“What perfect timing. Lucas just got back after being away for a while. If you need someone to show you around town, I’m sure he’d be more than happy to—”

“No no no, Marge, I’m going to stop you right there.” I leaned over the counter toward her excited face. “I’m not interested in dating anyone right now. I just got here, and I’m dealing with some stuff—”

“Everyone’s dealing with some stuff, darlin’. Sometimes it’s just nice to deal with it while looking at a gorgeous hunk of a man.” She reached below her chair and plopped a giant yellow purse in the shape of a sunflower on the desktop, then pulled out her phone. “Now, take a look here. Here’s Lucas at the clinic picnic last spring—isn’t he so handsome? And here he is in his kayak—did you know he loves to kayak?”

“How would I know that? I just met him.” I shook my head, letting this play out since she seemed to be having such a good time showing me pictures of Lucas. And I’ll admit, the shirtless picture of him on the beach was worth listening to this kooky old bird for a few more minutes. I also learned some interesting things. He’d gone into practice at his family’s animal hospital right after finishing up veterinarian school, third generation, don’t you know. And he indeed loved to kayak, he loved the ocean in general, don’t you know. He’d spent the last twelve weeks in Guatemala working for Vets Without Borders. That explained the tan.

Finally, with a cheery good-bye and a promise to stop by any ole time, I scooted away. And on my way out, I saw Lucas come walking down the hallway with a very relieved looking poodle. I waved, he waved, and I found myself strutting a bit as I headed out the front door.

Back in my car, I found the address to the grocery store I’d started out for an entire morning ago, stocked up on food, and headed for home. And as I went up my driveway and parked around back, I looked out at the old pastures, the trees, the open space almost as far as I could see . . . and I suddenly had a very good idea of where Our Gang Monterey could set up shop.

I just had to convince my father.

Chapter five

I spent three days lying by the pool, listening to sad songs, taking long, hot baths, drinking wine, and eating chocolate. I tried to will myself into mourning the relationship that I’d walked away from, thinking that I should be suffering for the emotional turmoil I’d caused Charles. That I should be crying and sobbing for the love that was no longer, for the good times and the bad, for the laughs and for the tears . . . But it wasn’t happening.

I knew what I truly wanted to do; the idea had been percolating from the moment my dad offered me the house in Monterey. So after three days of self-imposed sad sack I called my father and broached the idea of using some of the land to set up Our Gang. He was familiar with Lou’s name, since I’d told him about the organization when I first found out about it. And about how angry I was at Mother for not letting me participate. So when I mentioned Our Gang, he knew instantly what was involved. He supported the idea of me going to work with Lou, and I was pretty sure that’s what I wanted to do. But when it came to using the land, he wasn’t 100 percent sold.

“Okay, tell me again what this would entail,” he said on the phone the night I brought it up. I didn’t have a ton of information, as I didn’t want to suggest the idea to Lou until I knew whether my father would even entertain the idea. He was cautious. “You’re going to be living with forty pit bulls?”

I grinned, knowing he was intrigued now. I tossed a handful of mushrooms into the wok I was cooking my dinner in. “I thought we’d use the field behind the barn, the one where Grandpa used to have his vegetable garden. We could house the dogs in the barn—there’s plenty of room for individual pens, an exercise yard—we could make it really comfortable.”

“And you’re comfortable with all those dogs?”

“Well, sure. You know I love working with animals.”

“And you’re great with them, there’s no question about that. But, honey, working with golden retrievers in a nursing home is totally different than rehabilitating dogs that have come from some very violent places. Are you ready for that? Do you even have the training to deal with that?”

“I don’t yet. I’d work with Lou; learn more about obedience training and how to handle more powerful breeds. And someone he’s worked with at his place in Long Beach will be coming on board in the new location, so I’ll literally be surrounded by people who know more than I do. Didn’t you always tell me to make sure you always work with people who are smarter than you, because then you become a smarter person as well?”

“Well played, kiddo,” he said with a chuckle. “Sounds like you’re staying in Monterey, huh?”

The million-dollar question. I took a deep breath, turned off the burner under the wok, and walked out onto the patio, sitting down in one of the giant lawn chairs upholstered in daisy-covered plastic. “I realize I’m probably having a knee-jerk reaction to what I just did to everyone down there, including you, who spent so much money on that perfect wedding.” I winced, remembering seeing one of the bills Charles let my father pick up. Zeroes upon zeroes.

“But I also realize I need to do something totally different from what I’m used to, to try living a life that’s a one-eighty from what I’ve been doing. And boy, this would be different.” And hard. I wasn’t fooling myself thinking this was going to be, “Hey, let’s open up a pet store!” This was going to be very hard work, physically and emotionally. Seeing how damaged some of these animals were would be tough to take. But I also knew I needed this. I needed a challenge. I needed to get my hands dirty.