CHAPTER FOUR
EMILY STOPPED IN HER tracks just inside the front door of Junebug Farms and took a second to absorb the difference in sound from outside to inside.
“Wow,” she breathed quietly, taking it all in. It wasn’t unpleasant, the soundtrack of the shelter. It was simply…constant. Never-ending. She wondered how long a person had to work here before they were able to tune it all out and focus on whatever their job was. A day? A week? A month? She honestly wasn’t sure how long it would take her.
Getting her bearings, she headed to the front desk where Clark had flirted so mercilessly with Regina –Volunteer on Monday. Today, the desk was manned by Julie –Volunteer, and her smile was open and friendly as she asked Emily if she could help.
“I have an appointment with Catherine Gardner,” Emily said with a friendly smile of her own.
“Of course. Can I tell her who’s here?”
“Emily Breckenridge.”
If she was being honest, Emily had to admit that she didn’t always dislike the change in demeanor the mention of her last name tended to cause. Oh, there were sporadic occasions when it was a little embarrassing. And she did her best not to take advantage. But her family was well known in this city. Very well known. Very wealthy and very well known. Luckily, they were also well respected and spent a lot of money on good causes, so most people leaned toward liking her. When she gave somebody her name, they sat up straighter, took notice, and switched into Best Behavior Mode as Julie –Volunteer did now. Something about that made Emily feel she should do the same. Mutual respect was a good thing. She smiled and stood a little taller as Julie picked up the handset of her phone and announced Emily’s arrival, then hung up.
“She’ll be right with you.”
“Thanks.” Emily turned her back to the desk and wandered across the large lobby, stopping to peruse the various photos and plaques on the wall that she hadn’t had time to look at when she was here with Clark. There were framed letters of thanks from people who’d found their soulmates in the animals they’d rescued. There were plaques depicting various sports teams sponsored by Junebug Farms. There were before and after photos of animals who’d come into the shelter in horrific shape, only to be nursed tenderly back to health and adopted out into loving families. It really was an uplifting array and, not for the first time, Emily understood why her mother had begun donating to Junebug Farms so many years ago.
“Ms. Breckenridge?”
She turned to find the source of the voice and was once again taken aback by the appearance of Catherine Gardner. Absently wondering if this was going to be a regular thing, she did her best not to give her a once-over, much as she wanted to. Instead, she took in as much as possible in a glance as Catherine approached. Her black pantsuit was impeccably pressed, the sleeves of the jacket pushed up to the middle of her forearms, the silver watch on her left wrist glimmering in the overhead lights. She wore a silk shell of powder blue underneath and the softness of the color made the blue of her eyes pop, especially since her glasses were missing. Her hair was down today, just past her shoulders, a mass of gentle chestnut brown waves, swept to the side. Her heels made a click-click-click as she walked toward Emily, hand held out in a businesslike greeting.
“Ms. Gardner,” Emily said, with a wide smile, as she grasped Catherine’s hand and tried not to focus on its warm smoothness. “Please. Call me Emily. Ms. Breckenridge is my mother.”
With a nod, Catherine smiled pleasantly and said, “And I’m Catherine.”
“Look at us. We’re on a first-name basis already.”
Catherine’s reaction was less than exuberant, but she did manage to hold the smile.
Okay. I’ll take that. “I’m looking forward to this tour,” Emily said, keeping her voice light and friendly. “I have always loved this place. I love animals and I love what you do for them here. My mother has sung the praises of Junebug Farms since I was a kid, but I never really paid close attention until recently.”
“Well, Junebug Farms has been operational for more than twenty years, but we’ve really grown over the past few, since Jessica Barstow took over running things when her grandmother died.” As Catherine spoke, she began strolling through the lobby to the cat wall. She told Emily the number of cats that came in on average each year, as well as how many were adopted out. Then they moved into the dog wing, where the noise was so abundant, Emily hardly heard a word.
Which didn’t matter at all because she was barely listening. All she did was watch Catherine’s mouth while she talked. She couldn’t help it. She caught herself several times and purposefully shifted her gaze up to Catherine’s large blue eyes, but eventually she’d focus right back on those full, glossy lips. Emily hoped there wasn’t a quiz after all this information because she’d fail miserably.
