“Hi,” I said. “It’s a good sign, actually. It means she feels at home here now, like this is her territory to defend from intruders at the door.”
“Oh.” Phoebe looked down at Violet, who stood beside her, wagging her tail at me.
“Hi, Violet,” I said as I stepped inside. She licked my hand when I reached out to pet her.
“I’ve already fed her, but I’m going to take her out for a quick walk before we leave,” Phoebe said. “And I’ve already checked in with Holly to make sure she’s all set. She’ll be here in about an hour. I feel like a nervous new mom getting ready to leave my kids with a babysitter for the first time.”
I smiled, enamored by this side of her, not to mention the enticing swell of cleavage in that dress when she bent over to fasten Violet’s leash. “They’ll be in great hands with Holly. I’m going to go see the puppies while you take her out.”
Phoebe nodded, leading Violet toward the back door. I went down the hall to the bedroom where four furry pups were piled up against one side of the whelping area, fast asleep. The mostly white one—Sunny—was suckling in his sleep, paws twitching with puppy dreams.
I sat in front of the playpen, stroking them gently as they slept. God, they were cute. I could sit here and watch them for hours. Next to the pen was the notebook Phoebe was using to document their growth. I picked it up, smiling at her neat, blockish handwriting. Not only had she recorded their weight twice a day since they were born, but she’d also created graphs for each puppy, illustrating their growth.
And as it turned out, I was a sucker for graphs, or at least I was a sucker for the woman who took the time to draw them for these tiny puppies. Each one showed a steady upward curve. They were just over a week old now and growing like weeds. Even Cherry, the littlest puppy who’d given us such a scare, seemed to be thriving.
I rubbed her, and she let out a squeak, rooting around as she looked for her mama. “She’ll be back in just a minute,” I told the puppy, even though she couldn’t hear much yet. Her ears were still folded down against her head.
The back door clanged shut, and Violet’s toenails clicked down the hall in my direction, followed by the tap of Phoebe’s heels. Violet entered the bedroom first, stopping to greet me before she climbed in with her puppies. They squealed and squirmed as they snuggled against her, little bodies flailing with the effort.
When I looked up, Phoebe was standing in the doorway, one hand on her hip and a smile on her lips as she watched us. “Ready?” I asked, pressing my hands against my knees as I stood.
She nodded. “Where do you want to go for dinner?”
“There’s a new farm-to-table restaurant not far from the bar, if you want to give that a try. I haven’t been yet, but I’ve heard good things.”
“Sounds perfect,” she agreed.
I shoved my hands into my pockets to keep from reaching for one of her curls or touching any part of her, really. Her dress was loose and flowy, and I knew it would look amazing if she spun, but I wasn’t taking her dancing tonight. Just dinner between friends. “You look really nice.”
She ducked her head, giving me a shy smile. “Thanks. You look good too.”
I was just wearing my usual Friday-night attire, black jeans and a T-shirt, but if I was being perfectly honest with myself, I’d spent a few more minutes in front of the mirror tonight than usual, wanting to look nice for Phoebe.
“Be a good girl until Holly gets here, okay?” Phoebe said, crouching to press a kiss against Violet’s forehead. The dog’s tail wagged against her bedding.
“She’ll be fine,” I assured her.
“I’m really excited for tonight,” Phoebe said. “I’m used to going out to dinner with friends whenever I want, you know? I’m ready to get out of this house.”
“Ready to go home?” I asked, pretending I didn’t feel a little pang at the thought.
“Actually, no,” she said. “I miss everyone so much, but things were such a mess when I left, and I don’t want to deal with it yet. But Iamexcited for a night out in Burlington.”
“I am too,” I told her. “My life tends to revolve around the shelter, working with the animals, and my friends in the rescue community, but we don’t go out for dinner or drinks very often.”
“What about your friends at V and V?” Phoebe asked.
“I mostly just see them when I’m there on Fridays.”
“Well, you should change that, then,” Phoebe said as she grabbed her purse and led the way out the front door. “You should go out more often.”
“I’ll drive,” I offered.
“Thanks.” She walked toward the passenger door of my SUV.
“You’re right. I do need to make more time for my social life, and I should try harder to date too. I guess I’m just a homebody at heart.”
“You could try online dating,” Phoebe suggested as she climbed into my SUV.
