Tail of Two Hearts. Charlotte Carter

      “It’s my turn! It’s my turn!” one boy insisted.

      “You don’t even know what to do,” an older youngster complained.

      “I do so!”

      From a shelf high above the action, Fluff, a long-haired cat with enough hair for two, looked down on the action with disdain. Vivian gave Fluff a scratch between her ears.

      “You’re too smart to do their bidding, aren’t you?” she whispered to the cat.

      Fluff responded with a faint purr.

      Chase really did love his animals. For that matter, so did Vivian.

      She walked past displays of dog and cat beds, stacks of canned and dried animal food, and toys for all manner of pets and finally found him supervising the youngsters around the puppy pen. He made sure they didn’t manhandle the puppies too badly but did socialize them to make for better pets.

      His warm brown eyes lit up when he spotted Vivian, and he produced a delighted smile. “Hey, Viv. How’s Roger doing?”

      “He’s doing fine—healthy and active.” She chuckled at the reference to the hamster she’d purchased from Chase and had named in honor of Roger Bannister, the first man to break the four-minute mile. “He’s so busy running on his wheel and playing with his toys. If I want to get any peace and quiet, I have to put him in the extra bedroom.”

      “They can be pretty active.”

      Still smiling, he stepped toward Vivian. When she’d first met him, she’d thought he was an attractive man. She still did. At six foot two with a muscular body, he towered over her five foot four, even when she was wearing heels. His short dark hair had a natural wave that sculpted his head. His nose was straight, his lips nicely full. If it weren’t for a slight scar on his chin, he might be too handsome. But the scar gave him an air of mystery.

      “What can I do for you?” he asked.

      “I, uh...” Snapping back from her train of thought, she started over. “Allison and I at Happy Endings have realized books about dogs are particularly popular. We’d like to put on a special event and thought you could give us some guidance about where to get a dog or two for show-and-tell. I know the puppies you have are from the local shelter.”

      “That’s right. The puppies and kittens from Happy Havens Animal Shelter attract customers and sometimes get adopted, so it’s a win-win situation.”

      “Either way, it’s a nice thing you’re doing.” In the short time she’d known Chase, she’d discovered he had a generous heart, particularly when it came to animals.

      Chase kept one eye on the boys and the puppies as he spoke. “I like the idea of my customers rescuing a dog and giving it a good home.”

      “I do, too.” Admiration for his principles filled her chest. “I wonder if it would be best to show off the puppies for our event or find some older dogs.”

      “I’d say older dogs. For one thing, they’re much harder to place in a new home, and the shelter is overflowing with them right now. Plus, most of them have at least some training. Trying to explain something when you’ve got a handful of puppies would be like a juggler trying to give a speech.”

      She chuckled at the image. “Using older dogs sounds like it would be for the best. If you have the time, we’d like you to be part of the event, talk about breeds, training, care and feeding. That sort of thing. We thought that would bring attention to both businesses.”

      “Sure. I’d be happy to come talk about dogs.” He noticed someone at the cash register, and they both walked in that direction.

      “I’m a big supporter of the local shelter,” he said. “Since Randall Manufacturing closed down the factory and laid off their employees, the turnover forced a lot of people to surrender their pets. Some of those folks are moving away, and their new places don’t allow animals. Or they’re broke and can’t afford to feed their animals.”

      “That’s a shame.” Her family had always had dogs and cats around the wheat farm. She’d hate the thought of handing any of them over to a shelter. Even a no-kill shelter. They were always a part of the family.

      He stepped behind the counter to help his customer. “Hello, Mrs. Murdock. How’s your arthritis doing these days?”

      “Not bad for now, but if it gets cold and rainy, it’ll act up. I can be sure of that.”

      He scanned the sack of cat food Mrs. Murdock had placed on the counter. “Anything else today? We’re starting to get in some nice toys and soft beds for Christmas gifts. Your Sadie might like one of those.”

      She tilted her head. “I do believe you’re trying to tempt me, Mr. Rollins.”

      “Only because I know how much you love to spoil Sadie.”

      Mrs. Murdock gave Chase a twenty-dollar bill. Chase made change, and Mrs. Murdock went out the door smiling.

      “Come again! Come again!” the parrot squawked.

      Chase ignored the bird. “The shelter is getting overcrowded, so I’ve started a monthly Adopt a Pet Day here at the shop. In fact I’m having one this Saturday.” He handed her a flyer from the stack on the counter.

      “What a nice thing for you to do.” She glanced over the flyer, which featured a cute poodle with a pink bow on top of her head. “She sure is a cutie.”

      “Yeah, she is. The big dogs are the ones they have the most trouble placing in new homes. They need a lot of space and eat a lot of food.”

      She chuckled. “I’m sure they do. But if you’re doing your adoption day, will you be able to leave the pet store to talk to our people?”

      “I’ve got a friend who can fill in for me. It’ll be okay.”

      “I’m glad.” She was relieved, too, that Chase could help out.

      “When you visit the shelter, you’ll have to be careful not to fall in love.” His eyes twinkled, and his lively grin was pure temptation.

      Vivian blinked. Her cheeks flushed. Had he said fall in love? With who? And why had she zeroed in on that thought?

      “Some of those dogs are pretty lovable,” he continued, unaware of her reaction. “You might want to adopt one or two yourself.”

      She chided herself for misunderstanding what he meant. “Uh, no, I’ll have to stick with Roger and my cat, Essie, for now.”

      “That’s all right.” His eyes glinted with humor. “Chances are good I’ll have another opportunity to tempt you with a puppy or two. I don’t give up easily.”

      She nodded, thinking that was an admirable trait. “I’m sure that’s true. I’ll just have to do my very best to resist your persuasive ways.”

      His brown-eyed gaze softened as he studied her face. “I can only hope you won’t try too hard to resist.”

      She swallowed hard. Chase Rollins was a man who knew how to flirt, and she was reacting just the way he had intended: with a nervous flutter in her stomach.

      She stepped toward the door. “I’ll tell Allison about the shelter, and that you’ll help us out.”

      “Right. I’ll be happy to.”

      Vivian pulled the door open and escaped outside just as the flame of embarrassment heated her cheeks.

      Her recent forays into the dating world had been less than successful. Indeed, they’d been a flop. As soon as she had announced to the men in question that she’d never be able to give them a baby, the guys had dumped her.

      She had always dreamed of having a big family. Apparently God had decided two years ago, when she had had her hysterectomy, that she wouldn’t be able to give birth to her own children. But that wouldn’t prevent