Love Has The Best Intentions Read Free

apologized
as she pried the puppy off my ankle.
    “Such an interesting hypothesis. Shall we
conduct further tests?” Rejuvenated, I moved toward Fiona, but she
retreated, that adorable blush coloring her face again.
    “Oh, dear, I’ve got to get back before my mob
of fuzzy hooligans breaks into the cookie jar and gets sick from
eating too many puppy treats.”
    “We wouldn’t want that, darling Fiona. But
would you consider going out to supper with me tonight?”
    Her answering smile was as divine as the blue
of her eyes.
    “I’ll be over at seven o’clock.” I limped
after her to the front door. “Will all the mutts be picked up by
then?”
    “All except Kirby. He’s mine.” Fiona stood on
tiptoe to bestow a butterfly-light kiss on my cheek. “But I’m
willing to share him. See you at seven. We’ve got fences to mend in
our relationship—starting with that escape tunnel Kirby made under
your hedge.”
    Then she was gone, leaving me gaping after
her on the doorstep as Burt must have done the morning of our first
otherworldly visitation. My angel with her own guardian imp.
    I hobbled back inside. If Kirby didn’t mend
his manners when I tried to steal another kiss, I knew of one
picture in my fall show that would have a certain terrier painted
out of it.
     
    THE END
     

 
    Love To
Go
     
    Jenny and I blew into Corleone’s Pizzeria
just ahead of the approaching storm. I immediately felt its
coziness envelop me. “Brick ovens make all the difference in
texture and taste,” I informed Jenny, my words tumbling over each
other as I inhaled the scents of yeast and toasted cheese.
    A small town girl, I’ve only been in the big
city for a few months. Jenny’s a co-worker who heard me bragging
about finding a fabulous restaurant and decided to tag along. Since
stumbling across the pizzeria, I’d visited the place nearly every
week. Watching the family members who owned Corleone’s and
listening to their banter and laughter made me feel somehow less
lonely.
    I steered Jenny to a small red table whose
round top resembled a piece of pepperoni. “Here’s the order slip.
They’ll pick it up after you check off what you want. FYI, when
it’s ready, they announce your choice to the room, usually with
teasing comments.”
    “Then I’ll order something non-fattening.”
Jenny smoothed her hair and glanced around the intimate interior.
“I see there’s mostly families in here tonight, RaeLynn. This
doesn’t look like such a great place to meet guys.”
    It’s not a ‘meet’ market, it’s more of a
‘meat’ market—remember, I only claimed that the pizza’s great.” I
avoided looking for Nicky behind the counter. He worked Friday
evenings and somehow on Fridays I usually found myself hungry for
pizza. And a slice of Nicky.
    The door blew open and the man himself burst
in, threading his way between the tables.
    In a moment, Jenny would spot him—she’s got a
laser scope that locks on any cute guy in the vicinity, which meant
I was crazy for bringing her along.
    I snatched up a slip and waved it under her
nose. “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could order dates to
specifications?” In the “special order” section, I printed the
first item on my list of wants and wishes. “Dazzling smile—one that
makes me weak in the knees.”
    “You go with the guy with a good dental
plan,” Jenny muttered. “I’d rather have one whose killer body does
the talking for him.”
    But Nicky was more than just eye candy. I’d
watched him mop floors, hand toss pizza dough like a pro and listen
to complaints without ever losing his sparkle. By nibbling on my
pizza slices to prolong each visit and eavesdropping on the chatter
behind the counter, I’d learned Nicky took college courses several
evenings a week, chasing his dream of becoming an accountant.
    I looked up in time to see him bend down to
retrieve a doll and hand it back to a tot who gazed up at him,
wide-eyed. He said something that made her giggle.