Forever Wild

by Allyson Charles

  “Eat me,” Gabe said without heat. “Your wife has gone to the same baby shower as mine. You didn’t want to sit at home alone either.”

  “I’m not alone.” Brad took four leashes and headed inside. “I’ve got Ana with me.” Ana was Brad’s adorable new stepdaughter. If she was at the shelter, the resident dogs were probably up to their snouts in treats.

  Dax followed Gabe and Brad into the shelter to the infirmary. Gabe lifted one of the dogs onto a metal exam table.

  “Why did it take you so long?” Brad asked. “Your text didn’t explain the delay.”

  “Two words: Annelise Ansel.” The Bluetick strained at the leash, his toenails scrabbling on the wood floor as he tried to make a break for the door. Dax told him to sit but was soundly ignored.

  Gabe looked up from his examination of the corgi. “Uh, hate to break it to you, but your dog is a dude.” He nodded to William’s nether regions. “You gave him an effed-up name.”

  Dax blew out a breath that rattled his lips. “This is William. Annelise—Lissa—is the woman who hid in the back of the van for a free ride out of New Orleans.”

  “What’s that now?” Brad dropped the end of a rope he was holding, leaving a mutt victorious in their game of tug-of-war. He straightened and took a step forward. “How long was she back there? What was she doing back there? Is there any way I’m getting sued?”

  “Relax.” William jumped up on Dax, pressing his front paws into his stomach. Dax ruffled his ears. “Lissa’s fine. And, unfortunately, she wasn’t in the back very long. We had a loooong drive together.”

  Gabe put another dog on his table and peered in the Chihuahua’s ears with a penlight. “Why’d you let her stay?”

  “What was I supposed to do? Leave her on the side of I-10?”

  Sensing his distraction, William seized his opportunity. He pushed off Dax’s stomach and made a break for the door, his leash trailing behind him.

  “Son of a …” Dax planted his fists on his hips. “That dog is hyperactive. He’s going to be trouble.”

  “He’ll be fine,” Brad said. “He can’t get into any trouble here. Maybe he’ll find his way to the playroom and the other dogs. Now tell us more about this woman.”

  “Not much to tell. She’s a nutjob who wants to start a new life.” A nutjob with a pretty smile and the most fascinating eyes he’d ever seen. They acted like magnets, drawing him in. Dax found Gabe’s rolling stool and plopped down. He pushed himself across the hardwood floor. “I left her at True North Motel. But if you see a beautiful bohemian chick with long curly hair, steer clear. She’s more trouble than that dog.”

  “Ah.” Brad shared a look with Gabe and smiled. “That’s why he gave her a ride.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  Gabe dipped his chin and raised his eyebrows. “You crashed at my place for months. I know how fast a pretty girl makes you stupid.”

  “You’re criticizing me when it comes to women?” Dax leaned backward, forgetting there was no support to his stool. He slapped his palm down on the floor to keep from falling. “Before Marla, I saw you use and toss aside lots of women. I, on the other hand, am excellent at relationships. Considerate and rational.”

  Brad choked on his own laughter. “You’ve never done anything rationally, jailbird.”

  A dog howled, the sound echoing faintly off the walls. William had discovered the limits of his temporary home.

  “Hey, I might have had a tiny run-in with the law—”

  Gabe snorted.

  “—but I am a very logical, sensible person at heart. This chick is crazy.” Crazy, and uninhibited, and bursting with life. But first and foremost, crazy. People like that could be fun for a time, but after a while they were exhausting to be around.

  Or so he’d been told.

  “You parachuted into the Arctic Circle and hiked out.” Brad led a dog to Gabe’s table and hefted her up.

  “It was summer.” Dax shrugged. The most dangerous thing about that trip was the mosquitoes. They’d been huge.

  “You slackline walked across a canyon in Colorado,” Gabe said.

  “I forgot about that one.” Brad rubbed his forehead. “That one was insane.” He shot Dax a disappointed look and shook his head.

