and not want to take you home is beyond me.”
Brent cleared his throat. “You’re the first person who’s been able to hold her in the week she’s been here. She hides in the back of her crate whenever someone comes in to look for a cat. No one gives her a second glance when other cats are vying for attention.”
Nicole frowned and regarded the cat who had curled up in her lap. “That’s just sad. I’ll bet if she’d act friendly at all, someone would adopt her in a heartbeat.”
“Sometimes it takes the animals a while to come out of their shell. I’m sure you’re right, and hopefully she’ll find a home soon.”
Nicole continued to pet the cat for several moments before coaxing her into the kennel again. The calico meowed once and curled up in the back. She was nearly invisible except for the gold eyes that seemed to glow in the dark.
“Well, that’ll break your heart.”
Brent nodded but said nothing. He didn’t blame Nicole if she decided volunteering there wasn’t for her. Although he selfishly hoped she’d continue. Partly because he needed help, but also because he found he enjoyed her company.
She brushed cat hair off her clothing. “You mentioned Stormy was the center’s mascot. How have you managed to not adopt a dozen more animals yourself?”
It wasn’t the first time someone had voiced the same question. He leaned against a shelf holding some supplies. “It’s not because I don’t want to.” He gestured around the room. “But for every pet I’d adopt, I’d feel guilty I left a dozen more down here without a permanent home. Instead of having to make that choice, I try to care for them all as best I can.” Did she think his decision made him weak? Uncaring? He watched her face as she considered his words.
“That’s both sad and sweet at the same time.” Her gaze rested on the calico. “I can’t blame you for not being able to choose. Truthfully? I don’t know how Tony’s going to pick just one dog after the festival.” She took a couple steps until she was standing right in front of him. “You’re doing a lot of good here, Brent. Don’t ever second guess yourself.”
Nicole’s words warmed his heart. Probably way more than they should have. Being around her made him feel like he could be himself, something he appreciated.
He realized they were still standing there, studying each other. The cool thing about it? It felt natural and not the least bit awkward. There was a quality about Nicole that drew him in, made him want to spend more time getting to know her.
They both flinched when the bell rang, announcing a visitor. Brent tossed Nicole an apologetic look and then hurried to the front room to find an older man waiting for him.
“Hello. I’m Brent. Welcome to Finding Forever. Is there anything I can help you with?”
“My wife’s been wanting a dog since ours passed away over the summer. She’s reluctant to come herself, afraid it’ll make her too sad. I thought I’d come choose one and surprise her.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear of your loss. It’s always hard to lose a pet like that. They become a member of the family.”
The older gentleman nodded. “They sure do. I was hoping you might have a smaller dog. One that isn’t too energetic.”
Two different dogs came to mind and Brent smiled. “I may have a couple of possibilities. If you’ll come this way, I’ll introduce you.”
A half hour later, the little Cavalier King Charles spaniel mix was going home with her new owner. Brent made notes in the little dog’s file and slid it into the cabinet drawer marked “adopted” with a satisfied clink.
By the time Nicole and Tony’s three hours were up, all the animals inside had sparkling cages. The dogs had gotten nice, long walks, and the cats and exotics had treats. Since Nicole and Tony had gotten everything figured out, Brent had a renewed excitement for the future of the shelter. Having that kind of help three days a week might even free him up to do some of the repairs the kennels outside desperately needed. He started a mental list.
“You two did a fantastic job. Seriously, thank you.”
Nicole reached for the bottle of hand sanitizer on the counter and pumped some into her hand. Tony followed suit. “We’re glad to help. It was fun.”
Tony nodded emphatically. “I can’t wait to come back tomorrow.”
“I’m looking forward to seeing you guys tomorrow, too. Have a great afternoon.” Brent pointed a finger at Tony. “Study hard.”
Tony made a face. “I will.”
Nicole chuckled. “Come on, kiddo. Let’s go.” She flashed one last smile in Brent’s direction before leading her son out the front door.
Brent didn’t realize he’d been staring after them until their vehicle drove out of view. He’d worked with a lot of volunteers at the shelter over the years. Yet, these last few hours had been some of the most enjoyable in a while. No doubt a big part of that was because of the company.
Since everything seemed under control, he thought he’d check his e-mail. The first thing that caught his eye was an e-mail from his cousin, Claire. She worked at Doggie Town, a daycare and rescue facility in Crescentville, New York. They'd been close as kids thanks to their mutual love of animals. She was also one of the few people he’d talked to about the financial status of Finding Forever.
Brent was thrilled when Claire suggested she could come down for the festival to volunteer at the adoption tent. She planned to take some of the animals back with her if they didn’t find their forever families. This e-mail contained her travel plans, and now it was official. She’d be driving a long way, but Claire always was one for road trips and adventures. Not only would it be great to see his cousin, but the extra help was a huge relief.
