The Chaperone

Mimi locked the front door, grateful it was closing time. She needed a bath and a good book. Jen came toward her down the small breed hall, cradling something in a towel.

"Someone left him by the dumpster in a battered cage."

As Jen opened the edge of the towel, a scrawny little guinea pig looked up at Mimi with baleful eyes.

"Thank Goodness, I found him. Who knows what would have happened if he had been out there all night?"

They didn't handle guinea pigs, but they always found a way to get animals to a safe place. Once Jennifer set the guy down on the top of their desk. The two of them looked him over. Mimi asked, "Does he bite?"

"He hasn't yet," Jen said. "Whew, look at his teeth. I don't even know if he could bite anyone with that much overgrowth. No wonder he is so skinny. This boy needs teeth filing."

Mimi said, "There is a guinea pig rescue about an hour away and I can call a few schools tomorrow. Sometimes, they take them." Cautiously, she extended a finger and stroked his back. "He seems pretty tame. Is the cage he came in useable?"

"Barely, but it might work for a night if I hose it out and put in fresh bedding. There is a water bottle. It won't take me long."

The little guy sniffed the back of Mimi's hand. "He isn't afraid of people. That is good."

Jen scooped him up. "Just give me fifteen." As she headed for supplies, she comforted him, "Don't worry bro, I got you."

Mimi grabbed a bleach wipe and sanitized the counter. The bell on the locked front door chimed and Mimi turned to tell the visitor they were closed.

Adam stood in the doorway, scruffy from work, holding his work cap in his hands. Through the glass, he said, "I drive by here on my way home. I thought I might stop and see how Lucky was doing."

Mimi went and unlocked the door and he stepped in, tall and stupidly handsome. She found it easier to talk to the man if she didn't look directly at him. "I suppose you can take a peek at Lucky, but you can't stay long. We are officially closed for the day." Adam moved to the side as she relocked the door and reached for the deadbolt. It turned with a click. "She's been doing good today. We've been keeping her behind the desk. You can go see the puppies."

There was a casual confidence in the way he moved. "Were the cupcakes good?"

Mimi ducked her head. "We didn't make it over today."

"A pity. Sometimes when you go when they are closing, you can get some very good bargains. They shut down at four." He opened the gate and Lucky's tail thumped against the floor.

"I'll remember that." How could he smell good after working all day? He smelled like fresh dirt, pine bark, and something uniquely male. She wanted to sniff him, but there was no way to politely do that and she had used up her quota of rudeness by hanging up on him earlier. Perhaps she should spend less time with the dogs. While his focus was on the puppies, she peeked a sideways glance at his broad shoulders and pondered pressing her face to the middle of his back.

He crouched down next to the dogs. "I see the family has already grown. Last time I counted, there were only five puppies." Lucky leaned her whole body toward him. She was getting used to her cast, but her mobility was still compromised.

The chihuahua held motionless amongst the puppies. "That is Tiny. Lucky doesn't mind her company, and Tiny made an awful racket today when we took her away from the puppies."

"She looks content. How is Lucky?"

"She has been doing great, just taking the occasional break from nursing to sleep. We separated Tiny from them at lunch, and she was having none of that. We'd never heard her bark before." Mimi gestured to the puppy pile and their small nanny. "Tiny convinced us to return her to her chosen family." She smiled down at them. "Want to help me take momma and the babies to their room?"

"Sure." He stuffed his cap in his pocket as Mimi reached for a puppy. Tiny watched them, but she didn't snap or growl when Mimi picked up two puppies. The chihuahua moved to the side as Adam slid his arms under Lucky.

"You watch those three Tiny. We will be right back."

Gazing up at Adam with adoring eyes, Lucky's tail did happy circles. "She remembers me."

"You saved her." When he placed her on the floor, Lucky got up clumsily and walked to their open kennel to sniff the bedding. Mimi placed two puppies next to the kennel opening.

Adam sat down on the floor. After nosing both puppies, Lucky edged closer to the man and sniffed Adam's coat and arms. Mama dog leaned against him as he petted her, tail swaying.

"I'll go get brown foot, and the other two. While you two sweet talk each other."

"You are already naming them?" He smiled at her from the floor, and her heart gave a leap like a startled rabbit.

Mimi hit the door with her arm in her rush to leave the room. She called back, "The names are just placeholders. Their families will give them love names. Puppies are never here long."

