Miracle Walk (The Designed Love Series Book 2)

by Patricia Hoving

  He closed his eyes, and said, “Lord, please watch over Mrs. McCarthy and her husband. And guide me as we embark on this new business venture.”

  Just this morning an appointment with the business loan manager at the bank, that issued my first loan, had left me feeling less than. There was no other way to interpret a denial. Getting a loan a second time, for a second business now seemed near impossible. I never once thought that my being older now would affect my chances. Some of her questions seemed to imply that perhaps I didn’t have the stamina for what it takes to open a second business. Something that I never questioned before.

  Sure I remembered, the late nights, working sometimes two or three jobs just to open on time. Which usually meant staying late. And I was prepared to do it again if that’s what my business needed. I didn’t enter this decision lightly. But the bank manager had me questioning myself and my age. She did offer me a loan, but with a smaller end date, as if I might kick the bucket any minute now. I was in the prime of my life. I scoffed at the banker, my mother’s words playing in my head. She would call the banker’s decision, her generational, millennial way of thinking. Instead, I was really in the parking lot of my car trying not to cry. And when I entered the Vet hospital and laid eyes on Felicity I was sure that this was all over, before it even began. But this needed to happen even if it meant I had to fight for it.

  I called after Jerry and found him in the back kennel. The dog laying in a whelping box on top of some faux grass in the corner. Her legs stretched out comfortably as she sat atop to green blankets. The contractions obvious now as they rippled through her stomach like a tidal wave. She made it to her feet a little haphazardly and began to walk around the rather large container. “Are you okay back here?”

  “Any minute now?” he said, getting to his feet.

  I beckoned him over, allowing Pugsley for a little time alone as I could see her beginning to push. She started to yelp, but none of it seemed to be out of the ordinary or indicate a larger problem. “So, after my talk with Ms. McCarthy. I’m going to open that dog walking business after all. As soon as possible, I’m going to ask Felicity to send out those postcards to our members and see what kind of interest we get there. Maybe even start lining up some interviews for dog walkers.”

  I blew out a breath. “Wow, that’s really cool. You were so down in the dumps about this today. It’s happy to see you finally reach a decision, you can live with. And I’m pretty excited about the idea myself. It’s going to usher in new opportunities for this town.”

  3

  Ruthie

  With a cardigan sweater fastened modestly over my fall pajamas, I made my way out to the garage to grab the tall ladder. The only way to access the attic through the little door in the upstairs hallway ceiling. I’d always been meaning to add stairs, but never got around to it. Now that it was just Naomi and me, it should probably be on my to do list sooner rather than later. I carried the heavy ladder into the foyer and up the stairs, careful not to knock the pictures of our loved ones off of the wall. Stretching the ladder out as the feet dug into the cream colored rug and grabbed hold.

  The ceiling sloped up in this area and I had to gulp down huge amounts of air to keep from getting dizzy. Now was as good a time as any to try to find Naomi’s luggage. I imagined it covered in fifteen years worth of dust, and completely unusable, but I’d make it work. This attic was less of a room and more of an island of lost and forgotten things. Opal and I rarely ventured up here. I covered my mouth with my hand and searched for the only light up here. Pulling the string and revealing old boy toys, and boxes of clothes that were supposed to go down to Goodwill and never made it.

  Perhaps cleaning out this attic seriously should also be on my list of things to do.

  “Maybe, I should just buy you both new luggage,” Opal screamed up at me from the bottom of the ladder, her voice muffled as she covered her own mouth from the dust. A frown twisted my mouth as I hunched over barely able to stand to my full height in this confined space. The last thing I needed was to be more indebted to Opal.

  I walked past the opening to the lone window and used my arm to clear the dust from it. It allowed for a little more light, but not by much. “No thank you. You have done enough for us. Besides, there’s nothing wrong with my luggage and I haven’t even laid eyes on mothers yet.” She smacked her lips. “That woman hasn’t been on a trip in forever. The luggage probably started out blue and now looks black.”

