Free Pennies From Heaven (The Bella Novella Collection Book 3) by Janice Thompson Page B

here.”
    Okay. I’d try, but where would I take them?
    I rushed to the refrigerator and grabbed the tray of lunchmeats I’d left inside after today’s lunch break. Then I started running toward the foyer, meat in hand. The dogs turned their attention away from Guido and toward me, their tongues now hanging out.
    Just about the time I got to the foyer the front door swung open and Twila entered. Coquette jumped her and nearly knocked her down. I tossed the piece of meat, hoping to distract the dog. Unfortunately, I tossed it straight into the open door. Coquette snapped up the meat and then took off running. Outside.
    Oh. No.
    At this very moment Earline approached. “Bella? Was that Bonnie Sue’s dog I saw running across the parking lot?”
    “I. . .I. . .I. . .” I couldn’t seem to get out anything else.
    “It’s Coquette, all right.” Rosa raced out of the door, broom in hand.
    Seconds later the whole Rossi/Rigas crew was bounding down the street, chasing the dog. Coquette ran down into the ditch, her lovely white coat muddy and wet as she emerged from it moments later.
    I raced as fast as my legs could carry me, but by the time we got to the third block, I was worn out and I’d pulled a muscle in my right calf. Thank goodness, D.J. pulled up next to me in the truck.
    “Bella?” He gave me a pointed look.
    I fought to catch my breath. “I—I—I know! It’s Coquette. She ran away. I almost caught up with her in a ditch.”
    “I can see that.” He pointed to my gorgeous ivory dress, covered in imported lace and I gasped when I saw that the hem was covered in mud.
    “Oh, no!”
    “Get in the truck, Bella. We’ll find the dog.”
    And find the dog we did. Hung up under a fence she’d been trying to dig her way under. I somehow managed to coax the terrified poodle out, and scooped the filthy thing into my arms. D.J. tried to take her from me, but I shook my head. “No, D.J. You’re spotless. I’m already a mess.”
    “You can say that again.”
    “I’m already a mess,” I mumbled under my breath as I tried to lift the heavy dog over the railing and into the back of the truck.
    Seconds later D.J. took hold of the trembling pup and put her in place. He then did his best to wipe the mud from his hands and sleeves before climbing into the truck, but could not.
    “Oh well. We can clean up at the wedding facility.”
    Easy for him to say. He wasn’t covered in mud, head to toe.
    The dog barked all the way back to the wedding facility. I did my best to assess the injury to my right calf. Oh, and my left foot. I could hardly move two of my toes without wanting to cry. Or, maybe the tears came as a result of the frustration.
    We arrived back at the facility to find all of the family gathered outside. Mama took one look at me, eyes wide, then clamped a hand over her mouth.
    “I know, I know.” I felt the sting of tears in my eyes.
    D.J. tossed me the keys to the van and I made the fastest trip possible to my in-laws’ home, where I showered, changed into other dress, then zipped back to the wedding facility, just in the nick of time. I did my best to ignore the pain in my leg. Turned out that was easier than ignoring the throbbing toes on my left foot.
    Sophia and Tony, God bless them, had taken all of the children back to Bubba’s BBQ for dinner. And Bonnie Sue had arrived in full-out French fashion, ready to handle the now-cleaned-up pooches. Looked like everything had fallen into place, after all. Now, to get this show on the road. I had a wedding rehearsal to run. And, if all went well, we’d sail right on in to a beautiful wedding day tomorrow.
    With iPad in hand, I headed into the chapel, still limping. No rest for the injured. Not today, anyway. Nope. Today I far had more important things to do than nurse a wounded foot.

 
    CHAPTER TEN
     
    Ne pas être sorti de l’auberge
    Translation: to not be out of the inn
    (To face a complicated problem)
     
    We spent the night at my in-laws’ place