checked his watch. “Only fifteen, because your nurse is going to skin my behind if I don’t have you back under that tree by ten-thirty.”
“I promise.” As they watched him leave, Gran said, “He’s a good friend.” She lowered her voice. “And a drill sergeant. He means what he says about having me back exactly on time.”
“It looks to me like he might be more than a friend.” Hadley waggled her brows.
“Oh, stop, Hadley.” She waved her arms so adamantly that Bowie startled.
“He’s wonderful to you,” Hadley said, “and I can see that he cares a lot. So what’s the problem?”
“Look at me.” Gran said. “I’m…old.” She was blushing again. “Anyway, I’m not here to talk about my love life.”
This was new, seeing an area where Gran might be the one to need advice. “You have a brand-new hip. You’ll be dancing again in no time.”
“Listen,” she said, effectively closing off that discussion, “I want to know how you’re doing here.” Gran took a sweeping glance around. “Still no business, I see.”
Hadley set down her shake. “I didn’t open for business yet. I wanted to wait and talk with you. What I am doing is walking dogs. I’ve got a handful three times a day. It’s bringing in some income and keeping us busy. So far, I’ve said no to boarders and to people wanting doggie day care. But there’s another issue.”
As if on cue, there was an urgent rap on the window. Outside, Anita Morales stood not with Jesse, her poodle, but with a little brown squatty-looking dog, who was scratching urgently behind his ear.
“I was walking my Jesse when this little guy followed us home,” Anita said through the screen door, a little out of breath. The dog, a miniature pinscher the color of a Hershey bar, scratched again, the poor little guy.
“He’s full of fleas, Hadley, and I don’t dare come in.” Anita held the leash away from her as if the fleas were about to jump on her too. “I dropped Jesse off at home so he wouldn’t get them. And I need to take this one straight to the vet, but my elderly mom is coming for a visit later today. I was wondering if maybe you might take him? Maybe someone will claim him? I’ve already called the police and the pound in Evanston.”
Hadley walked outside and looked the dog over. “He has fleas, all right. If you’re willing to take him to the vet, I can take him in.” She bent down to the dog’s level. “You’re kinda cute.” But the poor miserable dog only batted his ear in response.
“I’ve got to go.” Anita glanced at her watch. “The new vet said he could squeeze me in right now. He’s very young and handsome. Have you met him?” Anita peered through the screen again and did a double take. “Maddy, is that you?”
Anita was saying a quick hi to Gran when Hadley’s phone rang. “I’m giving you a heads-up,” Lucy said on the other end of the line.
“The bulldog’s not coming after all?” Hadley guessed.
“Um, no. It’s coming all right, and Cam’s bringing it. Like, as fast as he can walk it down to you. I think he wants to suss out his competition. Oh, and he’s got Bernie too. By himself. I trust him…kind of. But will you please keep an eye out for my daughter just in case?”
Cam…with a wheezy bulldog and a baby? This she had to see. “Thanks for the heads-up, Lucy. I promise to look out for Bernie.”
Hadley ended her call, walked back inside, and pulled up a wooden chair next to her grandmother’s wheelchair. “Lucy Cammareri called me a little while ago,” she confessed. “Nick brought in a wheezy bulldog, a casualty of a divorce.”
Her grandmother narrowed her eyes.
“I couldn’t say no, Gran.” She felt a little like she was a teenager again. “Not when we have room. I’ll front the upkeep costs. I just couldn’t turn him away. Or the little fleabag.” She cracked a half-smile. That was a little funny, wasn’t it?
Her grandmother gave her a knowing look. “You haven’t changed in the slightest.”
Oh dear. Maybe she was angry. And keeping strays when there already wasn’t much income coming in was probably a terrible idea.
“They’re going to start coming like an avalanche,” Gran said.
Oh no. “I’ll control it, I swear. I’m sorry, I—”
Gran interrupted her apology. “Hadley, dear, I’m not scolding you. I’m just pointing something out. You’ve always wanted to rescue dogs, you know.”
“I