  Ana, an eleven-year-old with the long black-brown hair of her mother and an attitude to match, shuffled in, rubbing her eyes. “What’s slackline walking?”

  “Something you’ll never do,” Brad said as he walked over to her. He tugged on one of her dark braids. “Did we wake you up, sweetie?”

  “Nah. Some black-and-white dog jumped on the couch before running out of your office and howling.” She looked around the room, and her eyes widened. “A new crew of dogs? They’re so cute!”

  She trotted over to the corgi and scooped her up. “You know, I’ve been thinking …”

  Brad shook his head. “Your mom will kill us if we bring home any more dogs. But you can help me settle these guys in for the night.”

  Dax trailed after them to the central room of the shelter. The dogs’ living quarters was a large, roomy space. Marla, the owner of the building and Gabe’s girlfriend, had told Dax that a large waterwheel used to run its length, powering the gristmill. Previous owners had expanded on the main structure, adding rooms for storage and offices before the mill had been abandoned.

  Looking at it now, Dax never could have guessed its history. With the idea that acclimatizing dogs to comfortable surroundings would lead to well-adjusted pets after they were adopted, Brad had designed the space like a big home. Animals lounged on plush daybeds and sofas. Rugs were strewn over the wood floor and dog toys were always underfoot.

  The dogs looked over at them, then raced toward Ana en masse. She waded through the barking canines to a bucket hanging from the wall and doled out the treats within.

  William either didn’t notice food was on offer or didn’t care. He raced in a circle around the room, his ears flapping behind him, baying intermittently.

  “Uh-oh.” Ana pointed at the Bluetick. “He’s got the zoomies.”

  “I’ll take him outside for a run,” Dax said. He tried to corner William, darted for his leash, missed.

  “Are you sure?” Brad took the leashes off the dogs he’d brought in and watched to see how they interacted with the other residents. “You just came from a long drive. You must be tired.”

  “Nah. A man in his prime doesn’t get tired by ten o’clock.” He looked pointedly at Brad’s yawn.

  Brad frowned and kicked a chew toy in his direction. “Go on, then.” He smiled at Dax evilly. “Just remember, you have the six a.m. shift tomorrow.”

  Blast. He’d forgotten. But he wasn’t about to let Brad know the thought of waking up that early hurt. “Oh good. I get to sleep late.”

  Shoving some biscuits into the pockets of her overalls, Ana rehung the treat bucket and waved Dax over. She made sure her dad was occupied with a black Lab before tiptoeing over to a faux-fur-lined crate. She dropped to her knees. “Look what someone dropped off at the front door.” A tiny vee creased her forehead. “They just left them—can you believe that?”

  Dax sat cross-legged beside her and peered into the crate. Two young huskies stared back at him, one of them beginning to shake.

  Ana reached out and stroked his back. “Gabe and Dad say we have to show them extra love, that they weren’t treated right by their previous owners.”

  Dax held out his hand, and one of the pups crawled over to sniff it. He gave his palm a tentative lick.

  Ana darted a glance over her shoulder. “I think Jazz needs some new brothers to play with. Vi doesn’t do anything but eat and sleep. She doesn’t play with him at all.”

  Vi was a boxer mix Brad and Ana’s mom, Izzy, owned. Jazz was her puppy, and Ana’s dog. And now Ana wanted to add to the family.

  Dax leaned
in close. “I’ll try to lay the groundwork with Brad. But you’ll have to work on your mom. Maybe play up that these two siblings need to stay together, and no one else will adopt both of them.”

  A delighted grin stole across her face. “I like the way you think. You’re sneaky.”

  “Stick with me, grasshopper.” He patted the ground in front of the crate, trying to entice the dogs out. “I’ll teach you what you need to know.”

  A blur of black, white, and tan fur wriggled between Dax and the crate. William lowered his head, gave the two husky pups an eyebrow twitch, and howled.

  They huddled together, as far from William as possible.

  William howled again.

