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"I can handle giving everyone the inforet that," her assistant, Tina, said

Heather forced a sot it"

But her brain was only half on her students as she congratulated them on a job well done and let them know she was available to help the up their businesses After finishing up with a quick re Bark in the Park fundraiser at the baseball stadiu Saturday night, she headed back to her office with Atlas, her Great Dane, close beside her

Heather closed the door before pulling the phone back out and putting it on her desk She wished she could just delete the e, but she knew from past experience that it would be smarter to find out what her father wanted

"Sweetheart, I was hoping I’d get you rather than your voicehis denial was Didn’t he realize she hadn’t picked up a call from him in years? She rubbed her hands over her arms as he continued, "I have a business trip to San Francisco next week and I’ since we’ve seen our girl and we both le, and then burn, across the pattern of criss-crossed scars that went from her wrists up past her elbows, all around her arh that she probably didn’t need to wear long sleeves all the ti since healed, every time she had to deal with her father, she felt this phantoain and locking herself into her roo small cuts across the surface of her skin with a razor and watching theone to his huge dog pillow in the corner Instead, he’d stuck right with her and put his big head in her lap She stopped rubbing her arms and stroked his head instead

"Letwith you Your e ended and she stared blankly at the phone on her desk, her hand absent over Atlas’s short, soft fur She couldn’t believe how long they’d been playing this ga was normal and they had a perfect relationship Especially when he knew that she knew for a fact that everything wasn’t perfect, that his "perfect" " relationship with his daughter was just a big, stupid lie

A knock cahts "Coed woreat deal, poked her head in the door "Goodyou had a few minutes" Despite Heather’s s "Is everything all right?"

Heather nodded quickly "It’s always so lovely to see you"

And it was true--she couldn’t be happier to see Agnes and her dog, Joey, especially if it nes had been one of Heather’s first clients at Top Dog when the ink was still drying on her business cards Over the past few years, she’d made dozens of referrals for Heather to ith her fanes’s Cho "Look at you with your fancy new knee," she said as she scratched the dog under his chin, right where he loved it Atlas soon bumped her out of the way to say hello "I take it he’s been doing well since surgery?" she asked Agnes

"Just splendidly! He’s back to his old self, out digging up h at that, even though stopping that behavior was sones and Joey last year "Would you like et him to celebrate in a different way?"

"No, I’m perfectly happy to let Joey have his fun I didn’t nes said with a toss of her hand "I’ood friend with a new puppy"

"Perfect ti class and have several new trainers ould love to get their feet wet Why don’t I give you a few of their nunes said, "that you would be available to help hi staff had grown so much over the past three years that she spentthe business While she still loved to pop out of her office to play with the dogs that ca ca clients But she couldn’t possibly say no to Agnes, as responsible for soher busy schedule, Heather said, "What’s your friend’s na akin to a warning skittered down Heather’s spine at the wones was happily married

"And I kno much he’d appreciate it if you could e where he works I’ the poor man in circles"