The Moment of Truth

“Not really,” she said. “He’s in my math class, but we’ve only spoken a couple of times. I heard him talking about his little boy having some issues and butted in. I just thought that maybe pet therapy could help. And it’s free. We’ve got plenty of student volunteers this year, all of them trained, and Cassie and Zack just donated another van through the clinic, so we have the resources to branch out.”

There she went, babbling on again, like a brook that just couldn’t stop flowing.

Nodding, her expression serious, Lillie sat back to allow their server to set their drinks in front of them. “I’d love to set something up at the day care on a Saturday if it can be arranged, at least for the first visit,” Lillie said. “I’m afraid having pets there during a regular weekday might be too chaotic, but we only have one class of kids on Saturday, and I can invite in a couple of kids that I think would particularly benefit.” She was obviously thinking out loud. And a plan was growing.

So was Dana’s enthusiasm, as she envisioned little children who felt scared or misplaced or unloved, opening up to the unconditional love that animals brought.

“You’ll invite Jon’s son to join us?” she asked when Lillie paused.

“Abraham?” Lillie’s smile changed when she said the little boy’s name. “If I’m there, he’ll be there. Jon works on Saturdays. Abe’s actually the reason I wanted to see you. Alone.”

“He’s struggling?” Dana hadn’t heard much of the conversation she’d interrupted in class, and it had been much earlier in the semester.

“Not anymore,” Lillie said. “He was having some troubles, but it turned out to have a physical basis and that’s been tended to. He’s doing great, actually!”

Dana was envious. She wanted children. A houseful of them.

A picture of Josh Redmond on the floor cleaning up after Little Guy sprang to her mind. Did Josh want children?

“Jon and I are going to be married over the Christmas break,” Lillie was saying, stirring sweetener into her tea.

Dana drank hers straight—the stronger, the better. “Congratulations!” she said, wishing she’d known Lillie longer so she could be invited to the wedding. And wondering if someone was giving her a bridal shower.

“Do you have family here in town?”

Lillie shook her head. “My folks died when I was a student at Montford,” she said. “In a car accident.”

Her heart catching, Dana could almost feel Lillie’s grief. “I’m so sorry.”

“Me, too,” the other woman said.

“Do you have siblings?”

When Lillie shook her head again, Dana felt inordinately thankful for her two half sisters.

“Jon’s an only child, too,” Lillie said. “And an orphan,” she added. “Which is why we’re having a small ceremony here in town, officiated by the mayor. We’d have already gotten married, except that the folks in Shelter Valley decided we needed a celebration.”

“I agree with them.”

“Yeah, I do, too.” Their salads were delivered, and, putting ranch dressing on her salad as she watched Lillie do the same, Dana wondered at the weirdness of having so much in common with the other woman.

It had to mean something.

What, she didn’t know. But she was ready and waiting when the other woman said, “I need a favor.”

“Of course.”

“I’d like to get a puppy for Abraham for Christmas. Jon and I share a bedroom, and he sleeps alone, and I don’t want him to feel lonely.”

Dana’s fork stopped halfway to her mouth. It was as though the other woman saw into her private life, knew things Dana had never told anyone.

In an instant, she was back in the Indiana home where she’d grown up. With Mom and Daniel’s room. Rebecca and Lindsey’s room. And hers. She thought of the little toy poodle, Angel, who’d shared that room with her for the past twelve years.

She blinked back tears. “I’m sure we can hook you up,” she said. “What kind of dog are you looking for? How big? I’d recommend not more than twenty-five pounds, full grown, since Abraham’s still so little. A cocker-poodle mix would be good. No shedding, and a gentle disposition...”

While Lillie ate, Dana babbled on, talking about the Love To Go Around program, already planning the call she’d put in to the clinic as soon as lunch was through.

And if all else failed, she’d call her mother. Susan would know if anyone had cockapoo puppies. And with it being winter, she’d be able to fly the puppy to Arizona, too, for the price of a plane ticket.