We set off in a loop around the playground so she could monitor her daughter as we walked.
“She’s supposed to be at a play date,” the woman said, gesturing toward a group of girls about her daughter’s age sitting on a blanket sharing a picnic. Under their winter coats, the girls wore full princess regalia. “Summer would rather sit under a tree by herself.”
I studied the little girl under the bare oak branches. She was smaller than the other girls. Dressed in a pirate’s ensemble, complete with a swashbuckling sword at her side, she must not have gotten the memo requesting royal attire.
“The invitation said to dress as your favorite character.” She shook her head. “Summer is obsessed with these pirate books,Ashes of Mooreland.”
I smiled and shoved up my sleeve to show her my tattoo. It was Princess Alaura of Marlydia’s ship. “I know the series.”
The woman inspected my ink from wrist to elbow. “You’re even more obsessed than my daughter.”
“I love books. I work at Hyperboles Bookshop and write book reviews for the website.” I nodded at the dogs. “This is my side gig.”
The woman trained her eyes on her daughter as we circled the playground. She sighed. “I don’t mind her being a bookworm, but I hoped she’d at least try to make friends.”
I transferred my glance from the daughter to the mother. “What about you? You were sitting on a bench all by yourself. All the other moms are over there.”
I gestured at a group of young mothers dressed in the suburban mom athleisure uniform of fitted jeans tucked into riding boots and colorful puffy vests.
“I work too much. We just moved back here. I haven’t had time…” She trailed off, her frown slowly morphing into a smile. “I sound like a walking excuse. Sorry. I didn’t even introduce myself. I’m Pressly Carleton, and that’s my daughter, Summer.”
“Lacey Donovan.”
We walked around the playground a few more times, chatting nonstop. On our last loop, our conversation dipped below the surface level of jobs and hobbies and dived in to the deep water of relationships.
Pressly told me about her painful divorce from Summer’s dad and how the little girl had sank further into the fantasy world of her books since moving back to Mossy Oak a month ago. She told me about wanting to find a place closer to town so Summer wouldn’t be so isolated at her brother’s house in the hills near her job at Sky Valley Vineyards.
“My job doesn’t leave me with a lot of downtime. I need to prove myself right now. My previous boss got fired for embezzlement, and everyone is looking at me to keep things afloat.”
“Sounds like you need a night out on the town, not that Mossy Oak has much to offer.”
She laughed. “Just one of the things I’m working on. I grew up here, and the only place to go was an old honky-tonk on the outskirts of Azalea Falls. I’m trying to change things at the Vineyard. I want to make the bar at the inn a place for locals as well as guests.”
“I’ve been there once.”
She raised her eyebrows at me. “Only once?”
“Once was enough. Too uppity for me.”
“Exactly my point.” Pressly sighed as she saw the tea party was breaking up. “I better go drag Summer away from her book. She should at least say goodbye to the others.”
Aslan gave Pressly a mournful look as she passed his leash back to me, and we both laughed.
“Is he available for adoption?”
Aslan might be just what mother and daughter needed. “Are you looking for a dog?”
Pressly’s nose wrinkled. “Not really. We’re staying with my brother, and his place isn’t exactly dog friendly.”
I glanced down at Aslan, who was eying us as if he understood every word. “Does it have a fenced yard?”
“Not exactly.”
I narrowed my eyes at her.
“The property is gated, but it’s too big to let a dog run loose.” Pressly chewed her lip, eying Aslan. “But I am looking for a place in town. Maybe one with a yard.”
I transferred the leashes into one hand and pulled one of my cards from my coat pocket. “If you decide to adopt Aslan, I can help you with walking and training.”
