Chapter Three
Tiffany woke up an hour before her alarm went off. How could anyone expect her to stay in bed when she had a big day ahead of her? Only four hours to go until she went to look at the puppy.
Lilly, was her name, said the man who’d answered her questions. Of course, she was free to change it if she adopted her, but Lilly fit the dog. She’d already decided that if all went well and she brought Lilly home, then her name would remain.
She unplugged her phone from the charger and opened the message again so she could see the pictures.Con1234had sent her additional photos in his reply. The more she looked at them, the more she fell in love. She couldn’t imagine not bringing Lilly home today as her own.
Staying in bed wouldn’t pass the time any more quickly. She slid her legs to the side and stood, took a quick shower than went to her desk for her morning Bible study. It was a habit she’d learned in recovery, one she enjoyed. Her days always went better when she started her morning with God, and she could tell a difference on the days she missed those quiet moments.
She worked through her daily study of Galatians. When she finished, she was surprised to realize an hour had passed, and she’d actually focused. Only, now that she’d thought that images of Lilly filled her mind.
Two and a half hours to go.
Despite loading on carbs last night, and although a yogurt would have sufficed, she made herself a batch a french toast for breakfast. Busy hands kept her distracted from constantly checking the time. Had anyone ever done a study on time slowing down when the clock was watched? There had to be truth to it, in her completely non-expert opinion.
She melted butter over her warm slices, then sprinkled powdered sugar over them and finished them off with pure maple syrup. She lifted the plate and wafted the sweet scent of sugary goodness. “Go big or go home.”
One and a half slices later, she came to the unfortunate conclusion that she was getting old. Two years ago, she could have polished off the plate and went back for seconds. At the ripe old age of thirty, her stomach rebelled against any more sugar being eaten in one serving. To be fair, the sprinkle of powdered sugar was closer to a shower.
She covered the plate with plastic wrap and stuck it in the fridge. Tomorrow, she’d pop it in the microwave for a quick breakfast before church. She allowed herself a glance at the clock on the stove, and she groaned. An hour and forty-five minutes left before her appointment time.
It would take her close to twenty minutes to reach the home. She’d googled the address last night and did a check of the homeowner for safety reasons. Not that it told her much, but the home belonged to a Leola Edwards who was listed as being in her eighties.
As an added precaution, she’d told Rachel the address and what she was going there for. On the off chance something bad happened, there would be at least one person who would know where to look. With her history, and in her line of work, a cynical view of the world was hard to break.
Remembering Rachel’s reaction, Tiffany laughed. Rachel insisted she be invited over this weekend to see the puppy. If there was one thing Rachel loved more than her family, it was pets. Tiffany readily agreed, thankful to have a boss whom she could also call a friend.
Unable to wait at home, Tiffany grabbed her keys and purse and ran down the steps from her second-floor apartment. She drove to the twenty-four-hour superstore. If she did take Lilly home, she would need basic supplies. Since she had an estimate of the dog’s size, it made sense to purchase the items now, unlike last night when she almost went shopping with no idea.
She picked out a lilac-colored nylon collar with white bones and pawprints woven into the design. Hanging above the collars, she found a matching leash and added that to her cart. The bowl selection was limited. She selected two plain stainless-steel ones for now. Finally, she threw a pack of puppy pads and a bag of puppy chow to the mix. That should get her started.
Only one checkout lane was opened, and it had a line five customers deep, all of whom had carts piled to the top with groceries. Tiffany pulled her phone from her pocket to see the time. Good think she wasn’t in a bona fide hurry. By the time she reached the register and paid for her items, it was puppy time.
Her heartrate increased in anticipation of meeting her future pet. She tapped her nails on the steering wheel as she drove. The ten-minute drive from the store to Leola Edwards house felt like an hour. When Tiffany pulled into a neighborhood of older homes lined with mature oaks and elms, she drove slowly as she searched for the correct house number.
She withdrew the leash and collar from the store bag and used her keys to pop off the tags. After tucking them into her purse, she slid from her car and locked the door behind her. Taking a deep breath, she walked to the front door.
Rang the doorbell.
Decidedly masculine footsteps approached the door. Anxiety leftover from Tiffany’s past erupted. She should have brought another person with her. Luna would have let Carl go with her, she was sure. Or Luna and Carl both could have come with the girls. They’d have loved playing with the puppies.
It will be okay, she repeated to herself.Not every man is out to hurt women. Most men aren’t.
The door opened.
She froze.
What stood behind the door was worse than anything she had briefly imagined in the prior seconds.
Every last breath vacated her lungs in one fell swoosh.
The shock burned her cheeks until she was sure flaming darts were attacking her.
He didn’t look any better.
The blood had drained from his face, leaving him as pale as she must be red.
His eyes widened in complete surprise.
