Free Anna's Courage (Rose Island Book 1) by Kristin Noel Fischer Page A

room, started the washing machine, and loaded the dishwasher. Just as I finished cleaning the kitchen, the doorbell rang.
    To my surprise, I found Anna standing on the front porch, glaring at me. “Your shirt is sopping wet.”
    Confused as to why she was so upset about my shirt, I looked down and shrugged. “I guess it got soaked when I was bathing the baby.”
    Her face filled with panic. “You didn’t leave Gabby in the bathtub by herself, did you?”
    “Give me some credit,” I said, slightly offended. “I may not know what kind of cereal to buy, or how to braid Hailey’s hair, but I’d never leave a baby unattended in the bathtub.”
    “Well, where is she?”
    I studied Anna carefully. Why was she so mad? “Gabby’s sound asleep in her crib.”
    Anna’s entire body relaxed, and she placed a hand over her heart. “Sorry. I have an awful fear of babies and drowning.”
    I nodded. “Yeah, me, too. That’s why I would never leave her alone.”
    Awkward silence followed, and then I asked Anna inside. She started to turn down my invitation, but sounds of the puppies barking from the laundry room interrupted her. The scowl on her face deepened. “You bought Hailey a puppy, too?”
    Her contempt was obvious, and being the genius I was, I concluded she was mad about Travis’s puppy. “I take it you disapprove of Yoda?”
    She squared her shoulders. “You bought my son a dog without my permission.” She said the word dog like one would say the word sewer or politician.
    “Travis insisted you’d be okay with it,” I said, only half joking.
    “He’s ten. Of course he said I’d be okay with it. What ten-year-old boy would ever refuse a puppy?”
    Stepping back, I opened the door wider. “Come inside, Anna. I want to show you something.”
    She planted herself firmly in place and folded her arms across her chest. “No, I can’t stay. I only came to express my frustration about the dog. You can’t give my son a dog, or anything else, without my permission. Do you understand?”
    “Yeah, I understand, and I’m sorry. But please, come inside.”
    Anna
    Reluctantly, I stepped over the threshold and followed Nick through the living room to the kitchen. The Blue Crab shared a similar floor plan, but the Petersons’ house was much larger and more recently built. High quality windows enhanced the spectacular view of the ocean, and a large wooden deck wrapped around the entire first floor.
    In the kitchen, pots and pans dried on the counter while the dishwasher hummed quietly. A pile of laundry, neatly folded and stacked, sat on the table. I found the tidy scene comforting. Nick was somewhat of a neat freak; something I admired in a man.
    He led me into the laundry room where three puppies similar to Yoda scrambled to the baby gate, vying for attention. “How many puppies did you buy?” I asked.
    “All of them.”
    “All of them? Are you serious?” The man was insane.
    Removing his phone from his back pocket, he scrolled through his photos. “I thought you should know we didn’t buy the dogs from the pet store.”
    “No?” His comment confused me because what did that have to do with anything?
    “There was an elderly woman in the town where the car broke down.” He handed me his phone, and I stared at a picture of an extremely thin and wrinkled woman, sitting on the ground next to a shabby trailer. Four puppies surrounded her, including one I recognized as Yoda.
    “I know they’re just mutts,” Nick said, leaning against the doorframe, “but I felt sorry for them. This woman had no money, and she was trying to earn a living by selling the puppies. I paid a fortune for them, but I couldn’t say no. And I’m pretty sure someone as sweet as you, Anna Morgan, would’ve done the same thing.”
    I gave back his phone and stared down at the puppies. “I understand taking pity on her and the dogs, but if you wanted to help, why didn’t you just give her money? Why did you insist on buying the