Cupid to the Rescue: A Tail-Wagging Valentine's Day Anthology

by Lisa Mondello

  “Yeah, you were.” He chuckled as his eyes lit up like a flame. “I just didn’t realize how much of a mess I was.”

  “You? You were the one that taught me what a wonderful dog Cupid is and how sweet she is. You were the one that taught me…about love.”

  He reached up and touched her hair, fiddling with the strands framing her face between his thumb and his finger as he continued to gaze into her eyes. “It takes two.”

  “Yo, Tana! Where did you go?”

  Jett frowned. “What’s that?”

  Tana glanced over her shoulder and then gasped. “Oh, I forgot! My friends! They’re still on video chat. I was telling them… Oh, just come in and stay here while I say goodbye.”

  She ran through the condo into the kitchen while Jett shut the door. Cupid had been sitting on the seat next to her laptop, wagging her tail as her friends each made sweet sounds to make her feel welcome. In front of the laptop sat the Goddess Stick. As soon as Cupid heard the door shut, she bolted into the other room to greet Jett.

  “Is that him? Is he still there?” Trudy asked.

  “He’d better be. I want to meet him,” Koti said.

  “No, now isn’t a good time,” Tana said quietly. “I mean, he’s here but—”

  “Then bring him in! What are you waiting for?” Jade said.

  “You don’t get to hide him,” Monica and Lacey said in unison.

  Tana motioned for Jett to come into the kitchen and meet her friends.

  He was a great sport about talking to them and answering their questions.

  “I’ll let you all finish up here. I’ll take Cupid for a quick walk,” Jett said. “It was nice to meet you all.

  They all said goodbye. When Jett was out of earshot, Monica squealed. “Oh, my God, he’s gorgeous.”

  Koti looked at Tana like she was crazy. “What the hell were you holding back for?”

  “Oh, lordy, that man is fine,” Jade said, laughing.

  “Oh, will you leave her alone,” Lacey said. “He really is handsome. Is he good in bed?”

  “Of course he is,” Trudy said. “Look at her face, for God’s sake. She’s glowing so much, she’s practically on fire.”

  And she was glowing. Beaming with pride and love. “We haven’t…you know.”

  The protests were so loud she couldn’t make out what each of them were complaining about. But she knew.

  “Um, Tana?”

  “Yes, Trudy.”

  Trudy turned her hand and waved toward herself. “It’s time to surrender the Goddess stick. You don’t need it anymore.”

  “You’re right. I don’t. I’m in love.”

  She didn’t know which one of her friends would need the Goddess Stick next. They hadn’t lived in the same house for a very long time. But their circle of friendship had always remained strong and would remain strong, no matter where they were.

  The expressions on the girls’ faces said it all. They were happy for her.

  “Girl, what you doing standing there talking to us for?” Jade said. “Go get that man!”

  The girls whooped and hooted and then one by one the video squares disappeared. Tana grabbed her flip-flops by the back door even though it was a little chilly out. She slipped them on and quickly raced through the door with the keys in her hand. Standing still for a moment, she listened to the birds singing and then…a familiar and beautiful howl. There was Cupid. She finally knew which direction her life was going, and it led to Cupid and Jett.

  ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

  For more Goddess Circle Series books, visit: goddesscircleseries.blogspot.com.

  And for more books by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Lisa Mondello, visit: www.lisamondello.com.

  TEACHER’S PET

  To Serve and Protect

  Kathryn Shay

  A NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY bestselling author, Kathryn Shay has been a lifelong writer and teacher. Her novels have been serialized in COSMOPOLITAN magazine and featured in USA TODAY, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL and PEOPLE magazine. There are over ten million copies of her books in print and downloaded online.

  NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Lisa Gardner says, “Kathryn Shay never disappoints.”

  Teacher’s Pet: Prologue

  November 1

  “Okay girl, come out now.”

  Rosie studied Maggie Marino with those deep chocolate eyes, then hopped out of the backseat of her car. A trained emotional support/therapy dog, the glossy-coated Golden Retriever looked before she leapt, literally.

  And allowed the leash easily. She didn’t require one, but in public places, Maggie tethered her. Together, they walked out of the parking lot where the open spaces let a brusque November wind sweep through them. Quickly, they took the walkway to the entrance and headed to the fifth-grade wing.

  Going down a corridor to the left, she noticed how the walls sported student art, pictures of students and murals painted by Friends of Stepping Stones. The vice principal’s office was in the middle of the classrooms. She found two men inside talking.

  When she knocked, they both stood. “Hello, Ms. Marino. I’m Jack Cramer. VP of the fifth grade. This is Noah Carson, the teacher you’d be working with if you get the job.”

  Maggie smiled easily. At one time she was intimidated by new people, but she’d grown over the last five years of college and grad school. “Please call me Maggie. And this is Rosie.” The dog sat down and looked up at the men.

  “Call me Jack.”

  The other man spoke for the first time. But not to her. He knelt down before Rosie. Held out his hand so she could sniff it. “Hello, Rosie. I’m a friend.” Standing, he smiled at Maggie. He was tall and fit, and handsome, she guessed. His blue-gray eyes were warm. “I’m Noah. Nice to meet you both, Maggie.”

