The Luck of the Paw (An Alpine Grove Romantic Comedy Book 9) Read online

  “There was a blackout?” Mia shook her head. “My dad worked in New York a long time ago, before I was born. You met him way back then?”

  “It was an unusual experience. Nothing like that had ever happened in the city and people weren’t sure what to do about the lights suddenly going out. Half of them thought it was the end of the world, that the bomb had been dropped, stuff like that.”

  “I guess it was during the Cold War, so that makes sense.”

  “Yeah, rumors were flying. I had been eating dinner with another student at a Schraft’s Restaurant. The lights dimmed, came back on for a second, then went out completely. At first, we thought it was just the restaurant, but we looked out the window and everything on the street was dark. The waiters brought candles and we finished our food and went outside. It was strange, because there were no street lights. My friend was supposed to take a train to Long Island, but we couldn’t find a bus and the traffic lights were off. So we walked to Grand Central Station. On the way, we stopped by a hotel and people were just hanging out in the lobby talking to each other. If you’ve ever been to New York, you know how odd that is.”

  Mia shook her head. “I’ve never been there.”

  “In the city, people walk around like they’re wearing blinders. Everyone completely ignores the crowds around them. That’s just how it is there. But that night people stopped and talked to each other. I could see the stars for the first time and everyone was joking about how Con Ed hadn’t paid its bills and that’s why the power was out. In a place like Alpine Grove, you lose power all the time in the winter, so the darkness didn’t scare me. Everyone else’s reaction to the blackout was what was so unusual.”

  “So you met my dad in the dark?”

  “At Grand Central Station. After we got there, my friend went to look into the train situation to see if she could get home. She left me sitting on a bench to wait for her, and Dan sat down next to me. Then we started talking.”

  Mia gestured toward the window. “But that was ten years before he came here with Rusty, right?”

  “Yes, but I saw him around that time too. He was on a business trip and stopped here. We met and he helped me move from the commune to this place. That’s when he met Abigail.”

  “I heard about the commune from Tracy Sullivan and her mom.”

  “Yes, I knew Tracy. She’s a few years younger than my daughter. And of course Bea. I think everyone in Alpine Grove knows Bea. When the commune disbanded, it was a big problem for me. I was a single mom who was about to lose her home and a whole lot of live-in babysitters. Abigail leased me some of her land and helped me find an old trailer to put on it.”

  “That was nice of her.”

  “It was. She was the best friend I ever had. We worked out a lease-to-own thing, so this is all mine.” She held out her arms. “It’s not much, but it’s paid for.”

  Mia smiled. “That’s a big deal in my book. I’m glad my dad helped you too. That must have been a difficult time.”

  “It was, but it was for the best. My daughter was getting to the age where I wasn’t sure living out at the commune was really the best thing for her anyway.”

  “How old was she?”

  “She was in fourth grade, and it all worked out fine. We moved here, I ended up getting a job, got married, and later got divorced. Even with her slightly odd early schooling, Heather did really well and went to college. At this point, I’m ready to retire. Unfortunately, I can’t realistically do that, but I’d like to at least do something else.”

  “I think you’ve earned it. Where does your daughter live?”

  “In San Diego. Where it’s sunny! No snow anywhere and I won’t be living in a place that has squirrels in the toilets.”

  Mia laughed. “Well, I hope not.”

  Gwen repeated that she had to get to work, but Mia managed to get her father’s contact information before Gwen left. Given what he’d said in the letter, it was unlikely the address was good anymore, but he might be having his mail forwarded.

  First, she was going to give him a call, no matter how uncomfortable it might be. The last conversation she’d had with her father replayed like a looping video in her mind. She couldn’t take back what she’d said years ago, but she could apologize and acknowledge the olive branch he’d extended.

  After thanking Gwen and wishing her a squirrel-free afternoon, Mia went back out into the rain, got in the RAV, and drove next door to the kennel. Kat was splashing her way down the driveway toward the kennel buildings when Mia drove up.

