I unlocked the front door to Tail-Waggin’ Love and glanced each way around the U-shaped strip mall. Mrs. Hedford, owner of Style Yourself, the local hair salon, gave a wave before entering her store. Mr. Mills, manager of the local hardware store, glared, then nodded before disappearing around the corner of the strip of small shops. In the center, Mrs. Parker swept the stoop of the drugstore. I loved the small-town feel of Waterfall, Arkansas, so much that I was part of a committee to keep big developments out, and I took my job very seriously.
“Good morning, Heather.” I smiled at my best friend who worked part time in the pet daycare. “You’re here early.”
Heather tossed her dark hair over her shoulder. “Bobby doesn’t have to leave for work for another hour or so and said he would drop the munchkin off at the babysitter’s. After a night of crying and refusing to go to sleep, I needed the company of four-legged friends.” Her toddler, Robby, was spoiled beyond belief but was such a cutie I didn’t dare step in where I didn’t belong. Besides, I loved the little tyke and could overlook the messes he made when circumstances caused Heather to bring him to work with her once in a while.
I held the door open for my regular morning visitors, Mr. Armstrong and his cuddly fat, tabby-cat, Moses. “Yay, coffee.”
He laughed. “I hope my company is as pleasing as your morning java, Trinity Ashford.”
“Most definitely.” I took the offered drink and led him to a small table in the corner, then handed the one he’d brought for Heather to her. While he never forgot Heather, it was me he came to see.
Mr. Armstrong released Moses from his carrier, the cat immediately dashing off to find my cats, Trashcan and Sharkbait. He took his seat with a serious look on his face.
“Is something wrong?” I sat across from him and placed my hand over his wrinkled one.
“I’m getting some pressure to sell some of my property.” He sat back. “Not only that, but someone wants me to divide these little shops into much larger ones and raise the rent.”
My blood ran cold. I couldn’t afford more rent. Not if I wanted to fulfill my dream of veterinary school. “What are you going to do?”
“Not sell, that’s for sure.” He smiled at me over the rim of his cardboard cup. “Don’t worry your pretty little head, dear. I won’t change our agreement. You watch Moses for a cut in rent and help ease an old man’s loneliness. That’s worth every cent.”
“You’re so good to me.”
“You’re the daughter I’ve always wanted and never had.”
Warmth, more from emotion than the coffee, flooded through me, and tears pricked my eyes. Mr. Armstrong really was the kindest man I’d ever met. With my parents traveling Europe for over a year, he was the perfect stand in father. Not only did we share a love of God and animals, but we’d formed an unlikely friendship from the first day a year ago when he hired me to watch his furry darling.
“Who is pressuring you to subdivide?” I sipped the fragrant brew, closing my eyes in pleasure.
“Someone I haven’t seen in a very long time.” He waved a hand. “Let’s not talk about unpleasant things. Tell me another of your engaging animal tales.”
I regaled him with a story of two charming poodles I couldn’t tell apart that had played games with me the day before. “Those two little guys had their strategy well planned out. I never knew whether I was dealing with Curly or Moe. I’d get one cornered after playtime only to find the other had escaped. It took me a while to realize there’d been two in Mrs. Rogers’ carrier.”
“You do have an interesting life, my dear.”
Not really. Other than the pets in my care each day, I had no social life. Oh, sure, David, the UPS guy, kept asking me out on dates, and the library insisted I had a book out for the last two years, but other than that, I curled up each evening with my cats and a good book. It was enough.
“I have to rush this morning,” he said. “A lot on my list today, but I wouldn’t miss our morning coffee for anything.” He stood, planted a kiss on my cheek, and tossed his cup in the garbage on the way out.
“You sure have that old man wrapped around your finger.” Heather flipped the closed sign to open.
“He’s a dear.” I tossed my own half-finished drink in the garbage and prepared to start the day. Business was steadily climbing, and I could see my dream of becoming a veterinarian looming on the horizon.
Heather handed me the mail from the day before. “Another notice from the library.”
I sighed. “I turned that book in. I know I did. Guess I’ll have to pay for it and chalk it up as a loss.”
“It can’t be more than twenty dollars.”
True, but I had that amount set aside for a new pair of sneakers. Plastering a smile on my face, I stepped behind the counter as the first customer of the day entered, sending the bell over the door jingling.
