Shelter of Hope. Margaret Daley

in them that fit what she had seen today. He recognized a need and went right to work to fix it. She liked that in a man.

      She moved toward the door. “You can bill me for your services. I may have to pay out over several months, but I want to take care of her until you find a home for her.”

      “I don’t charge people for bringing in stray animals that are hurt.”

      Exiting the vet’s mini clinic, Susan scanned the yard. It was littered with pens full of various kinds of animals. “Now I understand why you have so many animals here.”

      “Most people in Hope know they can bring an animal to me and it will have a chance to live.”

      “But aren’t you running out of room?”

      “That’s not my most pressing problem.”

      “What is?”

      “Enough hours in the day to do everything. I’m not even sure I can take Labor Day off to go on the boat with Kim and Zane, but Carly really wants to. I guess I could drop her off. Kim and Zane would look after her.”

      Susan thought of the little girl who had such devotion to her father. Susan wanted to help the child spend as much quality time with Nathan as possible. Her own experience trying to get some of her mother’s attention was not so happy—it had hurt when her mother’s latest man had been more important than her. “Tell you what. I’ll come tomorrow to help you, and then again early Monday morning for the chores that need to be done so you can go on the boat. You need to be with your daughter.” She flashed a smile. “Besides, my boss invited me on the boat, too. We all should have a day of play from time to time.”