One Snowy Night (Sweet Home, Alaska #1) - Patience Griffin Page 0,14

There was that name again. And where had she gone while he was picking out dog food?

“Who’s your friend?” Piney asked.

Donovan didn’t want to talk about the dog. He wanted to talk about Hope. But Alaskans had a special relationship with their dogs. “Mr. Brewster brought this Berner by. I’m calling him Boomer.”

She patted Boomer’s head and laughed. “He’s going to make a great work dog for you at the lodge.”

Why did everyone assume he was staying? “Well, here’s the thing—”

“I’ve got some chew toys in the back.” Piney stepped from behind the counter. “You’re going to need them. Follow me.”

He did as he was told, but he planned on finishing his sentence before getting the dog anything else. “I’m only here to put the lodge and hardware store on the market.”

“Oh, here they are.” Piney handed them over as if she hadn’t heard him. “I’d get him at least a couple.” She glanced down at Donovan’s feet. “You don’t want to turn your fancy loafers into chewed leather, do you?”

Donovan took four, deciding not to waste his breath on convincing her of his intent. She’d figure it out—they all would—when he headed out of town for good. He frowned, wondering what he was going to do about getting Boomer a new home. The puppy whined.

“Can you ring me up while I take him out for a minute?” Donovan asked.

“Sure.” Piney pulled a box of Greenies from the shelf. “You might as well get these, too. You’re going to need these to help clean his teeth when he’s a bit older.”

“Fine.” Donovan walked to the front and then out the door. Boomer took his sweet time finding the right place to take a whiz. The temperature was dropping and Donovan still had other things on his list.

The dog finished and Donovan picked him up, holding him like a football this time, and headed back inside.

Piney was bagging up his dog-related items. “We don’t have single-use plastic bags in the store. You’ll have to buy a few of these for your things. Hope makes them out of old shirts and jeans that folks in Sweet Home are done with. Would you like to choose your bag?” There was quite a variety—pink flowers, blue checks, camouflage.

“Whatever is fine.”

Piney gave him the one with the pink flowers and a purple striped bag. He should’ve chosen.

And since Piney was pulling a fast one on him, he decided to pump her for information. “Who did Hope marry?” Donovan figured it had to be a local boy. Maybe Jesse Montana? That was who she’d dated before.

Piney raised a knowing eyebrow. “That’s really not for me to say. You’ll have to ask Hope.”

“But—”

“You better take some food with you. I have reindeer sausage left over from the lunch crowd. And some salmonberry pie. It’s good. All the sweeter since I had to fight off a bear for those berries.”

He was getting hungry. “I could just get some cheese and crackers.”

“I won’t take no for an answer.” Piney was out from behind the counter again and heading for the diner part of the store. “Grab yourself a bag of chips to go with your dinner. We’ll get you fixed right up.”

Donovan acquiesced. “Do you have enough reindeer sausage for two hungry men?”

Piney looked around, as if someone else had snuck in the store without her seeing.

“It’s my business manager—Rick. Didn’t he stop by here?”

“Don’t know. Maybe Sparkle or Hope took care of him.”

“Anyway,” Donovan said, “Rick is here helping me wrap things up.” Maybe Piney would take the hint this time.

“Sure, I have plenty.” She opened the lid of one of the steamers. “Forget the chips. There’s a couple of baked potatoes in here. Just the thing for hungry men.”

A hot meal did sound good. “Thanks, Piney.”

She finished packaging up his dinner on paper plates covered with aluminum foil before walking back. As she got close, Boomer started sniffing, as if there might be a manly meal in there for him, too.

Piney grabbed the camo bag this time and put the plates inside. “I wouldn’t give him any reindeer sausage, no matter how much he begs. It’ll be too spicy for him.”

Donovan looked down at Boomer. “Did you hear that? No reindeer sausage for you.”

The dog looked away, as if pretending not to hear.

Donovan handed her his credit card. “Where does Hope live?”

“Why do you want to know?”

“Just curious.”

“On Rescue Drive.”

Where the cheap rentals and trailer park were. Donovan felt sorry for her that she’d married a man