By His Hand: Truly Yours Digital Edition by Jennifer Johnson Page B

Victoria would be the perfect person to influence Abby.

     
    Victoria squelched the gasp that threatened to escape when she stepped past the mudroom and into Chris’s kitchen. The furniture seemed to be in good condition, but the house was a wreck. Dishes, covered in every imaginable food, overflowed on one side of the double sink. Clean dishes had been stacked just as high on the other side.
Do they even have any dishes in the cabinets?
The stove had some sort of grime coating the top. Papers and notebooks, a purse, a pile of clothes, and even a lone tennis shoe sat on the counters and kitchen table.
    “Sorry ’bout the mess,” Abby said as she guided Victoria past the kitchen. “I have a bad habit of dropping everything at the door.” Her teen friend looked back at her and a glimmer of pain shot through Abby’s expression. “Used to drive Mama crazy.”
    “Oh, I don’t mind a bit.”
    And in truth, what did it matter that the kitchen was a little disheveled? That’s what she had come for anyway … to show Abby how to be a lady. And Victoria knew that part of being a lady was learning how to pick up after yourself. In fact, she hadn’t spent too many hours of her life cleaning dishes and clearing counters—okay, she had never done any kind of manual labor in the home. Still, she always picked up after herself, and she knew
how
to clean dishes and whatnot. Surely Victoria could help Abby get on the right track.
    They walked through a surprisingly clean living area. At a quick glance, Victoria marveled at how comfortable the room felt. Dark furniture circled an oversized, wood fireplace. Various pictures of Chris and Abby adorned the walls. Victoria wanted to stop and look at their childhood memories, but she hurried after her protégé instead.
    “Here we go,” Abby said as she opened her bedroom door.
    “Wow!” Victoria raised her eyebrows in surprise. Never in her life had she seen such a disaster. Tornados couldn’t do so much damage. Clothes, wrappers, CDs, books, more items than Victoria could take in were strewn all over the room.
    Victoria shrieked, and her blood drained from her head and pooled in her feet when a small, yapping object leaped from atop a pile of clothes. Placing her hand on her chest, she willed her heart to slow down as Abby scooped the little furball into her arms and allowed the creature to lick her face.
    “This is Sassy-Girl.” She buried her face into the ball of hair. “She’s my bestest buddy in the whole world.” Turning to the animal, Abby’s voice took on a high, childlike pitch. “Ain’t you, baby? You’re my precious wittle girl, ain’t ya?”
    The copper-colored animal yelped and wagged her tail wildly.
    Swallowing, Victoria hesitantly reached toward the animal. Yaps sounded from the dog in continual succession, so Victoria gingerly lowered her hand, palm up, under the animal’s nose. Sassy-Girl sniffed for several moments before her tail began to wag. She licked Victoria’s palm, and Victoria had to conjure up all the effort she’d ever known not to hurl on the floor.
    “She likes you.” Abby squealed.
    Victoria shrugged. “I guess so.”
    “No, you don’t understand.” Abby placed her hand on Victoria’s shoulder. “Sassy-Girl doesn’t like anyone. All my friends tease about her being the grumpiest dog they’ve ever seen. She doesn’t even like Chris half the time.”
    “Hmm.” Victoria cautiously reached for the dog. Sassy-Girl wagged her tail feverishly and practically leaped into Victoria’s arms. “I’ve never had a dog, but I always wanted one.” She held the animal in the crook of one arm and petted her with her free hand. “What kind of dog is she?”
    “She’s a Pomeranian. You can love on her any time you come over.” Abby grabbed Sassy-Girl from Victoria’s grasp and placed her back atop the pile of clothes on her floor. “But let’s get you out of that snazzy outfit before she gets hair all over you.” Abby shifted her