When the tour took them outside, Emily started to feel better, less trapped and claustrophobic. The fresh air hit her in the face, and it was the equivalent of a cup of cold water. She felt like she’d been jerked awake. Thank God.
“We take in much more than dogs and cats,” Catherine was saying. Her voice was very matter-of-fact, almost rehearsed, as if she’d given this speech, this tour, a hundred times. She probably has, Emily thought. Still, she wanted this to be a more personal conversation. For some reason, she wanted Catherine to look at her differently than she looked at every other donor to Junebug.
“I see the goats,” Emily said, pointing toward the goat pen. “They’re adorable.”
The first genuine smile broke across Catherine’s face then, and Emily took note. “Aren’t they? They’re really very sweet animals. They love people and visitors give them lots of attention.” She turned in the other direction and walked toward the barn. “We also take in horses, burros, even cows at times.”
“Seriously?”
The asphalt gave way to a gravel path, which Catherine navigated expertly somehow, given her heels. “Seriously. We take in a lot of abuse cases. Horses that are neglected, malnourished, that kind of thing.”
Emily shook her head. “That makes me sick.”
“It can be difficult.”
They went on like this for the next half hour, Catherine talking fondly, but also very businesslike, about the shelter, Emily nodding, asking occasional questions to pull Catherine into a more casual tone, all the while trying not to stare at that lovely mouth.
Once back inside, Catherine led Emily into Paws & Whiskers, the adorable little gift shop located just inside the front door.
“How did I miss this the other day?” Emily asked softly as she took in the walls and racks of toys, collars, and bowls. The space was small, but used brilliantly, the collars and leashes displayed in a rainbow of colors, in the correct order. Emily ran her fingertips along them, smiling like a little kid.
“We don’t carry as much as we’d like,” Catherine explained. “But we try to keep a good selection in stock so people who adopt feel like they go home with everything they need.” She stopped at the counter, behind which stood a small, smiling woman of about sixty. “This is Maggie Simon. She runs the shop. Maggie, this is Emily Breckenridge.”
Like most other people’s, Maggie’s face lit up at the mention of her name and Emily crossed the small space to shake her hand. “Nice to meet you, Maggie. This store is adorable. I want to buy all the things.”
“Do you have pets?” Maggie asked.
“I have a dog. Dave. He’s a rescue and he’s my love.”
Catherine’s expression showed surprise, which Emily found amusing, then it shifted to something Emily was fairly certain was approval.
“He was a birthday gift from my mother, who adopted him from here a few years ago.”
“Dave,” Maggie said with a grin. “I love it.”
Emily chuckled. “It fits him. I have no idea why. He’s just…a Dave.”
“Totally understandable. Sometimes, you just know.”
“In fact…” Emily wandered over to the wall of toys and picked up a stu
ffed lobster. “He would love this.” She set it on the counter and pulled her wallet from the bag she had slung over a shoulder. She saw Maggie glance at Catherine as if asking a silent question. “No, no. I am paying for this.”
Catherine studied her for a beat and Emily fought the urge to squirm under her gaze. Finally, relenting, Catherine gave one nod to Maggie, who picked up the lobster and rang it into the small cash register.
“Dave loves stuffed animals. He’s this barrel-chested, kind of fierce-looking pit bull mix. People are hesitant around him at first because he looks kind of intimidating. But they don’t know. He will carry this thing around so carefully, like he’s the mama and this is his baby.”
“That’s adorable,” Maggie said, putting the lobster into a bag and then accepting Emily’s money.
“He is never what anybody expects of him.” Emily took the change and scooped up the bag. “Thank you, Maggie. I’m sure I’ll see you again.” Turning to Catherine, she said, “Lead on, my queen.”
Catherine quirked an eyebrow at her, but Emily was sure she saw the ghost of a smile tug up one corner of her gorgeous mouth as she turned and headed out of the shop and back into the lobby. When they reached the horseshoe-shaped front desk, they stopped and Catherine turned to her. A whiff of her musky perfume hit Emily’s nose and she quietly inhaled, taking in the unique scent.