Now, if only he could find more volunteers and adopt out a record number of pets during the festival, he’d be set. It was overwhelming. But between having help from Nicole and Tony plus now Claire’s travel confirmation, things were improving.
His thoughts shifted to Nicole again. Having her around could easily become one of his favorite things about the week. Brent remembered her kindness toward the cats and pictured that beautiful smile of hers. Yeah, he could get used to working together.
~*~
Nicole pressed a finger to her temple and rubbed hard. It was Thursday night and the headache pulsing in her skull only pounded harder at her lame attempts to keep it at bay. She’d consulted a doctor and discovered it was probably stress-related. There was only so much she could do about it. She’d eased as much stress as possible. The rest? Well, that was just life.
The crack of wood on wood followed by a series of whoops pulled Nicole from the front counter to the rink. Tony was holding his hockey stick horizontally above his head, a grin on his face. Beads of sweat made their way down his cheeks to drip on his t-shirt. He glanced her way, and she gave him a thumbs up.
When he’d first played for the Wildcats in the local hockey league years ago, he’d been an intimidated and quiet kid. The sport had done a world of good in bringing him out of his shell. He’d since convinced two of his friends from their local homeschool group to play as well. The buddies always had fun during these practices and then the games every other Saturday.
Coach Jim gave the boys high fives and then suggested they get ready to face off again. Nicole checked the clock on her phone. Twenty more minutes until practice was over. Every tick of the clock seemed to make her headache worse. She was more than ready to get the place cleaned up and head for home. She looked forward to a hot shower with some of her favorite essential oils. Then she could relax and read one of the new books she’d bought. A perfect way to end the day.
Their second day volunteering at Finding Forever was as busy as the first. But Nicole thought she’d be right at home by the end of next week. She found she enjoyed caring for the animals, especially the cats. They’d only been volunteering for two days, and she was entertaining the possibility of adopting a cat as well as a dog for Tony. Boy, she must be tired.
Still, there was that long-haired calico who kept staring at Nicole with sad yellow eyes. Nicole couldn’t resist, and stopped to talk to the cat frequently.
Brent was easy to work with. He had a lot of funny tales about animals at the shelter and several times today, she’d laughed until her eyes watered. She remembered Brent telling Jim stories when he used to come by for games, and how she’d appreciated his sense of humor even then.
Nicole hadn’t realized how much she’d missed it until now. That thought sobered her right up. There were a lot of things about her future that changed when Stephen walked out, and she’d had no choice but to pack away many of her goals. Working here at the rink wasn’t exactly a dream come true. But it was a job, and it was enough to provide a stable life for Tony.
No amount of wishing for more was going to change their circumstances. She would do what was best for her son, even if it meant she’d be working at the skating rink for the foreseeable future.
At least volunteering at the shelter was giving her a breath of fresh air she desperately needed. Just thinking about Brent caused her pulse to race, and she rolled her eyes at herself.
Tony finished his practice, and the kids headed for the benches. Jim approached her with a wave. “The kids are doing great. I wish they all could practice every day like Tony does.” He gave one of the boys a hearty pat on the shoulder as he walked by. “Brent mentioned he stopped by earlier this week.”
“He brought some flyers for me to put up. Tony and I are volunteering over at the shelter for a few weeks.”
Jim’s face lit up. “That’s wonderful. It’s good for kids to do something to help others.” Cooper Rockford, one boy on the team, called the coach over. Jim gave him a nod. “See if you can convince Brent to stop by for a game or two.”
“I’ll see what I can do.” The thought of Brent coming around more often caused her heart rate to increase in tempo. Annoyed with herself, she started cleaning up the rink area.
By the time Nicole got everything closed up, the headache was bad enough that nausea was rolling through her.
Tony put a hand on her shoulder. “You okay, Mom?”
She gave him what she hoped was a confident smile. “I’ll be fine, buddy. It’s just a headache. We’ll get home, eat, and I’m sure it’ll ease up.”
He nodded but didn’t seem convinced.
Once home, Nicole took an ibuprofen before warming up some leftover pizza.
The medication, a large glass of water, and food eased her headache some. Tony had curled up in the recliner with his gaming system, and Nicole was about ready to hop into the shower when her phone rang.
A quick glance at the caller ID and any sense of calm she’d built up since they got home evaporated. It was Mom. As tempted as Nicole was to ignore the call and let it go to voicemail, Mom would only call again. “It’s Grandma,” she called out to Tony before collapsing on her bed. With one arm over her eyes to block out the light above her, she answered the call. “Hey, Mom.”
“Hi, Nicki. How are you and my favorite grandson doing tonight?”
