Whatever that was, Johnny mused.He kept his eyes on Mark Denning's luscious and innocent fiancee.Desirée felt herself full of dread as she knoc...ked on the door of Pastor Hemmings office. It was his medical consulting office, for today was not Sunday and Hemmings was the only doctor in Pickford's Meadows. However, it was not medical attention she was looking for, but rather a salve for her aching conscience. No, it would not be a conference in the chapel's retreat, but a private talk in. Even the tea was off. Alice had apparently forgotten she had been making instant coffee to begin with and had added tea to the pot before pouring the hot water in. We both giggled through breakfast, but we never made a single complaint. Alice seemed to not notice anything. When we were almost done she got up, laid out a tray with two cups of her steaming brew, some bread on a plate, knife, butter, and a pot of marmalade. Without saying anything to us, she disappeared down the corridor to lavish. Nancy winced at the volume of noise, and Alice gripped her hand under the table.“Thank you! Thank you!” continued the woman. “Now, Nancy has asked to speak to you all this evening and asked to speak at the end. This will be a surprise for all of us, I’m sure, but how could I refuse our senior patron? Please give a warm round of applause for Nancy Bates! Nancy?”The room erupted in generous applause. Most of the people here at the gala knew who she was. When she had married George, it had been an. They are the ones who care for the Bar dogs, rotating them so none are overworked. The bitches are also in their care.Although there are sixteen rooms behind the red door, there are only fourteen alpha dogs, so fourteen of us dog girls, we are each responsible for one alpha, all of us paired like Sue and I, one room is empty, the one I used yesterday with Sue, the other is occupied but the dog isn’t on the roster, Titan belongs to the owner, he is a case apart, the window into his room is.