growing.”
Joel looked down at the ground. “I guess I can give you a loan,” he said through clenched teeth.
“That would be great! You’re the best brother ever. But we need to go. Kat is going to take care of the dogs here, so I need to get back and start rustling up some new clients.” She smiled slightly at Kat. “Nothing personal. I need clients in town. I’ll come out for the walks and feeding tonight, but then I’m done.”
Joel frowned and glanced at Kat, who shrugged. Joel looked like he had been roused out of bed before he was quite ready for prime-time viewing. His sandy hair needed to be combed and his facial hair was in that awkward phase beyond “needs to shave” but before “trying to grow a beard.” Kat was unimpressed. Who was this guy? Had he just returned from a camping trip or something? When it came to beards, Yoda had it right: “Do or do not; there is no try.” Camping was the only excuse for the scruffy, rumpled look this guy had going. His personality seemed equally unkempt, since his idea of sparkling conversation mostly consisted of growling at his sister. On a positive note, he probably wouldn’t be back here since Cindy was off Chez Stinky duty now.
Larry walked up to the group and said, “I was just inside. Chelsey is in the basement and she doesn’t appear to want to come out.”
Cindy looked up and said, “Chelsey. I forgot about Chelsey!” She turned to Kat. “Can you walk her? It’s all on the note I gave you. I’ve really got to run. Come on Joel. Let’s go!”
Still looking annoyed, Joel climbed in the passenger seat of the Hyundai, looked up at Kat and mumbled, “It was nice to meet you. Good luck.”
Cindy dove into the car and with a sputter, it started and began its squealing journey down the driveway.
Kat glanced at Larry, “It looks like it’s just us. Let me look at this note and see what we’re supposed to do about Chelsey. Cindy said she’s the weird dog. I’m afraid to find out what weird might mean in this context.”
The pair went around the house to the basement door and went inside. Curled up on a large cushion under a table was a petite brown herding-type dog with a white stripe down her nose and a worried expression on her face. Her furrowed brow and the concerned look in her dark-brown eyes made her look like she had been pondering weighty matters deeply and come to no positive conclusions.
“Hi, Chelsey. Do you want to go outside for a walk?” the lawyer asked.
Chelsey glared at the lawyer and didn’t move. Apparently, that would be a “no.”
The dog did not seem to be particularly pleased to see the two humans in her space. Unlike the other dogs, she didn’t seem to be much of a people person. Maybe the dog was shy or maybe she had some type of physical problem. Kat studied the information sheet from Cindy. It said Chelsey could be a “little bit stubborn about things she doesn’t want to do.” That sounded like dog-walker speak for “willful little furry twerp.”
“All right Chelsey, here’s the thing. You need to go outside. We know you need to go outside. You know you need to go outside. It’s really time to go outside.” Kat reached down and handed the dog one of the treats Cindy had left behind. Chelsey’s eyebrows shot up and she snuffled down the kibble.
“Okay, so you like food. I can give you more food if you go for a walk.” Kat held out a treat and waved it around to encourage the dog to stand up and get it.
Chelsey wasn’t falling for that that old ploy. She curled her rear paws more tightly under her body and settled deeper into the dog bed.
Kat reached down with the leash and clipped it onto the dog’s collar. “Let’s go, Chelsey. I mean it.” Remembering the British dog trainer she’d seen on TV, Kat added, “Let’s go walkies!” in a high-pitched clipped voice while she tugged a bit on the leash.
Unmoved by Kat’s faux accent, Chelsey moved farther back on her bed and scrunched her
Joel looked down at the ground. “I guess I can give you a loan,” he said through clenched teeth.
“That would be great! You’re the best brother ever. But we need to go. Kat is going to take care of the dogs here, so I need to get back and start rustling up some new clients.” She smiled slightly at Kat. “Nothing personal. I need clients in town. I’ll come out for the walks and feeding tonight, but then I’m done.”
Joel frowned and glanced at Kat, who shrugged. Joel looked like he had been roused out of bed before he was quite ready for prime-time viewing. His sandy hair needed to be combed and his facial hair was in that awkward phase beyond “needs to shave” but before “trying to grow a beard.” Kat was unimpressed. Who was this guy? Had he just returned from a camping trip or something? When it came to beards, Yoda had it right: “Do or do not; there is no try.” Camping was the only excuse for the scruffy, rumpled look this guy had going. His personality seemed equally unkempt, since his idea of sparkling conversation mostly consisted of growling at his sister. On a positive note, he probably wouldn’t be back here since Cindy was off Chez Stinky duty now.
Larry walked up to the group and said, “I was just inside. Chelsey is in the basement and she doesn’t appear to want to come out.”
Cindy looked up and said, “Chelsey. I forgot about Chelsey!” She turned to Kat. “Can you walk her? It’s all on the note I gave you. I’ve really got to run. Come on Joel. Let’s go!”
Still looking annoyed, Joel climbed in the passenger seat of the Hyundai, looked up at Kat and mumbled, “It was nice to meet you. Good luck.”
Cindy dove into the car and with a sputter, it started and began its squealing journey down the driveway.
Kat glanced at Larry, “It looks like it’s just us. Let me look at this note and see what we’re supposed to do about Chelsey. Cindy said she’s the weird dog. I’m afraid to find out what weird might mean in this context.”
The pair went around the house to the basement door and went inside. Curled up on a large cushion under a table was a petite brown herding-type dog with a white stripe down her nose and a worried expression on her face. Her furrowed brow and the concerned look in her dark-brown eyes made her look like she had been pondering weighty matters deeply and come to no positive conclusions.
“Hi, Chelsey. Do you want to go outside for a walk?” the lawyer asked.
Chelsey glared at the lawyer and didn’t move. Apparently, that would be a “no.”
The dog did not seem to be particularly pleased to see the two humans in her space. Unlike the other dogs, she didn’t seem to be much of a people person. Maybe the dog was shy or maybe she had some type of physical problem. Kat studied the information sheet from Cindy. It said Chelsey could be a “little bit stubborn about things she doesn’t want to do.” That sounded like dog-walker speak for “willful little furry twerp.”
“All right Chelsey, here’s the thing. You need to go outside. We know you need to go outside. You know you need to go outside. It’s really time to go outside.” Kat reached down and handed the dog one of the treats Cindy had left behind. Chelsey’s eyebrows shot up and she snuffled down the kibble.
“Okay, so you like food. I can give you more food if you go for a walk.” Kat held out a treat and waved it around to encourage the dog to stand up and get it.
Chelsey wasn’t falling for that that old ploy. She curled her rear paws more tightly under her body and settled deeper into the dog bed.
Kat reached down with the leash and clipped it onto the dog’s collar. “Let’s go, Chelsey. I mean it.” Remembering the British dog trainer she’d seen on TV, Kat added, “Let’s go walkies!” in a high-pitched clipped voice while she tugged a bit on the leash.
Unmoved by Kat’s faux accent, Chelsey moved farther back on her bed and scrunched her
Similar Books
