by Kris Bryant
Greta’s interruption gave Natalie an excuse to get out of there before she did or said anything stupid. She took the bag from Greta and nodded to both women as she created space. Spruce Market was within walking distance, but she couldn’t go on a call with a giant bag of material slung over her shoulder. Plus, she needed time to process the last five minutes of her life.
Sarah Eastman was back in town. Sarah Fucking Eastman. The girl who had confused her and made love seem so clear at the same time when they were anything but. Why now? She hurried to where her car was parked, flooded with thoughts and memories of Sarah when life was easier and her emotions were untamed.
* * *
“What’s the problem, Fred?”
She stood taller when she was in uniform. The boots added a few inches, so when she met Fred at his office in the front of the store, she looked him straight in the eye. He wasn’t a fan of female sheriffs and was vocal that he hadn’t voted for her. But Natalie didn’t feel threatened by him. His back had a slight hunch, and the skin on his arms swayed loosely past the short-sleeve button-up he wore. Fred was past his prime and had stopped caring about a lot since his wife died of cancer six years ago, two years after Natalie returned to Spruce Mountain. His nasty attitude was hard to swallow, but Natalie attributed it to loss of love and brushed it off whenever they interacted.
“There’s a damn dog on the loose and was digging through the trash. Shredded some bags so there’s garbage everywhere. Probably has rabies, too.” A little bit of spittle bubbled up in the corner of his mouth.
Natalie looked away under the pretense of studying the few people sprinkled in the store. “Did you see the dog?”
Fred adjusted his pants and folded his arms. “Well, I didn’t, but Tyler did.”
“Where’s Tyler? I’ll need to talk to him.”
“He’s on break.”
Natalie nodded. “Let’s not bother him yet. Why don’t you show me the trash cans?”
Fred motioned for her to follow him to the back of the store and unlocked the door that led to the two large dumpsters. One was supposed to be for recycling, but Fred never obliged and filled both with cardboard, rotting food, and things not from Spruce Market.
“Fred. Why don’t you get your coat? It’s cold outside.”
He waved her off. “I’m fine.” He pushed open the door and pointed to the only bag of garbage that was barely torn open at the bottom and left beside the dumpster. “See? Look at that. I’m going to start spraying my garbage with ammonia. That’ll teach that mutt.”
“Fred, I can’t have you doing that. It’s animal cruelty, and honestly, the mess here will take about thirty seconds to clean up.”
He threw up his hands. “Are you going to do it, Sheriff?”
Natalie sighed. “I’m sorry you have to clean it up, but it’s not bad. I’m sure Tyler will do it for you. I’ll do my best to find the dog who did this to your trash.”
Natalie bit her tongue at the flagrant abuse of the recycle bin. It was a constant battle with the trash company from Sawyer Disposal, the service from the next town. They took the recycled material away for free but charged customers for garbage. Fred was trying to circumvent the system by covering the top of the trash with layers of cardboard on pick-up days so he had to pay only the minimum. He’d been warned twice. The third violation would result in having the recycle bin removed and replaced with another trash dumpster. Sawyer Disposal gave her department a heads-up as a courtesy.
“So, you’re telling me I can’t protect my own property?”
“You call me, and we’ll take care of it. No guns or harmful chemicals, Fred. Are we clear?”
He squinted his eyes with anger but slowly nodded. “Fine. But you need to find that dog.”
“I will.” Natalie checked her watch. “Is Tyler off his break yet?”
Fred opened the door for her and called out for Tyler, who jogged over to them.
“What’s up?” He was slightly winded, and Natalie was disappointed as the smell of cigarette smoke wafted over her. He was seventeen and one of the few teenagers who wasn’t on her radar as being a troublemaker.
“Tell me about the dog and what you saw exactly.” Natalie pulled out her notepad. “Was it big, small, what color?”
Tyler bounced on the balls of his feet while he described the alleged rabid dog. “He was big and ran when I yelled at him. He got away with something, but I don’t know what was in that bag.” He shrugged.
