and all, and settled him in the passenger seat. She followed Maggie to the Oaks Crossing Rescue Center and was surprised to see the older woman motioning from her car.
“Abby wants to go in with you, but I’ve got to get back to the house and start lunch. Would you mind if she stays here?”
“Not a bit.” She smiled down at Abby, who was excitedly bouncing in place. “I could use some help picking out toys and a collar for him. He’ll need something to do until he’s old enough to go home with a new family.”
“I’m great at shopping,” the girl assured her. “Then can I hold him? I promise to be extra careful.”
Giving in to Abby’s affection for the cuddly armful, Lily suggested, “Why don’t you take him now, while I get the door?”
“Sure.” Eyes wide with the responsibility, she took the bundle as if it was made of precious crystal. The puppy’s own eyes slitted open, and he let out a barely audible grumble. “Is he okay? I didn’t mean to scare him.”
“He’s fine. That’s just his way of saying hello.” In truth, she had no idea if that was accurate or not, but it made sense to her and Abby seemed content with the explanation.
“You two have fun now.” Waving to them, Maggie pulled around in the parking lot and headed down the lane that led to the main house.
Anxious to find out if the abandoned pup was healthy, Lily pulled open the glass front door etched with what she recognized as the town’s logo, with the words Oaks Crossing Rescue Center inscribed in an arch over the iconic oak trees. An old-fashioned shop’s bell jingled overhead, and a door behind the reception desk opened.
Stepping through, a petite woman in pink scrubs dotted with puppies and kittens greeted them with a friendly smile. “Hey, Abby. What’s shakin’?”
“This is my teacher, Miss St. George,” she answered in a tone that was remarkably polite for someone who’d just been bouncing out of her patent leather shoes. “Miss St. George, this is Sierra. She works here with the animals.”
Lily shook the young woman’s hand and nodded at the bundle in Abby’s arms. “I found a puppy under my landlady’s bushes this morning. I don’t know the first thing about him or how he got there, so I’m hoping you can help us make sure he’s okay.”
“Definitely.” She came around the desk and hunkered down for a closer look. “Well, hello there, baby. What’s your name?”
“He doesn’t have one,” Abby informed her. “But I think he looks like a Charlie.”
“I think you’re right about that. Are you planning to keep him?” she asked Lily. “Or were you looking for us to keep him here until he can be adopted?”
Because of Bea’s rules, the option of keeping Charlie hadn’t even occurred to her. Now that it had been suggested, though, she wasn’t all that thrilled about leaving here without him. Folks were right when they cautioned you about taking in a stray, she realized with a smile. It sure was easy to get attached, especially with one as cute as Charlie.
Sadder than she’d anticipated, she sighed. “I can’t keep him where I live, so I guess he needs to stay here until he’s bigger. I do want to get him a collar and some toys, though.”
“We’ve got plenty of both.” With a gentle touch that spoke of years of practice, Sierra did a quick assessment without disturbing the puppy any more than necessary. “Other than being dirty, he looks pretty good. He’s too young for shots or anything like that, but in a few weeks, he’ll need to see a vet.”
Something about the way she said that caught Lily’s attention, and she asked, “Do you have someone here?”
“We used to, but he was on loan from a clinic and had to go back when business picked up. We’re hunting for a replacement, but this place is kind of remote, and since we’re a nonprofit, we can’t pay what full-fledged veterinarians are used to making.” Getting to her feet, she said, “I’ve got formula in
“Abby wants to go in with you, but I’ve got to get back to the house and start lunch. Would you mind if she stays here?”
“Not a bit.” She smiled down at Abby, who was excitedly bouncing in place. “I could use some help picking out toys and a collar for him. He’ll need something to do until he’s old enough to go home with a new family.”
“I’m great at shopping,” the girl assured her. “Then can I hold him? I promise to be extra careful.”
Giving in to Abby’s affection for the cuddly armful, Lily suggested, “Why don’t you take him now, while I get the door?”
“Sure.” Eyes wide with the responsibility, she took the bundle as if it was made of precious crystal. The puppy’s own eyes slitted open, and he let out a barely audible grumble. “Is he okay? I didn’t mean to scare him.”
“He’s fine. That’s just his way of saying hello.” In truth, she had no idea if that was accurate or not, but it made sense to her and Abby seemed content with the explanation.
“You two have fun now.” Waving to them, Maggie pulled around in the parking lot and headed down the lane that led to the main house.
Anxious to find out if the abandoned pup was healthy, Lily pulled open the glass front door etched with what she recognized as the town’s logo, with the words Oaks Crossing Rescue Center inscribed in an arch over the iconic oak trees. An old-fashioned shop’s bell jingled overhead, and a door behind the reception desk opened.
Stepping through, a petite woman in pink scrubs dotted with puppies and kittens greeted them with a friendly smile. “Hey, Abby. What’s shakin’?”
“This is my teacher, Miss St. George,” she answered in a tone that was remarkably polite for someone who’d just been bouncing out of her patent leather shoes. “Miss St. George, this is Sierra. She works here with the animals.”
Lily shook the young woman’s hand and nodded at the bundle in Abby’s arms. “I found a puppy under my landlady’s bushes this morning. I don’t know the first thing about him or how he got there, so I’m hoping you can help us make sure he’s okay.”
“Definitely.” She came around the desk and hunkered down for a closer look. “Well, hello there, baby. What’s your name?”
“He doesn’t have one,” Abby informed her. “But I think he looks like a Charlie.”
“I think you’re right about that. Are you planning to keep him?” she asked Lily. “Or were you looking for us to keep him here until he can be adopted?”
Because of Bea’s rules, the option of keeping Charlie hadn’t even occurred to her. Now that it had been suggested, though, she wasn’t all that thrilled about leaving here without him. Folks were right when they cautioned you about taking in a stray, she realized with a smile. It sure was easy to get attached, especially with one as cute as Charlie.
Sadder than she’d anticipated, she sighed. “I can’t keep him where I live, so I guess he needs to stay here until he’s bigger. I do want to get him a collar and some toys, though.”
“We’ve got plenty of both.” With a gentle touch that spoke of years of practice, Sierra did a quick assessment without disturbing the puppy any more than necessary. “Other than being dirty, he looks pretty good. He’s too young for shots or anything like that, but in a few weeks, he’ll need to see a vet.”
Something about the way she said that caught Lily’s attention, and she asked, “Do you have someone here?”
“We used to, but he was on loan from a clinic and had to go back when business picked up. We’re hunting for a replacement, but this place is kind of remote, and since we’re a nonprofit, we can’t pay what full-fledged veterinarians are used to making.” Getting to her feet, she said, “I’ve got formula in
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