Once Upon a Pet Show (A Redpoint One Romance) Read Free Page A

creature. She'd heard some of the other pet
owners remark how cute they would be to have as a pet. She kept
herself from replying that they weren't to be anyone's pet. The pet
show was merely the tool to get them where they needed to
go.
    One of the other daubpups ran by, and then
leaped to dive into the pile of fine straw at the end. Another
rubbed against the side of the enclosure. Only two were on the
branches in the upper parts of the tall cage.
    Uhoh. She knew what it meant when the entire
group started getting antsy. Moving to the edges of the cages. At a
certain point, no matter how she called to them, they would have
enough and that would be it.
    "Please. We just got you here," she pleaded
under her breath even as another daubpup started moving towards the
back wall. If Clementine was wanting to leave, then she had a real
problem. Unlike Penny, Clementine was one of the calm ones of the
group.
    Yep, this could be the start of a big
problem.
    "Never fun getting them settled in," Ms.
Mishley said, pausing next to Vallory. The older gray-haired woman
tugged the strap of a big bag over her shoulder. Her own pets slept
peacefully in their own enclosure just down the wide aisle. She
smiled as she peered at the daubpups. "Fluffy little things. What
did you say they were?"
    "They're called Etrucian Daubpups," Vallory
said, trying to smile naturally even while trying to keep an eye on
them at the same time. They were still moving towards the walls,
stopping to look back at her as if seeing if now was a good time to
escape unnoticed.
    "Never heard of them, but then that's not
surprising. There are a great many animals and breeds here that
I've never heard of. Part of the joy of attending," Ms. Mishley
said.
    "I agree. Animals from all over the Galactic
Commonwealth." And part of the reason Vallory had gathered every
bit of money she could lay her hands on to get the daubpups
here.
    "Get a good night's sleep. The whole thing
starts in earnest tomorrow morning." With a friendly nod, Ms.
Mishley headed for one of the exits.
    Right. Tomorrow. It would be nice to start off
the day with a full enclosure of daubpups.
    "Can't you wait even a few minutes?" Vallory
demanded as Penny bounded for one of the back corners. "They said
help was coming."
    Penny gave her a disgusted look and flicked
the end of her tail in her direction. Yep. She would disappear
soon, and she wouldn't care if anyone saw her.
    "Enclosure 291. This is it," a deep modulated
voice said from so close that Vallory gave a little
jump.
    To her right stood two men with a cart towed
by one of the rounded robots she'd seen around the station. Both
youngish men in great physical condition, especially the one who
had spoken. The man looked like he weight-lifted.
    Not that the other was a light-weight. Compact
body, but balanced in his musculature. He wore a mask of cool
authority, even without speaking, telling her exactly who was in
charge of the two.
    She found herself staring a little longer than
she should. Really, she should be staring at the cart filled with
repair tools and parts. Those were the most important things right
now. "Please tell me you are here to fix the
life-support?"
    "Am I to understand this is your enclosure?"
the second man asked, regarding her with unusual green eyes. Spiked
short brown hair framed a thoroughly male face. One she found
herself drawn to despite the urgency of the moment. Really. What
was wrong with her?
    A movement out of the corner of her eye
reminded her of just how urgent. "Yes, the daubpups are mine.
Vallory Schist, and we need to get the temperature lowered
fast."
    "Shouldn't the normal controls handle that?"
the weightlifter asked.
    "If it were that simple the show organizers
wouldn't have contacted maintenance." The second man turned to pull
a long black tube with controls on one end out of the
cart.
    "Right. Daubpups don't like high temperatures.
Turning up the fans hasn't helped, either." Nor had opening the
front access door