Bite the Biscuit (A Barkery & Biscuits Mystery) Read Online Free

each dog’s needs and the ingredients I was using and why, so he’d basically helped me work out some of my recipes.
    In addition, he had funded my remodeling of the building into two stores. I’d only borrowed the money from him, of course, and would start paying it back with interest next month. But getting a bank loan would have been iffy and a lot more expensive.
    Arvie had also allowed me to keep my job at the vet clinic part-time. I’d wanted to make sure I maintained an income as I started my new venture. Plus I loved being a vet tech.
    But not as much as I loved opening my own business.
    “Are all these the same kinds of treats you’ve distributed around our clinic?” he asked.
    “Pretty much, but with some additional ones too.” I glanced around with a smile, knowing that people around us were still eavesdropping. They might find this upbeat conversation less exciting than the ones I’d had with the Ethmans, but this was the kind of stuff I really wanted them to hear. “They’re all made with the ingredients that you and I talked about in advance, and since you’re one heck of a veterinarian, I knew I was doing things right.” Since not all the people here would know who Arvie was—townsfolk, yes, tourists, no—I’d made sure to mention his job. His credentials lending credence to my work couldn’t be beat.
    “Hi, Arvus. Hi, Carrie.” Another vet had just joined us.
    Dr. Reed Storme had only started practicing at Arvie’s clinic a couple of months ago. Although I was still employed there part time, I’d been here at my new shops a lot, supervising the work, and hadn’t been around the veterinary hospital as much as before. I’d had coffee with Reed several times and wouldn’t have minded getting to know the new vet better. I’d heard rumors of his background in the military. He looked like one hunky guy. But even more important, I had observed his caring attention to his patients, including a dog who’d been hit by a car, and I believed he was a really good doctor.
    For the moment, I just returned his greeting. I also answered a few questions about why I’d done this—loud enough for those around us to hear. “As you know, I opened Barkery and Biscuits partly because I love dogs and want to treat them specially, not only medically the way I do as a vet tech at your clinic.”
    Reed nodded. There was a strange expression on his handsome yet somewhat rugged face. Maybe I’d said too much and he thought I believed him stupid, which I didn’t.
    I glanced around. “I just want to make sure our guests here know that too,” I explained. “Anyhow, my friend Brenda Anesco ran her Icing on the Cake bakery out of this place before I divided it into two shops. I think I mentioned to you that she has to move away to care for her ailing mother and was looking for someone to take over her bakery, and I got the idea of keeping it going yet starting Barkery too.”
    Arvie nodded while Reed’s dark brows rose in apparent interest. He had rich, wavy black hair and just a hint of a five o’clock shadow, which made sense since it was late in the day.
    I talked a little more about my idea for the Barkery and my love of dogs, and about putting together my recipes, some of which I’d already described before. But Arvie and Reed hadn’t heard it. Neither had everyone around us. In fact, I’d seen Neal, still in charge of Biscuit, working on increasing the flow of visitors so that as many were coming in as leaving. Which meant I now had a new group of people near me, some with dogs. I would have to get a third tray of samples from the kitchen soon.
    I also needed to duck into Icing and make sure all was going well. While the Barkery might be my baby, Icing was now a beloved stepchild. Plus, despite some decrease in its business lately, it was the tried-and-true part, and I had to make sure I took good care of it. It was a critical part of my exciting new venture.
    I finished my current spiel, glad about