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

pouting after I left instead of
finding a good new recruit to follow." Zane glared down at the bot,
folding his arms over his chest. "Fine. So be it. You can help me
while I figure out what is going on."
    The bot gave a happy whistle and raced in one
full circle around Zane's feet before coming to a stop next to him.
Damien almost laughed at the adoring glances the bot kept giving
Zane.
    Yeah, the bots chose their people to follow,
and very little put them off. Nor did they seem to forget. Damien
glanced back at the back rooms to find his bot along with several
others at the entrance of the hall watching the scene before
them.
    "We're all glad to have you here," Arthur
said. He stopped Vasiliy at the door before the man could fully
enter the maintenance platform. "You have Shay. See if he has any
aptitude in your area."
    "The newbie?" Vasiliy glanced between Shay and
Zane. "And Zane's here? Have the newbie follow him around a bit.
Zane knew right where I belonged."
    "Zane is here for a specific reason," Arthur
said before anything else could be said. "Shay is with
you."
    "Fine."
    Damien smothered a smile. While the rest of
them may like apprentices and others in their department, the man
preferred to work alone. Considering he was able to keep his
department running smooth over-all, no one complained about
it.
    "I hope to keep my visit to a minimum. Find
the problem and head out," Zane said as he glanced over the
maintenance platform.
    Words Damien didn't particularly like to hear,
but then he'd never contemplated living anywhere else than Redpoint
One after he'd arrived. Leave? Leave the bots? Unthinkable, and yet
Zane had done so. Left over five years ago never to return once for
a visit.
    "Head out? After you only just arrived?" a
female voice demanded.
    Now, he knew that voice by heart. Despite
suggesting to Arthur they should invite the Naughty Knitter's Club
to search for more recruits, that didn't mean he wanted to be
around when they were up to any mischief.
    Damien spun around and headed for the back. He
grabbed his lunch and called for his bot as he headed into the back
rooms. When he came back out, all three women of the Naughty
Knitter's Club were still taking turns hugging Zane, ignoring his
stiff posture.
    Good reason to leave right now before they
announced why there were here. Plus, eating lunch with the smell
permeating the room did nothing for his appetite. Several of the
others felt the same way and were already heading out with their
own lunches. Shay and Vasiliy were already long gone.
    "You must come for a visit," Velda was saying
as Damien headed across the room towards the double-wide front
door. Just a little further and he would be in the
clear.
    "I'm here to work, ladies," Zane said, his
deep voice carrying well through the room.
    "After being gone so long? One would think you
didn't want to be here," Daisy said. She missed Zane's small jerk
because of looking at Eddie as she added, "We should have a small
party at the Northstar B&B. We could invite a few of the
old-timers."
    "Ladies, we need him for the station," Arthur
said, putting himself between Zane and Daisy, who was reaching up
for another hug. "Or have you not noticed that we've had a few
things go wrong?"
    "Right. Like what happened to Rachel," Eddie
said, elbowing Daisy.
    "Or this smell?" Velda put her hands on her
hips and glared at Arthur. "Can't you do something about this? It
ruined my dinner party for the new guests last night."
    Damien hugged the other side of the door,
helping to guide the cart out of the room with his bot's
help.
    "As I said, he's here for the station," Arthur
said.
    But, Zane wasn't paying attention. He was
looking up at the ceiling with the odd look on his face that Damien
recognized. The expression that told anyone who knew him that he
was listening to the station.
    Even though Damien was on the other side of
the group and able to easily escape, he paused. Just like he would
have done in the old days.
    "Yeah,