6
“Hey, Audrey!”Cindy Brown smiled from behind the desk at Golden Years Senior Living. Last time Audrey had seen her friend, she’d had gorgeous long braids down to her back, today her hair was in tight curls framing her perfect heart shaped face. Cindy was in her fifties, but she didn’t look a day over thirty-five. The woman never aged.
“I love your hair!” Audrey handed Cindy a peppermint macchiato with extra whipped cream, which she brought her every time she came to Golden Years.
“Oh, you are truly a saint.” Cindy took a sip and closed her eyes, when she finished her drink, she set her cup down before patting the bottom of her curls. “And thanks. I love my braids, they are basically no maintenance, but sometimes you just gotta let your hair breathe and go natural.”
“You look great!” Audrey enthused.
Cindy gave her a wink before smiling widely as she peered over the countertop. “And who do you have with you today?”
Audrey glanced down as she introduced the dachshund and golden retriever. “This is Duchess and Barkley.”
Every Tuesday evening Audrey brought in shelter dogs to the retirement home. It was a program she’d started after volunteering at both the shelter and the senior home. Dogs needed to be socialized and the residents at Golden Years loved the interaction. She also ran a program where kindergartners and preschoolers in after-school care came for a few hours every month and did art projects together. The kids and the seniors loved it. They thrived off the interaction.
That program had started after one day when she was volunteering at the library as part of a reading program. She couldn’t get through one page without one of the kids interrupting her. She realized that all they really wanted was for people to listen to them. And all the seniors at Golden Years wanted was company. She figured it would be worth a shot.
She’d contacted the school and worked with the principal to make it happen. So far, it had been a roaring success. The kids looked forward to it, as much if not more than the seniors.
“Hello, Duchess and Barkley.” Cindy rounded the counter and knelt down and gave each of the pups a good scratch behind the ears. “What’s their story?”
“Duchess was part of the hoarding case in Jasper County. And Barkley was picked up out at King’s Pond,” Audrey explained.
Cindy reached out and petted Barkley’s head. “I would take them both home if I could.”
“So would I,” Audrey concurred whole-heartedly.
Cindy, like Audrey, was a huge animal lover. She had four cats, three dogs, two rabbits and some chickens. The two women had bonded over their shared love of rescues and Cindy’s great appreciation for caffeinated beverages.
Audrey had two rescue cats, Liza and Frank. But since they were both special needs, and she was so busy with the coffee shop and volunteering she didn’t think it was responsible to take on more pets. If that wasn’t the case, she would have a zoo.
“Oh, I’ve been meaning to talk to you!” Cindy’s face lit up as she stood.
Audrey knew that particular brand of face-lighting-up all too well. Her friend was going to try to set her up in three, two, one…
“Davis just hired a new foreman. He’s forty, divorced, no kids, and he used to play in the NFL, that’s how Davis knew him. He’s just moved to Emerald Creek and Davis is going to bring him to JT’s on Friday night. You should come. It could be like a double date.”
Cindy’s husband Davis had played professional football for ten years and now owned a construction company. He and Cindy had been childhood sweethearts who had broken up in college. They’d both gone on to marry other people, have kids, raise those kids and then subsequently divorce their significant others. They’d reconnected at their twenty-five-year high school reunion and they’d been together ever since. Cindy was blissfully happy, and from Audrey’s experience, blissfully happy people who were in relationships, were always trying to recruit people into their club.
Audrey smiled sweetly. “I’m actually helping my sister out with wedding plans on Friday night.”
She was lying through her teeth. She hated lying. But more than lying she hated being set up on blind dates. She’d never actually gone on any of them, because it honestly sounded like her worst nightmare.
“Okay, well what about next Friday?” Cindy asked hopefully.
“This month is going to be crazy. We have Ava’s wedding, and I’m helping Viv with the singles week.”
Technically, Audrey had told Viv to let her know if she needed any help. So far, she hadn’t asked her to do anything, but Audrey considered herself on call.
Cindy clapped her hands together. “That’s right. We’re having a singles week. Well, you better snap that man up before that. Because let me tell you he is not going to stay on the market long if you know what I mean?”
“I do.” Audrey humored Cindy the same way Josh had when Manny asked him if he could taste berry and hazelnut flavors. “So, is everyone in the game room?”
“Yep.” Cindy went back behind the counter. “They’ve been waiting for you all day. You really make a difference here, Aud. I hope you know that.”
Audrey smiled feeling uncomfortable accepting the recognition. She didn’t really do anything except bring some kids and animals to visit with people that were lonely. That didn’t exactly make her a hero.
She walked down the wide hallway and when they reached the double doors, she looked down at her four-legged companions. “Okay, I need you both to be on your best behavior.”