Sit, Stay, Love

by Debbie Burns

  She sent thanks to the heavens when they pulled into the veterinarian’s parking lot at ten minutes before five, with the office scheduled to close for the day at five.

  Through the glass, Kelsey could see a woman leading a long-legged poodle toward the exit. Otherwise, the waiting room was empty.

  “Will you go in ahead of me and tell them we have a socially challenged dog coming in? I’ll wait till you wave that the room is clear.”

  “Sure, but what if they ask how come?”

  Patrick’s forehead knotted in confusion. “A veterinarian’s office should understand that dogs who’ve been in fighting rings need an extended period of—”

  Kelsey held up her hand. She’d figure it out when they got inside. “Okay, got you.” She passed the poodle and owner on the sidewalk and headed in. There were two people behind the desk, a guy and a girl. She gave them the heads-up Patrick had asked her to, but had no idea how to explain why they were here. Once Patrick was given the all clear, Devil hopped out of the back with more grace than Kelsey could’ve guessed.

  The guy behind the desk huffed as he took in the sight of them through the large front window. With his massive head and giant body, Devil probably outweighed Patrick. The top of his head was just higher than Patrick’s navel.

  Kelsey held the door as Patrick led Devil in, the leash short and secured with both hands. The lobby was clean, sparsely furnished, and smelled of astringent. The hair atop Devil’s haunches stood on end, but he seemed otherwise calm. He sniffed the air, and lines of drool started to form at the edges of his droopy jowls. He pricked his ears at a muffled bark coming from behind a set of swinging doors at the back of the building.

  “How can we help you?” the guy behind the desk asked.

  “This dog was microchipped here when he was ten months old. We’d like to get him home to his original owner.”

  The girl popped up from her chair and pressed her palms flat on the counter. “Oh my God, is this him? Is he the guy they called about who was captured in that fighting ring? We don’t get dogs that size very often.”

  “Yes, this is the dog,” Patrick replied. He dove into a Patrick-paced explanation of Devil’s behavior and how he felt that what the dog needed more than anything was to reconnect with someone he’d bonded with prior to his traumatic fighting time.

  “Poor thing. Denise took the call. I heard about it later. We’d love to help get him home, but Denise said we don’t have a forwarding address or working phone number for his owner. She moved out of the area several years ago, and we only have her old address on file. The post office will no longer forward her mail either.”

  “But you have a name.” Patrick followed this with an emphatic nod, as if that explained everything. He pulled a piece of paper from one of the pockets of his cargo pants. “This is the number of his chip.”

  The girl turned toward her coworker. He gave her a light shake of his head. “You can’t give them her name,” he said under his breath.

  “His owner was a woman?” Patrick passed Devil’s leash to Kelsey and pulled a small stack of index cards from a different pocket.

  The guy looked at Patrick and nodded. “If I remember correctly.”

  Devil sank onto his haunches while Patrick sorted through the cards. “That narrows it down. I’ve been searching through all of the popular big dog blogs and messaging some owners that live in the Midwest. A few have responded, and I’ve ruled them out. I found seven people within a half-hour drive of here, and from comments left by similar user names on other sites, I believe I’ve linked two of those seven to bluegrass music by their attempts to win tickets to local concerts. I suspect Devil’s owner is one of them.”

  The girl behind the counter shook her head. “I’m sorry. I don’t understand.”

  Patrick singled out two cards. “I’d like to give you the names of the two women, and you can tell me if one is a match. If it’s one of them, I’ll be able to lead you through a Google search to help you find her contact information.”

  Kelsey felt a wave of admiration wash over her. Patrick was an absolute genius at so many things. What a miracle it would be if this worked! But what if they found her, and she’d given him away? What if she wasn’t the one Devil seemed to be looking for?

  Behind the counter, the two technicians huddled over one monitor. The girl entered the microchip number and clicked through several screens before flipping between the two cards. When she looked at the second card, her lower jaw fell open.

