Page 36 of All Inn Thyme
I hear the buzz of Mellie’s ATV pull up along with the sound of another vehicle and I pause my fork mid-air. She walks up to the house with Kase and a taller figure. I expect to see Evan or even Logan, but it’s Preston.Great.
I’m still not sure about this guy, but from the sound of it, he’s making his home here in Freedom Valley. People seem to really like him, but I don’t like how much he likes Mellie. I shake my head, trying to rid myself of the jealousy. They’re just friends… I hope.
The door opens and when they step inside, Mellie looks surprised to see me. “I thought you were working tonight. I’m sorry…”
“Hey,” Preston says, stepping forward to shake my hand. I shake his back, probably a little too firmly.
“No, it’s fine. I’m just finishing up, but I made plenty of supper if you guys want to eat.” I motion to the casserole on the stove.
“We already ate but thank you. It smells fantastic,” Mellie says. “Preston was going to help me with some things, but we can do it another time. We won’t get in your way.” She glances over at Preston.
“No, no worries. I ended up not having a shift tonight, but you guys go ahead and do whatever you need to do.”
I don’t want to intrude on whatever they’re doing, but I’ll admit I’m curious. Preston’s a lawyer, and this looks like it goes beyond gardening and working at the inn.
I look to the little boy and say, “Hey, Kase, I was wondering if you’d like to give Nova her treat and throw her ball outside with me?”
“Sure!” he says excitedly as he takes off toward the door.
“Okay, let’s go play so your mom and Preston can have a visit.”
Mellie looks at me gratefully. “Thank you. You don’t have to do that.” She nods to Kase. “Go ahead, buddy. Have fun with Nova and Ty.”
I set my empty plate in the sink and meet Kase outside.
“Alright, here’s her treat,” I say, leaning down to Kase and Nova’s level. “Which one should we give her?”
“That one,” Kase says, pointing to the milk bone.
“Good choice. Now let’s make her do a trick, okay?”
Kase eagerly nods his head.
“Nova, beg,” I say. Nova sits and puts her paws up then tilts her head with sad eyes. This gets a laugh out of Kase and a smile from me. “Good job. Now give her the cookie.”
His little hand reaches out and before she takes it, Nova sticks her head out and swipes a big kiss up his cheek. She then gently takes the treat from his small hand. Good girl.
Kase giggles and turns to me, blinking.
“She’s pretty cool, huh?”
“Yeah, she’s nice, like Chip and Bossy. They can’t do that trick, though. Does she ever bite people?”
“She only bites bad guys,” I say, trying to be serious. “She is very protective of the people she loves. She has an important job here.”
“What’s her job?” he asks, his eyes widening.
“To be a best friend dog. She’ll always protect you and keep you safe when you’re with her. Do you need a best friend?”
He nods sadly. “I used to have a best friend dog. Her name was Sassy, but she can’t be my best friend anymore.” The way his voice cracks a little punches me in the gut.
“What happened to Sassy?”
“We had to leave her when we ran away with Mr. Mitch. But my mom says we’re not supposed to talk about that anymore.”
Whoa. This is a piece of the puzzle I wasn’t expecting. Who is Mr. Mitch?
“I’m sorry about that, Kase. Maybe you can let Nova do her job and be your best friend dog. She really likes you, and I think you being here makes her very happy.”
