Chapter Two
Connor used his shirt to wipe the sweat from his brow. He’d barely finished cutting Mrs. Leola’s yard before the sun dipped entirely below the surface. The darkness should have cooled the air, but instead, a sticky humidity had moved in. He wouldn’t be surprised if a storm passed through overnight.
“Come get a cool drink of lemonade,” Mrs. Leola called from her screened-in porch.
He’d already turned down dinner, not wanting to work in the heat with a stomach full of food, and Mrs. Leola wouldn’t be happy if he turned down another invitation. Besides, a cold drink sounded great, and he enjoyed time with the elderly lady. She reminded him of his late great-grandmother.
“Thank you,” he said, accepting the tall glass after he crossed the yard from the garden shed.
“I packed you a dinner to take home. You’re bound to be hungry at some point.” She winked at him and motioned for him to sit in one of the cushioned patio chairs. “Not even Superman could work all day then help his neighbor out on an empty stomach.”
He knew better than to argue. “I appreciate it.”
She tweaked his cheek. “It’s I who appreciate you. I wish you would let me pay for you all that you do around here.”
“Never.” He returned her grin. “It’s my honor.”
Mrs. Leola rolled her eyes. “You’re a young man with a future to build. You should be out courting some young lady instead of spending your Friday night with an old widow.”
“You’re only as old as you feel. And did I tell you another patient thought you were my mother when I took you to the doctor last week?”
A loud peal of laughter rumbled from her chest. “Now I know you’re full of it.”
“Well, they may have said grandmother,” he admitted with a smirk.
“That I can believe.” She took a sip of her lemonade and replaced the glass on a coaster. “Any more inquiries on Pookie’s puppies?”
“Not since I checked when I got off shift. I’ll look again when I get home.” He glanced over the cordoned off area where the puppies and their mama stayed. The three remaining puppies snuggled in a pile near Pookie who took this time to rest.
“I’m praying they find homes before Pookie’s surgery in two weeks. As much as I love these little ones, I’m too old to be caring for this many dogs.”
“We’ve only had the listing up for two days. I’m sure we’ll hear from more people soon.”
“Are you sure you don’t want one?” She raised a brow and gave him a pointed stare.
“I’m sure. Until I’m home more often, it wouldn’t be fair to take one in.”
“I could always watch it for you when needed.”
He crossed his arms and gave her a look. “Wouldn’t that defeat the purpose of finding them homes?”
She wrinkled her nose like a petulant child. “Perhaps, but I will miss them.”
“Me too,” he admitted, surprised at the reaction. When it came to dogs, he’d always preferred large ones, not ten-pound yippy ones. Yet, Pookie and her babies had charmed him until he’d seriously considered taking a puppy, the time factor being the only reason he didn’t.
“What do you have planned this weekend? I keep hoping you’ll introduce me to a special lady one day.”
She could be more meddlesome than his mother, but he adored the older lady. “If I ever find a special lady, you’ll be one of the first to know.”
“I better be.”
He chuckled. “To answer your question though, I’m covering a buddy’s shift tomorrow night.”
Shaking her head, Mrs. Leola clucked her tongue. “Always doing for others. When do you ever do anything for yourself?”
“I could ask the same of you,” he said, deflecting her question. True, he enjoyed helping others when he could, but his motives didn’t always stem from pure altruism.
Busyness kept him from dwelling on his loneliness. He’d always imagined that by the time he hit thirty, he’d be married and maybe even had a kid or two. But thirty came last November, and he didn’t have any prospects on the horizon. Once upon a time he’d thought there was a special someone, but that was ancient history.
