“And you couldn’t amend that? Not even temporarily?” She blinked back tears. There was no way she’d show him that weakness. Tears weren’t a weakness but having him see them was. Screw Ford Lunghamer. She was done with him. She jabbed him in the chest, right over his heart. She hit so hard that her finger buckled.
“You don’t have it here, in your heart, to let me keep him until I find his owners, or I find apet-friendly place? No, you’re too stuck in your rut.” Okay, she was grasping at straws and flinging unproven accusations.
“Drinda,” he said, it sounded like a warning.
“Say goodbye, Ford. I’m out of here, and I’m out of your suite. Consider this me giving my notice.” She whirled round and headed for the front door.
“You have to put it in writing,” he called.
She spun back around and dashed away a tear. “I could have loved you, Ford. But that’s done too. Take your suite and stuff it up your … firehose.”
She crashed out the front door, almost feeling triumphant as it slammed shut behind her. “Of all the ….”
She unlocked her door and went inside. After flipping open the kennel, she flopped onto the couch. Oscar raced around the room for a minute before putting his feet on the couch and licking her face.
“It’s okay, boy. We’ll be fine. We don’t need Ford, or his stupid house. At least now we can play in the yard instead of sneaking walks. Andno more pee pads. You can piddle on his lawn.” She fondled his ears and sighed.
“Stupid man. I was falling for you.” Oh, who was she kidding. She loved him. From his caring nature, right down to his grump when she spilled on him.
Now she was homeless. If she didn’t find a place that took pets, she’d have to surrender Oscar to the shelter. Her heart crumbled a bit more.
Chapter Thirteen
For the first time since she opened, Drinda didn’t go to work. She let her staff handle everything. She’d never taken an unscheduled day off. Today marked the second day in a row. She stayed in her suite with Oscar. She lay on the couch staring at the ceiling and moping. When he got antsy, she let him run wild in the yard she shared with Ford. At this point, she was so hurt she considered not even clean up any droppings her pet left out there.
Oh, who was she kidding. She wouldn’t wish poop on anyone. Not even Ford the Jerk.
Someone knocked on her door. Oscar perked up his ears but didn’t bark or whine. He was such a good dog. Quiet and he never chewed on anything he shouldn’t. He was the ideal pet even if her jerk landlord disagreed.
Theyknocked again.
“Open up this door, Drinda,” Franny called. “Or I’ll call the police to bust it down. My nephew is a cop. He’ll do it!”
The last thing she needed washisgrandmother sticking her nose into things. She was the one who thrust them together in the first place. She struggled to her feet, blew her nose, and tossed the tissue onto the growing pile on the coffee table.
She flipped the deadbolt and went back to the couch. She sat and buried her face in her hands. Nobody needed to see her red swollen eyes.
“What’s wrong?” Sage asked after they let themselves in. “I went to the shop, and they said you texted that you weren’t coming in.” Several sets of boots tromped in.
“That’s two days in a row,” Annabelle exclaimed.
“We were worried,” Franny said as they trooped into the living room. “Are you ill? Do we need to take you to a doctor?”
“I’m fine.” The lie slipped easily off her tongue.
“Clearly that’s not true.” Sage disappeared into the kitchen and came back with rubber gloves and a garbage bag. She swept the tissues into the bag andcarried them away. Water ran and something thumped in the kitchen.
Her grandmother and Franny sat on each side of her and wrapped her in a four-arm hug. “It’s okay. We can fix it,” Franny murmured. Oscar whined and buried his head in Drinda’s lap.
“Spill the beans,” Annabelle said.
Sage knelt in front of her. “Do you need money? Are you sick? Did someone die?” She blew the questions out in a fast stream. For all that they were rushed, they seemed sincere. They didn’t get to spend much time together, but this group of supportive women had become her best friends.
“No. No. No.” She burst into tears for the twentieth time since she confessed to having a dog. The room fell silent. Nobody said anything. Nobody moved. Finally, when the tension felt like it would crush her, Oscar barked.
Everyone laughed.
“Okay now. Tell us all about it,” Franny urged. “It’s not your health, the store, or money. Nobody died.” She snapped her fingers. “It’s that no-good grandson of mine, isn’t it? Oh, I’ll rattle that boy’s teeth with the tongue-lashing I’m going to give him. Just wait. Mark my words.” She huffed out a breath. “I have half a mind to go to the station right now.”
