CHAPTER ONE
Rebecca Angelos held up her phone to share the screen with the pug currently seated on her lap. “What do you think, Elvis? There’s something shifty about his eyes, I think.” She swiped left and regarded the next profile with more interest. “He has a nice smile.”
Elvis barked, prompting Rebecca to swipe right. Nothing happened. No ping! to indicate he’d already swiped right on her. Maybe he just hadn’t seen her profile yet.
She set down the phone and sighed. Who was she kidding? He’d probably swiped left on her multiple times already. Why go for a woman her age when he could still be pulling from the thirty-five to thirty-nine age bracket? If a man wasn’t smart enough to recognize what a middle-aged woman had to offer, then Rebecca didn’t want him anyway.
“I have that lunch date with Tony coming up,” she told Elvis, “so it’s not like I’m desperate.” She hadn’t met Tony in person yet; they’d only chatted online. Dating was a lot like house hunting though. You could look at dozens of beautiful photos of the house online, but the moment you pulled into the driveway to see it in person, you’d know whether you could picture yourself living there.
Slobber dripped from Elvis’s jowls onto her wrist and she deftly wiped away the droplets with a spare cloth. When you worked around animals all day every day, you knew how to be prepared. Maybe she would never be one of those women with a tote bag the size of Connecticut that stored every known need from Band-Aids to juice boxes, but Rebecca could whip out a squeaky toy and a liver treat at a moment’s notice. She was childless by choice and perfectly content to play surrogate mom to a shelter filled with furry friends in need of homes.
“No good,” Iago squawked. Rebecca glanced across the room at the parrot on his perch in the deluxe birdcage.
“Who’s no good?” Rebecca held up the phone for the parrot. “This guy?”
“No good,” Iago repeated.
Iago, along with all his accoutrements, had been left at the shelter six months ago by a weeping woman named Shelley. Iago had lived with Shelley’s mother until the older woman moved into a nursing home and, sadly, the parrot had to go. Shelley lived in an apartment that didn’t allow pets and was unable to take the parrot, which filled her with guilt. She’d managed to go through almost an entire box of tissues before she left the shelter. Rebecca had assured her a dozen times that Iago would be fine and he was. Rebecca had grown accustomed to the parrot’s random remarks. Sometimes he cocked his brightly colored head to the side when she spoke, as though listening to every word intently.
Not to be outdone by Iago, Elvis barked. The pug had been a resident of the shelter for almost a year now and Rebecca worried that he’d never find his forever home. He was a pleasure to be around, but he had a couple of medical issues that made his care more labor intensive and, thus, more expensive to adopt. As much as she wanted to place him in a good home, she was perfectly content to have him with her at the shelter. He was always good company and, even better, seemed to have a sixth sense when it came to dating profiles. Elvis had shown his approval of Tony by licking the screen.
Rebecca set Elvis on the floor and puttered across the room to check on the latest arrival. The domestic short-haired cat was in reasonable shape, for which Rebecca was grateful. Some arrivals weren’t so lucky and required immediate medical attention.
Rebecca peered into the enclosure. “How are you, buddy?”
The cat gazed at her with a sleepy expression. At least he didn’t seem distressed about his unfamiliar environment. The cat had been found in a box on the side of a highway by a man on his way home from a business trip. No collar or microchip. A cat toy in the shape of a fish and a small container of food had been left inside the box as well. Someone had cared enough to do that much, but not enough to surrender the cat to a safe location. If there was one thing Rebecca had learned in her forty-seven years, it was that people made questionable choices.
She hadn’t yet decided on a name. Sometimes a name came to her immediately, yet other times it took weeks before the right name stuck. Unfortunately many of the animals had plenty of time at the shelter to receive a new name. She wished it were different. Just like children, they deserved a home where they were loved.
Rebecca peered through the doorway into the next room, which housed the majority of the shelter’s animals. It would be time to stretch their legs soon. They were taken in shifts, big dogs first. Sometimes, when she was outside in the courtyard surrounded by animals with beams of sunlight shining down on them and birds tweeting overhead, she felt like the Snow White of Shelters. If only the animals cooked and cleaned—she’d be set for life.
She checked the clock on her phone. Peaches was due to arrive any minute. The twenty-year-old was one of several volunteers who rotated shifts throughout the week. There was no way Rebecca could do it all on her own. She’d only become the director six months ago, although she’d worked at the shelter for years. When Ida had announced she was retiring and moving to Arizona to avoid any more Pocono winters, Rebecca had been crushed. Not only that, but she’d worried about the future of Cloverleaf Critters. Ida had been the founder and served as the director for a decade and Rebecca wasn’t sure she was ready to step into her mentor’s shoes. Rebecca wasn’t a leader like Ida. She was a workhorse by nature, preferring a low-level role, yet here she was. In charge. When her friend Kate told her she suffered from imposter syndrome, Rebecca had looked up the term. As far she was concerned, it wasn’t accurate because she was a fraud. She didn’t belong in this role, but she was the only one committed enough to take it on and there was no way she would leave the animals in the lurch.
