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Larissa closed the linen cabinet and walked into the hallway "What do you need?"
"Help with the dogs We’re going to take the rescue van with us That should holdSUVs so we have enough cargo space What we need is help walking, feeding and watering the dogs It’s only going to be a day or so We’llat seven and then drive down Her place is east of Modesto by about thirty s and drive theet the to need help with that, too"
She nodded "I can be there at seven, no proble about and I’ll find teo with placing cats
"You’re a lifesaver"
Nothing that draht, but it was nice to be needed
THE NEXT MORNING, Larissa was on the road by six, heading to Sacramento She met up with the small caravan that would make its way down to Modesto to rescue forty chiweenies and they started south She was a little tired fro slept that well, but shea little Halfway to their destination, they all pulled into a Starbucks for a pick- as Larissa joined the group "Sos, with absolutely no experience, of course They get overwhel around"
"Are they charging her with so?" aall the anied The court will insist she not have iven tied with contempt"
"If you ask e for a few months," another woman said, her expression fierce "Then we’ll see how she likes it"
Larissa understood so overwhelmed She just wished the woman in question had asked for help sooner
The sot back on the road Larissa was the last car in the group Radio reception wasn’t great but she s made her think of Kenny, who loved that kind of music He would be in heaven
Twenty e knocking sound She h Stockton and down to Modesto where everyone turned east onto a very narroo-lane road According to what she’d been told, they still had about twenty-five e and saw the needle all the way in the red band Seconds later stea started to pour from the hood of her car She pulled over as best she could on the tiny road and watched the caravan drive away Before she could turn off the engine, it stopped on its own and everything was ominously silent
She couldn’t believe it Really? This had to happen now? Not when she was driving in Fool’s Gold where she knew she could easily get her car fixed? She thought she was doneup when she tried to help After the whole incident with the snake and Angel, she’d vowed to be ot involved with She was helping with chiweenies, for heaven’s sake How could they hurt anyone? And her reas a car breakdown?
But that was all distraction and she knew it If her car wasn’t working right it was because she hadn’t bothered to keep up with servicing
Her cell rang She answered it
"Hey, you okay?" Dan asked
"I’o on without et back to Fool’s Gold sos to foster? They won’t be ready for about two days"
"No probleht with no problem" There were plenty of people in toho had helped with her last cat rescue She suspected they would be willing to foster cute chiweenies She also thought Shelby ht enjoy a tee, so he could take several, especially with Percy to help her with the care
Dan said he would be in touch and hung up Larissa sat alone in the quiet of the Modesto wilderness and knew there was only one way out of her predicament
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
JACK LOOKED OVER the weekly report that listed ad buys for various clients Mostly he left this sort of thing to Taryn, but there were a couple of accounts that he monitored more closely Mostly because the connection with Score was personal Each of theht in clients ere also friends It was part of how they did business-- sure the personal touch never went away
He made a few notes on the report, then wrote a couple of emails to update the clients in question Just as he pushed Send, his cell rang
He glanced at the screen and saw Larissa’s picture Taryn hadin today because of an animal rescue He hadn’t stayed to hear any of the details There was no reason Whatever she was doing wouldroom
Now he took the call as a nibble of worry took up residence in his gut
"What’s wrong?" he asked
On the other end of the phone there was a second of silence "I want to say nothing," Larissa said quietly
"But?"
"My car died I’ chiweenies A lady was breeding the to surrender thes on the trip back"
"They’re not being driven?"
"Of course they’re being driven But it’s several hours They’re going to need a chance to go to the bathroohed "It wasn’t supposed to be like this," she said softly "I’ The weak link is your car It’s what? Thirty years old?"
"Fifteen and I guess it needs servicing"
"If you’d let an, only to realize that wasn’t the point At least not now Larissa needed him "Is your location finder on your phone turned on?"
"Uh-huh"
"Good I’ll be there within the hour"
"Not even the way you drive Jack, you don’t have to coetI’ll be there in person" He wrote down the route she’d taken thatand told her to stay with her car "Lock the doors"
"I’m perfectly safe," she assured hi up and headed out the door