Puppies on Parade

by Debby Mayne

  Brice nodded. “How about I take him home with me after the parade to save you the trip?”

  Charlotte hesitated only for a few seconds before nodding. “Sure, that’s probably a good idea.”

  Brice squatted down and rubbed Biscuit’s head. “You and I are gonna hang out and be best buddies. I’ve already got you a bed next to mine, and you’ll love the cool fountain-style water bowl I’ve set up in the kitchen.”

  “You’re going to spoil him.” Charlotte made a face. “He has to sleep on an old blanket at my place, and the water bowl … well, it’s just a plastic bowl I got at the dollar store.”

  Emily laughed. “You don’t have to worry a second about Biscuit being taken care of. I’ve seen the setup, and it’s even nicer than he’s telling you.”

  “I just hope he doesn’t forget about me.”

  Brice shook his head. “He won’t.” He stood up and gestured toward the rest of the people in the parade. “I need to go get this thing started. If you need anything, Sam will be right there walking with the group. Have fun.” He gave a mock salute. “See you after the parade.”

  As soon as he left, Charlotte leaned over and whispered, “I’m so glad y’all are back together. I know you said you weren’t an item, but I could tell.”

  Emily didn’t say anything back. She simply nodded.

  “Oh, and the fact that these two get along so well …” She motioned toward Hank and Biscuit who were sitting and leaning toward each other. “It gives me even more peace of mind.” She smiled before adding, “And hope.”

  Sam stepped up to the dog group. “Okay, folks. It’s time. Let’s get these puppies on parade started.”

  As they walked their dogs through town, past all the people who’d lined up along the sidewalks, Emily and Charlotte talked about everything from business to life in Mooreville. By the time they reached the end, they’d shared most of their life stories.

  Brice approached and gave Charlotte a questioning look. She held out the leash, and as he took it, she sighed. “I’m so happy he has you to go home with.” Then she turned to Emily. “And I look forward to having you visit me in Seattle sometime soon.” She gave Emily a hug. “I’d better go now before I start blubbering.”

  After she left, Brice closed the distance between himself and Emily. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, but just a little sad about the fact that my new best friend is leaving.”

  “Tell you what. Whenever you want to visit her, I can watch Hank. I’m sure Biscuit will love having a house guest.”

  Emily put her arms around Brice’s neck and gave him a kiss on the cheek. This was the first time in her entire life she’d initiated a show of public affection, but it seemed natural.

  An odd expression came over him, and it seemed as though time had stood still. “I love you, Emily.”

  “I love you too.”

  Epilogue

  Six months later, Emily stood in the back of the church, peeking around the corner at Brice who stood at the altar with a dog on each side and a row of groomsmen standing nearby. She couldn’t believe that she was actually getting ready to commit her life to this man who she’d almost given up on before giving him a chance.

  “Ready, Em?”

  She turned to face her dad. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

  “Then let’s get going. The dogs are being good so far, so let’s not push their patience.”

  Emily laughed. The day after she accepted his proposal, they decided to have the dogs in the wedding.

  It was initially Brice’s idea. “They’ll add a little comic relief, so we won’t feel so much pressure.”

  “And we won’t have to work on some silly dance routine that’ll wind up on YouTube.”

  After her dad handed her over to Brice, both dogs behaved as they’d been taught. She and Brice said their vows, listened as the pastor pronounced them husband and wife, and then gave each other a big old kiss in front of the entire congregation.

  Before they headed back up the aisle, Hank let out a resounding, “Woof!” Then little Biscuit started barking.

  “Sshh.” Emily couldn’t help but laugh. “Don’t y’all remember you’re not supposed to do that in church?”

  “At least they waited until we said our vows.” Brice kissed her forehead. “Ready to get the reception thing over with so we can head out to Seattle?”

  “Ready as ever.”

