To Cherish by Laura Scott

Author:Laura Scott [Scott, Laura]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780990779667
Publisher: Readscape Publishing, LLC

Jemma was in the basement, moving a load of laundry from the washer to the dryer when she heard Trey and Garth return.

“When are you gonna ask her about the puppy?” Trey demanded.

Puppy? Her stomach clenched. Oh no. He wouldn’t. Garth wouldn’t promise Trey something like that.

Would he?

“Trey, I told you before, your mom is already super busy with her new business and taking care of you. She probably doesn’t have time for a puppy.”

No, she certainly did not. Besides, having a puppy underfoot while managing a B&B was just asking for trouble. Would they need additional insurance to cover dog bites? She shuddered at the thought.

She tossed a fabric softener sheet among the damp clothes and closed the lid and started the dryer. Squaring her shoulders and silently berating Garth for bringing up the subject of a puppy in the first place, she returned upstairs.

“Hi, Trey. How many fish did you catch?” She kept her tone light but gave Garth a dark, steely glare.

He winced, picking up on her not-so-subtle message that she’d heard the conversation. “Only one, right, Trey?”

“Cause he was a baby fish and needed to go back to live with his mommy and daddy.” Her son ran over to give her a hug. “Then we saw the doggie, and I was scared at first, but she was real nice. The lady said she has puppies, Mom. Can I have one? Please? Can I?”

“I’m pretty sure the puppies need to stay by their mommy, too. Just like the fish.” She narrowed her gaze pointedly at Garth. “Right, Garth?”

“Right.” He shifted from one foot to the other, obviously uncomfortable. His gaze was apologetic, but she wasn’t ready to let him off the hook yet.

“But the lady said we could have a puppy.” Trey could be incredibly single-minded when he wanted something. “We could take the puppy to visit her mommy every day so she wouldn’t be lonely.”

Did that mean the puppies weren’t very far away? Great, just great. “Trey, honey, listen to me. A puppy is a lot of work, and I don’t think I can take care of you and a puppy at the same time. Now, are you hungry? Auntie Jazz and Uncle Dalton will be here for lunch soon.”

“But I wanna puppy!” Trey’s dark brown eyes filled with tears. “Please?”

Dear heaven, what had Garth done to her? How on earth had they stumbled upon a dog and her puppies?

“Trey, that’s enough. You heard your mother, she can’t take care of you and a puppy.” Garth’s voice was stern. “How about we play with your cars while she makes your lunch?”

Trey’s little shoulders slumped, and he stomped grumpily over to where his mini cars were scattered along the hardwood floor of the dining room.

“I’m sorry,” Garth murmured as he walked past to join her son.

“Yeah, me too.” It was times like this that made being a single parent incredibly difficult. She understood Trey’s desire to have a pet, and she didn’t have anything against dogs. Unfortunately, she was allergic to cats, so that narrowed their options.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.