Still peering through the doorway, Rebecca made eye contact with Simon in his enclosure and couldn’t resist crossing the room to greet him. She’d found the kitten behind a dumpster in town. She didn’t know whether he’d been abandoned by the mother or something bad had happened to her to prevent her coming back. Either way, Simon had been in dire need of care that included hand-rearing. He was thriving at the shelter, which pleased Rebecca. She only wished someone would come along who recognized his wonderful qualities and chose to adopt him. Soon.
“You’re looking so handsome today, Simon,” she said, stroking his head. He was an extremely affectionate cat and any human would be lucky to have him as a companion. Maybe she would highlight him at the next Senior Night. She’d resisted the urge so far because she wasn’t sure the seniors were ready for a spry kitten like Simon. He’d mellowed in recent weeks, though, and she thought it might be a good time to showcase him. Senior Night was a monthly program that Rebecca had developed with Ida’s approval that involved matching animals with senior citizens. The shelter also provided subsidies for those residents who might benefit from companionship but who couldn’t otherwise afford the care or adoption fees.
The thought of Senior Night reminded her that she needed to ask her friends to swap their usual cocktail club evening. Peaches had accidentally scheduled Rebecca’s animal adoption talk at the library for the same evening and it was easier to move cocktail club than a public event.
As she picked up her phone to text the group, the screen lit up with an incoming call. Duty called, literally.
“Hey, Beth. How are you?” Beth was one of the shelter’s foster moms. Rebecca had lost count of the number of animals Beth had successfully fostered for the shelter. “Is Clyde working out okay? Any problems?”
“That’s why I’m calling, actually,” Beth said.
Rebecca’s stomach dropped. She hoped there wasn’t an issue with Clyde. The dog seemed affable enough and Beth was adept at gaining the trust and affection of even the most difficult animals.
“No, no problem at all. It’s good news. Gary and I have decided that we’d like to adopt him. I hope that’s okay.”
Rebecca’s spirits soared. She loved nothing more than to match an animal with a loving home and Beth’s was definitely that. “That’s terrific. I’m so pleased to hear it. I’ll get started on the paperwork right away.”
She was still smiling when Beth added, “Unfortunately that means we’re not going to be able to take anymore foster animals.”
Rebecca grimaced. “That’s too bad.”
“Gary has vowed to divorce me if I don’t stick to the deal. It’s the only reason he agreed to let us adopt Clyde.”
A double-edged sword. Because of course it was. “Well, I’m thrilled for you. This is still great news.”
By the time Rebecca hung up the phone, her good mood had dissipated. Good foster homes were always in short supply and she’d been able to rely on Beth. As elated as she was for sweet Clyde to have found a good home, it would be a loss for the shelter.
Returning to the counter, she shot off a text to the other members of the cocktail club about switching to tonight. If they couldn’t change their schedules last minute, she’d have to miss a week. Not the end of the world, although she’d be disappointed. The four friends met weekly to enjoy drinks and have a few laughs. There’d been five of them until Inga’s death nearly a year ago. The older woman had been an inspiration to Rebecca. As the club’s founder, Inga Paulsen had been the one to invite Rebecca to join. Not a day went by that Rebecca didn’t think of her. Although they’d known each other only a few years, she’d had a profound effect on Rebecca’s life. Inga was the kind of woman who’d lived life to the fullest and sparked joy in everyone she met.
Rebecca was never going to be like Inga. She didn’t have that kind of personality. That was one of the reasons she was more comfortable at the shelter than she was at a cocktail party. Animals were easier to navigate and she didn’t have to admonish herself later for saying something stupid. There was also something to be said for showing up to work at a place where everyone liked you.
Well, most of the animals liked her. There was the occasional anomaly, but Rebecca usually managed to win them over. Who needed a date on Saturday night when she had her choice of cuddle buddies both at home and work?
The door burst open and Peaches appeared wearing what looked to Rebecca like a burgundy infant romper with the image of an origami dragon on the front. The twenty-year-old’s blonde hair was styled in two thick braids and she’d changed her nose ring from a gold stud to a small silver hoop.
“Hey, Peaches.”
Peaches took a step forward and halted. “Ooh.”
“What’s wrong?”
Peaches looked from left to right. “I don’t know. Do you feel it?”
“No good,” Iago squawked.