  The rest of the day was a blur to Emily. She’d had a fulfilling career that she planned to return to, only it would be better than ever, now that she had the ideal husband, a best friend who was almost as excited as she was, and a couple of dogs who would make sure there was never a dull moment.

  The End

  Keep reading for the first chapter of Kittens for Keeps

  Dear Reader,

  I hope you enjoyed Puppies on Parade as much as I loved writing it. Please take a couple of minutes to leave an honest review on Amazon or Goodreads.

  Thanks!

  Debby Mayne

  More books by Debby Mayne:

  Trouble in Paradise (contemporary romance – first book in the Belles in the City series)

  Julia’s Arranged Marriage (historical romance – first book in the Hollister Sisters Mail Order Brides series)

  Murder Under the Mistletoe (mystery – first book in the Summer Walsh series)

  Kittens for Keeps – a romance with some adorable kittens and a sweet little girl

  Please visit my author page for even more books and novellas!

  KITTENS FOR KEEPS

  Chapter 1

  Melissa Hewitt leaned against her kindergarten classroom door and sighed. She loved teaching, but she was tired of going home to an empty apartment. After dating several different men who were clearly not right for her, she’d given up on finding someone to spend the rest of her life with. Either they were too ambitious, too demanding, or too set in their ways. The one time she’d let go of her reservations, she’d been hurt so badly she figured it wasn’t worth expecting her own happy-ever-after.

  In spite of her parents’ offer of moving back in with them, she’d been on her own long enough to know that wasn’t such a good idea. She loved being independent, but she was still lonely.

  The words of Elaine Masterson, another kindergarten teacher, rang through her head. “Get a kitten. They’re great company.”

  Maybe that’s what she should do. She thought about it off and on throughout the afternoon while the kids had free time. She loved animals, and having a kitten made sense. Since all of the children were so engrossed in what they were doing, she decided to take advantage of the time and record some of the skills test scores from that morning.

  “Miss Hewitt?”

  She glanced up and smiled. “Yes, Ruby?”

  The little girl shoved a sheet of paper in front of her. “Do you like the kitty I drew?”

  Melissa’s mouth went dry as she studied the paper. Ruby’s attempt at drawing a cat would have been precious no matter what, but the fact that she’d had kittens on her mind ever since lunch was disconcerting.

  “Do you?” Ruby’s forehead scrunched as she leaned closer to Melissa.

  “Yes, Ruby, it’s lovely.”

  A grin widened Ruby’s lips. “Wanna know what her name is?”

  “What’s her name?” Melissa leaned back and folded her hands over her lap.

  “Butter.”

  Melissa couldn’t help but laugh. “Butter?”

  “Yes, because she’s yellow, and butter is yellow, so that has to be her name.”

  “You know there are other things that are yellow.”

  Ruby studied her drawing before turning back to face Melissa. “Like what?”

  “Like …” Melissa thought for a moment. “Like lemons and sunshine and …” Her voice trailed off as she tried to think of more yellow things.

  “Lemons are sour, and kitties are sweet.” Ruby contorted her mouth as she looked at her drawing again. “But I like Sunshine. M
aybe I’ll call her Butter Sunshine.”

  “Do you have a kitten?” Melissa asked.

  The little girls expression darkened. “No, my little brother is ‘lergic, so my mommy says I can’t have one.”

  “I’m sorry.” Melissa pointed to the paper. “Butter Sunshine is a pretty name for your drawing.”

  Ruby’s face softened back into a smile as she turned to go back to her place at the long table. “I love Butter Sunshine.”

  Melissa managed to get all the test scores entered into the computer before the children’s free time was over. She let Ruby choose a book to read to the class, and of course the little girl chose one about cats.

  By the time the bell rang, Melissa had decided she’d stop by the animal shelter on the way home and see if they had any kittens. She walked the kids to the bus area and then went back into the school to gather everything to go home.

  “You look deep in thought.”

  Melissa glanced up and saw Elaine standing at the door of her classroom. “I’ve been thinking about what you said.”

