“Come on, Grace. Hallmark would print a card with a picture like that. Or…how about if I put him on YouTube? He’d be a star. Just look at him.”
“You can look all you want but I have to get to work.”
Cliff shook his head and bent to take Beau from her slipper.
Grace hated to be so coldhearted but she couldn’t lower her guard, not even a little. The instant she did, Beau would wriggle his way into her affections, which was exactly what Cliff and Beth hoped would happen. Grace was determined it wouldn’t.
Half an hour later, after a second cup of coffee and a toasted English muffin, Grace drove to the library with Beau in the box beside her. She had several small bottles of formula, which she’d have to feed him during the day.
Cliff said that if the meetings ended early, he’d come and pick up Beau, but he wasn’t making any promises. She figured she’d be stuck with the puppy all day.
Naturally Beau had everyone on the library staff wrapped around his tiny paw the moment she carried him into the building.
“Anyone want to feed him?” she asked. If she could arrange for someone else to do it, all the better.
Every single employee volunteered. She let them work out a schedule as she retreated to her office and assumed her tasks for the day. Writing the email newsletter that went out to patrons every Monday morning was at the top of her list.
Beth phoned shortly after the library opened. “How’s it going?” she asked.
“It’s going. Cliff named him Beau.”
“I heard.”
So Beth had been in contact with Cliff. If Grace was a paranoid kind of person, she’d wonder if those two were teaming up against her. More than likely Beth had phoned the house and Cliff had answered, then simply forgotten to mention the call.
“Have you weighed Beau lately?”
“Not me. Cliff did, though.”
“Do you remember his weight?”
“Sorry, no.”
Beth asked a few additional questions, but Grace was no more helpful with those than she’d been with the first one. Cliff had taken on nearly all Beau-related duties and that was how Grace intended to keep it.
Once she was off the phone, she went to check with the children’s librarian regarding story hour that Friday afternoon. She needed the information for her newsletter.
As she walked toward the children’s section, she noticed several people smiling in her direction. She didn’t think anything of it until she looked back. Beau was trotting after her as if he were her shadow.
Grace stopped and so did Beau. He sat on his haunches and stared up at her, his tail wagging. Ignoring him, she moved forward purposely. Beau ran after her, his small legs hardly able to keep up.
Finally she couldn’t stand it a minute longer. Crouching down, she picked him up and cradled him in her arms. He licked her hand, then reached for her face.
She raised her chin out of his range. “I am not going to love you, no matter what you do,” she insisted. “Don’t even try, okay?”
Beau whimpered as if to disagree.
“We’re going to find you a good home,” she said, stroking his soft fur. “A family with lots of children for you to play with. That’s what you need—a family with children. You don’t want to live with Cliff and me. We won’t feel like playing chase or throwing a Frisbee or doing any of the other things you’d love. It’s for your own good. Do you understand?”
Apparently Beau didn’t, because he licked her hand again.
Twenty-One
Teri Polgar was enjoying her first peaceful moment of the day. She sat in the most comfortable chair in the family room, rested her feet on the matching ottoman, leaned back and closed her eyes.
The triplets were all asleep and, after the morning she’d had, Teri was ready for a nap herself. Friends and family claimed that if anyone could handle a multiple birth, she could. It was a nice compliment, and she took it as such, although she was beginning to doubt the high opinion they had of her abilities.
Bobby and James were off for the next few days meeting with the video game people in L.A. Bobby was a huge help with their sons, and of course Gabrielle, their nanny, was, too. Still, the major part of the triplets’ care fell to her. Other than quick trips to buy groceries, Teri couldn’t even remember when she’d last ventured out of the house. As for “girl time”—it’d been practically nonexistent. Her hair needed to be cut and her fingernails were a mess.
She missed Rachel, although they’d talked a few days ago—for the first time in ages. Rachel had described her situation—her housemate and the temporary position she’d taken with the shipyard. That girl must like living on the edge because she was definitely not in her right mind to be living with Nate Olsen. Teri could only imagine what Bruce would say once he found out. Well, she wasn’t going to be the one to tell him.
Bruce Peyton. Teri felt like slapping him silly.
Honestly—letting a thirteen-year-old dictate his life. How crazy was that? Teri knew what poor Rachel had endured in the months that led up to her moving out. She certainly didn’t blame her. In Teri’s opinion, Rachel deserved a medal for putting up with that spoiled brat.
Then, last week, just when things seemed promising—because Bruce was seeing a counselor and Jolene appeared to be softening—everything had blown up in Rachel’s face. Jolene had gotten sick and Bruce had to hurry home. But Bruce soon discovered that this so-called illness had been self-inflicted. He found an empty bottle of ipecac in the garbage and confronted his daughter. He’d emailed Rachel, and Rachel had subsequently told Teri. This marriage wasn’t looking good. Not good at all.
The doorbell chimed and Teri bounded to her feet with more energy than she’d realized she had. If whoever it was woke any of the triplets…
Bruce stood on the porch.
“Bruce?” She was too surprised to say any more. Then she added, “What are you doing here?”