Page 31 of Sit, Stay, Love
He burst out laughing. ‘I’d been picturing you down the paddock or something, but now—’
‘Hey! Do not picture me. I’m hanging up.’
He was still cackling as she hit end.
‘Where are you now?’ Ethan asked when Sera called him back. ‘In the bathtub?’
‘Shut up. I’m on my parents’ couch.’
He laughed again, or maybe he’d never stopped. ‘Where do they live?’
‘Fairlight. I’m watching the ferry head back to the city as we speak.’
‘Hey, me too. I met a mate at the wharf for a beer. I’m waving now. Can you see me?’
She shook her head, laughing. ‘Oh, by the way. We found Ernie’s owners.’
‘That’s great!’
If only that were true.‘Not so much,’ she said. ‘Someone shared our post on Facebook with them. They came in this morning and filled out the surrender paperwork.’
‘They gave him away? Just like that? I don’t get it.’
‘At least they contacted me and signed him over. A lot of people don’t even bother. They said he was too much for them. He’d got too big. At least we know his history now, and we can get him adopted.’
‘Did they say how he got into my yard?’
‘They say they have no clue and I didn’t press them on it.’
He was quiet for a second. ‘I feel bad for him.’
‘We’ll find him a good home. At least he ended up with us, where his life doesn’t have a countdown time on it.Youdid that.’ He didn’t reply. ‘Anyway, I better go. I need to go tell my mum I’m not going to have to shut down Rose’s after all.’
‘You were going to have to shut down?’
She winced. She hadn’t meant to blurt that out. She didn’t want him thinking her future rested on his money. ‘I was being overly dramatic because she pissed me off.’
‘If you need a ride home I’m only down the road.’
‘I Ubered here so I might take you up on that.’
‘Pick you up in an hour?’
Sera thought about sitting through another hour of her mother’s judgement. ‘Can you make it half an hour?’
‘Text me the address.’
‘Is he successful, this actor?’ Sera’s mother asked as she sliced herself a piece of Castello cheese. Sera had announced that Ethan was picking herup and that it looked like Rose’s Rescue would live another day. Her mother was suffering the news graciously.
‘Yes, with a certain audience,’ Sera answered. ‘But he’s hoping this new movie will broaden things for him.’
‘Would I know him?’ her father asked.
‘I don’t know. Have you seen theThrone of Kingsmovies?’
Her parents looked confused.
‘Then probably not, though he was onHome and Awayfor a while.’
