would carry them, out of
her not-so-weed-free yard and into the McCubbin’s fastidiously kept vegetable
garden next door.
Mr. McCubbin would fume at M.J. He’d
complain to her mother when she got off work and threaten to call the Community
Covenants cops on them. But there was something about the boundary-crossing
puffballs of airborne seeds that appealed to the adventuresome spirit in M.J.,
no matter how much Mr. McCubbin hated them. It had felt like a small victory
every time one managed to steal past his rake and sprout amidst his zucchini
squash and lima beans.
M.J. pulled over a few doors down from
Rob’s house. She checked around furtively, and then began to take off her
uniform, under which she sported colorful exercise clothes. With a glance in
her rear view mirror, she fluffed her hair and smacked her cheeks pink.
Once inside Rob’s home, curiosity got the
better of M.J. as she waited for Rob to get his golden retriever from the
backyard. She peeked around the downstairs rooms adjoining his foyer, then
wandered into a handsome office. Seeing a framed photo on the desk, M.J.
flipped it around to take a look. A gray-haired couple stood arm-in-arm,
smiling for the camera. Hearing Rob and the approaching click of the golden’s
claws on the hardwood floor, M.J. hastily put the photo down. It clattered to a
fall, but she quickly righted it, just as Rob appeared in the doorway with
Freddie.
Rob extended the dog’s leash toward M.J.
“So, here he is. Just fed and ready to go.”
M.J. grimaced, caught resituating the
photo. “Oops. I was... This is a really
nice place you have here.”
Rob gazed around the ample abode. “More
than I need at this point. Except the office is good.”
“So, you live alone here?” M.J. probed.
So far, there had been no sign of a spouse, but she couldn’t help asking.
Rob shook his adorable head. “Just me and
Freddie for now. I kind of inherited the place from my mom and dad.”
M.J. nodded, putting it together. “In the
photo.”
“Yeah.” He pointed skyward. “They’re up
in—”
“Heaven?” M.J. bit at her lip as soon as
she said it. “Sorry. Hey,” she joked, “maybe they’ll meet my folks. Although,
I’m not entirely sure about my dad, to tell the truth. He tended to go for warmer climes, if you
know what I mean.”
Rob smiled. “I was talking about
Washington State. They retired there.”
“Oh.” M.J. kicked herself. Surely, with
all of the scabillions of words there were in the English language, she could
find just a handful to say. But all that had come to her was that one
conversation-curtailing oh .
Rob moved toward his desk. “So, I guess
I’d better get some work done.”
M.J. found her voice again. “Here? You work here?”
“Mornings, yeah. Which is why I took you
up on the whole dog walking thing...so I can, you know, work.”
Getting Rob’s drift, M.J. moved toward
Freddie. The beast loomed much larger up close. “The dog walking, right.” M.J.
leaned over toward the golden with as much confidence as she could fake. “So,
Freddie, want to go for a walk?”
On hearing those words, Freddie jumped up
on M.J., pawing her multi-print leggings. Unaccustomed to animals, M.J. straightened
up as congenially as possible.
“Down, boy!” Rob commanded. “He knows
those words.” Rob mouthed go for a walk .
“Whoa. Yeah. Okay.” M.J. laughed
nervously while Rob pulled Freddie off of her. She couldn’t help but enjoy
Rob’s closer proximity. In fact, she could hardly bear to tear herself away.
Rob patted Freddie to sit down on his
haunches. “He’s kind of a flirt,” Rob admitted. “You know, I’ve had the ‘little
talk’ with him, but he’s still such a rake. Plastic bags are in his pouch.”
A puzzled expression flew across M.J.’s
face. “Plastic bags? Oh! Right. Plastic bags. For the...uh, shall we
say...produce.” M.J. took hold of Freddie’s leash and led him toward the front
door. “Okay, we’re
her not-so-weed-free yard and into the McCubbin’s fastidiously kept vegetable
garden next door.
Mr. McCubbin would fume at M.J. He’d
complain to her mother when she got off work and threaten to call the Community
Covenants cops on them. But there was something about the boundary-crossing
puffballs of airborne seeds that appealed to the adventuresome spirit in M.J.,
no matter how much Mr. McCubbin hated them. It had felt like a small victory
every time one managed to steal past his rake and sprout amidst his zucchini
squash and lima beans.
M.J. pulled over a few doors down from
Rob’s house. She checked around furtively, and then began to take off her
uniform, under which she sported colorful exercise clothes. With a glance in
her rear view mirror, she fluffed her hair and smacked her cheeks pink.
Once inside Rob’s home, curiosity got the
better of M.J. as she waited for Rob to get his golden retriever from the
backyard. She peeked around the downstairs rooms adjoining his foyer, then
wandered into a handsome office. Seeing a framed photo on the desk, M.J.
flipped it around to take a look. A gray-haired couple stood arm-in-arm,
smiling for the camera. Hearing Rob and the approaching click of the golden’s
claws on the hardwood floor, M.J. hastily put the photo down. It clattered to a
fall, but she quickly righted it, just as Rob appeared in the doorway with
Freddie.
Rob extended the dog’s leash toward M.J.
“So, here he is. Just fed and ready to go.”
M.J. grimaced, caught resituating the
photo. “Oops. I was... This is a really
nice place you have here.”
Rob gazed around the ample abode. “More
than I need at this point. Except the office is good.”
“So, you live alone here?” M.J. probed.
So far, there had been no sign of a spouse, but she couldn’t help asking.
Rob shook his adorable head. “Just me and
Freddie for now. I kind of inherited the place from my mom and dad.”
M.J. nodded, putting it together. “In the
photo.”
“Yeah.” He pointed skyward. “They’re up
in—”
“Heaven?” M.J. bit at her lip as soon as
she said it. “Sorry. Hey,” she joked, “maybe they’ll meet my folks. Although,
I’m not entirely sure about my dad, to tell the truth. He tended to go for warmer climes, if you
know what I mean.”
Rob smiled. “I was talking about
Washington State. They retired there.”
“Oh.” M.J. kicked herself. Surely, with
all of the scabillions of words there were in the English language, she could
find just a handful to say. But all that had come to her was that one
conversation-curtailing oh .
Rob moved toward his desk. “So, I guess
I’d better get some work done.”
M.J. found her voice again. “Here? You work here?”
“Mornings, yeah. Which is why I took you
up on the whole dog walking thing...so I can, you know, work.”
Getting Rob’s drift, M.J. moved toward
Freddie. The beast loomed much larger up close. “The dog walking, right.” M.J.
leaned over toward the golden with as much confidence as she could fake. “So,
Freddie, want to go for a walk?”
On hearing those words, Freddie jumped up
on M.J., pawing her multi-print leggings. Unaccustomed to animals, M.J. straightened
up as congenially as possible.
“Down, boy!” Rob commanded. “He knows
those words.” Rob mouthed go for a walk .
“Whoa. Yeah. Okay.” M.J. laughed
nervously while Rob pulled Freddie off of her. She couldn’t help but enjoy
Rob’s closer proximity. In fact, she could hardly bear to tear herself away.
Rob patted Freddie to sit down on his
haunches. “He’s kind of a flirt,” Rob admitted. “You know, I’ve had the ‘little
talk’ with him, but he’s still such a rake. Plastic bags are in his pouch.”
A puzzled expression flew across M.J.’s
face. “Plastic bags? Oh! Right. Plastic bags. For the...uh, shall we
say...produce.” M.J. took hold of Freddie’s leash and led him toward the front
door. “Okay, we’re
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