The Sunday Potluck Club

by Melissa Storm

  Amy wished she knew for sure, but already their time was up. She told herself she didn’t need some crush to feel happy again.

  Not when she had the best friends in the whole wide world.

  Not when she had so much else in life to look forward to.

  Not when she could still rely upon herself.

  Trent had told her himself that he felt lonely. He’d also said they planned to adopt a dog at Bridget’s event. That in itself would be the perfect solution for him and Olivia.

  And, hey, maybe Amy would do the same. Or at least bring home a new kitty playmate for cranky old Belle.

  Yes, Amy decided. That was exactly what she’d needed all along—a pet, not a boyfriend.

  Chapter 24

  Valentine’s Day arrived on Wednesday. After celebrating with her students for the better part of the day, Amy rushed off to the animal shelter the moment the final bell rang. Bridget had already arrived and was now working with Hazel to decorate each doggie kennel with lights and fabric and poster board hearts that displayed their dating profiles.

  “Ames, can you take the lead on the cat room?” Bridget asked after saying a quick hello. “I figure you’re the expert there.”

  Sure, an expert because she had a cat—one—a single cat. She’d always loved the cuddly things, though, and worried that spending too much time in their playroom would make her want to adopt them all.

  One. Just get one, she reminded herself, already studying the kittens through the glass and trying to decide which was her favorite.

  Bridget’s voice floated down the hall. “Hazel, you have the neatest handwriting. Can you write up the profile for Jet?”

  Jet? Hazel had lived and breathed this event all week, and she couldn’t remember any Jet. Stealing away from the cat room, she returned to the kennels to find out what was going on.

  “Who’s Jet?” she demanded, when neither Bridget nor Hazel stopped what they were doing to pay any attention to her.

  “We just got him in last night,” Bridget explained. “He’s had all his health checks, and we’ve tested his temperament, too. Even though he’s brand-new, we still wanted to be sure to include him in the event. He’s an older guy, and it’s harder for them to get adopted. But, hopefully, Jet’s new owners will be somewhere among all the people we’re expecting today . . . Now, please, can you get back to the cat room? We’ve only got a couple more hours to get things ready, and Nic can’t make it until just before the event starts.” She was talking so fast it was hard for Amy to keep up, but luckily she’d managed to glean enough details to satisfy her curiosity.

  “Okay, okay.” Amy put her hands up in surrender and walked back to the cats. As far as jobs went, it was a nice one to have. All the tiny mews and meows lit up her heart as she decorated the entire wall with kitty dating profiles, glittery hearts, and more. Her fancy wall stood directly across from the viewing glass that looked into the cat room.

  Farther down the hallway, a few of the staff and volunteers’ private offices had been converted into visitation rooms. Much as they wanted the cat segment of the evening to be run the same way they had planned for the dogs, that just wasn’t feasible. Not only did they have nearly twice as many adoptable felines, but they also had a more difficult time corralling and confining them. Even old Belle could still dart out the front door before Amy had a chance to block her every now and again.

  For the safety of all the cats and people involved, they’d settled on a different plan. Each family interested in adopting a cat would receive up to ten minutes in one of the visitation rooms. They would also be given a dating card to fill out so they could let the volunteers know which three kitties they most wanted to meet. Once everyone got their turn, folks could go back through for a second meet and greet if they still hadn’t made up their minds.

  Meanwhile, in the larger dog area, families would rotate between the kennels. Bridget and Hazel were currently working to set up private partitions to extend the cages, so that each family could have alone time with each dog without having to climb into the kennels themselves. Each dog enclosure also had color-coded hearts that corresponded to the dog’s specific needs for a new home.

  Prospective pet parents would have either filled out an online application before coming in or would be given an application upon arriving. Based on the information they provided, they’d be given a colorful stamped badge that showed them which dogs they should meet that night.

  It all seemed rather complicated to explain, but should be effortless in its execution. Bridget had truly thought of everything, and Amy already knew the event would be a huge success.

  She also knew that Trent and Olivia planned to attend tonight. She and Trent hadn’t talked or texted since their emotional call a few nights ago, but she’d often wondered how he was faring. He hadn’t given Amy an answer as to whether she could provide extra help for his daughter after school, and she wondered if that might be because he felt embarrassed by the very idea of Amy now.

  He had shown her his heart, and she’d told him to put that thing back where it came from. Oh, she hoped he understood that she was only trying to do what was best for all of them.

  “All done in here?” Bridget asked, strolling up to Amy and propping an elbow on her shoulder. She had to stand on tiptoe to make the gesture work, and even then she just barely reached.

  “Just about,” Amy said, brushing off her hands after hanging the last of the ribbon garlands. “How does it look?”

  Bridget gave her two giant thumbs-up. “Looks awesome. Once you finish up here, do you think you’ve got some time to help Hazel set up the swag shop out front?”

  “You’ve got it, boss,” Amy said with a playful salute.

  Bridget rolled her eyes, then started back toward the kennels. After a moment, she paused and spun back toward Amy. “Oh, one more thing,” she said. “I’m not sure whether you plan on adopting, but you should make sure you meet Jet.”