When she returned, Tiny trailed behind her. Mimi's arms were full of puppies. The big guy sat flat on the floor with his legs stretched out in front of him. Lucky and the puppies had settled close to him and he was alternating between rubbing fat bellies and scratching around Lucky's ears.

"You look comfy." She added the rest of the puppies to the pile in front of him. Tiny waited in the doorway. Mimi sat down on the bench along the wall to make room for Tiny to decide on her own if she wanted to join the cuddle fest or not. The tiny dog was eyeballing Adam.

He clicked his tongue and reached out his hand to her. Tiny looked from the babies to him and slowly came forward. Mimi held her breath. Tiny gave him a half sniff, pretended to be indifferent, and hopped up onto his leg to join the squirming puppies.

Shocked, Mimi raised her fingertips to her mouth. "Wow."

Adam gave the back of Tiny's head a gentle stroke and she allowed it. "What?"

"Since her dad died, she has been shut down. You are the first person she has approached."

"She seems sweet enough. A little shy."

Mimi couldn't suppress her grin as Tiny leaned into Adam's next gentle pet.

"You don't need a job, do you? Are you tired of plumbing yet?"

He chuckled. "Not yet. I like what I do."

"I do too."

Outside the rescue, Adam stood behind Mimi waiting for her to deadbolt the front door. Struggling not to stare at the full curve of her bottom, he kept his gaze on her pretty face as she turned toward him and said, "You don't have to walk me to my car. It's not dark yet and we have a camera. I do this every day."

"My grandfather would haunt me if I didn't walk you to your car." In his head, he could see the old man's craggy face. Gramps would have called Mimi 'a looker.'

"Well, it's gallant of you," she said, digging through the mess of her purse, looking for her keys. A stray curl bobbed against her cheek, and he balled his hands into fists to keep from reaching out and tucking the wisp behind her ear.

When she slid into her beat-up little Honda, he stood next to her car, waiting for her to start it. He said, "Thanks for letting me check up on Lucky. Are we still doing the giant check photo shoot tomorrow? Madge made me promise to double-check."

"Sounds good. I'll see you tomorrow." After she shut her door and turned the key, nothing happened but a brief clicking sound.

He asked her through the window, "Do you need a jump?"

After trying to start it several times with jumper cables, they switched tactics. When he checked the oil, it was fine. Determined, Mimi attempted to start the car again, but nothing happened, not even a faint click. With a smack of her palms on the steering wheel, she said, "Bob Clemens is down the road two buildings. In the morning, I can have him look at it. He is an excellent mechanic. It has been making a weird noise, and I stupidly ignored the sound."

Smiling down at her, he said, "Is that your normal approach to mechanical things?"

"No," she scoffed. "I've been squirreling away every penny, hoping to buy a property."

"A home or an investment?"

"Both maybe. It used to be a farm."

As she tried yet again, he drummed his fingers on the roof. "Do you need a ride home?"

"Jen can take me."

"Are you sure? I don't mind."

"I'll check with her." Pulling out her phone, Mimi texted her friend. With a groan, the cupcake said, "She has a hair appointment right after work. I'd have to go with her before she could take me home." She looked over at his work truck. "I don't want to inconvenience you. Well, I could give you gas money."

"I'm not taking cash from you." He opened her car door and offered her his calloused hand.

Under her breath, she cursed her car. Giving in, she accepted his offered hand and slipped out of the vehicle. "How about some pot roast?"

"I've been paid in some odd bribes before, but pot roast is a first." Standing next to him, she was the perfect height for forehead kisses.

"I left it going in the crock pot this morning. It should be tasty by now." She tucked her wayward curl behind her ear. Keeping her hair tame all day must be a challenge. Her sweet face tilted up toward him and he was tempted to kiss her. She earnestly said, "Tell me yes, so I don't feel guilty. I promise not to poison you if you take me home. There aren't a whole ton of Rideshare drivers here in the boonies, and none of them accept pot roast as payment."

Gesturing to his truck, he said, "Ladies first."

"Thank you."

***

At the end of a winding dirt drive, a little beat-up trailer sat nestled under some oaks, dressed up with a porch that ran the length of its front.

Pointing directly at it, Mimi said, "That's me. I live down there."

Nodding to the house they were driving past, he asked, "And who lives in that place?"

"My folks and four of their progeny."

"How many kids are in your family?"

"Just seven. Our family's not that big." Grateful to be home, she swung out of the truck. "The roast should be tender by now. Do you have the patience for biscuits?"