“Good. We’re going to hold the rummage sale at the end of the month. I’m going to go through all those boxes in the attic. Maybe the former owners left some treasure.”
“More than likely you’ll be throwing all the stuff away.” But Gemma could check “clean out the attic” off her long to-do list.
“Oh, and I got a job,” Imani said, searching the cupboards for popcorn. “Ella’s Diner. Tina needed someone a couple nights a week. It’s okay, isn’t it? I’ll try to work around feeding the herd.”
“I can help.” Everyone turned to the prince. “I mean, if you need any.”
“Wow, really?” Imani threw her arms around him as if she’d known him her whole life. Penny, still giggling, hunched her shoulders, shrinking as low as she could. Tall-girl syndrome.
Then it was discovered there was no popcorn, so the girls decided to run to the corner store for snacks.
“She’s lovely, Gemma,” John said when they were alone again. “What’s her story?”
“Too long and sad for someone her age. And, Prince, you don’t have to help me with the chores. You didn’t come all the way—”
The back door rattled with a knock, then opened. She expected to see Justin—he was never far behind the girls, especially Imani—but Doc Goodwin, the old town vet, stepped inside.
“Can I interrupt?”
“Certainly. Come in.” Gemma hopped up, pulled out a chair for him to sit, and offered him a cup of coffee, which he gladly accepted. “What can I do for you?”
She squirted some dish soap on a cloth and washed one of the china cups.
“I need you on the porch.” He peered over the rim of his wire glasses, his tattered straw hat listing left atop his thinning, gray hair. Around his middle, a worn leather belt cinched a pair of stained, threadbare trousers. “The Cranes’ collie retriever was hit by a car. A beautiful dog. Such a tragedy. I’m not sure they’ll get over it. Can’t figure for the life of me why a new mama would be out wandering around except to do her business. My guess is Rolf hit her when he came home last night from billiards. I told him a hundred times he’s blind as a bat on top of the fact he can barely see over the dash of that big car of his. Of course, I didn’t say any of this to them. They were heartbroken enough.” He finally noticed the prince. “How do? Doc Goodwin. I’d shake your hand but mine ain’t clean.”
“No worry, mate.” The prince offered his hand and after a moment, the doc took it. “John Blue.”
“John Blue, eh? I know who you are, and far be it from an old coot like me to pass up a handshake with a real prince. I’ll be.” He chuckled as he reached for his coffee. “Maggie left six puppies behind. Three days old and orphaned. Eyes ain’t even open. Come, Lord Jesus.”
“Six…oh, Doc.”
“I told Rolf and Shelia to get her fixed, but they insisted Maggie was safe, never wandered off the property.” The doc took a gulp from the cup and motioned for Gemma to step outside. “Flip on the light, will you?”
In a large box, six black-brown-and-white collie-mix puppies squeaked and squirmed. “I brought formula and a list of what you got to do. It’ll be all hands to the pump for a few weeks, but ain’t they the sweetest things?”
“All hands to the pump? What? Doc, I can’t take these puppies. I don’t know anything about caring for them. And I have a job.”
“True enough.” He reached around to his back pocket and produced a folded paper. “Here’s the list. Just do what it tells you. It’ll be tough at first because they’ll need watching twenty-four seven. But things will ease up in a few weeks.”
“Doc, you heard me. I have ajob. In fact, one-and-a-half jobs. Can’t the Cranes take care of them? They lost Maggie but gained six of her puppies.”
“Did you hear what I said? I think Rolf ran Maggie over. I can’t trust them with these precious ones.” Doc grunted as he pushed his hat back. “Rolf is eighty-five going on a hundred, and Shelia can’t bend down to tie her shoelaces. Now, the heat lamp, bottles, and formula are in my car. Where are you going to keep the pups? I think the barn is good. Set up a nice bed of hay and blankets in one of the stalls. You think your pack of five will be okay?” He reached down to tap Blue on the head. “How do, sir?”
“Yeah, I think so. But Doc, I can’t…”
He set his cup on the narrow porch railing and headed for his car. Gemma grabbed the cup—the railing was too precarious—and ran after him.
“I’m serious. You can’t leave them here. I’m putting my foot down.”
Meanwhile, the prince cradled one of the puppies against his chest. Not helping.
“You’re my last hope, Gemma. I called several other places but I didn’t like the sound of their voices.”
“Who cares about the sound of their voice if they have the heart and people to do the job.”
“You can tell a lot by a voice. Take the prince here. Just in his hello I knew he was a decent, stand-up fella. I’m convinced you’re the one to mother these babies. I may be an old country vet, but I have a gut feeling about these things. Something, orSomeone, told me to bring these babies to you. So here I am.”
A tender puppy-cry rose from the box and Gemma glanced back, feeling herself crumble.I don’t have time for this.