“He?” Natalie asked.
Tyler nodded in confirmation.
“Did he seem threatening at all?”
Another shrug. “Not really. He just seemed skittish. Like he knew he was doing something wrong.”
“Describe him, please.”
“He was brown, with long hair and about this tall.” Tyler held his hand down to mid-thigh, indicating the dog was good-sized.
“Wait. Did it look like a golden retriever?” At his blank stare, Natalie pulled up images of golden retrievers on her phone. She found a picture of a dog that looked just like the happy dog she’d met a few minutes ago. “Like this?”
Tyler pointed at the phone. “Yes. Just like that.”
The dog that Natalie had met and petted twenty minutes ago was not a crazy, rabid dog. She turned to Fred. “Rabid?”
He motioned to Tyler. “Well, he was all excited when he told me. I was just delivering the message.”
Tyler held up his hands and shrugged for the third time but wisely kept quiet.
Natalie flipped her notebook shut. “I will keep a lookout for the dog. If you see it, call me. In the meantime, get the trash cleaned up and put in the correct bin. Here’s my card.” She handed her business card to Tyler, dismissing Fred.
Natalie walked out of Spruce Market and looked down the street to the craft store. No cars were parked out front. Both Mrs. Bennett and Sarah were gone. The dog, the sweet golden retriever who’d wagged his tail back and forth when she rubbed his soft fur, had also disappeared. Was he there when she’d left the store in a hurry to get away from Sarah? She couldn’t remember. Surely he belonged to someone. No animal that beautiful and sweet was a stray. The afternoon gave her a lot to think about. What was Sarah doing back in town, and who was missing a dog?
Chapter Two
Sarah sat down at her aunt’s kitchen table with a cup of tea. “Natalie acted somewhat surprised, but she really didn’t care to have lunch or anything.” Sarah watched her spoon twirl and clank against the ceramic mug as she added honey.
“I don’t believe that she didn’t care. She was probably surprised. What did you tell her?”
Sarah had always admired her Aunt Judy. She was capable of making everyone feel like they were the most important person in the world. After she and Francine finally divorced, Aunt Judy and Uncle Bob didn’t hesitate to invite her back to Spruce Mountain to regroup and create space after the less-than-amicable split. Sarah’s parents were retired in the Philippines, where it was always warm and away from people. Even though their house was big, living with them wasn’t a viable option. Vacationing with them was a definite, though.
“I told her we were back in town as kind of a new beginning, and she said good and then got a call and raced off.” Even though Sarah had the upper hand because she was here and nobody really knew that yet, it was still a shock to come face-to-face with Natalie. It was bound to happen, but Sarah had hoped it would be more on her terms.
“Does she know who ‘we’ are? I mean, that word could mean a wife, a husband, a girlfriend, a boyfriend, a pet, your parents, your college sorority. It covers a lot,” Aunt Judy said.
“I barely remember our encounter other than she looked more beautiful today than she did in high school. But we both know I need to stay clear of everyone after what I just went through.” Sarah reached for a cookie from the plate in the middle of the table. She groaned before taking a bite. “I’ve gained three pounds since I got here, and it’s only been a week.”
Her au
nt shook her head. “Stop it. You look fine.” She sat down and reached for the honey for her own cup of tea. “I’ve always liked Natalie. She was so quiet in school, but really blossomed when she returned to Spruce. She’s been a great sheriff, and everyone seems to like what she’s done for the town.”
“I would like to catch up with her and anybody else still here.”
Her aunt reached out and held Sarah’s hands. “You’ve left the house only to enroll Harley in school. Why don’t you let me watch her tonight, and you go out and unwind?”
“Aunt Judy, I don’t even know where to go. I’m not great at meeting new people.” Sarah blew across her tea before taking a sip.
“You have always been so happy and carefree. You have never had any problems making friends. A few people are still around who you might know. One of your old friends teaches at Harley’s school. Brittany Wilson? Williams? You should look her up. And I don’t know why you won’t call Natalie.”
