age practically donât know that newspapers exist. So, weâre dealing with someone whoâs technologically illiterate, maybe, or who thinks of paper first, letâs say. And that fits with the envelope â the kind you lick, which is becoming sort of old-fashioned. So, someone whoâs not at the forefront of technology.â
âThat call you hadââ
âThe call! I meant to tell you. I saw Katrina today at the show. Damn it! I hope . . . if this were just me, OK. I can deal with nasty phone calls, and so can Betty Burley, better than I can. If someone thinks Iâm a bitch, well, so are Kimi and Lady and India, and I believe in the First Amendment, but it just infuriates me to have this . . . this son of a bitch jeopardize our ability to help these poor dogs. Katrina is OK, but her husband John is turning protective and saying that maybe they should stop doing rescue.â
âI canât say that I likeââ
âOf course not, Steve. But Katrina and John are young, and their relationship is different from ours. I just hope . . . damn it all! Let this idiot target me and leave the other volunteers alone! Or target Betty and me. Betty is even tougher than I am.â
Steve smiled. âThe human Kimi.â
The server appeared with Steveâs clam chowder and my fried oysters, and we began eating.
âYou want one?â I offered.
âNo, thanks.â Steve managed to keep the smile off his mouth, but his eyes crinkled up. âRedeeming yourself by offering to share?â
âNo redemption is necessary. Yes, as you have astutely observed, I do tend to read a menu and then order whatever has the most grease, but as fried food goes, Legalâs isnât greasy, and I love fried oysters and fried clams, and if I ordered both, so what? Itâs what I happen to be hungry for.â
He shrugged. âHow sure are you that Betty is any tougher than you are?â
âVery. But by the time Iâm her age, who knows? In the meantime, I have to keep my strength up.â I ate one of the oysters and said, âSpeaking of age and . . . Steve, Iâm worried about Gabrielle.â
âGabrielle is ageless.â He smiled. Everyone loves Gabrielle. Steve is no exception. âWhenâs she getting here?â
âThursday. Sheâs going to dog training with us that night and then to the match on Saturday, but sheâs staying for a week after that, and sheâs being sort of mysterious about why.â
âGabrielle?â
âI know. Sheâs usually . . . well, what she says is that sheâs seeing a doctor about quote a little female problem unquote, which could mean . . . well, I donât know. Thatâs whatâs scary. And what really worries me is, why is she coming to Boston? There are perfectly good doctors in Maine. So, if she needs to see someone here, does that mean that she needs some famous specialist?â
âGetting away from your father,â Steve said. âLook, if she has a lump or unexplained bleeding and your father knows about it, heâll drive her crazy. Whatâs she telling him?â
âDonât ask me! But she did say that sheâll tell me all about it when she gets here, and youâre probably right. She knows what Buck is like in panic mode.â
When our main courses arrived, I happened to glance around the restaurant and saw a sight that made me want to holler and swear. Happily, I had the self-control to wait until the server had left before I said, âWhat is this? National Damn It All Day? Steve, I canât believe it! Look over . . . no, donât look. Damn it! Quinn Youngman, the skunk, is sitting at a table to your right, near the window, with Avery Jones. Avery! I mean, Quinn is practically old enough to be her grandfather. What is she thinking, going out with him?â
âQuinn likes
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