  Dax snagged the Bluetick’s leash. “They don’t want to play right now. But we’ll go outside and run.” He stood, gave Ana a fist bump as he walked past, and strode out the door. He led the dog out a side exit and unhooked the leash. “Have fun, little guy.”

  William was gone before he’d said the last word. He raced under the moonlight, making the most of the shelter’s acreage.

  Leaning back against the wall, Dax pulled his phone from his pants pocket and hit a favorited number.

  His dad answered on the second ring. “Dax! Great to hear from you.”

  “We talk almost every day, Dad.” Dax pressed his lips together, fighting a smile. “You don’t have to make it sound like I’m your long-lost son.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with being happy to hear from my one and only progeny.” The volume on a baseball game was lowered. “Now, tell me how’ve you been. How was the trip?”

  “New Orleans was great. And yes, I tried the beignets.” Dax peered into the dark, looking for William but seeing nothing. “You were right. They alone were worth the trip.”

  “Told ya,” his dad said smugly.

  “What about you?” Dax asked. “How’ve you been feeling? Mom taking good care of you?”

  His dad sighed. “I don’t need a nursemaid. The heart attack was over three months ago. I’m doing fine.”

  Dax tried to swallow, but just hearing the words “heart attack” put a lump in his throat the size of a golf ball. That phone call from his mom, telling him he needed to get home as quickly as possible, that his dad was in surgery, had been the worst moment of his life. He’d stayed with his parents in Oregon until his dad had finally gotten so fed up with his hovering, he’d thrown a slipper at his head. He’d been lucky both his bosses had been understanding and hadn’t minded his absence.

  But Dax didn’t like needing the permission of others. If he wanted to be able to spend more time with his aging parents, and make something of himself, he needed to stop working for others and start working for himself.

  He cleared his throat. “Jesse’s retiring.” Dax had hoped that when he’d talked to his dad he’d have bigger news to tell. That he had a loan and the deal was done.

  “Oh? That’s too bad. You always said he was a good boss. Is he shutting down Off-Road Adventures?”

  “No. He’s looking to sell it.” Dax’s palms went damp, and he wiped his free hand on his pants.

  “Well, I hope the new guy keeps you on,” his dad said. “Though I don’t know why he wouldn’t. You’re the best guide there is.”

  Warmth spread in Dax’s chest. His father’s unrelenting belief in him was something he could always count on. He hoped. His parents knew he was born for the outdoors and excelled as a guide. But Dax was a college dropout. Would their belief in him extend to such a big challenge?

  “About that …”

  “What?” his dad asked.

  Dax took a deep breath. “I talked to Jesse about buying Off-Road Adventures. I’m seeing a loan officer next week to see if I can get financing.”

  Dax only heard the faint sounds of Mariners baseball.

  “Dad?”

  “That’s big news.” His dad cleared his throat. “How long have you been thinking about this?”

  Ever since his father had almost died. But Dax didn’t think his dad would want to hear that. Dax was only just realizing he had a finite amount of time to make his father proud. To sort his shit out.

  “For a while now.” Dax stepped out from the eaves of the building, his feet sinking into the soft earth. He stared up at the half-moon. “I have friends from college who have families now. Good careers. Hell, one of them is the youngest cardiologist at Oregon Health and Science University Hospital.” He ran a hand through his hair. “It’s time I got off my ass and made something of myself.”

  “First of all, never compare yourself to other people,” his dad said. “Only compare yourself to the man you were yesterday and the man you want to be tomorrow. Second, I think this is an outstanding idea. How can I help?”

  Dax pressed the heel of his palm to his eye. “You do?”

  “Of course. You were born to work in the outdoors and you’re a natural leader. Seems like a perfect fit.”

  “Even though I don’t have a college degree?” Excited barking sounded in the distance, and Dax knew William had found something to play with. Hopefully not a raccoon. He started walking in that direction.

  His dad scoffed. “Degrees are just pieces of paper. You can learn all you need on the job. Now, are you looking for investors?”

