Need You for Keeps (Heroes of St. Helena, #1)(44)

“See, two grand closer to the goal. And to be clear, I only attach myself to awesome people.” Harper leaned into Shay and gave her a big hug. Then she moved on to Emerson, who just accepted it with her hands at her sides.

Not sure about the awesome part, Shay busied herself looking at Harper’s handiwork. It was like one of those fund-raising growth charts that would hang in a third grade classroom and had a cartoon trench coat with a scarf and dancing limbs.

“Well, when I add the cages, pet supplies, and carry the nine,” Shay said, adding another two lines to the thermometer, “it seems that we have to find another ten grand before we reach the big smiley trench coat at the top.”

“Oh, we’re going to reach the Coat Crusader,” Harper said, totally convinced.

“Coat Crusader?” Shay asked.

“Oh yeah.” Harper nodded.

“Oh God.” Emerson thunked her head against the wall.

Harper ignored this. “Every year the Coat Crusader helps the Fashion Flower gather enough donations and money to supply winter coats for kids in need. And he wants to help you, Shay.”

“Great,” Shay deadpanned. “Can the Coat Crusader help me raise eight grand? Because after giving Mr. Russell first and last months’ rent yesterday, and making sure I leave enough in my account for the next couple months, that’s how much I’ll need.”

Harper said nothing, just filled in the next two lines, then stepped back to admire them.

“Oh, don’t forget Ida and Clovis have offered to donate some cages,” Peggy said, catching the spirit and taking the pen from Harper, shading in another two lines. “And you still have Warren’s Cuties with Booties calendar signing at my shop next Wednesday.”

A signing with Jonah’s biggest rival. How had she forgotten?

“Look at that, day one and already six lines closer,” Harper said, completely ignoring the other six left to go.

Shay opened her mouth to point this out, but Emerson held up a hand. “Don’t. Just let her go. She will find the money somehow, even if it means offering to clean out every garage and storage closet within city limits in search of old jackets and spare change. It will happen.”

“We found enough jackets to keep three hundred kids warm in one weekend,” Harper defended proudly. “And last year I got the local preschool to pitch in, and the kids did a walk-a-thon and raised eleven thousand dollars for new coats.”

“Eleven grand?” Just for walking? Maybe Harper was on to something. “But how many preschoolers are there? I mean, there are only four of us and like a thousand of them.”

“Ninety-two,” Harper corrected. “And how many pet owners do you think live in St. Helena?”

Suddenly the doom and gloom lifted and Shay started to see this as a real possibility, that maybe this could all work out, and that with her friends she could make a success of St. Paws.

“People are going to pay you so they can walk their own dogs?” Emerson asked.

Harper shrugged, not concerned in the slightest. “We just need a good cause and a hook and people will open their wallets. We have the first one already. What’s more endearing than puppies and kittens?”

Nothing, Shay thought. She was proof of that. Not much could penetrate her carefully constructed walls, but a button nose with soft paws and floppy ears, and she became a big ball of mush.

“That’s it,” Shay said, looking at the wall she’d planned on turning into Couture Corner. “What if we make it a catwalk event, where everyone gets to show off their pet?”

“I can pull out the Halloween inventory left over from last year when it rained,” Peggy added.

“I like this,” Harper said. “We can charge people an entrance fee and let them get sponsors for the walk if they choose. I bet you we’ll have enough to do all of this and have leftovers to spay and neuter the new pets you will bring in.”

“If we start the walk at town hall then head up Main Street it can end in front of the new St. Paws,” Shay said. “To introduce people to the new shelter.”

“I can park my cart out there and offer all kinds of human and pet-friendly foods,” Emerson offered. “All the proceeds could go into the Coat Crusader’s pot.”

“I can’t ask you to do that,” Shay said, completely humbled and overwhelmed by the generosity in the room.

“You don’t have to ask. I’m offering.” Emerson’s look told Shay that her mind was made up so Shay could get on board or get out of the way. “Plus, who knows? Maybe I will be able to book a few gigs that don’t demand chicken tenders and clown shoes.”

Shay didn’t know a whole lot about Emerson’s past, but she was pretty sure that when Emerson came home from culinary school in Paris, she’d had bigger plans than owning a refurbished hot dog cart and catering birthday parties and bar mitzvahs. But with a kid sister and dependent father to take care of, Shay thought Emerson was doing the best she could. So her offer to help meant a lot.

“I want to make sure it doesn’t cost you anything,” Shay said sternly.

“Fine.” Emerson shrugged. “All of the money minus expenses.”

“Count me in for a case of wine and some of my chocolate-dipped exotic fruits for the winner,” Ida said from the doorway.