Shit. That was their code for “the dog will be euthanized if we get it.” She glanced at the clock. There was no way she’d have time to go get a dog, bring it back here, and make it home in time to meet the schoolbus.
Damn it.She closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead. They needed to hire more people. She’d cut back on her afternoon hours to be home for Kimber and Kaden, but everything in the rescue was starting to backup.
“Do you need me to go getit?”
She dropped her hands. “You’d dothat?”
Nick pushed through the door and walked toward her. “Sure, whynot?”
“It’s not something you normallydo.”
He shrugged and crossed his arms. “It’s true, you’ve always picked up any dogs we get calls for, but you also lived here and had nolife.”
“I’m sorry I haven’t been around asmuch.
“You’ve got a family now. They should be yourpriority.”
“You don’t mind?” sheasked.
“Not at all. Should I bring it back here or straight to DocAbbie?”
Normally, she made that call, but it was time she release the stranglehold she had on every facet of her life. “Make the call when you see thedog.”
He stood up straighter. “Really?”
Jeez, had she really been that much of a control freak? “Yeah. I trust your judgment. Just call Doc Abbie’s office first so they know you’recoming.”
“Wow. Yeah. I will. Is there anything special I shouldtake?”
She helped him pack a kit with the equipment she normally took with her on pick-ups. After he left, she looked through the appointment schedule to see whether anyone needed to be rescheduled. It meant more back-to-back appointments the rest of the week, but it couldn’t behelped.
Note to self: look through all the office manager applicationstonight.
Rubbing the center of her forehead again, she sighed. She’d work with a couple of the dogs she absolutely had to, clean the kennels, feed everyone, and hopefully get out of there ontime.
After rescheduling her clients, she glanced down at Sprocket. “You staying here or coming with me to thebarn?”
The dog raised her head, groaned, and laid it back downagain.
“I don’t think so.” She bent and patted her on the side, scratching the base of her tail for good measure. “You’ve done nothing all day but lay around. You can walk your lazy butt over to the barn with me and lay down over there. Comeon.”
Sprocket lumbered to her feet, a low whine protesting theeffort.
“Whatever.”
Her phone pinged as they crossed theyard.
Chris:Busy?
That’s rhetorical,right?
A few seconds later, her phone rang, Chris’s name flashing across thescreen.
“So, that’s ayes?”
“Yeah, that’s ayes.”
“What’s goingon?”