  She got out of the car and waved to Kat. “I know I’m a little early, but I was next door, so I thought I’d take Gizmo out, if it’s okay.”

  Kat nodded. “No problem. I was just coming out to check on the boys before the walk. Do you want to get Gizmo and Lewis and meet me around back?”

  “Sure.”

  Kat readjusted the beat-up oilskin hat on her head and turned back toward the house. Mia went inside and Gizmo started barking and leaping around in his kennel. In the next kennel, Lewis started to bay and segued into a series of long mournful howls, punctuated with a few barks for emphasis. Mia encouraged them to be quiet and busied herself putting leashes on them. Finally, she had both dogs ready and they went out into the rain. Although Lewis seemed dismayed by the unfortunate deterioration in the weather, Gizmo was raring to go.

  Kat and her dogs were waiting at the back of the house. The dogs that had off-leash privileges were chasing each other through the trees. Chelsey, Kat’s little Aussie-shepherd mix, stood next to her looking worried.

  Mia pointed at the dog, “Is Chelsey okay?”

  “She’s not a big fan of the rain.”

  They began walking down the trail and Mia described the squirrel incident next door.

  Kat laughed. “That sounds like something that would happen to me. Except the squirrel would be trapped somewhere and unable to leave, so Joel would have to use a saw to tear another hole in the house to let him escape.”

  At the sound of something in a bush, Gizmo launched ahead and splashed into a huge puddle, followed by Lewis, who play-bowed and jumped on Gizmo’s back. Mia pulled back on the leashes, but it was too late. Both dogs had managed to completely coat themselves in mud.

  Mia turned to Kat. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t really paying attention. When is Lewis being picked up?”

  “Later today. I’ll give him a bath. It’s moments like these when I’m glad we added the grooming area.”

  “I’ll do it. Now that I’ve talked to Gwen, I don’t have anything else I need to do this afternoon. I told Chris I’d meet him this evening. He’s supposed to be working on some drawings, so I don’t want to disturb him.”

  Kat raised her eyebrows. “Interesting. I guess you’ve been spending more time together.”

  Mia could feel the heat on her cheeks rising against the chilly damp air. “Yes. I really like him.”

  “He seems nice. I have an article deadline, so if you could wash Lewis, that would make my life a lot easier. I’ll show you where everything is when we get back.”

  “Could I wash Gizmo too? He’s turned himself into a muddy mess.”

  “Sure. Feel free to wash any of my dogs too, if you get inspired.” At the dog’s worried glance, Kat stroked the brown fur on Chelsey’s head. “Don’t worry Chels, I’m kidding.”

  Mia spent the rest of the afternoon washing and drying Lewis and Gizmo. Kat’s grooming set-up had a waist-high bathtub, shampoos, brushes, a grooming dryer, and other doggie accoutrements. It was a far cry from washing Gizmo in the infinitesimal Airstream bathroom or even de-stinking Lulu at the Enchanted Moose.

  Gizmo was resting in his kennel and Lewis was in Mia’s lap reveling in some extra brushing when the door opened. The beagle leaped up and launched toward a woman standing next to Kat.

  Kat closed the door behind her as Mia stood up and tried to get a leash on Lewis, who was excited to see his human again. She glanced up at the clock. “I guess I lost track of tim
e. He loves being brushed.”

  The woman took the leash from Mia. “I’m Jennifer. Thank you for taking care of him.”

  Mia crouched down to pet the beagle. “Lewis is really sweet.”

  Kat gestured toward the door. “Jennifer, I know you’re in a hurry. Let’s go get his stuff.”

  Jennifer pulled Lewis’s leash toward her. “You’re right. I’m really late. Thanks again.”

  Mia gave Lewis a final goodbye pat. “You be good.”

  A few minutes later, Kat came back inside and smiled. “You sure have a fan now.”

  “All I did was give him a bath and brush him. That dryer is incredible. I got so much loose fur off Gizmo, it was remarkable.” She gestured toward the cage where Gizmo was lying down looking sleek. “I mean, he never looks this good.”

