too-good-to-be-true way,
he drove an expensive
car and obviously had enough money
to buy the farm she
hoped eventually to buy. He simply
wasn't her type. Why
didn't Phoebe realize that?
To his credit, he made every attempt
to make the meal
as painless as possible, asking
about her practice,
mentioning that Mabel Atkins told
him she was the first
female vet the town ever had.
“From
kindergarten on, Phoebe chimed in, “Colby
had the career aspirations. I never
understood what was so
wrong with Betty Crocker.
They al laughed.
“Frank told me
that you're the one who keeps this
place running while he practices
law. With two children, I
would think that takes quite a bit
of effort, Ian said
graciously.
“Wel , I don't
have much time for bonbons, Phoebe
admitted, obviously pleased by the
compliment.
“How do you know
Mabel? Colby asked Ian, taking a
sip of her wine.
“She came to my
rescue when I mistakenly thought I
could do my own housekeeping. Luke
and I were nearly
drowning in laundry when she agreed
to take over.
70
GOOD GUYS LOVE DOGS
Colby smiled, doubting that a man
like him would be able
to locate the On button of a washing
machine, much less
wash his own clothes. “You're
in good hands with Mabel.
“I've already
gained five pounds since we moved
here, he said, patting his stomach.
“She claims the two of
us need fattening up. I'm trying to
outsmart her by adding a
couple miles to my run every day,
but I think she's on to
me.
“Mabel's known
for her fried chicken at church
dinners, so you're right. You are in
trouble, Colby said.
Again, they al laughed, and Colby
found herself
reluctantly wanting to know more
about him. “Are you a
big runner?
“I try to do six
miles a day.
“You must be in
good shape, she said.
“Not sure I could
run six yards right now, Frank said
with a chagrined smile.
“I'm not that
fast, Ian said modestly. “But I enjoy it. I
started running as a stress reliever
during the day. It was a
good way to clear my head.
“What kind of
work do you do? Colby asked.
“I'm a
stockbroker for a company called CCI in
Manhattan.
Phoebe looked impressed. “From
Wall Street to
Keeling Creek. That's quite a leap.
So how did you end
up—
Colby's beeper went off,
interrupting Phoebe's
question.
71
INGLATH COOPER
“Oops. Sorry
about that. I'd better cal and see what's
up. Colby stood up. Ian stood, too.
She headed for the
kitchen phone, telling herself that
just because a man had
the good manners to stand when a
woman left the room in
an age when most men had forgotten
how didn't mean he
was without character flaws.
She cal ed her answering service,
then came back into the
dining room and said, “There's
a problem with one of the
cows at Pasley's Dairy. I have to
go.
“What! Phoebe
looked positively stricken by the
assertion.
“I'm sorry to
leave so early, Colby said. “It was nice
to see you again, Ian. Say hello to
Smidge and Mabel for
me.
“I'll do that, he
said. “If you don't mind, I'll change
clothes in the bath off your garage,
Phoebe.
“Sure, Phoebe
said, clearly miffed.
“Thanks for the
dinner. Colby let herself out the
front door, feeling strangely
regretful that she had to go.
72
11
he horrible noise coming from the
driveway told Ian
Tthat as glad as she must have been
to leave, Dr.
Colby Williams wasn't going anywhere
anytime soon.
They'd heard her engine grind for
the third time when he
stood up from the table and said,
“I'l go see if I can give
her a hand.
Frank started to get up as wel .
“I'l go with—
“That's al right,
Frank, Phoebe said. “Ian probably
knows al about cars. You can help me
with the dishes.
Frank sat down, while Ian tried to
appear oblivious to
Phoebe's not-so-subtle matchmaking
tactics.
It had been apparent to him from the
moment he
he drove an expensive
car and obviously had enough money
to buy the farm she
hoped eventually to buy. He simply
wasn't her type. Why
didn't Phoebe realize that?
To his credit, he made every attempt
to make the meal
as painless as possible, asking
about her practice,
mentioning that Mabel Atkins told
him she was the first
female vet the town ever had.
“From
kindergarten on, Phoebe chimed in, “Colby
had the career aspirations. I never
understood what was so
wrong with Betty Crocker.
They al laughed.
“Frank told me
that you're the one who keeps this
place running while he practices
law. With two children, I
would think that takes quite a bit
of effort, Ian said
graciously.
“Wel , I don't
have much time for bonbons, Phoebe
admitted, obviously pleased by the
compliment.
“How do you know
Mabel? Colby asked Ian, taking a
sip of her wine.
“She came to my
rescue when I mistakenly thought I
could do my own housekeeping. Luke
and I were nearly
drowning in laundry when she agreed
to take over.
70
GOOD GUYS LOVE DOGS
Colby smiled, doubting that a man
like him would be able
to locate the On button of a washing
machine, much less
wash his own clothes. “You're
in good hands with Mabel.
“I've already
gained five pounds since we moved
here, he said, patting his stomach.
“She claims the two of
us need fattening up. I'm trying to
outsmart her by adding a
couple miles to my run every day,
but I think she's on to
me.
“Mabel's known
for her fried chicken at church
dinners, so you're right. You are in
trouble, Colby said.
Again, they al laughed, and Colby
found herself
reluctantly wanting to know more
about him. “Are you a
big runner?
“I try to do six
miles a day.
“You must be in
good shape, she said.
“Not sure I could
run six yards right now, Frank said
with a chagrined smile.
“I'm not that
fast, Ian said modestly. “But I enjoy it. I
started running as a stress reliever
during the day. It was a
good way to clear my head.
“What kind of
work do you do? Colby asked.
“I'm a
stockbroker for a company called CCI in
Manhattan.
Phoebe looked impressed. “From
Wall Street to
Keeling Creek. That's quite a leap.
So how did you end
up—
Colby's beeper went off,
interrupting Phoebe's
question.
71
INGLATH COOPER
“Oops. Sorry
about that. I'd better cal and see what's
up. Colby stood up. Ian stood, too.
She headed for the
kitchen phone, telling herself that
just because a man had
the good manners to stand when a
woman left the room in
an age when most men had forgotten
how didn't mean he
was without character flaws.
She cal ed her answering service,
then came back into the
dining room and said, “There's
a problem with one of the
cows at Pasley's Dairy. I have to
go.
“What! Phoebe
looked positively stricken by the
assertion.
“I'm sorry to
leave so early, Colby said. “It was nice
to see you again, Ian. Say hello to
Smidge and Mabel for
me.
“I'll do that, he
said. “If you don't mind, I'll change
clothes in the bath off your garage,
Phoebe.
“Sure, Phoebe
said, clearly miffed.
“Thanks for the
dinner. Colby let herself out the
front door, feeling strangely
regretful that she had to go.
72
11
he horrible noise coming from the
driveway told Ian
Tthat as glad as she must have been
to leave, Dr.
Colby Williams wasn't going anywhere
anytime soon.
They'd heard her engine grind for
the third time when he
stood up from the table and said,
“I'l go see if I can give
her a hand.
Frank started to get up as wel .
“I'l go with—
“That's al right,
Frank, Phoebe said. “Ian probably
knows al about cars. You can help me
with the dishes.
Frank sat down, while Ian tried to
appear oblivious to
Phoebe's not-so-subtle matchmaking
tactics.
It had been apparent to him from the
moment he
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