how to break some bad news to him. “I did kind of meet someone, though….”
Jack wiped his hands on a dish towel, waiting for her to say more. When she didn’t offer anything else, he asked, “How do you “kind of” meet someone? Either you met them or you didn’t.”
“Do you have any idea how annoying that is?”
“I’ve been told on several occasions.” Jack bumped her ample hip with his own. “So where’d ya kinda meet him?”
She actually blushed. “At the vet’s office.”
“Patient or doctor?”
Mindy let the joke go without comment. “Neither. He’s one of the lab techs. I was dropping off Muffin Tops for his shots, and we started talking.”
Jack leaned on the counter with a moony expression. “Sounds like love.”
“You’re such an ass. This is what you’re being punished for. Next you’re getting a necrophiliac.”
Jack laughed so hard he had to sit down. Considering his luck, it could happen. “I’m sorry, tell me. What’d you guys talk about?”
She shook her head as she rinsed the ice cream spoons, her straight hair falling over her shoulders. “Nothing major. Just cat stuff mostly. But the first time I met him, in a twelve-minute conversation, he managed four times to drop the fact that he’s divorced.”
“Kids?”
“One. He’s got a son named Brian. Anyway, so, when I went back yesterday with Jamocha, he asked me out.”
“Nice. Is he cute?”
“He’s as cute as you, but younger.”
Jack stuck his tongue out at her for that. “Har-har. What’s he look like? When’s the date? Where’s he taking you? You suck at this.”
As she collected her things, Mindy let out a teasing, exasperated huff. “Oh my God, you’re worse than my mother. He looks like Orlando Bloom with glasses.”
Jack whistled and rubbed his hands together, grinning. “After a yearlong dry spell, you hit pay dirt. Please tell me he has an accent.”
Beaming at him as she slipped into her clogs, Mindy shook her head. “No accent, but he’s got gorgeous brown eyes and curly hair. And a dimple in his chin.”
“Now you’re just bragging.”
“A little bit. Sorry.”
“No, you’re not.”
“I know.”
Jack walked her to the door. “So where’s he taking you?”
“No idea, but he said to wear my dancing shoes.”
“You know he’s taking you dancing to see how you move.” Jack grinned again, teasing her.
As she stepped out the door, Mindy huffed and rolled her eyes again. “Such an ass. Maybe he’s taking me dancing to show off his moves.”
“Maybe I should get some earplugs.”
“Maybe you should.”
Considering the look in her eye and the grin on her face as he closed the door behind her, Jack added earplugs to his shopping list.
Chapter Two
“CALL ON line two.” Jack nearly jumped when he heard his secretary’s voice over the intercom.
It wasn’t that he was never interrupted by the phone, but it was unusual so late in the day, and he was knee-deep in the files of one of his most complicated clients.
“Thanks, Sharon.” He was sure she didn’t hear him. They had installed the new phone system a year earlier, and he still hit the wrong button more often than not.
Sharon poked her head around the corner and smiled. “I’m about to take off for the day. You need anything else?”
He had already picked up the phone, so he simply nodded and waved her off. She grabbed her coat and moved quickly, as if she hoped to sneak out before he changed his mind.
“Dad?” Rick’s voice over the phone sent a small wave of panic through Jack. He hoped his son was calling with good news, not to say he’d checked himself out of Serenity Meadow.
“Hi, Son, how’s it going?”
When Rick paused and let the silence stretch between them, Jack’s heart sank. It had to be bad news. Why else would his son call and then not say anything? His chest tightened as he clenched his hand into a frustrated fist, but Rick surprised him when he finally spoke. “It’s
Jack wiped his hands on a dish towel, waiting for her to say more. When she didn’t offer anything else, he asked, “How do you “kind of” meet someone? Either you met them or you didn’t.”
“Do you have any idea how annoying that is?”
“I’ve been told on several occasions.” Jack bumped her ample hip with his own. “So where’d ya kinda meet him?”
She actually blushed. “At the vet’s office.”
“Patient or doctor?”
Mindy let the joke go without comment. “Neither. He’s one of the lab techs. I was dropping off Muffin Tops for his shots, and we started talking.”
Jack leaned on the counter with a moony expression. “Sounds like love.”
“You’re such an ass. This is what you’re being punished for. Next you’re getting a necrophiliac.”
Jack laughed so hard he had to sit down. Considering his luck, it could happen. “I’m sorry, tell me. What’d you guys talk about?”
She shook her head as she rinsed the ice cream spoons, her straight hair falling over her shoulders. “Nothing major. Just cat stuff mostly. But the first time I met him, in a twelve-minute conversation, he managed four times to drop the fact that he’s divorced.”
“Kids?”
“One. He’s got a son named Brian. Anyway, so, when I went back yesterday with Jamocha, he asked me out.”
“Nice. Is he cute?”
“He’s as cute as you, but younger.”
Jack stuck his tongue out at her for that. “Har-har. What’s he look like? When’s the date? Where’s he taking you? You suck at this.”
As she collected her things, Mindy let out a teasing, exasperated huff. “Oh my God, you’re worse than my mother. He looks like Orlando Bloom with glasses.”
Jack whistled and rubbed his hands together, grinning. “After a yearlong dry spell, you hit pay dirt. Please tell me he has an accent.”
Beaming at him as she slipped into her clogs, Mindy shook her head. “No accent, but he’s got gorgeous brown eyes and curly hair. And a dimple in his chin.”
“Now you’re just bragging.”
“A little bit. Sorry.”
“No, you’re not.”
“I know.”
Jack walked her to the door. “So where’s he taking you?”
“No idea, but he said to wear my dancing shoes.”
“You know he’s taking you dancing to see how you move.” Jack grinned again, teasing her.
As she stepped out the door, Mindy huffed and rolled her eyes again. “Such an ass. Maybe he’s taking me dancing to show off his moves.”
“Maybe I should get some earplugs.”
“Maybe you should.”
Considering the look in her eye and the grin on her face as he closed the door behind her, Jack added earplugs to his shopping list.
Chapter Two
“CALL ON line two.” Jack nearly jumped when he heard his secretary’s voice over the intercom.
It wasn’t that he was never interrupted by the phone, but it was unusual so late in the day, and he was knee-deep in the files of one of his most complicated clients.
“Thanks, Sharon.” He was sure she didn’t hear him. They had installed the new phone system a year earlier, and he still hit the wrong button more often than not.
Sharon poked her head around the corner and smiled. “I’m about to take off for the day. You need anything else?”
He had already picked up the phone, so he simply nodded and waved her off. She grabbed her coat and moved quickly, as if she hoped to sneak out before he changed his mind.
“Dad?” Rick’s voice over the phone sent a small wave of panic through Jack. He hoped his son was calling with good news, not to say he’d checked himself out of Serenity Meadow.
“Hi, Son, how’s it going?”
When Rick paused and let the silence stretch between them, Jack’s heart sank. It had to be bad news. Why else would his son call and then not say anything? His chest tightened as he clenched his hand into a frustrated fist, but Rick surprised him when he finally spoke. “It’s
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