“That’s it,” Catherine said, leaning against the counter. “You’ve seen it all.”
“Well, I love it.” Emily looked around the expansive lobby, sad to have her tour—and by extension, her time with Catherine—come to an end. The double doors to the dog wing opened as somebody exited, then turned and held it open for a person who was following. Through the doors and down the hall, Emily could see a tall woman with short hair and a forest green shirt holding a leash in her hand, but looking over her shoulder behind her. The dog at the end of the leash was smallish, white with brown spots, and was looking determinedly at the open double doors.
It all happened so fast, Emily wasn’t quite sure the order of things.
The dog was off like he was sprung from a slingshot and the short-haired woman had zero time to react, the leash snapped out of her hand before she even realized it. The big eyes of the dog were focused intently on the door and he was through in a split second, his short legs deceiving because he ran like a jackrabbit. The short-haired woman gave a cry as the dog ran right for Emily and Catherine, and before anybody even realized what happened, he’d run right around them and tucked himself between Catherine’s legs and the front desk, the red leash acting like an indicator to where he was, wrapped around Catherine’s heels and leading behind her.
The most surprising thing to Emily was Catherine’s reaction. As in, she barely had one. People had turned to look, a few cries of surprise came from behind the desk as the short-haired woman’s feet smacked against the floor in her efforts to catch the dog. But he hadn’t startled Catherine at all. In fact, she hadn’t even moved. She simply looked down at him, an unreadable expression on her face. The dog, conversely, looked up at her with such devotion in his warm, brown eyes that Emily almost laughed out loud.
“Your dog?” she asked Catherine, quirking an eyebrow at her.
The short-haired woman got to them, and her expression was one of irritation. “I’m really sorry, Catherine.” She turned to Emily, her green eyes so startlingly beautiful that Emily nearly caught her breath. “Hi. I’ m Lisa Drakemore. I apologize for this guy.” She held out a hand.
Emily shook it. “Emily Breckenridge.”
Lisa’s eyes widened at Emily’s name, and she looked over at Catherine, slight panic obvious on her face.
“And it’s no problem. That was entertaining.” Emily did her best to alleviate any concern by squatting down to peer at the dog, who studied her carefully. “You’re kind of a nut, huh?” He continued to gaze at her from between Catherine’s shins. Lisa and Catherine were talking in hushed tones, so Emily took the opportunity to whisper, “You’ve got good taste, buddy. I’d have run here, too.” Standing back up, she said, “He’s a little daredevil, isn’t he?”
Lisa shook her head, clearly embarrassed. “I don’t know how he does it. He just…goes. This is the third time I’m aware of.”
“Geronimo,” Emily said with a laugh. “That should be his name because he just…leaps. He obviously likes you,” she said to Catherine, who shrugged, but still held onto that not-quite-readable expression even as she gazed down at the dog, who hadn’t budged.
Lisa bent to scoop up the end of the leash and gave it a gentle tug. “Come on, Geronimo. Let’s go.”
He didn’t fight her. He went. But he glanced over his shoulder at Catherine more than once the whole way back to the double doors. When they closed behind him, Emily felt a profound sense of sadness.
“That dog is in love with you,” she said to Catherine, whose gaze was also on the doors.
Catherine smiled softly, but said nothing.
“Do you have a dog?” Emily asked, suddenly wanting to know more personal things about this woman.
A shadow crossed over her face as she glanced down at her feet. “No.”
“Well, maybe you should.” Emily pointed in the direction of the dog wing. “That one.”
With a gentle shrug, Catherine smoothly changed the subject. “So. That’s Junebug Farms in a nutshell. What else would you like to know?”
In all honestly, Emily didn’t want the tour to end. She really liked being around Catherine. Which was a little silly because it wasn’t like she was warm and fuzzy. Rather, she was cool and businesslike, aloof though not unfriendly. She obviously loved the place; that came through in the way she talked about it, the things she’d explained or pointed out.
“I’d like to be more involved,” Emily said before she could stop the words. What did that even mean?
Catherine cocked her head slightly. “You would?”
“I would.” Straightening up, Emily asked, “What can I do besides write checks? I mean, I know those help a lot—”
“A lot,” Catherine echoed with a half-grin.
