Page 29 of Easton Island: A Wedding to Remember

Quinn’s brows knitted. “You’re giving me a pet for a housewarming gift?”

“I’m paying for the adoption,” Morgan said. “It’s up to you to pick out your new fur family member.”

Her friend’s eyes grew round as saucers. “I’ve never adopted a pet on my own. It’s a big responsibility.”

“It is. Remember, you’ve lived with Chester. You’re more than capable of caring for a pet. The hard part will be deciding on one.”

“True.” Quinn sprang from the vehicle and met Morgan on the sidewalk. “What if I can’t decide?”

“If you want a little advice, I think your best bet is to get to know both the cats and dogs first.” Morgan squeezed Quinn’s hand as they strolled down the sidewalk. “The downside is we only have a couple of hours before the shelter closes.”

“I think I’ll know pretty quickly, like we did when we found Chester. I suppose it doesn’t even have to be a young cat or dog. I know older animals are harder to place, so I guess I would kind of lean in that direction.”

Morgan followed her friend into the main lobby. They stopped by the front desk, where the women explained Quinn was there to adopt a pet. It didn’t take long for her to fill out the adoption papers.

“I’ll run your application through while you’re visiting the animals.” The woman peered at Morgan over the rim of her glasses. “Are you interested in an adoption, too?”

“Not right now. I have a rescue dog at home.”

“But only one?” She arched an eyebrow. “Perhaps he would like a companion.”

“I want to help Quinn find hers first. Who knows? Maybe eventually I’ll be ready to expand my fur family.”

“The cats are to the right. Dogs are in the rooms to the left.”

Quinn thanked her and they continued down the hall. “Let’s meet the cats first.” She cautiously opened the door markedThe Cat Corner.

Crates and cages lined both walls. At the far end of the room was a play area. A worker sat on the floor, surrounded by felines in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Tabbies, calicos, Siamese, and even a few tortoiseshell-colored cats lounged around.

Quinn introduced herself and Morgan.

“Have a seat.” The woman explained they only secured the cats in their safe places if they showed signs of aggression toward the others. “As you can see, the crates are empty, which means we have a friendly bunch.”

A brown and white cat rubbed up against Morgan’s ankles. She scratched his ears and ran her hand along his back. “He’s a friendly fella.”

“She. That’s Pippa.”

“Hey, Pippa. You’re a sweetie pie,” Morgan cooed.

“This guy or gal is friendly, too.” An orange tabby placed his paws on Quinn’s shoe, peering up at her as if to say, “pick me up,” to which she promptly complied.

The cat purred loudly, butting his head against her chin.

“George is the head of our welcome committee,” the girl explained. “He’s never met a stranger.”

“I can see that.”

The friends worked their way around the room, meeting the cats, some not the least bit interested in Quinn or Morgan, while others begged for attention.

Finally, reluctantly, Quinn set the friendly feline, who was sprawled out on her lap on the floor. “I wish I could take all of them home. I promised myself I would meet the dogs before deciding.”

“Thanks to the generous support of the islanders, all our animals are well-cared for. We couldn’t do what we do without them.”

Morgan patted her pocket. “I would love to donate while I’m here.”

“Me too,” Quinn said.

“The front desk worker can help you with a donation. We take debit cards, credit cards, cash or checks.”

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