fair back home. All these
months here and I’d never ridden this one.”
“Life just seems simpler up there,
doesn’t it? Lookin’ down on all those twinklin’ lights...”
“Yeah,” Kate agreed.
“I used to ride one whenever I’d had a
hard day. And I thought it might put a smile back on that pretty little face of
yours.” As Kate’s car started its descent, Charlie saw the smile that curled on
Kate’s lips. “There it is.”
Kate quickly covered her face, clearly
delighted. “You saw that?”
“I did,” Charlie answered. “Hey, you want
some kettle corn?” He watched as Kate’s mouth dropped open.
“How did you know? It’s, like, my biggest
weakness.”
Charlie glanced back down the pier as he
spoke into the phone. “Well, go on over to the stand when you get off ‘cause I
got you some waitin’. Don’t forget
Bubba, now.”
“Oh, I won’t.”
When Charlie saw Kate put an affectionate
arm around Bubba, he just about passed out on the spot.
The fact that things were going so well
helped Charlie to work up his nerve. As himself he’d always been so skittish
around Kate, but as Brad he was finally able to say what had been on his heart
since the first time he’d laid eyes on her. “Speakin’ of weaknesses, you know
what my biggest weakness is gettin’ to be?”
Kate adjusted the phone at her ear.
“What?”
Charlie smiled softly, gazing across the
crowd to the loveliest girl he knew. “My biggest weakness... It’s you, Katie
Mae Valentine. It’s gettin’ to be you.”
nine
♥
E very once in a while, M.J. happened upon
what could only be described as a stroke of genius, at least by her own
personal assessment. It was Saturday, which meant that the local animal
advocates would have any number of potential pets penned outside to show off to
passing pedestrians in the popular shopping district.
It
wasn’t that M.J. frequented the doggie rescue mission she’d seen set up on the
corner every weekend. What with her allergies, if anything she’d steered clear
of it. But it was situated right across the way from her favorite yogurt shop,
and something about the combination of non-fat Mango Splash and seeing all
those dogs frolicking behind temporary fences gave her an idea.
M.J.
spooned the fruity confection into her mouth as she scanned a diverse lot of
pups. The assortment was worlds apart from the purebreds and show dogs of the
doggie day care place the Westside elite frequented, the one where she’d
written scores of double-parking tickets, as the rich dropped off their
perfectly groomed pets to be pampered.
With
a blast from her inhaler, M.J. ventured closer to the pet adoption cages. It
wasn’t that these dogs weren’t cute in their own way, but the mix of mutts and
older breeds did look sorely in need of rescue.
For
a little while, M.J. watched as passersby gravitated to the best looking dogs
in the lot. That was the way it always went, M.J. thought. Feeling somewhere
between a mutt and a runt herself, M.J. sympathized. She’d lost count of the
number of times she’d been overlooked in favor of prettier girls. So, there was
something in her that understood why the homelier pups wagged their tails so
eagerly and ate up any affection they got all the more.
A
volunteer approached M.J. “ The Dalmatians make wonderful pets if you’re
looking for a bigger dog, but I just adore the little Sheltie mix. Don’t you
want to just eat her up?”
“Actually, I had breakfast,” M.J.
cracked. “How much are they?”
“They’re free to a good home.” The woman
scooped up the Sheltie before M.J. could stop her. “Shortie, here, will need to
be fixed soon.”
M.J. examined Shortie skeptically.
“Fixed? So, what’s wrong with him?”
The volunteer looked M.J. over with a
more than condescending smile. “You’ve never owned a dog, have you?”
♥
♥ ♥
Locals trolled a yard sale just in front of Charlie’s building. When Kate
months here and I’d never ridden this one.”
“Life just seems simpler up there,
doesn’t it? Lookin’ down on all those twinklin’ lights...”
“Yeah,” Kate agreed.
“I used to ride one whenever I’d had a
hard day. And I thought it might put a smile back on that pretty little face of
yours.” As Kate’s car started its descent, Charlie saw the smile that curled on
Kate’s lips. “There it is.”
Kate quickly covered her face, clearly
delighted. “You saw that?”
“I did,” Charlie answered. “Hey, you want
some kettle corn?” He watched as Kate’s mouth dropped open.
“How did you know? It’s, like, my biggest
weakness.”
Charlie glanced back down the pier as he
spoke into the phone. “Well, go on over to the stand when you get off ‘cause I
got you some waitin’. Don’t forget
Bubba, now.”
“Oh, I won’t.”
When Charlie saw Kate put an affectionate
arm around Bubba, he just about passed out on the spot.
The fact that things were going so well
helped Charlie to work up his nerve. As himself he’d always been so skittish
around Kate, but as Brad he was finally able to say what had been on his heart
since the first time he’d laid eyes on her. “Speakin’ of weaknesses, you know
what my biggest weakness is gettin’ to be?”
Kate adjusted the phone at her ear.
“What?”
Charlie smiled softly, gazing across the
crowd to the loveliest girl he knew. “My biggest weakness... It’s you, Katie
Mae Valentine. It’s gettin’ to be you.”
nine
♥
E very once in a while, M.J. happened upon
what could only be described as a stroke of genius, at least by her own
personal assessment. It was Saturday, which meant that the local animal
advocates would have any number of potential pets penned outside to show off to
passing pedestrians in the popular shopping district.
It
wasn’t that M.J. frequented the doggie rescue mission she’d seen set up on the
corner every weekend. What with her allergies, if anything she’d steered clear
of it. But it was situated right across the way from her favorite yogurt shop,
and something about the combination of non-fat Mango Splash and seeing all
those dogs frolicking behind temporary fences gave her an idea.
M.J.
spooned the fruity confection into her mouth as she scanned a diverse lot of
pups. The assortment was worlds apart from the purebreds and show dogs of the
doggie day care place the Westside elite frequented, the one where she’d
written scores of double-parking tickets, as the rich dropped off their
perfectly groomed pets to be pampered.
With
a blast from her inhaler, M.J. ventured closer to the pet adoption cages. It
wasn’t that these dogs weren’t cute in their own way, but the mix of mutts and
older breeds did look sorely in need of rescue.
For
a little while, M.J. watched as passersby gravitated to the best looking dogs
in the lot. That was the way it always went, M.J. thought. Feeling somewhere
between a mutt and a runt herself, M.J. sympathized. She’d lost count of the
number of times she’d been overlooked in favor of prettier girls. So, there was
something in her that understood why the homelier pups wagged their tails so
eagerly and ate up any affection they got all the more.
A
volunteer approached M.J. “ The Dalmatians make wonderful pets if you’re
looking for a bigger dog, but I just adore the little Sheltie mix. Don’t you
want to just eat her up?”
“Actually, I had breakfast,” M.J.
cracked. “How much are they?”
“They’re free to a good home.” The woman
scooped up the Sheltie before M.J. could stop her. “Shortie, here, will need to
be fixed soon.”
M.J. examined Shortie skeptically.
“Fixed? So, what’s wrong with him?”
The volunteer looked M.J. over with a
more than condescending smile. “You’ve never owned a dog, have you?”
♥
♥ ♥
Locals trolled a yard sale just in front of Charlie’s building. When Kate
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