  Amy wanted to surprise Bridget with an adoption and a donation tonight, so she’d been careful not to tip her hand. She was curious now, though. “Why Jet?”

  Bridget’s grin widened. “Because I think you might know him.”

  Know him? How was that even possible?

  Amy hung every last decoration and bauble in the cat corner, then took a quick detour to the kennels. Although she’d agreed to help Hazel with the merchandise setup, she’d definitely grown curious about Jet. She traced her way down the row of pop-up doggie rooms until she reached the very end. There, a green heart with gold glitter spelled out the letters J-E-T. Ducking her head, she pushed back the makeshift fabric door and stepped inside.

  “He was found wandering along Tudor,” Bridget announced, coming up behind Amy just as she’d finally spotted the dark dog hidden at the back of the kennel.

  “Based on your description the other day, I thought maybe. . .” Bridget let her words trail off.

  Tudor Road was the same place where Amy’s favorite guilty pleasure greasy burger joint stood. It was the same place where she’d gotten into the accident and met Trent for the first time. It was also the same place where she’d first seen the dog. This dog.

  She recognized the frail body and whitened face, the way the dog stood stock-still as it stared straight into her eyes—unabashed, unafraid, and certainly unexpected.

  “It’s you,” Amy murmured as a smile spread across her face. “It’s really you.”

  Bridget excused herself, leaving Amy alone with Jet.

  The dog let out a low whine, then walked stiffly toward the kennel door. Amy stuck her fingers through the crisscrossed wire and stroked his muzzle. “Hi, Jet,” she said. “Do you remember me?”

  He continued to stare right at her, not aggressive or sad, just curious. Just like her.

  “I’m really glad I didn’t hit you that day,” she told him. She should have felt silly, standing there talking to a dog for all to hear, but this didn’t feel strange at all. Some special unspoken acknowledgment
passed between her and the dog.

  Before the night was through, she’d make sure to put in an application for him.

  Chapter 25

  Nichole joined them at the shelter just before the doors were scheduled to open to the public. “Sorry I’m late!” she cried. “Traffic was a beast.”

  Amy looped an arm over her shoulder. “You’re right on time. B wants you up front at the application table. Let me show you.”

  Once Nichole was settled and ready to run her station, Amy returned to her spot right outside the cat room. She’d been assigned the role of coordinating all things cat that evening—no small task, to be sure.

  A few minutes later, Bridget strode up from the back and cupped her hands around her mouth to form a megaphone. “Everyone ready for a great event?” she cried.

  The volunteers cheered as she flung open the front doors and admitted close to a dozen people. Families, kids, singles, all had come to spend this alternative Valentine’s Day by celebrating—and hopefully adopting—rescue animals.

  A pair of girls around nine or ten years old joined Amy at the glass wall looking into the cat room while their parents filled out applications with Nichole.

  “Which is your favorite?” she asked them as they watched the kittens wrestle with each other. The older cats napped on the shelves that had been set up at varying heights along the walls, completely unmoved by the visitors.

  “I like that little striped one,” Amy continued when neither answered. “He reminds me of my cat, Belle, when she was little.”

  “I really want a dog,” the redheaded girl wearing braided pigtails informed her with a pout. “But my mom said no.” She reminded Amy of a modern-day Anne of Green Gables with her hair, dress, and the generous splash of freckles across her face. All she needed was the poetic language to go with that ensemble and she’d be an exact replica.

  “Cats can be just as fun,” Amy said, trying to cheer her up. “Look how silly they are! If you think about which three you’d like to meet, I can make sure you and your parents are the very first ones inside the visitation room.”

  The girl offered a weak smile and turned away. “I guess.”

  “Thanks, anyway,” her friend said with a matching frown.

  “Well, I’m here if you have any questions,” Amy called after them brightly, then folded her hands in front of her and projected her smile as far across the room as she could in case anyone needed her help.

  Hopefully, the redheaded girl would find a kindred spirit to take home tonight, whether dog or cat. Amy thought of Jet waiting for her in back and felt a tingle of excitement start in her toes and journey up her body. She still couldn’t believe Bridget had really found him, and that he’d soon be hers.

  The front doors swung open again, and a family of five entered.

  No sign of Trent or Olivia yet. Amy hoped they hadn’t changed their minds about coming. A dog would be a great addition to their family and could also help them both through their issues.

  Nothing cures like a dog, she thought, but couldn’t remember whether that particular line was something Bridget had once said or something she had read on a Hallmark card.

  The shelter guests were all still crowded around the application table with Nichole, which meant no one else had any work to do yet.

  Bridget stood in front of the doors that separated the kennels from the rest of the shelter. “Who’s ready to meet our rescues?” she cried.

  A few people moved in her direction, including the little girl she knew wasn’t allowed to adopt a dog. Oh, well. It wouldn’t hurt for her to say hello. Perhaps her mother would change her mind before the night was through.

  Folks continued to arrive at a steady pace throughout the first hour. Within that time, seven of her cats were claimed for adoption. That included all the kittens, which would luckily give the older animals a chance in the spotlight now—whether or not they still intended to sleep through the event in its entirety.

