haunches, Rover in her lap. “I looked all over that area and there was no sign of him anywhere.”
“Does it matter? He’s home now.”
Mark was right. She nodded. “Home, and that’s where he belongs. Thank you. Thank you so much.”
“No need. It was those kids who found him.”
“I’d like to give them a reward.”
“I tried. They weren’t interested. Nice kids.”
Jo Marie looked down at her precious pet. “You won’t be running away again,” she insisted. “Understood?”
Rover held her look and seemed to be thoroughly chastised.
“I suppose you’re going to want me to install one of those invisible fences?” Mark made it sound as if she were about to burden him with yet another project.
“I’d rather you saw to my rose garden first. If Rover takes off again, we can discuss theinvisible fence.”
“Why wait? Do you want to go through another day like this one?”
“No.” That was for sure.
“What makes you think he won’t decide to disappear a second time?”
Jo Marie wasn’t sure, but she suddenly had a sneaking suspicion that Rover had been on an undertaking of his own. Once he’d completed his mission, he would have returned of his own accord. Naturally, that was only speculation on her part.
“Thank you, Mark.”
He shrugged as if bringing Rover back to her was just a little thing. She’d misjudged the handyman. True, he hadn’t been able to handle her emotional breakdown, but he’d done what he could. Unable to deal with her feelings, he’d taken action.
“What can I do to thank you?” she asked. With anyone else, that might be a leading question. Not Mark.
He shrugged. “I wouldn’t object to a few more of those peanut-butter cookies you baked this morning.”
Ah, she should have known. “You can take the entire batch home with you.” He deserved every one of those cookies.
His eyes widened appreciatively. “The whole batch? I guess I could take them off your hands.”
How like him to make it sound as if he was doing her a favor. “Great.” She climbed up from the floor and went into the kitchen and loaded up the cookies into sealed bags. As she worked, she heard Mark talking to Rover.
“I hope you know you’re nothing but a damn nuisance.”
“Mark,” she warned
“I was talking to the dog.”
“I know. You might consider Rover a nuisance, but I don’t.”
“Maybe you should.”
“Do you want these cookies or not?” she threatened as she joined him in the front parlor room.
He went silent as his gaze rested on the filled plastic bags. He seemed to be debating his answer before he finally murmured, “Like I said, I’ll take them off your hands.”
“That’s what I thought.”
Mark left as soon as she handed over the cookies, and Rover, who appeared exhausted, curled up and went to sleep on the rug in front of the refrigerator. It was one of his favorite spots for napping.
Jo Marie poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down at her small desk, reaching for thephone to call the library to let Grace know her news. After a few minutes, Grace came on the line, her voice anxious.
“Jo Marie, did you find Rover?”
“Mark Taylor did.”
“Oh, thank heaven. I couldn’t stop thinking about you all afternoon. I know how I’d feel if Beau turned up missing.”
“Rover is home, napping. I can’t imagine what made him take off like that. He’s never done anything like this before. But I think …” She hesitated, wishing now she hadn’t said anything.
“Think what?” Grace pressed.
“That Rover had a task in mind, someone he wanted to meet. Does that sound a little crazy?”
“Not at all. Animals have highly developed intuition. Look at the way the two of you bonded, almost from the instant you saw him.”
Jo Marie had gone to the shelter at Grace’s suggestion and had assumed she wanted a large dog, a protector. Instead she’d come home with Rover, this pint-sized canine who’d chosen her .
“I promised to let both
“Does it matter? He’s home now.”
Mark was right. She nodded. “Home, and that’s where he belongs. Thank you. Thank you so much.”
“No need. It was those kids who found him.”
“I’d like to give them a reward.”
“I tried. They weren’t interested. Nice kids.”
Jo Marie looked down at her precious pet. “You won’t be running away again,” she insisted. “Understood?”
Rover held her look and seemed to be thoroughly chastised.
“I suppose you’re going to want me to install one of those invisible fences?” Mark made it sound as if she were about to burden him with yet another project.
“I’d rather you saw to my rose garden first. If Rover takes off again, we can discuss theinvisible fence.”
“Why wait? Do you want to go through another day like this one?”
“No.” That was for sure.
“What makes you think he won’t decide to disappear a second time?”
Jo Marie wasn’t sure, but she suddenly had a sneaking suspicion that Rover had been on an undertaking of his own. Once he’d completed his mission, he would have returned of his own accord. Naturally, that was only speculation on her part.
“Thank you, Mark.”
He shrugged as if bringing Rover back to her was just a little thing. She’d misjudged the handyman. True, he hadn’t been able to handle her emotional breakdown, but he’d done what he could. Unable to deal with her feelings, he’d taken action.
“What can I do to thank you?” she asked. With anyone else, that might be a leading question. Not Mark.
He shrugged. “I wouldn’t object to a few more of those peanut-butter cookies you baked this morning.”
Ah, she should have known. “You can take the entire batch home with you.” He deserved every one of those cookies.
His eyes widened appreciatively. “The whole batch? I guess I could take them off your hands.”
How like him to make it sound as if he was doing her a favor. “Great.” She climbed up from the floor and went into the kitchen and loaded up the cookies into sealed bags. As she worked, she heard Mark talking to Rover.
“I hope you know you’re nothing but a damn nuisance.”
“Mark,” she warned
“I was talking to the dog.”
“I know. You might consider Rover a nuisance, but I don’t.”
“Maybe you should.”
“Do you want these cookies or not?” she threatened as she joined him in the front parlor room.
He went silent as his gaze rested on the filled plastic bags. He seemed to be debating his answer before he finally murmured, “Like I said, I’ll take them off your hands.”
“That’s what I thought.”
Mark left as soon as she handed over the cookies, and Rover, who appeared exhausted, curled up and went to sleep on the rug in front of the refrigerator. It was one of his favorite spots for napping.
Jo Marie poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down at her small desk, reaching for thephone to call the library to let Grace know her news. After a few minutes, Grace came on the line, her voice anxious.
“Jo Marie, did you find Rover?”
“Mark Taylor did.”
“Oh, thank heaven. I couldn’t stop thinking about you all afternoon. I know how I’d feel if Beau turned up missing.”
“Rover is home, napping. I can’t imagine what made him take off like that. He’s never done anything like this before. But I think …” She hesitated, wishing now she hadn’t said anything.
“Think what?” Grace pressed.
“That Rover had a task in mind, someone he wanted to meet. Does that sound a little crazy?”
“Not at all. Animals have highly developed intuition. Look at the way the two of you bonded, almost from the instant you saw him.”
Jo Marie had gone to the shelter at Grace’s suggestion and had assumed she wanted a large dog, a protector. Instead she’d come home with Rover, this pint-sized canine who’d chosen her .
“I promised to let both