  I kicked some box’s aside hoping to see what was hiding behind them. My slippers sliding across the floor. At least the floors were getting a good polish with all the fuzzballs my fuzzy slippers were picking up. I winced as I walked into a spider web, pulling the strings from my hair. I stopped and rung the bell on a little boys power ranger bicycle and wondered to whom this belonged. This place was probably filled with so many memorable things from our husband’s lives.

  “If you haven’t found the luggage in the first ten minutes. Give up.”

  I went back over to the hatch and peered down. “Go home! I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  “Are you sure you don’t need me to do anything else around the house?”

  “No Opal. I live with mom and I’ve been handling things well enough on my own.”

  She folded her arms across her chest. “Well you don’t have to say it like that,” she said smiling, “has anyone told you lately that you’re doing a great job?”

  “No?”

  “Well, I’ve said it,” she said with a curt nod. “I’m going to go say goodbye to Naomi, and I’ll expect that call.” She trailed off out of view.

  I stood back up, but the cramped space had me looking like a hunchback as I wiped the dirt off my cardigan. Uncontrollable coughing racking my chest. “This attic is going to kill me yet.” Searching the far corner and moving a box labeled Eli’s clothes.

  I still remembered the call Kohen received like it happened yesterday:

  “I don’t know about raising babies, but making them is fun.”

  I gave him a short kiss on his nose, as he enveloped my top half into a hug. My legs prostrate in the air against our black headboard. “Don’t joke. You will be a great dad.”

  “So you say. I’d be a better uncle. Although, I did have a great dad as an example.”

  I tilted my head to see his expression clearly, reluctant to mention a topic that we had talked about time and time again. “I don’t know where all these fears come from, but I’m sure once you’re holding our little one in your arms it will all come into place.”

  Kohen looked at me, an odd mingling of caution and amusement in his eyes. “You just get pregnant first.”

  His cell phone started ringing, this cute little jingle reserved only for his mother. He reached over to the nightstand to pick it up. While I scrutinized the pedicure on my toes that needed to be re-done. We were still living on our own then.

  “Hey, mom.” His grip on the phone tightened. “Okay, mom hang up and call the ambulance. I’ll call Mailer and will be right over as soon as we can.”

  “What happened?”

  He threw his pants on over his boxers in a hurry. “Ruthie, mom thinks dad is dead. He didn’t get up for breakfast this morning and when she went to check on him. He was cold.”

  I righted myself and reached out to hug him. All thoughts of baby making forgotten. “I’m so sorry baby. I’m going with you.” I hopped in the bath to take a quick shower and could hear him crying on the phone with his brother. Throwing on some jeans and an inconspicuous top. I kissed his wet cheek and offered to drive.

  “Ruthie?” he asked softly. “Do you think he’s really gone?”

  “No baby. When you love someone, even when they’ve left this earth, they’re not really gone.”

  As we made it to the small two-story house. I tried to stay out of the way of the detectives, and paramedics. Being whatever and whomever I needed to be for Kohen and mother Naomi. Whether that was the cook or the maid or just a shoulder to cry on.


  Sometime that week we had decided to move in. It was quickly becoming apparent that mother Naomi had stopped taking care of herself in her grief. I didn’t mind it gave me something to do. Took my mind off the pressures of having a kid at least for a little while.

  I turned and moved a few more boxes, thinking that I might have caught what looks like a luggage wheel at the very bottom. But my fingers cramped at the name on the next box. Kohen’s Medical Items. I opened the box and looked in to see the pouch that carried his needles and cleaning sprays. As well as a portable blood pressure monitor among many other things. It hurt to even touch them because it was like I could still feel him with me. Transported back to that fateful day when he died:

  “For a minute there I didn’t think mom would ever leave my hospital bed.”

  “She just loves you. Like I do.”

