Bayou Christmas (Cypress Cove #2) - Suzanne Jenkins Page 0,5
a five-pound bag of potatoes, and made her mother’s layered salad. While she finished setting the table, the sound of Justin’s diesel truck filled the air, his headlights sweeping across the cottage windows.
“Daddy’s home!” she called to Brulee.
They ran out on the porch to greet Justin, his pleasure obvious as he exited the truck with a huge smile on his face. Everything about the scene before him just made him happy. Beautiful Maggie, her hair up in a bun, just enough tendrils curling around her face so that he’d know she’d been doing more than sitting in front of a computer all day. And Brulee, her ears alert but then folding down against her head when he blew her a kiss, her entire body wagging for him.
“Aw, look at you two. What a wonderful sight to come home to!”
“We have been excited all day,” Maggie said, holding the gate to the porch open for him. “There’s something in the air tonight. I can’t describe it.”
With one arm around her waist, he kissed her first, then bent down to pet the dog.
“Anticipation,” he said. “I feel it too. Everyone was stirred up at the clinic today. On edge, but excitedly.”
“Almost like it was on Halloween,” she said. “But today isn’t a holiday.”
He followed her into the cottage. “Wow, something smells good. Like Thanksgiving dinner.”
She glanced at him and laughed. “I just need to stick the rolls in the oven and we can eat. How’d your day go?”
“It was busy, but more bad news about the rescue in town. They lost their lease and have nowhere to go now. One month to find homes for all the animals they have, and in the meantime, they can’t take in any more rescues.”
This was news Maggie didn’t really want to hear. It felt overwhelming. Out of her hands. She did volunteer work with the wild horse group and had even allowed a band to be relocated to her property. Occasionally, she helped out at the rescue, too. Gossip that Cove Rescue was going to lose their lease had been circulating for months. But all of those poor dogs and cats and even a pig? How would they find homes for them in a month?
“What are they going to do?” she finally asked, wishing she could find a way to help.
“Kelly Casson said she’ll beg people to foster any animals they have left.”
“Sit down,” she said, pointing to the set table. “We should eat before the food gets cold.”
“Maggie, I can tell I’ve upset you. I’m so sorry.”
“It’s not you, Justin. I can’t stop thinking about those animals. If I had a barn, I’d take them all in.”
“I know you would. My dad and I will take some of them, and we’ll try to find homes from the clinic. Let’s just hope she can adopt out the ones she has.”
“It makes me sick that people don’t get their animals fixed.”
“I know. We’ll do a low-cost spay and neuter clinic soon. Dr. LeBlanc is going to split the advertising costs with us. Both clinics will do the surgeries.”
“That’s great. That makes me feel so much better. When you speak with Kelly, let her know I’ll help her.”
“Maggie, just so you know, Amber Greely is working in Ted LeBlanc’s office now. She’s going to school to be a veterinarian technician, and he’s letting her intern there.”
Maggie looked up from the turkey she was carving. “Because she can’t work with you and Doc Chastain.”
After working together for years at the wild horse preserve, Justin had had a one-night stand with Amber, and when he began dating Maggie, it didn’t go over well with Amber. After breaking into Maggie’s cottage, she spent a night in jail. Amber was ready to turn over a new leaf. However, Maggie claimed that there were no hard feelings, and when she saw Amber at the wild horse preserve, they were cordial.
“Right. Not that she ever would anyway.”
“I don’t know Ted LeBlanc,” Maggie said. “But he’s a vet, so he must be okay. Let’s hope something develops between the two of them.”
“That would be too perfect,” Justin said, snickering.
Maggie placed the food on the table, offering Justin a plate of sliced turkey. “Bon appétit!”
“Delish!”
They passed plates of food to each other, chatting and eating. Maggie poured more wine into their glasses. The atmosphere was relaxed and comfortable, two people who were getting to know each other well, were in love, but weren’t allowing too much familiarity, especially Maggie. She was determined to keep the