  “What I said?” Elaine stepped into the classroom. “I must be getting old. I can’t remember. What did I say, and when did I say it?”

  “Remember during lunch, when I was talking about how I go home to an empty apartment everyday, and you said I should get a cat?”

  Elaine slowly nodded. “Oh yeah, I remember that. So what are you thinking?”

  “I think I just might do that.”

  “Have you ever had a cat before?” Elaine said. “They’re pretty easy, but they still require some care.”

  “Of course.” Melissa made a face. “I know that.”

  “Just making sure. So if you want to get one, you’ll need to have some food and bowls and get a litter pan set up.” She paused. “Trust me. I learned the hard way to do that first.”

  “Okay.”

  “So when do you plan to get one?”

  Melissa shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe I’ll stop off at the animal shelter on my way home.”

  Elaine chuckled. “I didn’t realize how persuasive I could be. I barely even mentioned it.” She lifted her chin and made a comical face. “Maybe I should be in sales.”

  “The timing was good.” Melissa draped the strap of her handbag over her shoulder and gestured toward the door. “Want to head out together?”

  “Sure. I’ll just stop by my classroom and get my stuff if you don’t mind waiting.”

  As they walked toward the teacher parking lot, Elaine gave Melissa some advice about getting a cat. “You’ll need to get the right food for the age of the cat, and as soon as possible, make a vet appointment.”

  Melissa frowned. “There’s a lot more to having a cat than I realized.”

  “I know, but it’s all totally worth it.” Elaine paused when they reached her car. “You might even want to think about getting two of them.” She glanced at her watch. “I think the shelter is open a little later today.”

  “Wait a minute. Two?”

  Elaine nodded. “Yeah, so they can keep each other company while you’re at work.”

  “I don’t know about two.”

  “Think about it.” Elaine unlocked her car door. “It’s just as easy to have two, and they’ll be much happier.” She paused. “And it’s hilarious to watch kittens play with each other.”

  As Melissa walked the rest of the way to her car, she pondered Elaine’s advice. Two cats? She hadn’t had a pet since she was a teenager, and that was a dog. She wasn’t even sure what it would be like to have a kitten.

  On the way to the animal shelter, she noticed one of the national chain pet stores, so she pulled into the parking lot. Even if she didn’t get a cat today, she figured she’d at least need to know how much everything was. By the time she left, she had a big bag filled with kitten food, cat toys, a scratching post, and other things the clerk had convinced her she’d need in one hand and a litter pan in the other. “If you decide not to get a kitten, you can return everything within thirty days,” the clerk assured her.

  Anticipation rising, Melissa left the pet store parking lot and headed toward the animal shelter. Now that she had all the supplies, the idea of getting a kitten seemed more real.

  All Melissa’s life, she’d been one to plan things out, all the way down to the last detail, before actually doing anything of any significance. This was the first time she could remember that she’d acted the least bit impulsive. But really, how impulsive was this? She’d been lonely for a while now, and it made sense to get a pet since she’d given up expecting a man to fill the void in her life.

  Her heart pounded as soon as she turned onto the street with the animal shelter. It was at the end of a short road. She pulled into the large parking lot, lowered her head momentarily, and asked the Lord for the wisdom to make the best decision.

  The walk up to the door seemed to take forever, but once inside, the sounds of dogs barking rattled her nerves a bit. The woman behind the desk grinned. “First time here?”

  Melissa nodded. “I’d like to look at some kittens.”

  “Sign in here.” The woman shoved a clipboard toward her. “If you find a kitten you like, you’ll need to fill out some paperwork.” Her grin widened. “We have a lot of kittens, so I’m sure you’ll see at least one you like.”

  “Miss Hewitt?”

  Melissa spun around and saw a little girl she recognized as being one of Elaine’s students. “Hi there. Are you getting a new pet?”