“Good morning, Mrs. Nelson.” I fought to keep my smile in place. Regardless of the fact that Mrs. Nelson was the most difficult customer I had, she was a regular. Her poor schnauzer deserved all the fun she could get. “How is Greta this morning?”
“Cranky.” She set the pet carrier on the counter. “Please don’t let her out to play today. She came home so dirty yesterday it was quite an embarrassment for our dinner guests.”
Dirty? I did my best to make sure the pets were returned as good, or better, than when dropped off. “We’ll make sure that doesn’t happen again.” The poor dear. She couldn’t be kept in a cage all day.
“I’ll return for her at three. A lot to do.” Mrs. Nelson wiggled her fingers at her dog, then hurried from the shop.
I peered into the carrier. “Oh, the tales you could tell if you could talk. What’s that? You had pancakes for breakfast? You poor dear.” The animal might not be able to speak, but the sweet smell of its breath and the remnants of syrup on her whiskers told the whole story. Why did some pet owners insist on feeding their animals people food?
When I fulfilled my dream of becoming a veterinarian, I would speak with each of my patients’ owners and insist it be pet food only. “Come on, sweetie. Your home away from home is waiting for you.”
Before I could enter the back of the shop, Trashcan, Sharkbait, and Moses raced past me, heading for the opening front door. I shoved the pet carrier into Heather’s arms and rushed to herd the cats back before they escaped. The little minxes. I knew exactly what they were up to. If they heard the bell jangle over the door, they tried their escape routine every time. It was normally Heather’s job to keep them corralled in the back. Hard to do while putting another animal away.
I grabbed Moses first, since he was often the ring leader, and dodged the man coming through the door. The cat hissed and fought his way out of my clutches, racing to the back of the room. I shook my head and sniffed. Ah, the visitor wore the cologne the cat didn’t seem to like.
Danger averted, since my own cats followed their mischievous friend, I straightened to greet the stranger. “Welcome to Tail-Waggin’ Love. I’m Trinity. May I help you?”
The handsome man glanced around the shop. “I was told Harvey Armstrong spent time here every morning. I was hoping to run into him.”
“And you are?”
“Brad Armstrong, his son.”
I froze on my way to the counter. “I wasn’t aware he had a son.”
“We’ve been …estranged the last few years.” He smiled, revealing a dimple in his cheek. “But, it’s all working out. I’m here to help him convert these old shops into something more modern.”
So, he was the one who had Mr. Armstrong in a dither. “I’m sorry to hear that. You’ll cause some people to be very unhappy.” Including me. If my rent rose, attending school would be shoved further into the future, not to mention I would need to find another place to live. “Your father left a while ago. He said he had business to attend to.” I stepped behind the counter. “Is there anything else I can help you with?”
“No.” He gave me a smile that, despite my annoyance at his plan to ruin my life, sent my stomach flip-flopping. “Thank you. I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of each other.”
Watching him leave, I couldn’t help but think that people like him were the reason I preferred the company of animals over humans. Animals didn’t make plans to ruin a person’s life.
“Who was that tall drink of deliciousness?” Heather closed the door to the kennels.
“He said he was Mr. Armstrong’s son.”
“You don’t believe him?”
I shrugged. “I didn’t ask for identification, but they did have the same eyes.”
“You noticed his eyes? That’s good. You aren’t completely a hermit.” Heather laughed.
My face heated. “Of course, I noticed. I’m not blind. You can stop any matchmaking attempts from taking root in your mind. He’s here to run us out of business.” I explained Brad’s plan to subdivide the property. “There’s no way I’ll be able to afford the rent and save money.”
Heather laid a hand on my arm. “It’ll work out.”
I lifted a shoulder. “I hope so. I do tend to worry needlessly sometimes.”
“You’re the worst.” Heather smiled, taking some of the sting out of her words and grabbed cleaning supplies from under the counter. “I’ll be washing the front window if you need me.”
I might be needing a place to live, and Heather’s large backyard in which to run my business if things progressed as Mr. Armstrong feared. I folded my arms and plopped my forehead against them. Every time I took a step forward in my goals, it seemed as if something happened to make me take two steps back. I sighed again. No sense feeling sorry for myself. I’d do my best to talk Brad out of subdividing the property I leased. Surely, the man could see reason when it was presented to him in a logical manner.
Heather knocked on the window to grab my attention, then pointed across the street. Mr. Tall, Dark, and Life Ruining was strolling back toward us.
Here was my next chance to talk him out of destroying everything I’d worked for.