“Hi…Uh…my friend and I,” Gloria motioned to Dot, “heard that you might have some puppies for sale.”
The door opened further, which was a good sign.
“I live alone and I’m looking for a new companion,” Gloria blurted out. Mally would be thrilled – not!
The door swung open. The young woman, who couldn’t have been more than sixteen years old, faced them. She wore a pair of ragged bib overalls and stained t-shirt. Her feet were bare. She eyed them with suspicion. “How’d you hear that we have puppies?” she asked.
“Uh…”
Dot weaseled her way closer. “Over at the post office in Belhaven.” She scratched the side of her cheek. “There was a small sign on the bulletin board.”
The petite brunette shoved her hands into her front pockets and frowned. “My mom and dad aren’t home. I can show you what we have…”
Gloria clasped her hands together. “Perfect. Can we take the puppy home?”
The girl slipped her feet into a pair of ratty tennis shoes and grabbed a sweater from the back of the kitchen chair. “Maybe,” she answered noncommittally.
Gloria and Dot followed the girl out to the backyard and behind a large, gray shed. Chunks of red paint had flaked off and dotted the weeds that surrounded the structure.
Woof! Woof! The barking of excited dogs wafted from inside the shed.
They rounded the corner and peeked inside the open door. Gloria’s heart plummeted at the sight!
Stacked in metal crates three and four high were puppies, some of them so small Gloria could barely see them.
Tears stung the back of her eyes at the sight.
Next to her, Dot drew a ragged breath.
Gloria squeezed her eyes shut. She wanted to take every one of the dogs home today! Pull yourself together, Gloria. You can’t help these poor animals if you lose it now!
She opened her eyes and steeled a closer look at the cages. One in particular caught her eye. Inside the cage was a scrawny little puppy, curled up in the back corner. He looked at her with drooping eyes but never made a move. He let out a sigh and buried his head under his paw.
Gloria stepped closer.
“That’s Jasper. He’s part lab and part mutt so we’re having a hard time finding a home. Most people want purebred.”
Gloria slipped her index finger through the bars. The inside of the cage was filthy and smelled horrible. She wrinkled her nose. “Hey, Jasper,” she coaxed.
Jasper opened an eye, gazed at Gloria and then closed his eye again, clearly depressed.
“I’d like to take Jasper.” She spun around and faced the girl. “How much?” Not that it mattered.
The girl’s eyes darted to the cage. She could tell that Gloria wanted the dog. She could probably name her price and the woman wouldn’t bat an eye. Jessica couldn’t do that, though. Jasper had a special place in her heart, too, and she knew this woman was Jasper’s best shot at a better life.
She threw out the first number that came to mind. “Ninety five dollars.”
“Sold!” Gloria reached inside her purse. Luckily, she had enough cash on hand. She handed the girl a hundred dollar bill and waited while she unlocked the cage. Jessica slid her hand under the pup and pulled him out.
Dot was on the other side of the cramped shed, peering into a lower cage. “What about this one?” She pointed to a larger dog, bursting at the seams, his fur pressed tight against the cage that was two sizes too small for a large dog as large as he was.
The girl placed Jasper in Gloria’s open arms. He barely stirred. Gloria hoped it wasn’t too late, that the dog was just sad and not about to die. It would break Gloria’s heart!
“That’s Odie.” The girl unlocked the cage and Odie burst out. Or maybe it was more like exploded. He hit the cement floor with a thud, landing on all fours.
The girl shoved her hands in her back pockets. “He’s a handful,” she warned.
Dot bent down to pat Odie’s head.
Jessica continued. “I found him wandering on the side of the road last week. My parents were mad when I brought him home.”
Jessica bent forward and stroked Odie’s back. “They told me that we can’t keep him and that if someone didn’t take him this week, he would have to go.”
Gloria and Jasper stepped closer. “Go where?”
Jessica’s eyes met Gloria’s eyes and then lowered. “Not sure,” Jessica mumbled.
Dot shot to her feet. “That settles it then. I’ll take Odie home with me!”
Jessica scuffed the tip of her shoe on the bare concrete floor. “My parents will be furious if I don’t charge you,” she said.
