“Okay? Um, yeah, of course.” An image of the men from the restaurant this morning played through my head. I needed to talk to Bodie, tell him what I’d overheard. “Are you all right?”
“It’s a little unnerving knowing that someone has it out for me.”
“Come here.” I held my arms open and she snuggled against my chest. “Gramps and I won’t let anything happen to you. Not while we’re around.”
“I can look out for myself you know.” Her voice was muffled against my shirt.
I pulled back to meet her gaze. “I have no doubt you can. But as long as we’re working on this wedding, we’re part of a team, right? Which means we’re in this together.”
“Until you leave for your next job.”
“What are you talking about?”
Zina looked away. “Your gramps said you got an offer to work for Munyon. Something about checking out some investment property he’s looking at and joining his team?”
“It’s not a done deal.” I needed the wedding to go well before anything was finalized.
“But you’re considering it?”
“I’m keeping my options open.” I’d be an idiot not to jump on it. Munyon owned land around the world. I could go to work for him and enjoy the benefit of a paycheck while still not having to settle down anywhere.
She pulled my head down and pressed her lips against mine.
“What was that for?”
“I guess I’m keeping my options open too.”
My mouth spread into a smile. “Does this mean you’re not going to make me sleep on the couch?”
CHAPTER 22
ZINA
I tossedthe thin local paper down on the table. It made a very unsatisfying whoosh, making me wish I’d been reading one of Lacey’s huge bridal magazines or a hardcover book instead. The harsh thunk of a thicker volume would have better matched my mood.
“What’s wrong?” Morty lifted his gaze from his mug of coffee.
“They didn’t even mention the dog adoption event. All of the news, if you even want to call it that, revolved around those stupid penguins.” The penguins who weren’t even supposed to be arriving for at least another week. Alex had left early that morning to drive into Houston to meet with the director of the aquarium. At least he seemed as concerned as I was about the mistake, not that there was anything anyone could do about it now.
He chuckled. “Folks around these parts probably ain’t ever seen a penguin in real life before. Not unless they went to the zoo.”
I huffed out a breath as I lifted my mug to my lips. “I suppose. But why couldn’t we have gotten through the adoption event before they brought the dang birds over?”
I shot a glance to Shiner Bock. The Phillips House was going to the birds. Literally. “And sending twelve instead of the six we were expecting? Now all anyone wants to talk about is penguins.”
“It’ll all be over soon.”
“Not soon enough.” I got up from the table and stalked over to the sink. With Alex gone for the day, I was in charge of both the dogs and the penguins. He’d shown me how to feed them and clean up after them. With any luck he’d be back before the evening feeding. “I’m heading over to the warehouse to take care of the animals.”
“I’ll come with you.” Morty pushed back from the table and stood. “I want to check on those little pups you brought in the other day.”
“They’re doing great. Greta took them in like the rock star mama I knew she’d be. They’re nursing right alongside her brood.”
Morty nodded. “We could all learn a lot from the way animals treat each other, don’t you think?”
I held the door for him as we made our way onto the porch. “How so?”
“Acceptance. Willingness to see each other for who we are and where we come from. Miss Greta doesn’t know those pups from Adam. Yet she’s taken them in and is giving them a home, a family. Seems like if more people acted like dogs, the world might just be a better place.”