  The last of Dax’s tension eased away. His parents really were the best. They hadn’t given him too much grief about leaving college and moving across the country to be a guide. Not after they saw how much he loved it. And they were always ready to show him support.

  But … “That’s not happening, Dad. Thanks for offering, but I need to do this on my own.”

  “I just—”

  “Dad, I’m not taking your money. That’s final.” There was no way he was going to rely on his parents’ money. Especially when his dad had medical bills and his parents were now both on fixed incomes. Wasn’t happening. “But there is something I’d love your help on.”

  Something shifted to his right, and Dax narrowed his eyes. There. The Bluetick was standing by that log. He covered the phone and tried calling the dog. William dashed back out of sight. Dax sighed. It was going to be a while before he corralled the animal. Might as well put his time to good use.

  “Can I go over my business plan with you?” he asked his dad. “I have another week before presenting it to the loan officer and I want to make sure it’s as good as it can get.”

  “Hold on a sec.” The sound of the leg rest snapping shut on his dad’s reclining chair came over the line. “Let me get my calculator. Then we can go over everything.”

  Dax grinned. When his dad got out his calculator, he meant business. It was going to be a long, productive night.

  Chapter 5

  Shading her eyes, Lissa watched the way the woman shifted her unwieldy body on the park bench as she read her novel. The blonde looked uncomfortable as hell. She must be close to nine months pregnant, but every once in a while, she’d cup her belly with her free hand and a beautiful smile would cross her face.

  Lissa drew more lines on the new eight-by-ten-inch pad she’d bought at an art supply store in a neighboring town, trying to capture that enigmatic smile.

  A couple strolled past and examined her work on the easel. Lissa had set herself up on the sidewalk in the center square of Pineville. A park was to her back, and a diner named The Pantry in front of her. It was lunchtime, so foot traffic was increasing.

  She gave the couple a bright grin. “I do great ten-minute portraits and caricatures. Remember this day with a picture.” She flipped through her pad and showed them some quick sketches she’d done from memory. Drawing quick studies wasn’t her preferred style, but she’d paid the rent doing them in New Orleans. She might as well earn some money before school started. Even though she had a lot of cash in the safe at the motel, she didn’t want to burn through it.

  She flipped past a por
trait of Dax and paused. She still hadn’t quite captured him. He looked flat in the picture somehow. It didn’t give a hint of his contradictions.

  “He looks familiar.” The woman cocked her head.

  Lissa quickly flipped to a blank page. “How about it? A picture of your lovely lady?” she asked the man.

  They shook their heads and strolled off, arm in arm. Something hooked beneath her rib cage and tugged as she watched the man wrap his arm around the woman’s waist. Her parents were that in to each other. When they were in the same room together, they were the only two people in the world. It was beautiful, even though it left Lissa on the outside, looking in.

  Digging the knuckle of her thumb into her breastbone, she took a deep breath. She pulled out the new phone she’d bought at the local Walmart with its prepaid plan and punched in her mom’s number. Just when she thought it would go to voicemail, her mother picked up.

  “Hello?”

  “Hi, Mom. It’s me.”

  “Oh.” Did she sound disappointed? “You have a new number? I didn’t recognize it.”

  Lissa cleared her throat. “Yeah, I had to get a new phone. How’ve you and Dad been?”

  “Good but busy. In fact—”

  “I got into the Bruggard-Tayo School of Visual Art,” Lissa said quickly. “I start in six weeks. If you and Dad want to take the Winnebago to New Mexico, I’d love to see you.”

  Her mom paused. “I don’t think we’ll be able to make it. The muse has taken your father and he’s all about the Pacific Northwest, right now. He’s studying the mystics. While their mix of Native American and Asian traditions is lovely, I’m not feeling it like he is. But you know your father. We might even head up to Canada to explore authentic First Nations art.”

  “But you love New Mexico.” Lissa fiddled with her azure pencil. “It inspired O’Keeffe, Henri, Hartley …”

  Irritation laced her mom’s voice. “We just can’t make it. Okay?”