Page 49 of State of Grace

“I will!”

Alexis held up her middle finger to Isla before leaving with a smile on her face.

Maybe it would be a good day after all.

Chapter 17

Having her days absolutely free was both a freeing and a daunting feeling for Blake. Up until the last few weeks, every minute of every day had been planned out for her. Her entire life had been arranged by people who thought they knew what was best for her when in reality, none of them knew what she truly wanted.

Granted, Blake had no idea what she wanted either, especially lately.

She’d slept in late nearly every day she’d been in the Cove and had stayed up way later than she should have. There had been more family dinners than Blake could count in which the younger kids recounted their days at school and their after-school activities while Vera and Isla listened intently. Besides Isla, the person Blake had wanted to talk to the most was Mason, so it made her happy when she found Mason in the sunroom with the puppies.

Blake tapped on the door as she pushed it open. “Hey.”

“Hey.” Mason didn’t look up from writing in anotebook. One of the puppies was in her hand while the others were in a small basket on the table. Pulling out one of the chairs, Blake sat and picked up one of the puppies from the basket and cradled it in her arms. “What color is that one?”

“What?”

“The collar.” Looking up, Mason pointed at the small yellow ribbon tied around the puppy’s neck. “The colors identify them, so I know which puppy I’m working with.”

“And what exactly are you working on?”

“We keep track of the puppies from the time they’re born. We make sure they’re reaching their milestones, and they’re healthy and growing up nicely.” She pushed her black-rimmed glasses up on her nose as she sat the puppy she was holding back into the basket with its siblings. “I partner with a local vet in town to try to find which genes determine what in dogs.”

“That’s impressive.”

“Not as impressive as being on TV.” The comment stung Blake, but she didn’t dare mention it. Mason thought about what she’d said for a moment, then shook her head. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be a bitch.”

“It’s ok.” Blake winked at her to let her know there were no hard feelings.

Blake had heard bits and pieces about Mason’s organization in the few weeks she’d been in the Cove. It was a volunteer organization supported by donors and Taylor Memorial Hospital, the hospital in town. They trained the puppies to be service dogs for those with special needs, and some of the dogs were used as therapy dogs at the hospital. She loved that idea and made a mental note to volunteer her time there.

“We’ve found some amazing links by following up with the puppies over the years.” Mason was still rambling on about her pet project, and Blake loved listening to her talk about her passions. The puppy in her arms squirmed and nuzzled into the crook of her arm. “You’re good with puppies.”

“I love all babies.”

“I don’t,” Mason snarked.

“Not a baby fan?”

“Not the human kind.” Setting down the pen in her hand, Mason leaned back in her chair as it creaked under the shift in weight. Holly, the puppies’ mother, rested her head on the arm of Mason’s chair for head pets. “Do you want kids?”

“I don’t know.” Blake sighed heavily. Deep down, she knew the answer. She’d known it for years. She wanted to find someone, fall in love, and start a family with them. There was a pang of sadness in her chest at the thought of never finding that person. “Maybe someday.”

“Maybe with Lex?” Her sister teased with a knowing smile on her face. Blake blushed and rolled her eyes. “Don’t act surprised that I know that. I’ve known Alexis for a long time, and I’ve never seen her look as happy as she has the last few weeks.”

“You two are the same age, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, we went to school together until I became too smart, and Mom took me out to homeschool me.” Mason’s blunt self-confidence was still taking Blake some time to get used to.

“Wait, Mom homeschooled you?”

“Well, she tried. She didn’t have a clue what she was doing.”

“She said you and the other kids were too smart for her.”

“Mom doesn’t give herself enough credit. She’s super smart and is always doing whatever she can for other people.” Propping her feet up on the chair beside her, Mason shrugged. “She’s a lot like Alexis in that sense.”

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