Sarah had told her aunt about the kiss the night it happened, and her aunt had never forgotten. She was the only one in the family who knew Sarah was a lesbian as early as high school. She kept it quiet from the family, but her aunt was her one true confidante. It wasn’t until Sarah met Francine and they moved in together that she finally came out to her parents. Her parents weren’t thrilled, but they eventually tolerated Francine. They had mixed feelings when Harley was born. It wasn’t that much of a surprise when they retired to the Philippines, since it had been their favorite vacation destination Sarah’s entire life. They spoke on the phone and FaceTimed monthly, but it wasn’t the same. Aunt Judy and Uncle Bob were accepting and supportive and loved Harley like she was their granddaughter.
“I don’t think I’m ready to hang out with people.”
Judy stood and held Sarah’s face in her hands. “Okay. How about this? You and I will go out to Tanner’s for a drink tonight. Bob can watch Harley. Girls’ night out. What do you say?” When Sarah nodded her acceptance, Judy pinched her cheeks. “Atta girl. I’ll let Bob know to be home by six.”
“Don’t interrupt his playtime. We’ll go out when he gets home. Let him have his fun,” Sarah said. Bob spent most of his afternoons at the Veteran’s Lodge building things, playing cards, or organizing upcoming events in town. Judy spent her free time reading, hosting book clubs, and volunteering at the small hospital in Sawyer.
“He’ll be fine. Any chance to spend time with Harley, and he’ll be home early. You know he loves that little sweet angel so much.”
“I’m so thankful for both of you. I don’t know what I would do without you and Uncle Bob.” Sarah’s bank account was on the lean side after the divorce. She was going to have to find work somewhere soon. Probably not in Spruce Mountain, but in Portland, only a few hours away. A small town like Spruce Mountain didn’t need another certified public accountant. She knew she could find a job in a heartbeat in a larger town, but right now she was still healing. Since Francine had never adopted Harley, they were able to leave Texas without any legal entanglements. Sarah had waited until the ink was dry on the divorce papers before she packed them up and headed to the Northwest.
“You know we would do anything for you and Harley. We’re so happy you came back. You’re welcome to stay as long as you like.”
Sarah put her elbows on the table and rested her chin on her linked fingers. “I’m going stir-crazy. I need a job.”
Judy dug through the recycle pile until she found the town newspaper that came out biweekly. “This is from three days ago. Let’s look at the jobs available.” She snapped open the paper to the Help Wanted section and read off the five ads. “Part-time bagger at Spruce Market. Evening shift.”
“Nope.”
“Okay. The next one is attendant at Lucky’s Laundromat that pays minimum wage.”
Sarah groaned and shook her head. “Nope.”
“Oh, how about librarian? No experience necessary. And since it’s next to the school, you can drop Harley off and then organize books or whatever.”
Sarah sat up straighter. “That’s not too bad. Circle that one.”
“Honey, there are only five ads. I’m sure we’ll be able to find it again.”
“Point taken. What are the final two?”
Judy slipped her reading glasses back on and held the paper out. “Chuck’s Chainsaw Cuts is looking for a bookkeeper, but I can’t imagine why. I’ve seen the same artwork in his yard for months. Who knows? Maybe most of his work is online.”
“Hard pass. My boss can’t have access to anything that could possibly hurt me physically.”
“It’s too bad Hoffman’s Mill shut down. That would have been a perfect place to work.”
“I can’t believe they just shut down like that.” It was because of that mill that Sarah’s family had moved to Spruce Mountain. Uncle Bob got her dad a job there as a manager, and he ran a tight, profitable ship. When they closed a decade later, everyone was shocked.
“Honeybee Haven is looking for a beekeeper.”
Sarah shook her head. “Again, my boss can’t have access to anything that can kill me.”
“You’re not allergic to bees, are you?”
“No, but I don’t want to get stung by a thousand either. I’ll call the library and see if that job is available and what it pays.”
“Don’t feel like you need to get a place of your own right away. You and Harley have the entire downstairs. Like I said, you’re welcome here for as long as you want.”