  Amy hoped things were going equally well with the dogs, but it was tough to say since people weren’t taking their new pets home directly from the event unless they’d filled out an online application in advance. The shelter staff still needed time to research every family’s background and references to make sure they were sending each pet into a good and loving home.

  Once things had slowed somewhat in her area, Amy decided to duck into the kennels and check in with Bridget. The moment she stepped into the back, her eyes zipped to Trent and Olivia moving along the line of dogs.

  Olivia spotted her, too, and raced over to say hello.

  “Hi, Ms. Shannon,” she said with a smile. “I’m getting a new dog tonight.”

  “Well, not tonight,” Trent corrected as he came to stand beside them. “We’re picking one out tonight, but won’t be able to bring him or her home until later.”

  “That’s great news,” Amy told the little girl who had quickly become her favorite student. “Have you decided which one you’d like to adopt yet?”

  Olivia shook her head, then stopped, grinned mischievously, and shouted, “Wait. All of them!”

  Amy laughed. She loved how far Olivia had come since she’d first met her. Of course, the girl was still shy at school, but she now spoke freely anytime she saw Amy outside of the classroom.

  “Yeah, we’ll see about that, missy!” Trent said, mussing up her hair affectionately.

  “I didn’t see you come in,” Amy mentioned softly once Olivia appeared to be distracted by watching the coming and going of the crowd.

  “We got here about ten minutes ago.” He shrugged noncommittally. “You must have been somewhere else.”

  Amy nodded. She had probably been setting a family up in one of the visitation rooms at that time. No wonder she’d missed them.

  “Well, I’m glad you came,” she told him, even though she hated how her heart ached at the nearness of him. Just because this was hard, though, didn’t mean it wasn’t the right decision. As much as Amy would have loved to spend more time with Trent, he needed to give his all to his daughter. He’d also need to heal his heart before it was ready to love again, and given the depth of his guilt, that would be no small task.

  “It’s all Olivia could talk about for the past week,” Trent told her as they both watched his daughter walk straight up to Bridget and start a conversation. “We wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”

  They fell silent, each offering an awkward smile as they waited for the other to resume the conversation.

  Meanwhile, Olivia’s voice floated above the din. “When do I get to take my new doggie home?” she asked first, then moved on to several other questions, all delivered at an accelerated pace. “What should I feed him? Can he sleep in my room? How often will he need walks?” As far as Amy knew, they hadn’t even picked out a dog yet, but Olivia had obviously committed herself to being the best pet parent she could.

  “I should . . .” Amy said at last, hooking a thumb back toward the doors where her station had been left unattended. “I should get back to it.”

  “Bye,” Trent called after her. “It was nice to see you.”

  “You, too,” she mumbled, even though she couldn’t decide whether or not that was true.

  The brief meetup had taken a lot out of her, and she had a hard time finding her smile again as she greeted new arrivals and told them all about the cats who hadn’t yet been claimed by previous visitors.

  Nothing had ever happened between her and Trent. Not really. It shouldn’t be this hard to bump into him for a few minutes here and there. It wasn’t as if she could avoid ever running into him, given that he was the father of one of her students.

  After some thought, she decided to reframe her problem. In reality, she didn’t need to figure things out with Trent. She only needed to get through another hour and a half tonight, and then another four months of school. She could survive four months....

  Right?

  Chapter 26

  Other than her brief hang-up
with Trent, the evening passed quite quickly for Amy. The turnout had been amazing, and the shelter had received even more applications than they had available animals. Although she was sure not every application would turn into a formal adoption, the event had been a huge success, and Amy was so proud of Bridget for pulling the whole thing off. Despite her friends’ doubts, Bridget had accomplished exactly what she’d set out to do. She’d known she could do it, and so she did.

  “Do you have room for one more application?” Amy asked her friend as they worked together to take down the decorations and officially close out Date-a-Rescue.

  “That depends,” Bridget answered playfully as she waved a stack of paper hearts in Amy’s direction. “Who’s asking?”

  Amy laughed. It felt good to see Bridget revert to her former self. She’d been so worried that her friend would have a meltdown, she hadn’t considered any alternative. Bridget seemed perfectly happy and at ease, the stress of the last two weeks magically vanished.

  “Don’t you remember our walk in the park?” Amy asked, grabbing the posterboard hearts away from Bridget and adding them to her stack. “You said we should all adopt tonight, and I wanted to take you up on that. Especially since you’ve found my lucky Lab.”

  Bridget cleared her throat and glanced down the line of kennels nervously. “Um, Jet’s already been claimed.”

  Amy blinked hard as she considered her poor luck. Stupid! She should have put in an application sooner. She’d been foolish to think Jet was meant to be hers by some cosmic design. Of course, a Lab would be popular at an event like this.

  Bridget grimaced in apparent pain on Amy’s behalf. “Well, we haven’t done background checks yet and some of our other animals have more than one applicant, so maybe that’s okay.” Her expression softened as she continued. “Give me your application, and the staff here will weigh it against the other one to decide which family’s the best fit.”

  “Family?” Amy asked, taken aback. “Was it a family with kids who wanted him?”