Peaches inclined her head toward the parrot. “What he said.” She shrugged off her backpack. “I think we need to see what the cards have to say.”
Rebecca headed for the doorway. “The cards will have to wait because the dogs can’t anymore.”
The buzzer sounded at the entrance and Rebecca looked up as the door opened and an unfamiliar man entered. He had a thick head of salt-and-pepper hair and wore the kind of suit that would have looked more at home on a city banker. A few of the dogs immediately started howling as though finding his scent disagreeable. Rebecca didn’t trust anybody that set off multiple dogs at once. The animals were the best security system a person could have.
“I’ll get started,” Peaches said. She ducked into the adjoining room and closed the door to stifle the noise.
“Welcome to Cloverleaf Critters,” Rebecca said, maintaining a friendly demeanor. “How can I help you?” He was probably here to adopt a puppy for his much younger girlfriend. Or his mistress. A furry friend to keep her company while he was unable to devote attention to her. Needless to say, Rebecca took an instant dislike to him.
“My name is Brian Shea.” He stood at the counter observing her. He seemed to be waiting for a flicker of recognition. When none was forthcoming, he continued, “I’m the owner of this building. Shea Properties.”
Rebecca shook off her surprise. “Oh, I’m sorry Mr. Shea. We haven’t met.” She offered her hand. “I’m Rebecca Angelos, the director here.”
“Yes, I remember seeing the note from Ida that there would be a change in leadership.”
“What brings you in today?” The monthly lease payments were taken from the bank account automatically so she knew the shelter wasn’t in arrears.
He surveyed the interior. “I’m here as a courtesy, to give you notice that I’ve decided to sell the building. When the lease is up, you’ll have to find other accommodation for the animals.”
Rebecca’s mouth opened and she suddenly found it difficult to breathe. “When the lease ends, as in six weeks from now?”
He didn’t meet her gaze. Instead he walked the length of the room, stopping to examine the chipped paint on the wall. “Check your email. I’ve had my assistant send over written notice as per the lease agreement, but I thought I’d take a look at the state of the place before I start bringing buyers through.”
Rebecca’s throat went dry and she had trouble forming words. He was selling the building. This building. Right out from under her.
She pulled herself together. “Is there a particular reason you’ve decided to sell, Mr. Shea? We’ve been making our payments on time. We’re a good tenant.”
He barely glanced at her, currently intent on a few nicks on the doorframe. “It’s just business, Rebecca. Surely you can understand that.”
She bristled at the use of her first name. She could tell from that brief exchange that respect was only one way.
“The market is booming in the downtown area and I’ve decided to take advantage of it.” He thrust his hands into his trouser pockets and stopped at Iago’s cage to peer at the parrot. “I didn’t realize you took in birds.”
“We take in any animal that needs a home,” she said. “Right now we have a bearded dragon, two ferrets, and two bunnies. We once had a dog-wolf hybrid, but she outgrew the space so we were able to get her a place at a sanctuary.” That had been a harrowing experience. Rebecca and Ida had worked tirelessly to secure a home for the animal who’d grown much too large to remain at the shelter.
He motioned to the doorway. “Can I go in there and look around or do you need to lock away any animals first?”
“Be my guest, but I can’t promise they’ll let you walk around in peace and quiet.” Peaches would be in the courtyard with some of the bigger dogs by now. That would help keep the noise level down.
He opened the door and Rebecca thought it best to accompany him, just in case he decided to walk too close to an enclosure. Brian Shea gave off an unpleasant vibe that some of the animals seemed to have already picked up on.
“I’m surprised how clean this place is considering the number of animals living here,” he said, after a brief inspection. “What’s that white room used for? It looks like a surgical suite.”
“That’s because the vet uses it to perform surgeries on the days he’s here,” Rebecca said. “He doesn’t work for the shelter, but we have a contract with him.”
“I didn’t realize you handled that sort of thing right here in the building.” He barely glanced at the animals. Rebecca wasn’t sure how a person walked past all those sweet faces without pausing to gush over at least one of them. Brian Shea was clearly some sort of cyborg.
“We do what we have to do,” she said vaguely.
“June 30th isn’t too far away,” he said. “If I were you, I’d start looking now or you won’t find another lease in time. It’s not like this is a typical office setup.”
No kidding. Thanks for the mansplaining, cyborg.
He sniffed the air. “Is there anything that can be done about the smell?”
Rebecca frowned. “What smell?”
“It smells like a barn.”
Rebecca bit back a snarky reply. “We’ll be sure to air out the space before any showings.”
“Good idea. I’ll be in touch,” he said, exiting the room.
Rebecca stared at the empty space where he’d been standing and prayed to the universe that she was having a horrible daydream—because relocating the shelter would be an absolute nightmare.
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