Louie was hopping toward the gate. His eyes never left Richard’s as he tried hard to get closer to them on his three legs.
“We had to amputate his back leg when he arrived,” the staff member explained. “It was too damaged to save.”
Richard’s heart pounded as he moved closer to Louie. Tears stung his eyes when he realized why he looked so sad. It was almost as if the little guy realized they shared the same challenges, the same grief that never disappeared.
“He likes you, Dad.”
Bending down, he held his hand against the wire fence. Louie sniffed and then sighed.
“I haven’t seen him do that before,” the staff member said. “Would you like me to open the pen?”
Richard nodded and Jack sat beside him on the concrete floor.
“You have to talk real quiet in case he’s scared,” Jack whispered. “What’s his name?”
“Louie. He’s been here a long time.” Richard lowered himself to the floor and waited to see what would happen.
Cautiously, Louie hopped toward them. When Richard reached out to pat him, Louie leaned into his hand. Even though his coat was uneven, his fur was soft and silky. If he were a cat, he’d be purring by now.
Paris joined them. “Have you found a friend?”
“His name is Louie,” Jack said. “One of his legs is missing, just like Dad’s.”
Paris’ gaze connected with Richard’s. The probability of them finding a dog with an amputated limb was about as high as Louie being adopted, and she knew it.
“What are you going to do?” she asked.
“Could we take him home, Dad?”
“If he wants to come with us, we could.”
Jack hugged Louie. “What do you think, boy? Do you want to live with us?”
Louie’s pink tongue licked the side of Jack’s face, making him laugh.
After that, there was only one thing Richard could do.
Louie had just found his forever home.
Chapter 16
The following day, Andrea walked into The Flower Cottage while Paris was closing the store. “This is a nice surprise. How are you?”
“I’m doing better now that I’m here. I’ve been trying to get away from Mabel, but she wanted to talk about the Christmas events she’s organizing.”
“She’s starting early.”
“You know Mabel. She wants everything to be perfect. But that’s not why I’m here.” Andrea took a deep breath. “I want to ask your advice about something.”
Paris turned the sign on the door to “Closed” and smiled at her friend. “Now we can talk without being interrupted. Tell me what’s on your mind.”
“Each time I visit your store, there are lots of people walking down Anchor Lane. They want to see your flowers and look at what’s happening to the cottages. Once all the stores are open, Anchor Lane will become even more popular.”
“Richard’s construction crew is doing an amazing job. All Penny has to do is find—” Paris’ eyes widened. “Are you thinking of leasing one of the cottages?”
Andrea nodded. “I know it’s crazy, but I want to open a café. I worked in the hospitality industry before I had the boys, and I loved every minute. But I have no idea how to run my own business. I don’t even know if people will like my food.”
“You’d be fantastic. You bake the yummiest food and this location would be perfect for a café. You wouldn’t believe the number of customers who want to sit somewhere and enjoy a good cup of coffee.”
