Page 118 of Quinton's Quest

“If you must know.” She straightened. “I’ve been down to the animal shelter. After my time with Lucky? I want a Lucky of my own.”

I blinked. “He’s a good dog.”Oh God, where is she going with this?

“Oh, I want a smaller version. I want to put my name down as a foster—for after Easter. And you’ll never guess what happened.”

“I seriously cannot guess.” Because I was still stuck on theLucky of my own.

“They have a litter of dachshund/bichon frise puppies.”

“Say that again?”

“Right? Unusual mix. The puppies are adorable and will be ready for foster or adoption in about six weeks. Now, is that not perfect timing?”

I did the math in my head. Easter was… If Mama moved in with us, then that would be…

“Perfect.” I echoed her word.

“Do you think the children would like another dog? How would Lucky be with a puppy?”

“I can confidently say that Lucky would love another dog. You should’ve seen him at the park. But he doesn’t live with us full-time. He’s Gideon’s dog.”

“But he visits.”

“Well, I guess so.”

“Then it’s important they’re introduced properly. And the children?”

“They love Lucky, so I’d say it’s safe to assume they’d love another dog. Are you serious? You’ve never said anything about wanting a dog.”

“I’ve been watching videos on the internet. And there’s a dog trainer in town, Torah Dixon. I’ve nabbed a spot in her puppy class starting at the beginning of May.”

I blinked. “Just like that?”

“Yes, my dear, just like that. Only I thought I’d be living here with the dog. Now I think it might be in the country. Sounds lovely.”

My mind couldn’t process this.

“And I can make large meals in that lovely kitchen. Now, I haven’t seen the main house. Is it big enough for your parties?”

“Yes. Well, perhaps a tight squeeze—but we’d make do.” I tried to tamp down the feeling of excitement. “Speaking of parties…”

“I’ve got everything planned for next Friday night. St. Patrick’s Day, eh? It will be your last party here.” She gazed around. “Do you want to sell the house or just rent? Renting gives you an out if things go badly.”

“This is your house. This is your secure retirement fund as well. If you need the money—”

She placed her hand over mine again. “My pension is plenty generous. Now I have children and a puppy to spoil. I think that’s perfect. Why don’t we rent? There are always families who need a place. Find someone trustworthy. If things don’t pan out, then we can always move back.” She gazed into my eyes. “But I think things are going to work out.”

“Yeah.” I cleared my throat. “Me too.”

She placed a kiss to my temple. “Now—tell me what else you have planned.”

And so I did.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Leo

Gideon grinned at me. “This is your first Quinton shindig, eh?”