“It’s a go?”he asked, as she walked through the open door of the store.She glanced around the shop and noted a few shoppers sitting in chairs or browsing the shelves, all within reach of the nearest ceiling or floor fan.
“It is,” she said, watching his face light up.“Where’s Rhett?”
“I put him and the other cats in my flat.I have AC there.”
“I’m sure they’ll appreciate it,” said Raven, standing beside a nearby fan to cool down.The small exertion of walking in the afternoon heat had left her with the stickiness of perspiration.
“When should we start planning?”asked Lance, barely able to contain his excitement.Betty was right.He relished a new venture.
“The board would like you to take the lead on the building project, and we’ll need to form a fundraising team.”She reached into her pocket and handed him a business card.“Your aunt said to pass this along to you.It’s the card for the architect who designed the rescue center expansion down-island.He’s semi-retired and looking to do some pro bono work.”
“Wow, that’s generous.”He took the card from her and read it.“I’ve also been talking to Curtis and a couple others.With the help of the Men’s Shack and the college carpentry program, I think we can do a lot of the work with volunteers and with apprentices who need their hours.”
“That would keep the costs down,” she agreed.
“But first, I need to make a preliminary plan.Do you have time to meet with me and Curtis tomorrow for lunch?I’d like him involved, since he has the carpentry background.”
Raven nodded.Curtis Woodrow, the coordinator of the local Men’s Shack, would be a great addition to the team.
“Stellar,” said Lance.
“Stellar?”
“A word I picked up from one of Pinky’s kids,” he said, referring to the children who came for the Bookworm’s story hours and reading club programs.“I think it works.”
“Yes, I suppose it does.”
“Zoey phoned to say she’s made updates to the website.She’s sent you a link to the page, which can go live as soon as we decide how much we need to raise.It’s a virtual thermometer of sorts—but in this case she says we can measure our progress in cats.One cat for each thousand or ten thousand we raise, depending upon how much we need.Something about raising funds for a basket of cats.”
“I’ll look when I get home,” she said.“I’m going out to do a home visit on the Tumble Twins first.I want to make sure they’re getting along well in their new situation.”
“Have you heard more from Wren?”he asked.His face filled with concern and then, when he saw her expression, wariness.“Sorry.”
“It’s okay.I’m trying to be patient.Waiting for her to reach out, you know?”
“Well, you could send her a note.Ask her how the weather is out there or something.Let her know you’re thinking of her.I started doing that with Chelsea, and she texts me more often now.”
“Thanks, I’ll try that,” she said, pleased to hear that Lance’s youngest daughter was conversing more often with him.He missed his daughters a lot, and his divorce had been hardest on Chelsea.“I just wanted to give you the news of the meeting.I should go and do the home visit now.”
“Okay,” he said, watching her closely.
“See you tomorrow?”she asked.
He bent down to kiss her.“Unless you want to stay in town tonight?”
She shook her head, though she was tempted.“I would, but I gave Mal and Daisy the week off, so I’ve left the place with students and volunteers.It’s straight home for me.”
“What you need is more staff.”
“Maybe once we get some more funds raised.”
“I’ll build your new staff into the budget, so it’s in the plan from the start.”
“Good thinking.We should get the board to approve the operating budget early so we don’t have to ask for more later.”She reached up and hugged him again.Lance was practical, which was one of the things she most appreciated about him.
Some people say they care, and others take action to show it.Enough wages for another staff person would mean more time for her to oversee things and maybe even do something else with her days.
Like try a new hobby, or travel out to visit Wren in her new home.
