she wanted to adopt Ginger.
Even better, Shannon was going to be thrilled.
“What the hell have you done?”
Luke stopped sifting poop from one of the cat boxes and looked over his shoulder. Shannon had just come into the cat cottage, and she didn’t look happy. In fact, she looked downright pissed.
“What do you mean, what the hell have I done?”
Shannon shoved the photo he’d taken of Ginger and Tasha in front of him. “I’m talking about this.”
“You’re mad that Tasha adopted a dog?”
“Yes! It’s a disaster in the making!”
Luke tossed the poop scooper aside. “Yeah? Why is that?”
“Because she told me Paris Hilton would love her. If that’s the only reason she got a dog, it’ll never work out.”
“Yeah? I heard Paris built a house for her dogs that cost three hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars. Don’t you wish you lived that well?”
“How do you know Tasha will take care of Ginger the way she’s supposed to?”
“Tasha runs her own business. I’d say that makes her a responsible person. And she’s a friend of yours. If she doesn’t treat Ginger right, you’ll be all over her.”
“But what if she weren’t a friend of mine? You have to emphasize how much responsibility a pet is. Did you tell her that?”
“Seems obvious to me.”
“But it’s not obvious to a lot of people. They get all caught up in the fun of adopting a pet. Then they sour on the responsibility of having one. And then the pet becomes a burden instead of a member of the family. And people need to know that if for some reason they can’t take care of them, they must bring them back. Did you have her sign the paperwork that obligates her to that?”
“She signed all the forms.”
“But did you emphasize it?”
“She read them and signed them. What else was I supposed to do? Get a megaphone and shout it at her? I did get the fifty-dollar adoption fee.”
“This is about more than collecting money and moving animals. They’re not inanimate objects.”
“But they’re also not permanent residents. Not supposed to be, anyway.”
“We’re not trafficking in purse dogs.”
“Yeah? Well, maybe that’s why you have so many animals around here. By the time you get finished with people, they’re not sure they even want to adopt a pet.”
“It’s my job to make sure they know what they’re getting into.”
“So go talk to Tasha.”
“Right. After you let her adopt a dog, I’m supposed to drop by and say, ‘Hey, I’m not sure you’re responsible enough to keep her’?”
“Look. Ginger needs attention all day long or she barks her head off, which means she’ll be perfect as a shop dog. Tasha needed a reason to make the leap and get a dog, so I gave her one. All that Paris Hilton crap will go by the wayside in no time. The dog has a home. Isn’t that what you’re after?”
“Yes. That’s exactly what I’m after. But if it works out, it doesn’t mean you knew what you were doing. It just means you lucked out. On top of everything, Tasha lives right above me. When Ginger starts in with the barking, guess who’s going to have to listen to it?”
“Well, I’m sorry it wasn’t a perfect match.” He walked over slowly and stopped in front of her. “I’d have found a different home for her, but Mother Teresa wasn’t available.”
Shannon drew back, her face all tight and angry, but he really didn’t give a damn. He knocked himself out to do something good around there, and this was what he got?
“From now on,” she said, “just do what you were hired to do and leave the adoptions to the rest of us. Do you understand?”
There was a long pause, and when he spoke again, he made sure he put a few icicles on his words. “Yes, ma’am. I understand completely.”
Instead of walking away, though, he simply folded his arms and held his ground because he knew it pissed her off. Finally she turned around with a huff and strode out of the cat cottage, leaving Luke standing there doing a little fuming himself. It was a shame so many animals were going to get stuck there because a good home wasn’t good enough, but what could he do? The boss had spoken. In her grating, frustrating, irrational way, she had spoken.
And he’d be damned if he’d try to help her again.
Chapter 12
Shannon was still irritated that evening when she headed across the hall to Rita’s apartment. She hoped Luke had taken