  Kelsey grabbed Patrick’s elbow. “It’s a match, isn’t it?”

  “Well, what do you know,” the guy said.

  “That’s Tina’s card.” Patrick looked at Devil and said her name again. Kelsey suspected the single thump of his tail was more because he was becoming attuned to Patrick’s voice than anything else. “Tina F. was how she signed in on the blog.” He looked at Kelsey. “She didn’t disable the tracking stamp on her photos. I could find her house. If she hasn’t moved again.”

  Kelsey bit her lip. “I think it might be best to call or send a letter. It could be a bit much, you know.”

  “The dog was eleven months old the last time he was seen here. Before that, she had him immunized regularly. He’s a month away from being six years old now.” The girl passed Patrick back the cards. Immediately after the F, she’d added erguson and scribbled Tina’s old street name underneath. “You’re so close to getting there that it makes sense for this phone call to come from you.”

  Tina Ferguson.

  They thanked her and headed for the door.

  “Hey, will you let us know if it works out?”

  Kelsey promised she would. With no other dogs in the area, Kelsey walked Devil around a mulch island for a bathroom break while Patrick searched on his phone.

  As Devil was pulling in his haunches and taking a massive poop, Patrick let out a single humph. Kelsey looked over to find him engrossed in his phone. Pulling a bag from the nearby bag stand, she asked, “You found her number, didn’t you? It’s hard to believe it’s that simple.”

  “It’s become easy to find people if you know where to look.” He offered Kelsey his phone and reached for the bag. “You should be the one to call. You’ll come up with better words than I would. I’ll bag it.”

  Kelsey let her thumb hover over the number. What happened if Tina had given Devil up and wasn’t interested in reconnecting with him? She took a breath and pressed Dial. She was almost relieved when the call went to voicemail after the fourth ring.

  She left a vague message, saying only that she was with the High Grove Animal Shelter and wanted to talk to Tina about a possible former pet. She ended the call and handed Patrick back his phone.

  “I expected her to answer,” Patrick said, his forehead wrinkling.

  “We have her number now. We can keep calling if we need to.” Kelsey squeezed his arm as they headed for the truck. “I’ve known you for five years, and hardly a week goes by that you don’t amaze me with some crazy fact you know or something remarkable like this that you do.”

  Compliments weren’t something Patrick processed easily. He gave her a confused look as he opened the passenger-side door. The seat was still flipped up. He was able to motion Devil in and hook up his harness with almost no cajoling. Then he snapped back the passenger seat and jogged around to the driver’s side.

  “Thank you for coming” was all that he said before he started the ignition and busied himself in the activity of driving.

  Chapter 23

  If there was a more picturesque place in all the Midwest for the celebration of Megan’s wedding, Kelsey hadn’t seen it. Nestled in the rolling hills of Augusta, the winery was surrounded by brilliantly hued trees, farmlands, and the quietly meandering Missouri River in the distance.

  The historic brick buildings throughout the vineyard were quaint and inviting, the trees were lit by whi
te marbled lights, and the reception hall was a sea of white, silver, dove gray, and blush. Megan had flown home yesterday, and she looked radiant and refreshed from her magical week away.

  Kelsey had left Sabrina’s house a little before noon, run by her apartment, and headed out to Augusta. After a few hours of helping Megan see to last-minute details at the winery, it had been pampering time.

  Megan had done Kelsey’s hair. It was mostly pinned into a gorgeous updo, but a few strands hung loose and would hopefully hold the curl.

  After Megan left, Kelsey finished getting ready on her own. The inn’s inviting king-size bed piled with pillows and a plush comforter made her salivary glands activate the way they did right before she ate something tart. It made her think about her and Kurt having the whole night here after the reception, and was probably the most exciting but intimidating thing she’d ever imagined.

  A few of their make-out sessions had been more astounding than she’d ever thought possible, but none of them had been on a bed. Sabrina’s kitchen, porches, and the darkened front yard by the cars had been impromptu rendezvous spots where she’d gotten to know him physically in the same way he’d gotten to know her. But a whole night with no dogs and no interruptions and a giant, cozy bed—and a Jacuzzi for two—was almost too much to process.

