“There are lots of them. People keep snakes in their homes. One could have escaped. Or it got here from somewhere else and you were unlucky enough to find it.”
“Either that or he likes pranayama.”
Finn laughed out loud. “You have a good sense of humor to be able to joke at a time like this.”
Not long after, the two women came out with the cage. In it was the snake. They walked by Juliet. “We got him. It’s a black rat snake. Harmless.”
Juliet blew out a heavy breath. “So we’re all set?”
“Yes. Call your clients. Tell them we said that this is an anomaly. Chances of it happening again are zilch.”
“I’ll do that.”
They hustled the snake into their vehicle and drove off. She said to Finn, “I hope I don’t lose those clients. I make a lot of money on group classes.” Enough to support her so she could conduct some individual yoga therapy sessions. “We all lost enough when Cary Jacobs,” the guard provided by Kirkland Security “was killed in our parking lot.”
“I hope so too, Jules.”
He slid his arm around her shoulders as they walked back inside.
Juliet went right to the room to straighten it out. She’d call the clients as soon as she was done and prayed they’d return.
* * *
“So, how was your day?” Anabelle asked after she walked into her parents’ kitchen.
“It was great.” Her mother studied her, her blue eyes intent. They had the same coloring, hair and eyes. “I do love those babies.”
Anabelle got a cup in her old kitchen, poured some coffee then sat next to her mom on a stool.
Lila Baxter smiled. “Our girl’s happy today.”
“What’s not to be happy about? It’s a beautiful day, I’m with my best friend and the girls are still asleep.”
“You’re here earlier than expected.”
“I had a cancellation.”
“Do you charge for those?”
“I charge a hefty amount, thanks to your advice.”
Her mom was a pediatrician and gave her lots of pointers about the way to run a medical practice. The best was to join agroup of doctors in her field so she didn’t have to do everything herself.
She sipped the strong brew, its pungent scent wafting up to her.
“So, what put that smile on your face? You can tell your mother anything.”
She grinned. “I met a guy.”
She clapped her hand over her chest. “Be still my heart. How?”
“His mother was my patient. After I operated on her, the chief gave her to someone who had recently been hired.”
“Now that’s fate.”
“Fate or not, I’ve seen him twice.” She recounted the dinner and his visit yesterday.
“So he knows about the girls.”