Chapter 74

• The party was done; the cake was eaten, presents were opened, and the guests were gone. Abby had crashed and was in bed, Barry had gone up to his room to shower and Heather was nowhere to be found. Becky wiped the kitchen over and stacked the last of the dishes into the dishwasher, closing the door and pressing the ‘on’ button. It was dark outside and she was exhausted. The party had been wonderful, apart from a couple of hiccups that could all be laid at the feet of Heather, and Abby had enjoyed herself.
• A whining and scratching at the laundry door reminded her they still hadn’t worked out what to do with the puppy. Barry had sent one of his friends out to the local shop to pick up some dry food for the poor thing, but they still didn’t have a bowl or a bed for him. Becky opened the door and sat down on the ground with him as he jumped all over her and licked her. He really was a gorgeous little thing…oops, she was a really gorgeous little thing. Freddie was a girl, which made her smile.
• She let the puppy into the kitchen and watched her with one eye as she sniffled along the edges, looking for food. Becky hunted through the cupboards until she found a bowl that could be used for the food as they already had a temporary water bowl sorted. She filled the bowl and sat it down for Freddie who dug in, making a pig of herself as she vacuumed up the food. Becky found some old towels and made a bed for the puppy while she ate and then took her outside to do her business.