“I’ll mop in here later.”
“I can help.”
“Dude, it’s literally my job.” Once Arthur’s nonprofit status came through, he’d received a city development grant. I think some of the council were ashamed of how Van Doren tried to ambush Theo, and their unspoken apologies came out as a benefit to the shelter. Arthur now paid me a small salary, on top of room and board, to fix the landscaping, clean up the building, and take care of the few pets we’d moved in before this day.
“Hey, you guys need me?” Theo called from the doorway.
“I always need you,” I told him. When he came close, I grabbed him and kissed him. Having my hands on Theo calmed a few leftover nerves. Showing off and patter came naturally to me, but it hadn’t mattered the same way in the past. I’d seen a check for a thousand bucks change hands. “I think they liked the place.”
Theo gave me a quick hug. “I heard nothing but good comments.”
“At least Van Doren didn’t show his face.” Last we’d heard, he was trying to get compensation from the council for the supposed decline in value of his adjacent properties. I hoped they wouldn’t give him a dime.
Arthur snorted. “He’s too chicken. This crowd would’ve eaten him alive.”
“What’s left to do tonight?” Theo glanced around. “Besides picking up the trash and mopping the floors.”
“Smokey and Tigger need evening walks.” We’d brought over the two most social of Arthur’s rescues, the ones who’d love a crowd and not get spooked. Both now had possible adopters, but Arthur was waiting to do the paperwork right. “I’ll leave the cats alone.” We’d brought the most social three cats, too, but only Fuzzy still solicited petting by the end of the event.
Theo asked Arthur, “Are you bringing the rest of your fosters in tonight?”
“Tomorrow. I don’t have the spoons right now.” Arthur sighed. “Gonna be so weird in that house with all the empty space. I can’t remember the last time I only had three dogs and a cat.”
I’d have hugged him for that sad look on his face, except I was never sure if Arthur wanted hugs. “How’s Mouse doing with her new owner?” The sweet, shy pittie had never really adapted to the hustle and bustle of Arthur’s place and he’d found her a home with a single woman who wanted a quiet companion.
“She’s great. Last time I went over, she barely left Paula’s side to say hello to me.”
“That’s what we want, right?” Theo asked.
“Yeah.” Arthur made that sound convincing, although he’d told me how hard it was to let foster pups go. “And Shorty’s getting better every day, walking some on his back legs now. Nita adores him and she’s so good with him.” The Corgi had slipped a disc in his back and become paralyzed. He needed months of strict rest to heal, somewhere calmer than Arthur’s. The vet assistant who’d volunteered to nurse him was in love with his furry butt and it was pretty clear that, no matter how much Arthur missed Shorty, he wouldn’t be taking the dog back.
I patted his arm in place of the hug and grinned. “Once we bring the rescues and the cats over here, you’ll have three whole bedrooms. Whatever will you do with yourself?”
Arthur didn’t grin back. “Don’t know if it’s stupid but… I’m kind of worried that if the rescue fills up, I’ll start taking fosters in again and make myself crazy burning the candle at both ends. I’m thinking about maybe selling the house, moving somewhere smaller. I wouldn’t mind cashing in on the equity, either, since I’m cutting way back on my day job.”
“Hell, you could move into the upstairs apartment here,” I joked. Except Arthur flinched rather than laughing. “Wait, do youwantto move in there?”
“It’s not very big,” Theo pointed out. “A solid one-bedroom, and the living room space is a decent size, but half of your house. Maybe less.”
“I’d never kick you out,” Arthur told me instead of answering my question. “I hope you know that.”
“Arthur, dude, I know you’d sleep on the fucking street before you’d kick me out. That is so not the point. Do youwantto use the apartment?”
“Maybe? Someday? If you decide to go elsewhere, it’d be convenient. I’d like being close, knowing what’s happening with all my animals. But that’s a thought for the future.”
I turned to Theo. Our eyes met. “Or maybe for today?” I suggested.
Arthur frowned. “What are you saying? Are you leaving Gaynor Beach?”
“God, no.” I kept my gaze on Theo. “A certain boyfriend asked me to move in with him three months ago and I said, ‘Not yet.’ I’ve kept saying, ‘Not yet,’ even though he’s been great about not nagging me.”
“We get lots of time together. I’m happy,” Theo murmured.
“But you could be happier, if we slept in the same bed every night, instead of sometimes. I’d be happier, too. And I do like your ridiculous shower. Mimsy misses Foxy.”
Theo laughed. “Now,thatpart’s a lie. She tolerates Foxy. Foxy might miss her, though, now the puppies are all gone.”
“Mimsy misses her amazing cat tower when she’s here, anyhow.” Theo had designed and built the thing. Over-built it— that cat tree had six levels, tunnels, a hammock, and took up half the south-facing windows. Then he’d hung a bird feeder outside the window near the top perch. Mimsy loved her cat-castle.