  When they all sat at a small conference table next to a big window, Rosie waited patiently by Maggie’s side.

  Jack opened up a tablet and scanned it. “So, this therapy dog belongs to you. The other candidates who’ve applied don’t own the pets.”

  “It’s kind of a long story. My dad gave her to me when I was in college. Both my little sisters got dogs so he bought me one, too.” Before he could ask her why she had an emotional support dog, she added, “I was stressed out at American University. So, Dad thought a dog would help with that.” She hesitated then said, “You can call her a therapy dog, but I prefer emotional support dog.”

  “Did she help you?”

  “Immensely. I know first-hand how emotional support dogs can help people.”

  “And you kept her all through college?”

  “Yes. My roommates and I lived off campus.”

  He read from the screen. “It says you’ve completed your Masters’ Degree in special education, correct?”

  “Yes. I handed in my thesis last week. As you might guess, it was on using emotional support dogs in the classroom.”

  Noah leaned forward. His hair was a sweet shade of chestnut. “Why did you choose to work with a dog instead of regular teaching?”

  “I always knew I wanted to be a teacher, and as I said, took an interest in emotional support dogs in college. There were already a few classes with that training at AU. The program also gave me credit for online seminars around the state, then some in-person ones over the summers. On my own time, I went to Rockford for additional training with Rosie one summer.” She shrugged. “I love animals so this helped combine my dedication to teaching and dogs.”

  Both men listened intently throughout her recitation.

  She said, “May I ask why you two are interested in experimenting with emotional support dogs in school?”

  Noah grinned. “I love dogs. I’ve had them all my life. Right now, I’ve got a little Yorkie named Huxley. I taught sixth and seventh grades for eight years but this year I was up for a challenge. So, I sought out the position in the newly added fifth grade where I would have an emotional support dog second semester.”

  “What about you Jack?”


  The principal smiled. “Pretty much the same for me as Noah but I have an eighty-pound husky at home.”

  She nodded her approval.

  “And,” he added. “Stepping Stones is an innovative school and we keep up with current trends. Your application said you have contacts at the school in your family, so I’m assuming you know all about our program.”

  He gestured to a poster on his wall which proudly displayed the goals of the school:

  To facilitate students having fun while learning to get along with their peers.

  To stimulate their talents, abilities, strengths and diagnose weaknesses of all.

  To respect and support all students in the context of their family, culture and developmental needs.

  To be flexible and individualized when planning for communication, cognitive, adaptive, motor and social needs of students.

  To help students grow in curiosity, creative thinking and decision-making.

  “Your philosophy of teaching is the one I most support.”

  “Same for me,” Noah put in.

  “What’s that you’re carrying?” Jack asked.

  “A binder on the information you’ll need if you hire me and Rosie.”

  “What’s in it?”

  “Parent notification flyers; letters of recommendation from a trainer; and my dog’s ID badges, shots and medical records. She also has test scores from the AKC Canine Good Citizen Exam. I added some research in the back about why schools should use pet therapy.”

  “You’re well prepared.” Jack seemed impressed.

  “Of course, I am.”

  Again, Noah leaned forward solicitously. “Maggie, you’re satisfied with a part time position?”

  “For now. I’ve worked hard for five years and I wouldn’t mind a slower schedule for a semester. I’ve got an overly interested—aka nosy—family, and I just moved into my uncle’s guest house in Maryland. I have savings, too, so I don’t need much income.”

  “How’s your family overly interested?” Noah asked with a chuckle.

  “My aunt and uncles are Secret Service Agents and are used to poking into people’s business. My other uncle was a Doctors Without Borders guy, and my dad was a doctor in the military.”

  “They’re a bit overprotective?”

  “More than a bit.” She turned to the vice principal. “I have faith in this program, Jack. I believe it will expand at Stepping Stones and I can help with that. Eventually, I hope to work here full time.”

  “Good to know,” Jack said.

  “I’m very much in favor of expansion,” Noah put in. “If the test case works out.”

  Since she knew teachers had a big input in hiring here, she took that as a positive sign.

  Teacher’s Pet: Chapter 1

  Six weeks later

  Noah Carson sped up his walk with Huxley, his little terrier, who needed a heavy sweater on this cold end-of-December day. He thought about the coming semester.

  “Looks like we’re gonna get that challenge I wanted, Hux,” he said to the dog, who stopped again and peered up at him with soulful eyes. He wanted to be picked up. A three-pounder, runt of the litter, Huxley hated walking in the cold, and especially on snow.

  Bending over Noah scooped him into his arms, put him inside his coat and nuzzled his head. “Sorry I can’t bring you to school, champ. There’ll be another dog there, Rosie, and I hope you don’t catch her scent on me and get jealous.”

  Huxley growled. Sometimes, it seemed that he understood the English language.

  Noah waved to neighbors as he approached his own small ranch house in a modest housing development in Maryland. They entered through the garage into the kitchen and Huxley went for the warmest place, next to a heat vent. He practically buried himself in his furry bed. Noah glanced at the clock. He had a meeting at school, even on his holiday break, so he showered fast, dressed in jeans and a white T-shirt under a casual navy sweater. After slipping back into his winter coat and boots, he put Huxley into another bed in the laundry room. He locked up, then he headed out the door.