It was as if Judy could read her mind. Sarah reached for the paper and flipped to the For Rent section. It was just as dismal and thin as the Help Wanted part. “Three apartments and two houses for rent. And sixteen houses for sale. The mill really wiped out a lot of tenants when it went out of business.”
“It hit the community hard, but most of the businesses stayed.” Judy shrugged and put her mug in the sink. “That’s something, right?”
“True. But the schools are combined, right? Don’t they bus the students over to Sawyer High School now?”
“Yes, but the middle-school students are bussed here. They moved into your old high school building. That gives them room and a soccer field they didn’t have at Sawyer.”
A wave of sadness and nostalgia washed over Sarah. High school really had been the best time of her life. Even though she was the new kid, people had accepted her, and she fell into the in crowd almost immediately. Now her school was gone, along with all her friends. It was as if her past had been erased.
“On second thought, I’ll call the library in the morning or swing by when I take Harley to school. Speaking of Harley, she’s been very quiet.” Sarah turned in the chair to see what her daughter was doing in the living room. She smiled and turned back around. “She’s still working on that puzzle. She didn’t get her patience from me, that’s for sure.”
“I’m going to text Bob. You go upstairs and get ready for our night out in this booming town,” Judy said.
Sarah looked down at her oversized sweatpants and T-shirt that somebody gave her when they went to Florida, but she couldn’t recall who. “What? I feel like I would fit in nicely.”
“We’re not going to Gravy’s corner diner. Throw on some jeans and that nice red sweater. And maybe shower today.”
Sarah gasped in jest. “What? Are you saying I stink?”
“No. I’m saying you’ll feel better once you get cleaned up. And leave your hair down tonight. I love the length. It suits you well.”
“I’m going to tame it before we leave. The world isn’t ready for my hair in its natural state.” The longer Sarah grew it, the wavier it got. She straightened it when she went out for a night out on the town, but that hadn’t happened in so long. Where the hell was her flat iron? Packed away somewhere with all the other items she used to use to look good for somebody who never appreciated her efforts. She sighed after her internal mini pity party was over.
“But the world is ready for you, so let’s go have a fun night.”
Aunt Judy laughed. “Yes. And you’re looking at her.”
“Come on. It’s no fun if only I drink. And when was the last time you had more than a Shirley Temple or a second glass of wine?”
“We can always walk home. The bar is less than a mile away,” Judy said.
“It’s a cold day, and I doubt it’ll warm up overnight. We’ll both freeze out there, especially with the wind blowing as hard as it has all day.” Sarah looked out the window at the gray sky that was darkening as night crept into town.
“We’ll be fine. Go get ready. I’ll start dinner for Harley and Bob.”
Sarah kissed her aunt on the cheek and checked in with Harley before she bounced downstairs with excitement. She needed a night out, even if it was at a small local bar that probably had only six barstools, one pool table, and a television that played football games from the weekend before. She felt good about tonight, like it was a new beginning. Like something big was going to happen. Or maybe it was just the excitement of being an adult in a town she had left behind when she was still young.
Chapter Three
Hi, Natalie. Would you like to join me and Sarah at Tanner’s tonight around six?
Natalie read the message on her phone and stood, causing the legs of her chair to screech across the linoleum floor. So much for discretion, she thought.
“Is everything okay, Boss?” David asked. He was second in command when Natalie was unavailable.
She sat and smiled to ease his obvious concern. “It’s fine. I just got a text. That’s all.” She put her phone down and changed the subject so he wouldn’t press. It was hard to have a private life in a small town. “Have we heard anything more about the stray dog?”
He shook his head. “Not really. Nobody has reported a missing dog in any of the nearby towns, and nobody here responded to our post. Not yet, at least.”
Spruce Mountain’s Sheriff’s Department had an online system where the county could respond to questions designed specifically for this type of thing. Missing dog, missing cats, broken yard ornaments, and even a place where you could file a complaint anonymously. It was her deputy’s job to keep an eye on it, and he informed her daily of anything new.