Page 11 of Saving Her Heart
"Fine," I manage, stepping back. "We should?—"
A crash from ahead, followed by multiple screams.
"The Garden Club," we say in unison.
We burst into the community room to find chaos. Twenty women in pastel dresses are standing on chairs while Gertie explores yet another buffet table. She's wearing what appears to be someone's sun hat and has already destroyed the centerpiece.
"GET THAT BEAST OUT OF HERE!" Valerie screams from atop a particularly tall chair. "THIS IS THE LAST STRAW, GREENE!"
"I'm handling it," I say, moving slowly toward Gertie.
"You couldn't handle a tea party!" Valerie snaps. "This is exactly why you're unfit to manage these properties!"
"Hey," Jax says sharply. "She's doing her job."
"Her job is preventing this exact situation!"
"Her job is managing properties, not controlling livestock that technically belongs to a tenant."
"Ex-tenant! As of today, Mrs. Parsons is evicted!"
"You can't evict someone for having a therapy animal," I say, still creeping toward Gertie.
"That's not a therapy animal! That's a menace to society!"
Gertie, apparently offended by Valerie's tone again, abandons the buffet table and heads straight for her. Valerie shrieks and tries to climb higher on the chair, which starts to wobble.
"Valerie, don't—" I start.
The chair tips. Valerie falls. Jax lunges forward and catches her just before she hits the ground, which would be heroic except Valerie immediately starts hitting him with her purse.
"Unhand me! I'll sue everyone! The building! The police department! That goat!"
"Ma'am, please stop assaulting me," Jax says, setting her down and backing away.
Meanwhile, Gertie has found the exit door, which leads directly to the pool area where—I check my watch—another water aerobics class is just finishing.
"We have to stop her before?—"
The door opens from the outside. Hudson Taylor walks in, holding Gertie's collar. The goat is calm, munching on what looks like Hudson's sandwich.
"Lose something?" he asks, grinning.
"Hudson!" I could kiss him. "How did you?—"
"Kate saw the alert on Instagram. Figured you could use backup." He hands Gertie's lead to Jax. "She comes right to you if you have food, by the way."
"Now you tell us," Jax mutters.
"Where's animal control?" I ask.
"Parking lot, looking very embarrassed." Hudson surveys the destroyed community room. "Valerie giving you trouble?"
"I'm right here!" Valerie snaps. "And yes, I'm giving trouble! This woman is a disaster!"
"This woman," Hudson says calmly, "has managed these properties perfectly for three years. One weird morning doesn't erase that."
"The board will decide that tonight."
