I Dare You

Chapter 6

When she got back to the farm, Uncle Gus was already there fixing the light fixture. Sana was packing up to leave for the night. "You wanna stay for dinner?"

"Nah, promised the little woman I would be home early tonight."

"OK, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Later."

Chaeyoung went in search of Gus. She found him rooting around in the garage looking for some tools. "Hey Gus."

"Hey Chaeyoung baby, how are you today?"

"I'm good, turkey burgers on the grill sound good?"

"That would be great, honey, thanks."

"Can I help you find anything?"

"I'm just looking for a couple longer screws, wait, here we go. How's business?" They both headed out of the garage and towards the main kennel area.

"It's good. I have someone working on the new website. Should be up and running soon."

"Now what will be on your website?"

"It's gonna be like store, we're going to sell food, treats, toys. Mostly healthy stuff, grain free."

"In my day, we just fed them Purina."

"I hear you Uncle Gus, I hear you. I'll start the grill."

"OK, hon."

Chaeyoung called Gus in when dinner was ready. Gus tended to be a quiet, stoic sort of guy, so conversation was sporadic. Chaeyoung didn't mind, she enjoyed the companionable silence. Talking all day to customers, always being "on," could be exhausting.

"Your mom would be really proud of you."

"For what?"

"For all this," Gus said as he waved his fork around.

"You think so?"

"I know so. You got your own business, every year it's growing. You started out just kenneling dogs, now you have day care, walking, grooming, a storefront, and now a website."

"Yeah, I'm thinking of maybe doing a pet sitting service too. For people who like to keep their pets in their house."

"Yep, she'd definitely be proud."

Chaeyoung silently agreed with him. Her mom would be proud. She passed away nine years ago while in the hospital. She was having abdominal surgery to remove a small benign tumor in her stomach, and the surgeon on duty unknowingly clipped an artery during the procedure. By the time the doctors figured out what the problem was, it was too late. It was later found that he tested positive for drugs.

He had been up for twenty hours before performing the surgery, and had taken a little something to get him through the night. Chaeyoung and Gus brought a wrongful death suit against the surgeon and the hospital and they won. The money from the lawsuit enabled her to buy the farm which already was an existing dog kennel business.

Chaeyoung and Sana had been working at the farm already, and the owners were only too happy to sell to their favorite employees and retire to Arizona. Chaeyoung sighed, she still missed her mom so much. She was her rock, her cheerleader. And the fact that her death could have been avoided if that surgeon had just begged off the case infuriated her.

She thought back to the woman she met today and realized that was why she gave her a hard time, she was a surgeon. And surgeons reminded her of her mom. She thought maybe she should send Sana to pick up Lisa's dog tomorrow.

Every client was important, and Chaeyoung maybe shouldn't risk losing one because she had a beef with surgeons.

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End of Chapter 6