Page 13 of Threads of Kindness
“I think everyone here knows that Forever Guides has a secret donor—and it isn’t me.” Frank raised his eyebrows as he looked from face to face.
“You mean Gordon Mortimer?” Tim asked.
“The donor wants to remain anonymous, so I won’t confirm or deny,” Frank said, smiling. “When I consulted with him after we received the preliminary plans, he insisted that we construct the entire project from the get-go.”
“That’s incredibly generous,” David said. “Itisimportant for the handlers-in-training to live on campus with their guides. I’m stoked to hear this.”
“The dormitory building will house twenty hotel-style rooms with en suite bathrooms, a fully equipped catering kitchen, a communal dining room, and a large central living room for people to watch television, play games, or talk. There will also be dog relief stations on either side of the building,” Frank said. “The last building on this drawing is the one whose elevation you viewed on page one. It will be the administration building. Josh’s office and the other administrative staff will be there. We’ll have a conference room, another small kitchen, and a gift shop.”
David reached over Frank’s shoulder and traced his finger along sidewalks that looped between the buildings. “We’ll use these in the early stages of our training, before our handler and guide dog pairs are ready to go into the outside world. We’ll construct overhead obstacles, sharp turns, inclines, and intersections with roadways to teach our students mobility skills with their dogs.”
The sun ducked behind a cloud, and the morning felt even colder. Frank rolled the plans back into a cylinder. “Do you want to inspect the detail drawings?” he asked. “You can see where your offices will be.” He smiled at Josh and then at David.
“Sure,” David said. “I want to go over all the plans. I’ve been so excited.”
“Me too,” Josh said.
Frank studied the expanse of open land in front of him as he replaced the rubber band on the drawings. “Can you imagine it?” he asked, looking at David.
“I can.” David nodded. “There’s nothing going on here right now, but I can feel the energy in this ground.”
Josh agreed, “When this place is built and filled with humans and their guide dogs, it’s going to be remarkable.”
“I’d like to review every drawing in that stack, too,” Tim said.
“Okay, everybody, let’s go back to my office at Haynes Enterprises. We’ll spread these out on the conference room table and go over them with a fine-tooth comb. I want each of you to consider them carefully. If there’s anything that needs to be changed, please speak up.”
“Now is the best time to make modifications,” Tim said. “Before you send these out for construction bids.”
Frank led the way to the parking lot. “Dream big, everybody,” he said. “We’re creating a magical place.”
CHAPTER 7
The bell over the door ofCelebrationsannounced Susan’s arrival as she entered the gift shop that was a fixture on the square. Judy was at the register, almost hidden from view by tall stacks of half-priced boxes of Christmas cards, rolls of wrapping paper, and assorted ribbons and bows. She and Susan waved to each other as Susan made her way to the racks of greeting cards.
Judy gave her customer the total for her purchase and swiped the woman’s credit card. She placed the items in carrier bags imprinted with Celebrations in a flourishy font and handed them across the counter.
“Thanks for coming in,” Judy said. “It’s always nice to see you.”
“I haven’t missed an after-Christmas clearance sale atCelebrationssince your mother had the store,” the woman said.
“I appreciate your loyal patronage,” Judy replied, smiling as the woman turned and walked to the door.
Susan approached the register. “I’m afraid I’m a small sale compared to that lady,” Susan said, placing an engagement card, a package of New Year’s Eve napkins, and one of paper NewYear’s Eve dessert plates on the counter. She gave Judy a rueful smile.
“You’re a year-round customer,” Judy said. “The woman who just left comes in once a year for our after-Christmas sale. And that’s fine. I love all my customers, no matter how much they spend.”
“That’s why you’re so successful,” Susan said. “It’s so much more fun to shop here than at the big box retailers at the mall.”
“From your lips to God’s ears,” Judy said, scanning Susan’s items. “I’m glad to see you today. Does that mean everyone is feeling better at your house?”
“Julia’s fever broke yesterday, and she slept through the night. She’s fine this morning, so I felt comfortable leaving her with our nanny while I run errands. I took this week off. Luckily, Aaron and I never got sick.”
“I’m glad my shop was one of your errands,” Judy said. She pointed to the engagement card. “Did you hear about Sunday and Josh?”
“Mom couldn’t wait to tell me. I’mthrilled for them! As a matter of fact, I’m meeting Sunday for coffee at Pete’s in fifteen minutes. She’s on vacation this week, too, and called to see if we could get together. I can’t wait to hear all the details.”
“I believe they’re planning a traditional wedding, probably in spring or summer.”
