Page 26 of Truth or Spare

He didn’t want to, but lowered and set Walter on the grass. “Have you worked here long?” he asked her as they strolled.

She snorted wryly in response. “All my life,” she said and pulled a used, wadded-up shopping bag from her pocket when she spotted a mound on the grass ahead of them. It was quickly collected and the bag was knotted, then tossed at one of the many rusty, repurposed 55-gallon drums around the yard. “My Aunt Sally used to run it until her arthritis got too bad, but she still helps out on her good days.”

“I could help on my days off,” Theo said.

Lidia laughed as she hooked her arm around his. “You’re welcome any time, handsome. Dave and I manage pretty well but we’re always happy to have an extra hand around here. And cat litter. You’d be amazed at how much we go through. That, and dry food.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” he said, earning a quirked brow from Lidia.

“You would make my week if you could send a few bags of food my way,” she said and Theo grinned. He could do a lot better than that, but he appreciated her directness and suspected that she often had to hustle for donations.

“The town doesn’t give you enough funding for this?” Theo asked, making Lidia laugh.

“Our funding comes from the same budget as the police department but we get crumbs. They always need new cruisers and uniforms,” she said with an eye roll.

Once Walter had concluded his business and his lap around the yard, the three of them went back inside for warmth.

“He won’t run off on ya,” Lidia said and allowed Walter to follow them as they continued the tour of the shelter.

A few of the other calmer dogs were allowed out of their cages and were sleeping behind the desk at Dave’s feet. Theo learned that Dave and Lidia had been high school sweethearts and that she had bullied the taciturn giant into working at the shelter when they were teenagers.

“Dave’s not the brightest, but he does whatever I tell him,” Lidia whispered and winked at Theo.

“He sounds like a very smart man to me,” Theo countered, earning a soft chuckle from Dave.

“What about you and Doobie?” she asked Theo.

“Me and Brooks?” he returned cluelessly, but his face was warm. He laughed and shook his head. “I suspect that he’s tolerating me out of kindness and that I am always on his last nerve.”

“That’s not what Cassie says.” Lidia hummed and shared a loaded look with Dave, who had yet to look up from his book, before beaming at Theo “She says you’re exactly what Doobie needs and that she’d lock you in the bowling alley until you two made out. But she doesn’t need to because there’s nowhere else for you to go.”

“He’s here, ain’t he?” Dave grumbled.

Lidia let out an irritated huff. “Maybe I ought to lock him in here with you,” she said caustically.

That finally got a reaction out of Dave. He scowled up at her and then at Theo, shaking his head. “He ain’t my type,” he said and went back to his book.

Theo and Lidia burst into giggles and the conversation turned to Theo’s stay in Oslo and how he was settling in at the bowling alley.

“It is fascinating and its own little microcosm within Oslo, but running a bowling alley is a lot of work!” he shared with a glance at his watch. “I should probably go back. Keith should be arriving soon and Cassie will be stopping by with lunch. I’m hoping for meatloaf sandwiches again,” he told them and Dave grunted in approval.

“Can’t go wrong with a meatloaf sandwich.”

“Why don’t you take Walter with you?” Lidia suggested and had a leash ready for Theo.

“I don’t know… Brooks said?—”

“Just for the night. Or a few days,” she insisted as she set a faded, red leash onto Theo’s palm and closed his hand for him. “Maybe even a week. Let’s see if he grows on you.”

“Grows on me? I already love him,” Theo said as Walter stared up at him with drowsy adoration.

“Sounds like it was meant to be. I could tell the minute you walked in and you two saw each other.”

“I’m not sure… I promised Brooks I’d stay out of trouble.” Theo gasped when he remembered the envelope in his pocket and pulled it out. “Will this help with the litter and dry food?” he asked as he handed it to Lidia.

“Anythinghelps, handsome,” she said as opened it and did a double take. “Holy smokes! I can’t take this!” she cried, making Dave hop up and come around the desk.

Theo hushed her as he gestured for her to put the envelope away. “Ja.You can,” he said simply, pinning her and then Dave with a serious stare. “All I ask in return is that you keep this between us. Brooks must not find out. Klaro?”

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