when I began having personal problems, he helped me out."
What kind of personal problems? she wondered. She wasn't about to ask. She didn't want to know anything about his personal life. She just wanted to do the job and walk away. "And he's worked for you ever since?"
"On occasion." They had come into the clearing where Galen had set up camp. To her amazement, there was a table beside the fire with a damask tablecloth and colorful china. "What the hell?"
Galen looked up and grinned. "My mum always told me that you should never use a picnic as an excuse for ignoring the finer things in life."
"And you think this job is going to be a picnic?"
"It depends on how you look at it."
"How do you intend to transport all this stuff?"
"I don't. It's disposable. Isn't everything?"
"No."
He raised his brows. "Good. It's refreshing to meet someone who's not a cynic." He carefully dished up the macaroni. "Tell me, Logan, do these squiggly bits of pasta remind you of grubs?"
The casserole was excellent and the coffee Galen served afterward was even better. "I'm sorry, there's no dessert. Next time perhaps." He lifted a brow. "Are you going to wash up, Castleton? It's only fair."
Castleton got to his feet. "I have to get back to town. I've got to make final arrangements to get our people out of the hospital. Thanks for the meal. It was really very good."
Galen made a face. "Words of praise don't get those dishes done."
Logan stood up. "I'll walk you to the car, Castleton. There's something I want you to do for me."
"Sure." Castleton turned to Sarah. "Take care of yourself. Good luck."
"Thank you."
She watched Castleton and Logan stroll across the glade and into the trees, then she stood up and began stacking the plates.
"Sit down and have another cup of coffee," Galen said. "I was joking."
"I'm not. Fair is fair."
"Right. And you said you have to clip the pup." He nodded at Monty. "That's going to be quite a job with all that golden fluff. I want you to get some sleep tonight."
"It won't take that long. Monty's very good."
"Clip the pup," he said firmly as he took the dishes from her. "You might break my fine china."
"It's plastic."
"Oh, you noticed? The catalogue swore no one would be able to tell the difference."
She smiled. "They took you, Galen."
"The story of my life. Do you want me to get your clippers for you? They're in a backpack, along with all your supplies."
She wasn't going to win this one. In spite of Galen's easygoing manner, it was clear he also had a streak of iron. "I'll get them."
"That was quite a list you gave Logan."
She knelt and rummaged in the backpack. "I had to leave without my equipment. You got all the bottled water? I can't have Monty getting sick."
"So the water is all for Monty?"
"Most of it. I can get along on less than he can." She sat down beside Monty. "Come on, boy. Let's get this stuff off you."
He sighed and rolled over on his stomach.
Galen chuckled. "You're right, he's good with it. Nice dog."
"Do you have any pets?"
He shook his head. "I'm on the move too much. I had a parrot once, but I gave him away. He was abusive and my ego couldn't take it. Now, your Monty would never be abusive."
"Don't count on it."
"Well, not verbally. He might lift his leg on something he shouldn't."
She nodded. "He always makes his displeasure known."
"But you're obviously soul mates. How long have you had him?"
"Four years. He was a year old when I saw him at the ATF training school." She smiled reminiscently. "He'd just flunked out of guide dog school and ATF picked him up."
"He flunked out?"
"Not because he wasn't smart enough," she said defensively. "He would just get distracted and that could have been a danger."
"Attention deficit disorder?"
"It's his nose. He was only a puppy and his sense of smell is probably the keenest ATF has ever run across. When he's constantly bombarded with scents, it's natural that he'd become distracted."
He held up his hands. "I didn't mean to
What kind of personal problems? she wondered. She wasn't about to ask. She didn't want to know anything about his personal life. She just wanted to do the job and walk away. "And he's worked for you ever since?"
"On occasion." They had come into the clearing where Galen had set up camp. To her amazement, there was a table beside the fire with a damask tablecloth and colorful china. "What the hell?"
Galen looked up and grinned. "My mum always told me that you should never use a picnic as an excuse for ignoring the finer things in life."
"And you think this job is going to be a picnic?"
"It depends on how you look at it."
"How do you intend to transport all this stuff?"
"I don't. It's disposable. Isn't everything?"
"No."
He raised his brows. "Good. It's refreshing to meet someone who's not a cynic." He carefully dished up the macaroni. "Tell me, Logan, do these squiggly bits of pasta remind you of grubs?"
The casserole was excellent and the coffee Galen served afterward was even better. "I'm sorry, there's no dessert. Next time perhaps." He lifted a brow. "Are you going to wash up, Castleton? It's only fair."
Castleton got to his feet. "I have to get back to town. I've got to make final arrangements to get our people out of the hospital. Thanks for the meal. It was really very good."
Galen made a face. "Words of praise don't get those dishes done."
Logan stood up. "I'll walk you to the car, Castleton. There's something I want you to do for me."
"Sure." Castleton turned to Sarah. "Take care of yourself. Good luck."
"Thank you."
She watched Castleton and Logan stroll across the glade and into the trees, then she stood up and began stacking the plates.
"Sit down and have another cup of coffee," Galen said. "I was joking."
"I'm not. Fair is fair."
"Right. And you said you have to clip the pup." He nodded at Monty. "That's going to be quite a job with all that golden fluff. I want you to get some sleep tonight."
"It won't take that long. Monty's very good."
"Clip the pup," he said firmly as he took the dishes from her. "You might break my fine china."
"It's plastic."
"Oh, you noticed? The catalogue swore no one would be able to tell the difference."
She smiled. "They took you, Galen."
"The story of my life. Do you want me to get your clippers for you? They're in a backpack, along with all your supplies."
She wasn't going to win this one. In spite of Galen's easygoing manner, it was clear he also had a streak of iron. "I'll get them."
"That was quite a list you gave Logan."
She knelt and rummaged in the backpack. "I had to leave without my equipment. You got all the bottled water? I can't have Monty getting sick."
"So the water is all for Monty?"
"Most of it. I can get along on less than he can." She sat down beside Monty. "Come on, boy. Let's get this stuff off you."
He sighed and rolled over on his stomach.
Galen chuckled. "You're right, he's good with it. Nice dog."
"Do you have any pets?"
He shook his head. "I'm on the move too much. I had a parrot once, but I gave him away. He was abusive and my ego couldn't take it. Now, your Monty would never be abusive."
"Don't count on it."
"Well, not verbally. He might lift his leg on something he shouldn't."
She nodded. "He always makes his displeasure known."
"But you're obviously soul mates. How long have you had him?"
"Four years. He was a year old when I saw him at the ATF training school." She smiled reminiscently. "He'd just flunked out of guide dog school and ATF picked him up."
"He flunked out?"
"Not because he wasn't smart enough," she said defensively. "He would just get distracted and that could have been a danger."
"Attention deficit disorder?"
"It's his nose. He was only a puppy and his sense of smell is probably the keenest ATF has ever run across. When he's constantly bombarded with scents, it's natural that he'd become distracted."
He held up his hands. "I didn't mean to
Similar Books