  I moved some of the chords out of the way so that I could scoot into the bed next to him and lay my head on his shoulder. Glad that she pulled the curtain before he left so that we could get some semblance of privacy.”

  A reluctant grin tugged at Kohen’s mouth. “I know you love me. Which is why you have to accept my apology?”

  I nodded, scared to wipe at the tears falling down my face because I didn’t want him to know that I was crying. “We don’t have to talk about this now.”

  He made a sucking noise with his teeth. “Don’t try to lie to me now. I know you are disappointed that we never had kids. And before you say it no I’m not apologizing for my illness. I’m apologizing for being so hard headed about going to get checked out. Mailer must’ve rubbed off on me after all. I just wanted to live my life with you no worrying about other things, and look at where you and mom are now.”

  I found it nearly impossible not to choke back a sob. As I sat up in bed. “You just have to find the right cocktail of treatments that work for you. The doctor said.”

  “Ruthie, I’m dying.”

  “Don’t talk like that.”

  “The sooner you accept it, the better position you will be in to help mom. She’s nursing a broken heart, first dad now me, I don’t wish that on you for anything in the world. What you’re going through now is enough.”

  My eyes softened. “It’s an honorable man that even on his death bed can only think of his wife, but I’m thinking of you. Your mother deserves to be a grandmother. My pain is not just for myself, but the fact that she now has nothing to hold on to.”

  “It is not God’s plan for us. More important, I want you to know that I want you to move on and be happy.”

  “You’re worried about your mother’s heart, but nothing could help ease the wounds of losing you,” I pleaded, scrambling for ways to convince him and it all falling on deaf ears.

  “Calm yourself. Here lay back down.” Nodding to his shoulder. “I’m tired and I can’t remember the last time I slept cuddled up with my wife.”

  We both fell asleep together. His was most likely due to whatever medication he was on, and me finally succumbing to emotional exhaustion, but it was the beep of the heart monitor that woke me from my sleep. As the nurses and doctors came rushing in to try to revive him.

  Somewhere behind me, I heard the ladder begin to shake. “Ruthie, I’m going to bed. Have you found that luggage set yet?”

  I sniffled and wiped the tears from my eyes. “Yes, I did. I’m bringing it down now. You just go to bed,” I called down, not wanting her to see that I’d been crying.

  “Anything unusual up there. Like critters or roof leaks.”

  A fear lit my eyes. “No, but I honestly haven’t been on the lookout for anything like that, but I am now.”

  She laughed. “Well, I think if there were anything of the sort it would have jumped out at you already.” The floorboards creaking underfoot despite the rug as she made her way to her room.

  I folded the box back and placed it gently out of the way before lifting the heavy luggage. My fingertips practically jet black now. “Timber, heavy luggage flying down.”

  As I slowly descended the ladder. I had a renewed sense of self. If God wanted us to go on this trip, then he will provide a way, and I will accept it with a whole heart and actually try to enjoy myself. No more moping.

  4

  Boaz

  While Pugsley had her pups, I caught up on some work. If I was really going to start this dog walking service there was a lot to be done. I shot my tech guy an email and let him know that I wanted a new section to be added to the website and to get back to me for more details. I also wanted to be able to help Mrs. McCarthy before then because it would be at least a couple of weeks before it was fully up and running. I had my own money to open the place, but not to keep it running and for that, I would need a loan. But that was a problem for a different day. Mrs. McCarthy needed the extra hand now. I

  “I think I remember Felicity saying that her sister was available for some extra work when the kids were in school.” I flipped through my Rolodex, trying to find her number. Reaching for my office phone. Hopefully, she will forgive me for the late call. Of course, she might not even answer.

  I looked up to see Jerry gesturing to me through the small window in my door. I gestured for him to enter.

  “Puppy’s out and looking healthy.”

  “Hello.”

  “Hi, Felicity. I’m sorry can you hold for a second,” I said putting my hand over the mouth of the receiver. “I’ll be there in a second in a mean time let Mrs. McCarthy know the pups here and she can see it after I’ve had a chance to check them out.”