Dot opened the clasp of her purse. “How much?”
The girl shrugged, unsure how much a stray she picked up off the side of the road was worth. “Twenty five dollars?” She lifted her brow and gazed into Dot’s eyes.
Dot fumbled inside her purse and pulled out a twenty and ten. She shoved the bills into the girl’s open hand. “Keep the change.”
Before the girl could change her mind, Dot and Gloria stepped out of the “kennel” for lack of a better word, and headed toward the car.
Gloria took one final glance behind her at all of the sad faces of animals that she couldn’t rescue, at least not today.
Dot and Gloria gave the dogs a few moments to take a potty break and then gently set them both on the back seat.
At least Gloria gently placed Jasper on the back seat. Odie tromped back and forth across the seat as he tried to look out the rear windows.
Gloria slid into the driver’s seat and turned to Dot. “You sure you can handle that one?”
Dot waved a hand dismissively. “Yeah! Piece of cake.”
She snaked a hand behind her and patted Odie’s head. “Ray won’t mind. He’ll probably be happy that I have something to take my mind off the other.”
Gloria had been so caught up in the puppy mill, she had completely forgotten about Dot’s cancer – and her daughter’s house dilemma!
Gloria backed out of the drive and pulled onto the road. She glanced in the rearview mirror. “We have to do something about those poor animals.”
Dot agreed. “I was thinking the same thing.” She adjusted the seatbelt across her lap. “Do you think those people and the dogs have something to do with the strange messages and someone scaring off potential buyers from the house?”
Gloria had been wondering the same thing. It didn’t make sense that the people would kill their own deal so-to-speak, although they were collecting large non-refundable deposits as soon as they had the signed paperwork.
Gloria narrowed her eyes. What if the real estate agent, Sue Camp, was involved? She wondered how much Sue Camp stood to gain each time a buyer cancelled a contract. If she didn’t make any money off the canceled contract, what benefit would it be to her for the property to remain on the market?
Looking back, the woman had seemed in an awful big hurry to cancel the contract instead of trying to work it out so that Jill and Greg would follow through with the purchase of the home.
If she had more time, she would swing by the agent’s office and question her face-to-face. She glanced in the rearview mirror. Right now, she had a more pressing matter. Getting her new pooch home and welcomed into the family!
Chapter 10
Gloria dropped Dot and Odie off first. Ray was already home, waiting for his wife, when Gloria pulled in the drive. If he was surprised that they had a new family member, he did a great job of hiding it.
He greeted Odie as if they’d been together forever. Gloria grinned as she watched the three of them disappear inside the house.
Dot turned back for a second, gave her friend a “thumbs up” and then closed the door behind her. Odie might be the best medicine for Dot…far better than doctors or surgery, at least as far as lifting her spirits and giving her something to focus on other than the “c” word.
Back at the farm, Gloria pulled Annabelle into the garage and made her way to
the rear passenger door.
Jasper lifted an ear and opened one eye when Gloria reached for him. “C’mon Jasper. We’re home. Your new home. It’s time to meet Mally and Puddles,” she cajoled.
Jasper rose up on wobbly legs and tottered toward Gloria. Could it be the poor thing had spent so much time inside the cage that his legs weren’t strong? Gloria felt a surge of heat rush through her.
She lifted Jasper from the backseat and then carried him over to the grass. He stood still for a long moment as he looked around. Gloria tried to see the farm through his eyes. It must look foreign and so very different from anything he’d ever seen before!
Jasper lifted his head and sniffed the cool, fall air. He took a step forward and then stopped. His whole body shook, as if overwhelmed by it all.
Gloria dropped to her knees and patted his back. “Don’t worry Jasper. You’re safe now.” She ran her hand down his legs. As soon as they were in the house, she was going to call the vet and make an appointment!
Jasper, feeling a little more confident with Gloria next to him, took a few tentative steps as he tottered over to the big oak tree. Mally’s favorite tree.
Gloria’s eyes darted to the back door. She could see Mally’s face pressed tight against the window. How would Mally react to Jasper?