  The drive took twenty-five minutes. Set in a wealthy suburb of Maryland, Stepping Stones Academy consisted of three acres of land, which included fields for sports, three smaller structures for the arts and administration and a big brick classroom building with a surprisingly modern decor. Trees abounded on the drive up which were bare of leaves now, except for the firs, which hung heavy with snow.

  Parking in the visitor’s lot which was closer and empty, he pulled up the collar of his fleece-lined jacket as he walked to the front entrance.

  The door was open and the building was closed to students, but the administrators were working. He bumped into Principal Preston on his way to his room. “Hey, Noah. Hope you had a good holiday break.”

  “I did, thanks, Gary. You?”

  “Yeah, it’s so quiet around here, though. I like it better when we’re open with kids.”

  “Which makes you an excellent principal.”

  Noah bypassed the seventh and eighth grade wing, then the high school wing, then headed down to his classroom in the new fifth grade wing. He found his door unlocked and went inside. And smiled.

  Maggie Marino sat back on her legs in a corner of the room with Rosie. She’d placed a big, red, furry bed for the dog next to a crate on the mat. A red water bowl was provided. She spoke softly to the dog. “This is our home for part of the day, now, Rosie. It’s very safe here, it’s going to be fun and you’ll be helping kids who need us.”

  Rosie licked her face, caught sight of him, and nudged her. She turned and rolled to her feet. “Hi, Noah. I came in early to get Rosie settled. This was the designated area you emailed me about, right?”

  “Morning, Maggie. Yes, you’re in the right place. I ordered partitions to be put around the corner so she’ll have some privacy. They’ll be delivered before school starts.”

  “Stay,” she told the dog and crossed to him. She wore jeans and a purple sweatshirt today, with a dark pink top beneath it. The color made those unusual eyes stand out. Her hair was pulled back in a braid. She looked really cute! “So, what’s on tap for today and tomorrow?” They’d planned to meet Thursday and Friday mornings of the school break to get the room set up and Rosie acquainted with it.

  “It’s time to change up our room.”

  Her eyes twinkled. “Our room? How nice.”

  “I’m glad you feel that way.”

  She glanced around and noticed the bulletin boards were blank. “What will we decorate with?”

  “First, I have new motivational posters for the walls. Research shows kids don’t read bulletin boards, or even notice them, unless their work is displayed. So, I asked the kids to write about, draw or make collages of what they hoped their break would be like. We’ll put them up and then that’ll serve as a kick off lesson when they come back.”

  “Great. If they go up now, I won’t have to bring Rosie back and show her what you’ve done.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “I’ve been coming to the school during the break. She’s getting used to the halls, the layout, everything. Since this room will change, I want her to see it like it will be when we come back.”

  “Ah. She’ll get acclimated without the students first.”

  “Yes.”

  “Good idea.”

  “Yeah, there’s a lot to know about her and routines.”

  “I read the literature you sent me.”

  “Then we should be on the same page.”

  ♥ ♥ ♥

  Noah was taller than she remembered, Maggie thought as she stood beside him in front of the bulletin boards. From a box he’d set on a nearby table, he picked up a bundle of papers and drawings. “I put them up randomly and don’t group them by genre. If things are too unbalanced, we can change them around. You take four and start at that end.” She moved to the right of the board.

  She picked up the one on top, a mishmash of sayings and pictures cut out of a magazi
ne. Mostly, they were toys and games. The second was a few paragraphs written in neat script. The third was a gorgeously sketched Christmas tree with beautiful lights. Fourth was… She turned to him. “What’s this, Noah?”

  “If anyone in class doesn’t want to put up what his vacation would be like, they can free draw or free write.”

  “This is a drawing?”

  He sighed. “From Brett Barker, a student who has oppositional defiance disorder, and often free draws for his assignments.”

  “Is that allowed?”

  “Anything’s allowed. He goes for special counseling every day—they call it Enhancement—and sometimes the psychologist can get him to do his assignments. BTW, other kids go out for enhancements, which is often enrichment. Other kids go to get help with their work. And counseling, of course.”

  “Very interesting. Will we go over the roster to talk about each student?”

  “Let’s do it now, while we’re putting up their work.”

  Maggie learned about the special needs of each student. The class was intentionally mixed so they all got to socialize with kids different from themselves. Maggie took notes on her tablet. When he finished, she said, “Wow. I find it fascinating that Terry Peck, who did the beautiful Christmas tree, has ODD.” Oppositional Defiance Disorder.

  “They’re fascinating kids. Can you guess which one was put in my class intentionally to work with you?”

  “Brett?”

  “We’re hoping Rosie will help him deal with things in a less explosive way.”

  “Anything else you’d like her to help with?”

  “The other kids can use some warm fuzzies from her, companionship, a sense of calm. I’m hoping they can read to Rosie, too.”

  “She’s very good with readers and never gets bored.” She gave him an impish look. “She has a very high IQ.”

  “I didn’t know—” he caught sight of her grin. “Ah, you’re joking.”