  “I haven’t had much time to try it out. I think I’ve only washed two dogs.” Kat shrugged. “I’m not a professional groomer and I really need to find one. Adding grooming services could help with the ole bottom line.”

  “How do you become a groomer?”

  “As I understand it, most people start out working in grooming shops as apprentices or interns, more or less. I think there might be grooming schools too.”

  “There are schools for that? Really?”

  “Probably, although not in Alpine Grove. There’s one groomer in town. Her name is Betty. Mostly she sticks to small dogs though. I talked to her about the possibility of coming out here, but she isn’t interested. She said she likes working from her house and she’s too old to deal with gigantic Akitas anymore. I couldn’t argue with that. I’m half her age and I think I’m too old to deal with gigantic Akitas.”

  Mia laughed. “I think it depends on the Akita.”

  “True. I know you’re not planning to stay in Alpine Grove, but if you change your mind, I’d hire you to walk dogs. You’re great with them. And if you can figure out a way to learn more about it, you could do grooming too.”

  Mia just looked at Kat for a moment. A job? No one had ever offered her any form of employment before. Jobs were something she begged for and worried about losing. “I…I don’t know what to say. I’ve enjoyed spending time here. It’s one of the only places I’ve ever felt comfortable.”

  “It’s all the dog hair. Fur is very comforting.” Kat gestured toward the door. “I’m having a terrible time finding another dog walker. No one is willing to drive all the way out here from town every day. Please just think about it. Because of impending book deadlines and winter, I’m starting to freak out about being able to manage everything.”

  “You’d really pay me to hang out with the dogs?”

  “Yes, I really would. We’re heading into the busy season with people traveling for the holidays. If you’re interested, maybe you could talk to Betty too. You could offer to volunteer to help her in exchange for instruction.”

  “Do you think she’d agree to that?”

  “It wouldn’t hurt to ask. You’d be free labor. If you help, she can book more dogs and make more money. Have you ever seen how much groomers charge? It can be pretty lucrative.”

  “I’ve never taken a dog to a groomer, but I guess that makes sense. All that washing and brushing takes a while.”

  Kat put her hand on Mia’s shoulder. “I’d love to hire you. Even if you just worked through the winter, it would help a lot. By spring, my book will be done and my life will be a lot less stressful. Like I said, just think about it.”

  Mia agreed to consider the idea. Kat gave her a goodbye hug and left to go work on her article.

  As she put Gizmo back in his kennel and got ready to go, Mia’s thoughts were racing. Spending all day with dogs like she had today would be so much fun. The time had flown by. It would be hard work, but so much better than data entry.

  Maybe her bizarre road trip to find out about the postcards was meant to lead her here. Life was full of unexpected twists and turns, after all. She couldn’t wait to talk to Chris about it. The idea of seeing him made her smile as she got into the RAV for the trip back to the Enchanted Moose.

  Mia parked, got out, and rushed to knock on the door of room one fifty-six. She couldn’t wait to see Chris. A Lulu yip came from within and he opened the door with a grin. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

  Mia launched into his arms and kissed him. “Me too! I have lots of things to tell you.”

  “I fed Lulu and she’s already crashed out in her crate, working on her after-dinner nap. Do you want to get something to eat? It’s your last chance to freeload off the expense account.”

  “You bet.” She took his hand. “Let’s go.”

  They strolled across the parking lot to the diner and settled into their favorite booth. Mia tried not to think about the fact that this would be the last dinner they’d share for quite a while. She squeezed his hand. “Did you get everything done for your meeting tomorrow?”

  “Yes. I was on fire and got in the zone for the first time in I can’t even remember how long. So I’m absolutely ready to talk to Ben. I’ll show you all the drawings after dinner.”

  Mia handed him a crayon, since the squirrel story would undoubtedly benefit from illustration. Chris laughed as he scribbled his way through the retelling. His caricature of Potty Mouth was particularly amusing.

  While they were eating, Mia explained how Gwen and her father had met during the 1965 blackout in New York City.

  He put down his fork. “So how old is Gwen’s daughter?”

