and
comes to me to lick my hand again. Steve calls him a flirt and a
traitor. I have to laugh and kneel down to hug Chief again.
Chapter 5
We let the dogs out and follow
them. Now it’s September, the nights are cooler, but not cool. It’s
still in the eighties at night. Steve doesn’t seem to mind the heat
because he stands holding me from behind while we watch the army of dogs
plunder the yard. I think I’m going to have to hire someone to clean
it. I’ll have to figure out my finances before I do. This last week
I haven’t gotten paid but two hundred dollars and even tho’ I own the building,
there’s still the utilities that need to be paid and vaccines and medications
that need to be re-stocked. I don’t know what I have in the bank, but
I’ll keep the clinic open. I may be the one cleaning the yard, but it
needs to be done, regardless. Steve must’ve been reading my thoughts.
“There’s too many dogs for this
size yard. It’s going to need cleaning, soon, if it doesn’t already.
You need to have a yard behind this one for the dogs to run in.” Steve
carefully walks over to the back fence to look out the back. “There’s
nothing back here but brush, maybe, you could buy some of it and expand the
yard so you have a section where the dogs can go and it won’t be so close to
the building. And you could put in some real kennels for dogs such as
these and maybe even have an animal shelter and a doggie hotel. It should
increase your finances, too.”
“Steve, there’s only Maria and me to
run it all. Besides, I can’t afford to get more land, much less, build
all those kennels and separate kennel areas. I have to take payments of
ten, twenty dollars a month from my patients, sometimes, after I pay the bills
and Maria I have nothing left for me. I can see how your ideas could
bring in more money, but it wouldn’t pay back the money I’d invest to make it
happen.” I look at Steve and he nods his head.
“Maybe, you could do that with just
a bit more land, maybe just twenty or thirty feet more, on the back.
Start with a small, half a dozen kennels, boarding kennels and maybe a half
dozen kennels for an animal shelter, then you can keep the indoor kennels for
sick dogs. Ya think you can handle something like that? With, maybe,
one or two more person working for you?”
“I don’t know. I’d have to
see about funding for the animal shelter, grants and whatever there might be,
and the boarding kennels, I don’t know if there’s even a need for one in this
small town.”
“There’s a lotta people that go on
vacation and have the neighbor’s check on their pets. The ranchers have
the ranch hands so they don’t need to board their pets, but some of the others
do. Of course, the rates will have to be reasonable and the owners can
buy the food so there’s no problem with diet changes. You’ll just pay for
water, cleaning the kennels and someone to do those things. Sounds cheap
enough, but I’ll help you put the figures together if you want to look into
it.”
“Steve, I don’t have anything
extra. I have to keep what funds I have to make sure the clinic stays
open. I can see what you mean and I agree, but the initial cost of it
isn’t there. But if you want to work up a plan, I’ll help you.” I’m
not sure I’m getting through to him.
He steps over to me and takes me into
a bear hug. I can hardly breathe. He kisses me so hard I swear I
taste blood, swings me around and has the dogs barking and the puppies yipping
at us. He’s laughing when he puts me down. I don’t understand why
he’s so happy, but I don’t say anything. We chase the dogs back inside,
get them settled and Steve gives me a long goodnight kiss. We walk out to
our trucks, help Chief into Steve’s truck and Steve walks me to my truck and
kisses me goodnight again. This one isn’t as long, but it’s more potent.
I get in my truck
comes to me to lick my hand again. Steve calls him a flirt and a
traitor. I have to laugh and kneel down to hug Chief again.
Chapter 5
We let the dogs out and follow
them. Now it’s September, the nights are cooler, but not cool. It’s
still in the eighties at night. Steve doesn’t seem to mind the heat
because he stands holding me from behind while we watch the army of dogs
plunder the yard. I think I’m going to have to hire someone to clean
it. I’ll have to figure out my finances before I do. This last week
I haven’t gotten paid but two hundred dollars and even tho’ I own the building,
there’s still the utilities that need to be paid and vaccines and medications
that need to be re-stocked. I don’t know what I have in the bank, but
I’ll keep the clinic open. I may be the one cleaning the yard, but it
needs to be done, regardless. Steve must’ve been reading my thoughts.
“There’s too many dogs for this
size yard. It’s going to need cleaning, soon, if it doesn’t already.
You need to have a yard behind this one for the dogs to run in.” Steve
carefully walks over to the back fence to look out the back. “There’s
nothing back here but brush, maybe, you could buy some of it and expand the
yard so you have a section where the dogs can go and it won’t be so close to
the building. And you could put in some real kennels for dogs such as
these and maybe even have an animal shelter and a doggie hotel. It should
increase your finances, too.”
“Steve, there’s only Maria and me to
run it all. Besides, I can’t afford to get more land, much less, build
all those kennels and separate kennel areas. I have to take payments of
ten, twenty dollars a month from my patients, sometimes, after I pay the bills
and Maria I have nothing left for me. I can see how your ideas could
bring in more money, but it wouldn’t pay back the money I’d invest to make it
happen.” I look at Steve and he nods his head.
“Maybe, you could do that with just
a bit more land, maybe just twenty or thirty feet more, on the back.
Start with a small, half a dozen kennels, boarding kennels and maybe a half
dozen kennels for an animal shelter, then you can keep the indoor kennels for
sick dogs. Ya think you can handle something like that? With, maybe,
one or two more person working for you?”
“I don’t know. I’d have to
see about funding for the animal shelter, grants and whatever there might be,
and the boarding kennels, I don’t know if there’s even a need for one in this
small town.”
“There’s a lotta people that go on
vacation and have the neighbor’s check on their pets. The ranchers have
the ranch hands so they don’t need to board their pets, but some of the others
do. Of course, the rates will have to be reasonable and the owners can
buy the food so there’s no problem with diet changes. You’ll just pay for
water, cleaning the kennels and someone to do those things. Sounds cheap
enough, but I’ll help you put the figures together if you want to look into
it.”
“Steve, I don’t have anything
extra. I have to keep what funds I have to make sure the clinic stays
open. I can see what you mean and I agree, but the initial cost of it
isn’t there. But if you want to work up a plan, I’ll help you.” I’m
not sure I’m getting through to him.
He steps over to me and takes me into
a bear hug. I can hardly breathe. He kisses me so hard I swear I
taste blood, swings me around and has the dogs barking and the puppies yipping
at us. He’s laughing when he puts me down. I don’t understand why
he’s so happy, but I don’t say anything. We chase the dogs back inside,
get them settled and Steve gives me a long goodnight kiss. We walk out to
our trucks, help Chief into Steve’s truck and Steve walks me to my truck and
kisses me goodnight again. This one isn’t as long, but it’s more potent.
I get in my truck
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