  The little girl shook her head. “No, my daddy won’t let me. He’s fixing their website so people can look at animals online.”

  “Oh.” She still didn’t know the little girl’s name, so she gave the woman behind the desk a curious look, hoping to be clued in.

  “Her dad is Mr. Woodall, our IT guy,” the woman whispered. “He updates it periodically.” She pointed to the clipboard. “As soon as you sign in, I’ll have Trent take you back to the cats.”

  After Melissa signed her name, a young man she assumed was Trent came around from a room behind the desk and gestured for her to follow him. “We have a special area for cats and kittens,” he explained. “If there’s one you’d like to hold or play with, I’ll get it for you, and you can play with it in the room over there.”

  She glanced in the direction he was pointing and saw several people sitting on stools, holding cats, and playing with kittens. This was a whole new experience for her.

  “Are you a cat lover?” Trent asked.

  “I like all animals.”

  His expression remained soft and pleasant. “Me too, but I have to admit I’m partial to cats.” He opened one of the doors on the left and held it for her. As soon as she walked through, she found herself in a maze of large enclosed spaces with cats on one side and kittens on the other. “You’ve probably noticed that this is kitten season. We’ve been getting them in faster than we can adopt them out.”

  “Hey, Trent! We need you up front for a sec.”

  Trent nodded. “Look around for a little while. I’ll be back to help you with whichever kittens you’d like to see.”

  As Melissa meandered down the long aisle between the cats and kittens, she tried to imagine any of them being hers. The idea of getting an adult cat appealed to her because they were clearly more docile and probably wouldn’t get into as much as the curious kittens would.

  She stopped and watched a couple of the kittens playing with each other’s tails. They were cute and hilarious, but there were so many she couldn’t decide which ones she’d like to hold.

  “It’s hard, isn’t it?”

  She spun around at the sound of the man’s voice behind her. “Daddy, that’s Miss Hewitt.”

  He nodded and extended his hand. “I’m Brandon Woodall, and Olivia told me I had to come back here and meet you.”

  Now that Melissa knew the little girl’s name, she recognized her as being the most advanced student in Elaine’s class. In fact, Elaine told her she’d tried to get her moved up to firs
t grade, but her dad didn’t like the idea of taking her away from her friends. Olivia’s mother had died when Olivia was still a baby, so Elaine said she suspected her dad spent all his free time with her, teaching her things most people left to the teachers.

  “I’m Melissa.”

  “So you’re here for a cat, huh?”

  Melissa nodded. “It’s just so hard to decide which one.”

  “Daddy, I like the cute little kittens over there.”

  Melissa glanced over in the direction where Olivia pointed, toward a couple of kittens perched in a basket. They were so adorable they didn’t look real.

  “Both of them are so cute.” Melissa looked down at Olivia. “Which one do you like?”

  “The one that’s yellow all over is super cute, but I think I like the one with some white on it better.”

  Almost as if they could tell they were being discussed, the kittens turned their sweet little faces toward them. Melissa’s heart melted. Now she knew which ones she wanted to hold.

  Olivia’s dad rubbed the back of his neck as a look of regret passed over his face. “I’m afraid it was a huge mistake bringing Olivia back here.”

  “Daddy, can I please have one of those kittens? I want one so bad.” The way she dragged out the word “so” almost made Melissa laugh, but she caught herself. However, Brandon didn’t hold back.

  “Olivia, I’ve already told you that until you’re old enough to do everything for the kitten, we’re not getting one.”

  “I can feed it.” Olivia lowered her head and started to pout, but when she glanced up at Melissa, it was obvious she was trying to play her dad.

  Melissa decided to do the adult thing and help Brandon out. “There’s a lot more to taking care of a pet than feeding it. First of all, there’s a litter pan that has to be emptied …”

  “Ew.” Olivia pinched her nostrils. “That’s just gross.”

  Brandon winked at Melissa before chiming in. “And we have to take it to the vet for shots.”