pink lip gloss against creamy white skin, a blond bob angled toward the front, a lab coat over tan Dockers, and a lavender scrub top patterned with tiny white kittens. Basically, if Barbie’s countless occupations included a clinic vet and manager, this would be her—but with a suave Italian husband whose local relatives could populate an entire village. In their family, every holiday was just an excuse for daylong eating and, oddly enough, karaoke singing. When Audra was hired here six years ago, Tess invited her to one of the extravaganzas. A plateful of cannoli and a duet, almost recognizable as “I Will Survive,” were all it took to forge a lasting friendship.
“I didn’t see you sneak in,” Tess said.
“Well, you know me and my ninja skills.” Audra pushed up a smile.
“Do you have a minute?”
“Yeah, sure.” She relinquished the phone, gladly, and tucked the card into her pocket. “What’s up?”
Tess leaned back against the counter. She folded her arms, her sass and smile missing. “We ran into a problem this morning with Mrs. Wilfred.”
Mrs. Wilfred ... the original “Crazy Cat Lady.”
“Don’t tell me she had an issue with me needing to reschedule,” Audra said. “That woman cancels on me all the time.”
“She showed up for the appointment. When you weren’t here, she went on a major rant. And when I say ‘major,’ I mean she could be heard from Pluto.”
Audra would never pass off blame, unless it didn’t belong to her. “Tess, I phoned the front desk. They said they’d call her.”
“She didn’t get the message in time. Apparently, with having to take her cats home, she had to miss breakfast with the Red Hat Society—which for her, as you well know, is earth-shattering. I would’ve handled the vaccines myself if my morning hadn’t already been packed.”
Audra groaned. After departing from the school later than planned, she’d hit a deadlock on 1-205 and had no option but to cancel. “I’m sorry for missing it, but seriously, the freeway was a parking lot.”
“Believe me, I understand. It wouldn’t have been a big deal except . . .”
Audra steeled herself before asking, “Except?”
“Hector was here.”
A vision of the full scene took shape: Hector Petra, the semiretired Greek vet who’d founded the clinic decades ago, dropped in only on occasion. He had a fairly hands-off style, so long as customer service was up to par.
“And, to make matters worse,” Tess went on, “a reporter from The Oregonian stopped by just then. He was snooping for info about you and Jack.”
Unbelievable. By now the journalistic buzzards should have had other targets to circle.
“What did you tell him?”
“That we had no comment, like you’d asked.”
Audra dropped her shoulders and sighed. “Thank you.”
Tess glanced toward the hall, a confirmation of privacy. She continued in a lowered voice. “When Hector asked, I told him you’d been flying out to see relatives. He bought it, but he’s still concerned about you being distracted. He said you’re welcome to take a few days off if that would help.”
If only a vacation were all Audra needed.
“It’s really not necessary. I appreciate it though.”
“But while you’re waiting for your interview—”
“The spot’s been filled,” Audra informed her, which fully solidified the outcome. “I got the call last night.”
Tess paused, taking this in. “I can’t say I’m entirely sad about that.”
A laugh slipped from Audra’s mouth. She was well aware of her friend’s hope that the plan to relocate was a temporary phase.
“On a serious note,” Tess said. “You doing okay?”
“Yeah. Fine. Just need to look for other options, is all.”
Tess tipped her head forward, peering at her. “Sweetie—and I say this with a whole lotta love—you look like doggy doo.” The girl was never one to sugarcoat. “For heaven’s sake, tell me what’s going on. Aside from the job.”
The invitation hung
“I didn’t see you sneak in,” Tess said.
“Well, you know me and my ninja skills.” Audra pushed up a smile.
“Do you have a minute?”
“Yeah, sure.” She relinquished the phone, gladly, and tucked the card into her pocket. “What’s up?”
Tess leaned back against the counter. She folded her arms, her sass and smile missing. “We ran into a problem this morning with Mrs. Wilfred.”
Mrs. Wilfred ... the original “Crazy Cat Lady.”
“Don’t tell me she had an issue with me needing to reschedule,” Audra said. “That woman cancels on me all the time.”
“She showed up for the appointment. When you weren’t here, she went on a major rant. And when I say ‘major,’ I mean she could be heard from Pluto.”
Audra would never pass off blame, unless it didn’t belong to her. “Tess, I phoned the front desk. They said they’d call her.”
“She didn’t get the message in time. Apparently, with having to take her cats home, she had to miss breakfast with the Red Hat Society—which for her, as you well know, is earth-shattering. I would’ve handled the vaccines myself if my morning hadn’t already been packed.”
Audra groaned. After departing from the school later than planned, she’d hit a deadlock on 1-205 and had no option but to cancel. “I’m sorry for missing it, but seriously, the freeway was a parking lot.”
“Believe me, I understand. It wouldn’t have been a big deal except . . .”
Audra steeled herself before asking, “Except?”
“Hector was here.”
A vision of the full scene took shape: Hector Petra, the semiretired Greek vet who’d founded the clinic decades ago, dropped in only on occasion. He had a fairly hands-off style, so long as customer service was up to par.
“And, to make matters worse,” Tess went on, “a reporter from The Oregonian stopped by just then. He was snooping for info about you and Jack.”
Unbelievable. By now the journalistic buzzards should have had other targets to circle.
“What did you tell him?”
“That we had no comment, like you’d asked.”
Audra dropped her shoulders and sighed. “Thank you.”
Tess glanced toward the hall, a confirmation of privacy. She continued in a lowered voice. “When Hector asked, I told him you’d been flying out to see relatives. He bought it, but he’s still concerned about you being distracted. He said you’re welcome to take a few days off if that would help.”
If only a vacation were all Audra needed.
“It’s really not necessary. I appreciate it though.”
“But while you’re waiting for your interview—”
“The spot’s been filled,” Audra informed her, which fully solidified the outcome. “I got the call last night.”
Tess paused, taking this in. “I can’t say I’m entirely sad about that.”
A laugh slipped from Audra’s mouth. She was well aware of her friend’s hope that the plan to relocate was a temporary phase.
“On a serious note,” Tess said. “You doing okay?”
“Yeah. Fine. Just need to look for other options, is all.”
Tess tipped her head forward, peering at her. “Sweetie—and I say this with a whole lotta love—you look like doggy doo.” The girl was never one to sugarcoat. “For heaven’s sake, tell me what’s going on. Aside from the job.”
The invitation hung
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