Dad in Training by Gail Gaymer Martin

that.”
    The boy’s plaintive tone and Brent’s earlier comment heightened Molly’s awareness. Little by little she’d begun to piece Brent’s problem together. As a boy, he’d made promises to his father he didn’t keep, and the dog vanished. Ran away, Morris had told her. She wanted to know the full story.
    Brent placed his hand on Randy’s shoulder and looked into his eyes. “You promise?”
    “I promise,” Randy said. “Can we get a dog today?”
    Brent drew back. “We have a job to do right now. Let’s get busy.”
    “Let’s measure.” Randy tugged out the tape and handed Brent the end. “Where should we measure?”
    Molly tried to calm her racing thoughts and pointed to the far wall. “How wide is this place? We need to know that first. Then we can decide about the size of the dogs’ pens.”
    As Brent and Randy measured, Molly moved the puzzle pieces around her mind. Brent’s problem had to do with caring for his pet, but it was more than that. It had to do with love and rejection, and she saw the same issues mirrored in Randy. She knew enough psychology to know the Runyan family had some serious relationship problems, but that wasn’t hers to resolve. She’d come into his life for a dog shelter, and if she wanted to keep her dream alive, she needed to keep it that way.
     
    Brent checked his watch and wiped his palms against his shirtsleeves. As soon as he thought about the appointment Molly had set with him, he’d broken into a sweat. He’d blamed his reaction on her shelter proposal, but he knew better. His efficient business tactics and shrewd dealings had died a silent death when it came to Molly. The woman had crept into his chest and was burrowing into his heart. Though he’d been in love once—he’d thought it was love—no other woman had affected him like Molly. She filled his mind andhis dreams. He’d awaken at night, his heart palpitating like a man lost in a forest, a man fearing being eaten alive, yet loving the adventure.
    He lowered his head in his hands, trying to deal with the new sensations that continued to weave through his chest.
    “Headache?”
    His head shot up, facing his fear head-on. “Molly. You’re early.”
    “I took a half day off. I wanted to give the proposal a final edit.” She strode across the room and dropped the folder on his desk. “I hope you think it’s enough information for your board.”
    He rubbed his temples again, trying to get his mind on the proposal and not on the woman standing nearby.
    “You do have a headache.”
    “I’m okay, Molly. Don’t worry.” He managed to get the words to leave his lips. “You said you needed a week, and here you are in four days.”
    A lighthearted tone filled her voice. “I had a proposal organized already. I just needed to tweak it. But before we talk, you should read it first,” she said.
    Brent saw no point trying to convince her. Molly didn’t understand the word no . He’d watched her in action when it came to the building. Her determination and perseverance could win a blue ribbon at the fair. He opened the bound folder, paging through her purpose and mission statement, statistics on homeless dogs, the shelter’s short- and long-range goals and plans, Teacher’s Pet goals, cooperative organizations, support provided by the Oakland Pet Fund Organization, finances, funding and more.
    “What do you think?” she asked.
    He straightened his back and leaned forward. “I need to concentrate on this. Why not let me read it by myself, and if I find any problems, I’ll let you know.”
    “I didn’t mean to push you. I realize you’re not feeling well.”
    “I’m fine. I just need—”
    “To get a dog.”
    “Dog?” His neck tensed again. “Yes, I need to do that. Randy hasn’t stopped asking.”
    “Then why not today?”
    Like a guilty kid, he squirmed in the chair. “Because I’m working, and Randy’s in school.”
    She glanced at her watch. “He’ll be out shortly. It’s