  “I don’t know exactly. She didn’t say.” Mia paused. “Well, wait, she said that Heather was in fourth grade in 1975 when they moved from the commune.”

  “How old are kids in fourth grade?”

  “Nine or ten I think.”

  “So if the blackout was in 1965, do you think you were right and your dad has another kid?”

  Mia set down her water glass. “I didn’t think of that.”

  “Well, she said she was a single mom at the commune. Do you suppose that’s how they know each other? Maybe he’s been paying child support for ages.”

  “I doubt it.” Mia shook her head. “Maybe. I don’t know. Wouldn’t my parents say something?”

  “They might not. Or he doesn’t know.”

  “You think Gwen never told him?”

  He shrugged and added a light bulb to the placemat. “If it was a one-night stand type thing, maybe she didn’t want him to know. Or she didn’t ever get his contact information.”

  “But she saw him again in 1975. Presumably he saw Heather, right?”

  “Maybe not, if she didn’t want him to know about her for some reason.”

  “I suppose that’s possible. If it’s true, it would be yet another family secret. Wow.” Mia put her elbow on the table and rested her chin in her palm. “I really need to talk to Dad.”

  “Or Gwen. Do you know when in 1965 the blackout was?”

  “No, do you?”

  “I have no idea. Maybe we can look it up on the Internet. I have to check my email anyway to make sure they don’t have more bad news at work.”

  “What do you mean more bad news?”

  “The big kahunas at Gilbert, Tingler, Halberstam, and Associates Architecture have been working on a bid to transform the old main library building into an Asian art museum.”

  “That sounds like a prestigious job.”

  Chris did a quick sketch of a trophy on the placemat. “Very much so. It’s all anyone has been talking about for months. Apparently, even though we’re a local San Francisco firm, after all the work everyone put into the bid, some Italian architect got the job.”

  “Uh-oh. Is that what the big meeting is about?”

  “Probably. It hasn’t been announced publicly yet, but the selection committee notified the bidders. GTH probably had the gloating press release already written crowing about how the firm is beyond compare. Easy come, easy go.”

  Mia took his hand so he’d stop scribbling. “You don’t seem particularly upset.”

  �
�It’s probably wrong for me to be happy the firm didn’t get the job, but I am. I’m thrilled I won’t have to redesign some obscure museum storage closet. That probably makes me a bad person or at least not a loyal employee.”

  “I think you might just be working for the wrong firm.”

  “You’re probably right about that.” He sketched an elaborate stone edifice. “The library is a beautiful old building. I hope the guy who did get selected doesn’t ruin it.”

  “It won’t be your problem if he does.” Mia sat up straight and tapped her fingertips on the table. “With all the stuff that happened with Gwen, I forgot to tell you the best thing—I got a job offer!”

  Chris looked at her in surprise. “That’s great! Doing what? Who offered it to you?”

  “Kat wants me to walk dogs. And maybe groom them.”

  “Well, you’d get Lulu’s vote. Is that something you want to do?”

  “Maybe. Unlike every other job option I’ve thought about, I can’t find a downside. Well, except that it probably doesn’t pay well. Kat would deal with the humans and the business for the most part, and I’d just work with the dogs. It would be fun to do, at least for a while. I washed Lewis today and his owner was so happy. It was great. Way better than typing carrot-location information.”

  He interlaced his fingers with hers. “So you’d stay here? Is that what you want?”

  “Alpine Grove is nice. The area is pretty and I’ve met quite a few people that I like. It’s way better than Windiberg, that’s for sure.”

  “I guess I was sort of secretly hoping that I could convince you to move to San Francisco.”

  “Move? I know I have some money now, but I can’t afford to live there. What would I do?”

  “Well, there are probably grooming shops there too.”

  “I suppose. That seems like a big step. But I could visit.”

  He pulled his hand away and began sketching the Golden Gate Bridge. “I guess I’ll have to settle for that.”

  “Don’t you think you’re rushing into this?” Mia pulled her hands into her lap. “I mean, we’ve only known each other for a few days.”