Chez Stinky Read Online Free PDF Page A

digging her fingernails into her palms. It was just so much to take in; at this point she just wanted to leave and go someplace quiet and think. Somewhere without giant dogs, barking, and bad smells.
    “So, what do you think? Have you made a decision?” Larry asked.
    Kat said, “I need to get back home. I have a proposal I have to edit or everyone at my company is going to lose their jobs. I’m really far behind as it is because of coming out here. I’ll probably be up all night.”
    The lawyer looked down at the ground. “That’s fine, but I do need to know what your plans are.”
    “I know. But honestly, I just can’t spend any time here with that smell. Can you do something about it? Then I can come back and look around again. I need to think about all this. And I really need to drive back to the city now.”
    “Okay. I’ll call an acquaintance of mine to see if he can do something about the smell. He’s a bit of an all-around handyman person. I think he may have experience with this type of situation. I’ll give you a call on Monday and let you know.”
    Kat shook hands with Larry and walked over to her car. Linus was lying near the driver’s side door in the shade, looking relaxed. He gazed up at her with a questioning look on his face. As Kat reached down to pet his huge head, she looked into his deep-brown eyes. “I’m sorry big guy, but I have to go now.” Linus looked at her for a second, stood up, and padded toward the house. He stopped and looked over his shoulder.
    “It’s okay. Go on home, now.”
    Kat felt like she should tell him that she’d be back, but she wasn’t sure. He was just a dog, anyway. He didn’t know that part of her wanted to run away from this complicated, stinky disaster area and never, ever come back. But as she looked up into the canopy of trees and listened to the birds twittering, another part of her felt an oddly comforting connection to this place.

Chapter 2

Wine & Whine
    A s Kat pulled the car into her parking space in her apartment complex, she looked up at the door of her comfortable little apartment. Everything here was so easy. One hungry but otherwise not terribly demanding cat. Functional appliances. No mysterious smells.
    After greeting and feeding Murphee, Kat settled into her favorite blue chair and picked up the phone.
    “Hi Maria. Are you still up for the Wine and Whine?” she asked.
    “Hey girlfriend! I may have to cancel that hot date I have with Richard Gere. But that officer and gentleman is just going to have to wait to enjoy the fabulousness of me.”
    Kat laughed and said, “Great. Come on over. I’ve got stories to tell you.”
    “Coolio! See ya in a few.”
    After Maria arrived at her apartment, Kat poured the wine and related the events of her day out in Alpine Grove. In the retelling, the whole experience seemed surreal.
    “It’s cool that I have an inheritance,” Kat said. “But I don’t think I’m really the live-out-on-the-farm country-girl type. I’m a tech writer.”
    “Let me see if I’m getting this straight,” Maria said. “If you live at this place that smells like a sewer, you get the property and gobs and gobs of money. But if you find homes for the dogs and cats, you only get the place that stinks.” Maria raised one eyebrow, a move she called her Mr. Spock look.
    “Yes. I get Chez Stinky either way. But what my aunt really wanted was for me to take over her life and take care of her dogs and cats. It’s weird because the last time she saw me I was eight. How did she even know that I like animals at all? I could be some creepy fuzzy-bunny-hater for all she knew.”
    “Chez Stinky? Oh yeah, baby, you know I’m not gonna forget that. Your new homestead is forever etched in my little brain as Chez Stinky. I wanna make a big sign for you as a housewarming gift. You can put it over the door!”
    Kat giggled and took a sip of her wine. “The lawyer knows a guy who can get rid of the stink. Or I hope so anyway.