“We’re good. Tony had a blast at hockey practice.” Nicole told her about volunteering at the local animal shelter, making a point of not mentioning Brent’s name. For the last two years, Mom had been intent on getting Nicole to date again, insisting she wasn’t getting any younger and that she needed help to raise Tony. Nicole strongly disliked all of it and would just as soon not add fuel to the fire.
“I think it’d be good for Tony to get a dog. It’ll teach him some responsibility and be great company at home.”
Nicole nodded her agreement. Thankfully, Mom shifted right into news about both of Nicole’s siblings and what they were doing with their lives. Neither of them was married, but Mom was certain that Nicole’s little sister’s boyfriend would propose any day now.
“Have you met anyone new?”
And there it is. Nicole’s mind wandered, and she took a moment to respond to her mom’s question. “Um, no. Not really.” Not a lie. She’d known Brent for a long time. But why his name had even come to mind bothered her as much as Mom’s question.
“Have you thought about taking a class, honey? That’s a good way to meet people.”
Nicole sighed. “You know what, Mom? I should go. It’s been a crazy day, and I have a killer headache. Can I call you this weekend?”
“Of course. You take care of that headache, and I’ll talk to you later.”
They said their goodbyes, and Nicole released a sigh. So much for burying her thoughts of Brent.
Well, she was counting down the days until they’d be back at the shelter next Tuesday. She wanted to see whether the calico had been adopted or not. It had absolutely nothing to do with the handsome man who ran the place. Now, if only she could truly convince herself of that.
~*~
The next Tuesday, Tony got through his morning schoolwork in record time in anticipation of getting back to the shelter. If he did his work like that regularly, Nicole just might sign them up to volunteer every day during the week. She laughed at the thought as her son threw open the passenger door and jumped into their car.
She got in and started it. Tony eyed the clock.
“We’ll get there in plenty of time, kiddo. Your work ethic is impressive, though.”
“I can’t wait to walk the dogs again and play with them. How am I supposed to pick just one when the festival comes around?”
From the expression on Tony’s face, it was clear he was worried about it.
“I don’t know. But you’ll figure it out. By then, one of the dogs will probably stand out from the others, and you won’t doubt which one you should take home.” Nicole hoped Tony might get a chance to interact with some of the larger dogs. She’d never been a huge fan of the toy breeds.
She knew how he felt, though. It would be difficult for her to choose only one animal to take home right now.
When they walked into the farmhouse, Brent waved at them from the counter with a phone to one ear.
“Yep. I’ve got some preparations to make today. You sure tomorrow will be okay? All right. We’ll be ready.”
He hung up the phone but continued writing something down on a piece of paper. A minute or two later, he glanced up, giving her a warm smile. “Sorry about that. I’m glad you’re both here.” He put the pen he was using in a mug and walked around the counter.
“What’s going on?” Nicole could tell it was something major by the way Brent was rubbing the back of his neck. It looked like he had a million things going on in his head.
“There’s a small farm on the other side of town that’s been run by the same family for generations. Apparently, there’s been a death in the family. Carl, the man who owns it, has to move across country and will be detained there indefinitely. He has animals that need to be re-homed. But because of the nature of the emergency, he doesn’t have the means to do that before he leaves. He wants to bring the animals here because he knows we’ll ensure they’re taken care of.”
Tony’s eyes grew wide. “Farm animals?”
Brent nodded. “Two horses, a donkey, chickens, a pig. I’m not sure what else. But knowing Carl, they’ll all be more like pets than livestock.”
“Wow.” Nicole tried to imagine where Brent would put the animals. They’d gotten a quick tour of the livestock already staying at Finding Forever last week. Would there be enough room for the new animals?
“I know. Anyway, let’s focus on getting the cats, exotics, and indoor dogs taken care of. Then we can drive back to the barn and see what we can do to get ready.”
Tony nodded in excitement. “I’ll go get started!”
“Me, too.” Nicole pulled a hairband out of her pocket and gathered her hair into a low ponytail.
“I appreciate it. I’ll work through some plans in my head and make a couple of phone calls. Normally, I’d have the animals transferred to Blayne’s place. But if he can’t find them homes, he’ll have to transport them back here for the festival, anyway. I’d rather save him a trip. Besides, I’ve known this guy releasing these animals for years, and I hate to do that since he’s relying on this shelter to re-home them.”
“Maybe most of them will find new families at the festival, if they don’t find them beforehand.” Nicole figured there had to be some farms around that would be happy to take in the chickens or horses. Perhaps even the donkey.
“I hope so. It’s about to get interesting around here.” He flashed a smile and squeezed her shoulder lightly as she walked by.
Her skin tingled at his touch. Getting interesting? That was an understatement.