Jasper and she wandered around the yard. The more Jasper explored, the more confident he became. He explored the front yard and sniffed around the edge of the garden before he came back to Gloria and settled in at her feet.
Apparently, he had enough exploring for now!
She lifted Jasper and tucked him into the crook of her arm. It was time for Jasper to meet the rest of the family!
Gloria unlocked the door and let herself into the kitchen, keeping a firm grip on Jasper. He began to tremble when he caught sight of Mally, who was ten times larger!
Mally paced back and forth, trying to get close to Jasper.
Gloria held the door. “Want to go out, girl?”
Mally hesitated, looking from the door to Jasper, then back to the door. The outdoors won out. Mally raced across the porch and over to her favorite tree.
While Mally was outside, Gloria set Jasper on the floor of the guest bedroom. “I’ll be back in a minute,” she promised. She quietly closed the door behind her.
Gloria stepped out onto the porch and watched as Mally stretched her legs and darted around the yard. She disappeared on the far side of the garden – or what was left of it – and returned to the porch, an ear of corn clenched between her teeth.
She dropped it on the floor near Gloria’s feet and looked up with pleading eyes, as if to say, “I can keep this, right?”
Gloria patted her head. “Yeah, you can keep it…finders keepers, I guess.”
Mally picked the ear of corn back up and made her way to the porch door.
Gloria opened the door and waited for Mally to wander back inside. She watched as Mally dropped the ear of corn in her box of toys and trotted right into the dining room.
Gloria knew she was looking for Jasper.
Puddles was already at the bedroom door, his nose sniffing the perimeter. He flopped down on the floor and playfully stuck his paw under the frame, as if waiting for Jasper to join in.
Gloria lowered her head and peeked through the crack. She could see two small paws and the tip of Jasper’s nose.
Mally whined and lowered down. Now both of her pets were trying to get in. They didn’t seem agitated, just curious.
Gloria’s cell phone chirped. She left the pets at the door and grabbed her phone off the table. It was Lucy. “How did it go?”
“How did what go?” So much had happened; she wasn’t sure what Lucy wanted to know.
“Did you find anything interesting in the house?”
Gloria placed the palm of her hand on her forehead and closed her eyes. “Did we ever.” She eyed the bedroom door.
Mally was trying to nudge the door open with her nose.
Puddles was using his back feet to kick at the door.
“Are you busy?” she asked Lucy.
Her friend yawned. “Nope,” she said.
“Can you come down? I might need a second set of hands,” Gloria told her.
“Sure.” Lucy didn’t probe. It was hard telling what exactly Gloria had gotten herself into, but knowing her friend, if she said she needed an extra hand, it had to be good!
Lucy grabbed her keys off the hook by the door and her purse from the chair. “I’m on my way!”
Gloria kept one eye on the bedroom door and the other on the driveway. Lucy made it in record time and Gloria held the door while she stepped inside.
Lucy took one look at Gloria’s face and frowned. “Uh-oh. Something big happened.” She dropped her purse on the table and shoved her keys in the side pocket. “Why do I always miss the good stuff?” she groaned.
“Woof!”
Jasper had finally found his voice, although it was more of a yap and less of a bark.
Lucy tilted her head and peeked into the dining room. “That wasn’t Mally, unless she lost her voice.”
“Nope.” Gloria shook her head. “That was Jasper,” Gloria said.
“Jasper?” Lucy started for the dining room. “You didn’t…”
Gloria was right on her heels. “Oh, I did and so did Dot.”
Lucy tiptoed past Gloria’s pets, still firmly planted in front of the door. “Jasper is in here?” She tapped the outside of the bedroom door.
“Yep. Somehow, we need to get Puddles, Mally and Jasper acquainted. I figured it would be easier if I had a little help.”
Lucy snorted. “Whatever possessed you to get another dog?” She held up her hand. “Wait! I’m sure this will involve more than a couple minutes explanation. We should wait ‘til the current crisis is over.”
Gloria sucked in a breath and nodded. “Good idea.”
She reached for Mally’s collar and led her out to the kitchen. Lucy picked Puddles up and they trailed behind.
