The Unexpected Path: The Second Novel in the Guiding Emily Series by Barbara Hinske

Author:Barbara Hinske [Hinske, Barbara]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Casa del Northern Publishing
Published: 2021-11-15T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 42

We’d both had baths in the afternoon. Emily had brushed my coat until even I knew it shined. She’d wrapped her auburn hair around a long cylinder that smelled hot, frequently cursing when she’d burned her fingers. Her hair now cascaded around her shoulders in long curls. I wore my green working harness, and she was in that shimmery dress she’d bought when we’d gone shopping with the girls. It matched the color of my harness. We looked sharp together.

Emily was swiping across her lips with a cylindrical object when we heard a knock on the door. She shoved the cylinder into a small bag and zipped it shut before crossing to answer the door.

Connor stood in the open doorway, carrying another bouquet of flowers. I lifted my nose, sniffed, and waited. No itching. No burning. Evidently, this bunch didn’t contain lilacs.

“You look beautiful, Em! That dress is stunning.”

“Thank you. Mom and Gina didn’t lead me astray by insisting I buy it?”

“Not at all. It looks like it was made for you.”

Connor was looking sharp in a dark blue suit, white shirt, and navy tie. I sidled closer to him. We’d spent a lot of time on my appearance, too. Maybe he would notice.

“Can I say hi to Garth? Or is he working?”

“He will be soon, but you can go ahead. I’ll get my coat and purse.”

“I brought you flowers,” Connor said.

“Stargazer lilies?”

“Yes. The florist told me they’re aromatic.”

“That’s how I knew what they were. You can put them in the vase on the kitchen counter that held the lilacs you brought me. I finally had to throw them out this morning.”

“Then my timing’s ideal, with these,” Connor said as he ran water into the vase and inserted the flowers.

“It is.” Emily picked up her coat, and Connor helped her put it on. She reached for my harness.

“Is it okay for Garth to go? Won’t it be too loud for him?”

I jerked my head around to look at Emily. After the other night, I wasn’t eager to let her out of my sight.

“He’ll be fine. I checked with the Guide Dog Center, and they said quieter concerts—like the symphony—are fine. If we were going to heavy metal, I’d leave him home.”

Relief flooded through me.

She took Connor’s elbow, and we were off.

A sleek black car waited for us at the curb. A man leaned against the door, nursing a cigarette. The acrid smoke made my nostrils flare. He put it out as we approached and opened the rear door for us.

I settled on the floor between Emily and Connor. There was plenty of room for me. I’d taken an instant dislike to the car’s owner when I’d seen him smoking, but I was starting to rethink that. His backseat was roomy and comfortable.

We got out of the car at Davies Symphony Hall. I knew as soon as my paws hit the pavement that we were in for a special night. We walked under a canopy of high overhead lighting to the front doors, weaving our way through a sea of excited theatergoers.

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