  Focusing on her reflection in the full-length mirror didn’t do much to ease Kelsey’s nerves. Blue jeans and shelter T-shirts were her safety net. Sweaters and boots and sundresses were a fun escape here and there, but evening gowns and Kelsey Sutton didn’t feel like they fit in the same sentence. Megan had helped her find a great dress, so she was thankful for that. The strapless, shimmery, champagne-colored dress hugged curves she had a hard time believing were hers, and the strapless push-up bra did exactly what it was supposed to. The dress was a great color with her skin and her warm-blond hair too. Added to that, her matching champagne-painted nails and three-inch heels gave her so-sexy-it-didn’t-feel-real thoughts.

  The reception was down the street, less than half a mile away, and a glance at the clock reminded Kelsey it was time to get moving. Kurt had texted nearly an hour ago that he was leaving the city and he’d meet her at the winery. He’d run out and bought a suit last week just for the occasion, and she couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to see him in one. He wore jeans and snug-fitting T-shirts so well that she wondered if he’d feel like he was playing dress-up too.

  Her phone rang, startling her in the quiet room. “Hey, Mom.”

  “Hi, dear. We’re here, fifteen minutes early, as usual. I’m not sure what I’ll do if we ever end up being casually late somewhere. It’s gorgeous though. Where are you?”

  Kelsey drummed her fingers on the back of her phone. Her mom knew nothing about the room here. Kelsey didn’t plan to go into it either. With any luck, most of her mom’s and dad’s attention would be on the newlyweds tonight. “Just down the street getting ready at the inn where Megan has a room.” It was the partial truth, at least. “I’m on my way out the door though. I’ll be there in a few.”

  “Don’t rush on our account. The bar’s open, and there are some delicious hors d’oeuvres.”

  After hanging up, Kelsey did a quick brush of her teeth, spritzed both herself and the bed with her nearly empty bottle of Happy perfume, and slipped into her heels. It was go time.

  She stepped out of her room to a burst of applause from Megan down the hall. “Look at you, Kels. I actually had to do a double take to be sure it was you walking out of that room.”

  Kelsey stuck her tongue out playfully. “When I trip in these heels, you’ll know it’s me for sure.”

  The whole Williams crew was heading to the center stairway: Craig, Megan, and Sophie and Reese, his kids from his first marriage.

  Megan had told Kelsey yesterday that after a bit of indecision, she’d chosen to take Craig’s last name for her own and change her middle name to Anderson. The baby on the way helped with the decision, she’d said, and Kelsey understood.

  Dressed in a high-waisted, full-length wisteria evening gown, Megan looked elegant and not even close to six months pregnant. She’d been married in a different dress, a cream one that Kelsey liked just as much. Photos taken during their ceremony would cycle on two large-screen TVs at tonight’s event. Kelsey wasn’t versed enough in men’s clothing to know if Craig was wearing a suit or tux, but it was black and fitted, and with a white shirt and a wisteria tie, he not only complemented Megan, but looked absolutely stellar.

  Craig nodded her way. “You look great.”

  “Yeah,” Sophie said. “Beautiful.”

  “Well, so do you,” Kelsey replied, admiring the gold flowered cocktail dress that complemented Sophie’s changing thirteen-year-old figure, and saying nothing to directly acknowledge Craig. He was simply too good-looking for her to feel comfortable taking a compliment from him.

  “I thought I was running late.”

  Megan wrinkled her nose. “I think we all are. Getting this group ready was nothing short of a miracle. But we’ll make an entrance, and there isn’t a single cell phone or video game on one of our bodies.” She waggled her eyebrows in Reese’s direction. “We’re hoping to entice everyone to dance and have fun and make the most of a special night. And just saying, we may have had to bribe them with all-you-can-eat pancakes tomorrow.”