Gloria placed the doggie gate in the doorway that separated the kitchen from the dining room. Next, Lucy and she headed back to the guest bedroom.
Gloria opened the door and peeked around the corner. Jasper sat on the floor nearby. His ears drooped as he looked at Gloria then Lucy.
“Oh! How adorable!” Lucy reached out to pet his black fur.
He shrank back and began to quiver.
Lucy pulled her hand away. “He’s terrified!”
Normally, Lucy was afraid of dogs. The only two dogs that her friend wasn’t afraid to be around were Mally and Andrea’s dog, Brutus. When Lucy was young, a dog had attacked her on her way home from school. She had ended up in the emergency room with several stitches on both of her arms and legs.
She had a fear of dogs…not the other way around. Lucy’s heart melted. She dropped to the floor and crossed her legs. She patted the floor. “C’mere Jasper.” She looked at Gloria. “Where did you get him?”
“It’s a long story. A puppy mill.”
Lucy shot her a look of surprise. It wasn’t like Gloria to shop for a dog at a known puppy mill!
Gloria sighed. “Let’s just say that I rescued Jasper and Dot rescued another dog, Odie.”
Jasper tiptoed toward Lucy’s outstretched hand then rubbed the top of his head on the palm of her hand.
“He likes you,” Gloria said.
Lucy didn’t move a muscle as Jasper sniffed her hand and then licked her thumb. After giving her the once-over, Jasper climbed onto Lucy’s lap and curled into a ball.
Gloria clasped her hands together. “That dog belongs with you!”
Lucy stroked the top of Jasper’s head. “I never thought I would say this, but I think you’re right. He just stole my heart.”
She rubbed his ear. “He’s still trembling - just a little.”
Her head shot up. “But you picked him out.”
Gloria grinned. “I may have picked him out, but he most definitely picked you out!”
She knew right then and there that the matter was settled. Lucy, for the first time in her life, had a pet!
“Woof!” That bark belonged to Mally and Gloria could tell from the tone that her beloved pooch was getting anxious.
Lucy snuggled Jasper to her chest and carried him out of the bedroom.
Gloria stepped into the kitchen first. She bent down to Mally-level. “Don’t you dare scare poor Jasper,” she warned her. She turned to Puddles. “You, either.”
Lucy stepped over the gate. Jasper eyed Mally, a look of sheer terror on his small face. “Maybe we should save the introductions for another day.”
“I agree.” Gloria opened the porch door and Lucy and Jasper stepped onto the porch.
Mally attempted to follow behind but Gloria stopped her. “Maybe next time, girl.” Mally hadn’t shown any sign of aggression but Jasper was too skittish and she didn’t want the poor dog, who had probably already gone through so much, to be traumatized.
Lucy eased into the porch chair and settled Jasper onto her lap while Gloria slid into the other rocker. She explained everything that had happened up until the moment she called Lucy and asked her to come over.
Lucy rubbed Jasper’s chin thoughtfully. “You mean there are more dogs, just like Jasper?”
Gloria nodded grimly. “A lot more. Somehow, some way, those poor animals need to be rescued.”
Chapter 11
Gloria packed a bag of goodies for Jasper, including some of Mally’s favorite doggie treats. She gave Lucy the name and phone number of Mally and Puddles’ vet, Andy Cohen, and then watched as Lucy loaded her new best bud in the front of the jeep and drove off.
Gloria couldn’t have picked a better dog for her best friend if she tried.
She turned back to catch a glimpse of Mally’s forlorn face in the window. She looked disappointed that Jasper was gone.
The Lord sure knew how to work things. Gloria already had her plate full, what with trying to plan the wedding, prepare for her kids holiday homecoming, solve the mystery surrounding Jill’s house and now figure out how to rescue those poor pooches, not to mention deal with Dot’s cancer.
Just the thought of all of that made her head spin. She glanced up at the skies. Clouds had started to gather but there were still several hours of daylight left. A nice, long walk back to the woods would do wonders and it would definitely cheer Mally.
Bully in the Burbs (Garden Girls Christian Cozy Mystery Book 8) Page 6
