She finished her juice and rinsed her glass, placing it on the drain board. Peering out the kitchen window, she saw a white van pulling into the driveway. “The vet,” she said, glancing around the house as she headed for the front door. Nothing out of place. Perfection, her mother’s claim to household fame. The doorbell rang, and she promptly opened the door.

“Hello, I’m Lauren, and I’m going to guess you’re Dr. Melloh.” She held out her hand.

“Yes, ma’am, the one and only,” he said.

“Please, come in.” She stood aside to allow him to enter. He was a big guy, as in well over six feet tall, though he was slim. Lauren would bet he’d been a basketball player in his day. He was probably in his midfifties. He wore wire-rimmed glasses, and his balding head was shiny, like a new penny. He wore jeans and a gray-flannel shirt.

“So, you’re the one that took the new mom and her kittens?”

“I couldn’t resist. They’re so adorable, and I’ve been wanting another pet for ages. We always had a cat or a dog when I was growing up.”

“So you’re experienced with animals. Good.” He smiled at her. “Where are you going to keep the pets?”

“Our old guy, Buzz, stayed all over the house. Mom thought it might be a good idea to let them have a room to themselves at first. We’ll put their beds in a guest room, and if it turns out they want to hang out elsewhere—well, as you can see, we have plenty of room.”

“That’s excellent. And someone will be here with them daily? Feed them, change the litter box? See to it they’re vaccinated as needed?”

“Sure. As a matter of fact, I’m going to be here all day. I’m going to work from home while my parents take care of Razzle Dazzle.”

He brightened. “You’re the writer! I’ve read all the biographies you’ve written. And I know your father. We used to sit on the board at the Chamber of Commerce back in the day.”

“Good. I’d taken over for him. He was ill for a while, but he’s back at the shop now, so you might want to stop in, tell him hi sometime. He’d like that.”

“And I would as well. I’m pretty sure those little kittens are going to be living large, so I’ll sign off on the paperwork as soon as I get back to the shelter. You can pick them up anytime tomorrow.”

“Thank you, Dr. Melloh. I’m a cat lover, and my parents are too. They’ll be much loved,” she said, following him to the door. “Thanks for changing your schedule to speed up the adoption. I really appreciate it.”

He chuckled. “All in a day’s work. Take care.”