  “I’ll go, but I’m not going to dance,” Reese said, his hands shoved into his pockets. Kelsey had gotten to know the sweet but standoffish boy fairly well, and she’d certainly seen him look less interested in going somewhere, so that was something at least.

  “That’s a shame,” Kelsey said, “because I was really hoping you’d help me break the ice out on that floor. I kinda feel like I won’t see you in a suit again until you graduate.”

  Craig chuckled. “If Reese has any say in it, not even then.”

  “Do you want to ride with us?” Sophie asked as they descended the stairs together. “We’re riding over together, but our housekeeper is going to bring us back here at eleven. Reese and I have our own room with two double beds, and we’re allowed to stay up as late as we want.”

  “That’s cool. And thanks, but I’d better drive. If I had to ride back alone with your dad and Megan, I’d feel like I needed to serenade them or something. If you’d like, you can ride over with me. I haven’t seen you in a month, I don’t think.” Sophie was one of the shelter’s junior volunteers and one of Kelsey’s favorites.

  She was thankful when Sophie took her up on the offer, giving her a bit of companionship and keeping her calm before her big night with Kurt.

  Chapter 24

  Kurt had an itch to keep heading west on Interstate 70 and not stop till he reached the Oregon coast. Ever since he’d opened that damn box, the desire had swelled into a primal need. It was ridiculous to think a sandy beach and some rocks would somehow quiet his racing mind. But there was Nana in his dreams every night, a purple-and-gold shawl draped over her thin shoulders, strolling on some beach he’d never been to, beckoning him to join her. He suspected the old rosary he’d kept in his pants pocket for several days was the culprit, bringing her more acutely to mind.

  It was ridiculous to think of going. Of driving all the way there. Or to believe that his rebuilt ’69 Mustang could handle the two-thousand-mile trip. Just as importantly, there was a house full of dogs needing his attention. Besides, going there wouldn’t solve anything. Nana was gone. And the money he’d come into unexpectedly shouldn’t unnerve him. Nana wanted him to have it. If he wasn’t afraid, he’d know exactly what to do with it. And if it wasn’t for the last bit of news his mother had delivered, he’d probably now have a tune on his lips.

  Kurt had been resigned to believing that half of who he was would forever be a mystery. He was a Crawford, a blend of nothing more than the three impossibly different people who’d raised him.

  But they didn’t have to account for his on
ly known universe. Not any longer.

  The hair on the back of his neck stood on end thinking about it. Of sitting down to coffee with some stranger and searching that stranger’s features for physical similarities before delving deeper in search of more intrinsic ones. But the man whose name was inside that envelope probably couldn’t give Kurt any of the answers he was looking for. Like why he felt more at home around dogs than he did people. Or why he’d never been able to sit still to save himself. And why, no matter how used to a place he got, he’d always felt like an interloper, at least before he came to Sabrina’s.

  He was on the verge of doing it, of heading west to see if it helped ease his racing thoughts. The suit he was wearing gleamed starkly in his peripheral vision, reminding him of his commitment tonight to the one person he was starting to care about above all others. She’d forgive him, but he’d have to find the words to explain, and he’d been a total failure at that of late.

  His phone rang a mile before his turnoff for the two-lane highway that would take him to the winery where Kelsey was waiting.

  He pulled it out and looked at the number. His mother.

  He hadn’t called her in a couple of days, and he’d ignored several calls from her. He canceled this one and dropped the phone onto the passenger seat. It rang again immediately. Gritting his teeth, he answered on the second ring. “Hey, I’m busy. Can it wait?”

  “It could if you were answering my calls. But you’re not, so not really.”

  “I answered now, didn’t I?”

  “Yes, and I don’t want to waste my good luck. Guess what? I went on a date, Kurtis. Wait… Sorry… I’m trying, I really am. I called to ask how you’re doing. I’ve been worried about you, and the Colonel’s as tight-lipped as ever. The date thing just popped into my mind when I heard your voice because I think it’s something you’ll want to hear.”