  “Alright, boss,” he saluted.

  “Sorry about that Felicity. I’m back. It’s Boaz.”

  “Let me guess Mrs. McCarthy again,” Felicity commented before I could get another word out. I lifted a pen from the holder that one of my clients had given me. Searching for a post-it note in my top drawer. “Yes, but its actually not what you think.”

  Felicity clicked her tongue. “She’s a hypochondriac and her dog very well might be too. She’s rubbing off on him.”

  I clicked the top of the pen and tapped it against the notepad. “That may be, but her husband really is sick. Everyone knows that.”

  “Yes which is why you give her leeway, but I’m not sure it’s doing her any good,” Felicity noted. Something beeping on the other end of her line.

  “That may be so—” I began, writing Felicity’s sister at the top of the post it, “but she’s helped me make a major decision about the dog walking service that I wanted to start.”

  I could hear her chewing something over the phone. Her fork scraping against her plate. “Mmmm, that’s interesting because I could have sworn that you had your mind made up to table that service for another time.”

  “I did,” I smiled looking down at my writing. If my age is the mountain I must climb than I’m ready for it. For all the McCarthy’s in this town. “But it looks like the demand is there which is why I’m calling. I remember you telling me that you would have a sister interested in being a dog walker. Is that still true?”

  She stopped chewing for a second. “Well, I haven’t spoken to her about it recently, but last I checked she was. Why?”

  He arched an eyebrow and put it a check mark in the corner. “Do you think you could bring her in tomorrow so that we can chat? I might have a client already.”

  “Sure, I’ll try.”

  Sara was a lot of things, but meticulous was one of them. He was sure that as soon as he hung up with her that she would make the call. And no bank could turn down results. I had my first client. “Can you give me your sister’s name and number?”

  “Sure, its Jenni Kaplan and her number is——”

  I jotted it down on the notepad. “I was thinking about calling her myself, but I’ll wait to hear from you first.”

  “Okay, sounds like a plan.”

  “Goodnight, enjoy the rest of your evening and sorry for the interruption.”

  “It would’ve been weird if I didn’t get a call,” she laughe
d, good-naturedly.

  We said our goodbyes and I hung up the phone rushing back to the kennel. Bending down to get a better view of the puppy that seemed to me suckling nicely at his mother’s teat. The remnants of the sac and umbilical cord were gone indicating that she ate it. I glanced down at my watch and noticed that it was already 6:30 p.m.

  “I’ll go let Mrs. McCarthy know that it should be another hour, but I don’t see why she can’t check up on her dogs now. Can you get this one cleaned up first.”

  The knowledge that everything was going well could only bring a smile to my face. At least my father could look down on me from heaven and be proud. My mother would be quite amused too. Especially at Mrs. McCarthy’s theatrics and would get a laugh out of it once I got around to calling her at home. Once my father died, she quit working here as the receptionist saying that it brought up too many complicated memories.

  “Mrs. McCarthy its Pugsley.”

  “Well, what about her? It feels like I’ve been out here forever.”

  No matter how mean her disposition can be, I will always remember the huge amount of stress she is under at home. She doesn’t get a lot of help and that could make anyone despondent. “She’s given birth to one puppy. The other two should be out within the next hour or so. But you’re welcome to go back and check on her, but you can’t stay too long.”

  “Yes, I probably should,” she answered. “But I’ve got to get home.” She wrung her hands. “I’m not sure how much longer the nurse can stay. Can’t she just have these puppies at home?”

  I nodded. “She could, but I don’t think it would be a good idea to move her right now. How about you come, check on how she is doing and then pick her up tomorrow. She could probably use the time to rest and recover anyway. I’ll have Felicity call you when Pugsley is ready to go home.” I wasn’t the type to push the issue, but I saw this as the only solution for both parties involved.