Chapter 4

The chime behind Noelle had her spinning around again. She prayed it was a family there to adopt a pet, but when she saw a stranger holding a fluffy ball of black and white fur, she assumed the worst. “Can I help you?” she asked as another volunteer, the only other one working that Saturday afternoon, Clara Lincoln, came up to her elbow.

Noelle had a feeling she should just let Clara, an older woman with the patience of a saint, handle this one, but when the man spoke, he said, “Hi, I was told to ask for Noelle.”

“That’s me,” she said, trying not to notice the jade green eyes and the square jaw of the man before her. “How can I help you?” She folded her arms, not caring if she suddenly looked rude. Her anger at Mr. Gibson was no longer festering. It was surfacing, and she was about to explode if this man said what she had to assume he was about to say.

“Well, I’m here to drop this little guy off.” His smile was easy, his demeanor nonchalant, as if the adorable pup in his arms had no feelings and didn’t matter.

“Oh, is that so?” Noelle asked, her toe beginning to tap. She heard Clara say her name quietly, but she was done being polite. “What’s the matter? Did he bark at the wrong time? Maybe took a tinkle on your shoe or didn’t sit before he leapt up for a snack?”

“No, it’s not that….” His forehead furrowed, like he was trying to make sense of someone speaking another language.

Again, Clara said, “Noelle? Maybe….”

She cut her off. “No? Then what is it? He isn’t white enough or black enough or small enough for you? What? What is it Mr.…” She realized she didn’t know his name. “Mr. Mister that makes you think you can just abandon this poor, sweet little baby when he clearly wants to stay in your arms, in his home, where he belongs?” By the time she finished, she was practically yelling at him and knew she’d made little to no sense.

Mr. Mister looked from her to Clara and then back again. The dog’s ears perked up, but it didn’t speak. He cleared his throat. “Because… it’s not my dog,” he said quietly.

Noelle’s eyes bulged as she realized her mistake. She felt color warming her cheeks and wished she could go back in time about five minutes--before her rant--and ask that pertinent question first.

The man continued, speaking as much to Clara as to her. “I found him in the park. Well, he sort of found me. He stole my scarf.” Despite the tongue lashing, he still managed to force a chuckle. “Anyway, I ran into a woman named Doris Snow, and she suggested I bring him here, since this is a no kill shelter. She said to ask for you.”

Noelle shook her head as Clara reached for the dog. “I am so sorry,” she said, not quite able to meet his eyes. “I shouldn’t have….”

“No, it’s okay,” he said with a shrug. “I guess you have a lot of people dropping their dogs off?”

She nodded as Clara gushed over the little fellow, looking at his collar. “Oh, isn’t he just the cutest. Pooch, is it?” she asked. The dog’s ears perked up again. “Too bad his tags are so worn off. It shows he’s up to date on his vaccines, but no owner’s name or address on either of the tags. Just his name.”

Noelle studied the dog for a moment. He truly was adorable. She wouldn't have any trouble finding this dog a home. Unlike Blacky, this small, fluffy purebred would be snagged probably the same day he was released from hold. She reached out and patted his head. His fur was soft and fluffy. He was well groomed, only a bit of mud on his paws, probably from his earlier run. Chances were, someone was missing him.

“I’ll find him a holding pen,” Clara said.

“Holding pen?” The man’s eyes followed the dog as Clara began to take him back. She paused.

“Yes. His owner will have a couple of weeks to claim him,” Noelle explained, trying to infuse her voice with professional calmness. “After that, we’ll let people know he’s available, if he’s still here. He’s so cute, I don’t think it’ll take us long to find him a new home. People love small breeds, like Havanese.”

“Havanese?” he repeated, leaning in slightly. She nodded. “I’ve never even heard of that breed.”

“Oh, well, that’s what he is. Purebred, I’d assume. He’ll be fine.” Clara started for the back again, and the man waved at the dog that followed him with his eyes until he couldn’t see him anymore. “Listen, I’m sorry I yelled at you, Mr.…?” Had she actually called him Mr. Mister earlier?

“Brady,” he provided.

“Mr. Brady,” Noelle said with a nod.

“No, I mean, my first name is Brady. Brady Rogers.”

“Oh. Mr. Rogers then.”

“Hence why I gave you my first name,” he said with a nervous smile as Noelle realized she’d just said the name of a famous children’s television star.

She giggled and then offered her hand. “I’m Noelle Snow.”

His eyes widened again and then he gave a knowing nod. Apparently, her mother had not bothered to explain that he’d be asking for her own daughter “It’s nice to meet you,” he said, shaking her hand.

His palm was warm. Noelle chalked up the cozy feeling touching her palm to his created to him holding the dog recently and nothing more. “It’s probably not that nice to meet me,” she said, still feeling bad about her outburst. “It’s just… did you happen to see those kids’ faces, the ones that were leaving as you were coming in?”

“Yeah, I did,” Brady said. “That was terrible.”

“And the dog was even more distraught.” She decided she didn’t need to say more, to go into the state of the shelter at the moment, to tell him how worried she was that they simply weren’t going to have enough money to make it through the end of the year, much less into the next. “Anyway, I am sorry I was so rude.”

“Passionate,” he said, a crooked smile pulling up one side of his mouth. “Let’s call it passionate.”

She gave him a sheepish grin. It was kind of him to be so forgiving. “All right then. Passionate.”

“It was nice to meet you.” He seemed to mean it. Brady looked into her eyes for another second and then walked out the door.

It chimed again, leaving Noelle alone for a few moments. She took a deep breath, held it, and let it go, not sure what to think of any of that. Maddy shouted her name from the back, and Noelle remembered that she had other dogs to take care of. The never ending work beckoned to her. Putting Brady Rogers out of her mind, Noelle hurried to the back to get on with her daily chores and see to her most important clients, the cats and dogs that called this place home.