“But what more can I do?”
“Hmm. Well, we’re having a fundraiser on Saturday,” Catherine said. “We’re trying something new. A fashion show.” At Emily’s furrowed brows, Catherine laughed. It was the first time Emily had heard the sound, and its slightly musical, very feminine tone made Emily’s face split into a smile. “I have no idea. Like I said, it’s something new. But you’re welcome to come. I’m sure we can find something for you to do.”
“Terrific. I’ll be here.” There was a quick beat of awkward, as Emily didn’t want to leave, but knew she had no reason to stay further. “Well. This has been great.” She held out her hand and grasped Catherine’s firmly. “I really appreciate you taking the time to spend with me.”
“Of course.” Catherine was back to cool and professional, but her smile seemed slightly more genuine than it had been at the beginning.
I’ll take that. “I’ll see you on Saturday.” With one last grin and a quick nod, Emily turned and headed out of the building.
Once the car door was slammed tightly and she was safely ensconced in the driver’s seat, Emily released a huge breath. That visit had been a bevy of opposites. It was comfortable and uncomfortable. It was relaxing but nerve-wracking. She enjoyed being around Catherine, yet Catherine made her jittery.
“Ugh. Get your shit together, Em,” she said to the quiet of the car. “This is business, not the place to develop a crush.” She pulled her iPhone out of her bag and plugged it into the car. Immediately, three texts popped up as well as a calendar reminder that she had drinks scheduled that night with her good friends, Michelle and Sandy.
Thank God. She could use the distraction.
CHAPTER FIVE
EMILY WATCHED IN AWE as the Junebug Farms Fundraising Fashion Show took place in the main lobby. From what she understood after chatting with one of the volunteers, this was an experiment of a ne
w idea for raising money for the shelter. If it worked, it would be done on a larger scale some time in the future. She stood quietly behind Jessica Barstow and took it all in. Jessica hadn’t seen her and Emily preferred to just absorb everything without bothering the woman. From her peripheral vision, she saw Lisa Drakemore heading in Jessica’s direction.
“Not bad, huh?” Lisa asked, as she sidled up next to Jessica and bumped her lightly with a shoulder.
“Not bad at all,” Jessica replied and Emily saw her wink at Lisa. “Your girl has good ideas.”
“She does.” Lisa’s skin flushed and Emily grinned as Jessica leaned close to Lisa’s ear and whispered, “Pink is a good color on you.”
“Shut up,” Lisa whispered, but Emily could hear the grin in her voice.
“Speak of the devil.”
Emily followed their gazes to a young, pretty blond woman as she stepped onto the stage. With her face turned in that direction, Emily could see the tender smile on Lisa Drakemore’s face.I know that look, she thought fondly, though it had been a long time since she’d smiled like that herself. She continued to watch as, leash in hand, the young woman smiled widely, her blond hair cascading in waves just past her shoulders as she paraded down the catwalk. A voice sounded from the small speakers set up on either side.
“And here’s our volunteer Ashley again, with this adorable dog who is a true terrier in every sense of the word. We think he’s got some Jack Russell, maybe some fox terrier, and possibly some schnauzer in him, but there might be more. He was found as a stray and brought to Junebug Farms two weeks ago in pretty bad shape. But we’ve nursed him back to terrific health and he’s ready to find his forever home. He’s energetic, loving, knows basic commands and is housebroken, and—uh oh—” The voice was interrupted by Ashley’s surprised cry and suddenly the dog was bounding off the catwalk and running through the crowd at an impressively fast speed, his leash flowing behind him like a feather boa.
“Oh, shit,” Jessica said, and Lisa followed with a worse swear word, and before either could move an inch, the dog had zipped completely around the crowd, past Emily—who smiled as Jessica met her eyes—and right past them. His little paws skidded on the smooth floor, but he stayed upright, circled back around to the stage, and disappeared underneath it. As a collective chuckle rumbled through the onlookers, Jessica seemed to shake herself into action, Lisa close on her heels, Emily right behind them, even though she wasn’t sure they realized yet that she’d followed them.
Run To You (Puppy Love Romance Book 2) Page 4
