Page 81 of Lee

“So you’re not friends with Will anymore?”

“Well, I have to accept him since he married my sister. So, while I can appreciate his taste in women, his taste in pizza is beyond questionable.”

As she’d listened to the siblings tease back and forth, Rori had wondered if her half-siblings had grown to have relationships like that. She’d lived off and on with both sets, but she didn’t recall them having much of a lighthearted relationship with each other. Or maybe that had just been because she was around.

If they hadn’t had that type of relationship with one another, she actually felt kind of bad for them. And for herself, as well. Had she not met the Halversons, she might have ended up thinking that most siblings simply tolerated each other but weren’t friends.

As they pulled up to Carisa’s house, the size of it was even more evident in the daylight. What she appreciated the most, which she hadn’t really been able to see when they’d come at night, was the beautiful landscaping. There were vibrantly colored flowers in beds in front of the house as well as in different areas of the expansive manicured yard.

Rori wished that she could take pictures of it all.

Together, they left the car and walked up the wide stone steps to the large front door. Lee pressed the doorbell, then they stood back and waited for someone to answer it. Lee had his black bag with him, since this was an official vet visit.

“Hey, guys!” Carisa greeted them with a big smile.

The woman wore a pair of white shorts that showed off long, tanned legs, and a bright pink T-shirt. She had bare feet, and her toenails were painted a pink that matched her shirt. Her hair was gathered into a high ponytail.

“C’mon in.” She stepped back, opening the door wider, and gestured for them to join her in the large foyer.

Lee placed a hand on Rori’s back and guided her into the house.

“Thanks so much for coming,” Carisa said as she shut the door behind them. “I think the puppies are all doing well, but I’d like you to confirm that for me.”

Carisa led them from the foyer, but instead of going in the same direction as last time, she took them into a large, bright sunroom. Plants filled the room, surrounding what looked to be comfortable furniture.

“Rori, I’d like to introduce you to my parents. Edward and Donna Montgomery. Momma and Daddy, you remember Lee Halverson from church, right? And this is Rori. She also works at the clinic.”

The two people in the sunroom got to their feet. Though dressed casually, the pair had a very elegant bearing. They were what Rori imagined Hudson and Kayleigh would be like at that age.

The man still had a full head of gray hair that was perfectly styled. The woman was the spitting image of Carisa. Or maybe Carisa was the spitting image of her. The two could probably pass for sisters. But where Carisa was bright and bubbly, her mom exuded an air of sadness and fragility.

Still, the woman gave her a warm smile as she held out her hand to Rori. “It’s lovely to meet you, Rori, and to see you again, Lee.”

The greeting from Carisa’s dad was just as warm and friendly, though his words were spoken with a British accent. “Welcome to our home. Have you come to see the pups?”

“Yep,” Lee said as he shook Edward’s hand. “Just going to do a quick check on them.”

“They are very adorable,” Donna said. “I’m tempted to keep one for myself.”

“You should, Momma. Spend some time with them and see if there’s one that vibes with you.”

“Do we really want to become a three-dog family?” Edward asked.

“Yep, Daddy. We do.” She went to him and gave him a hug, which he returned.

Though Carisa was tall, her dad was taller still, and he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “We’ll see, my girl. We’ll see.”

Seeing the way Carisa interacted with her parents sent a pang of longing through Rori’s heart. What made her so different from Carisa that she wasn’t good enough to have loving parents like Carisa had?

With a grin, Carisa came back over to where Lee and Rori stood. “Let’s go see the puppies we’re probably going to end up keeping.”

Carisa led them out of the sunroom and down another hall to the laundry room. Rori heard the soft yipping of the puppies even before they stepped into the room.

“Oh, they’re so cute,” Rori said when she peered over the fence to see the squirmy puppies. “Are their eyes still closed?”

“Yes,” Lee said as he bent over to pet Penelope where she lay in the pen. “They’ll probably open in a couple of days.”

He lifted the mama dog out of the pen and spent a few minutes checking her over. “How is she eating and drinking?”

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