“Yes. Quite a contrast to you. I’m really late. Have you seen Arlo?”
“He was right here a second ago.” Drew waved toward the kitchen. “Dixie was playing with him until she ran out of steam.”
Beth stomped around the living room. Where were her shoes? “My shoes are gone too. Did your dog eat them?”
“I don’t think so. Is something wrong?” Drew set the book aside. “You seem quite a bit less…uh… happy than you were earlier.”
Beth looked over her shoulder and snapped, “Afterglow only gets you so far, then real life intervenes.”
“What?” Drew stood up and carried Dixie over to her crate. The puppy strolled inside and collapsed into a somnolent pile of brown fur. He closed the door and followed Beth into the dining room. “Dang, that’s a serious stink. I think we know where Arlo went. So to speak.”
Beth was standing in front of the table with her fists clenched and her eyes squeezed shut. “I am so angry right now, Drew. Please do not say anything for a second. I need to collect myself or I’ll say something terrible again.”
Drew put his arms around her rigid body. “It’s okay, Bethie. I’m guessing your mom has probably stocked up on rug cleaner.”
Beth burst into tears, sobbing into his shirt. She blubbered, “I ffff…ound my shoes.”
“That’s good, right?” He rubbed her back, kneading her tense muscles gently. “Dixie didn’t eat them, did she?”
“No!” Beth wailed. “Arlo! That…horrid…dog. What’s wrong with him? He brought them in here so he could take an elephantine dump in my shoes.”
Drew released his hold on her and bent to look under the table. “Nice placement.”
Beth snuffled and her angry tears turned to a giggle and then into peals of laughter. “Oh Drew…” She hugged him as she tried to catch her breath. “I don’t know how you do that.”
He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Hey, I’m just standing here.”
“I had worked myself up into a serious mad, as you would say.” She looked into his eyes. “This was just the last straw. I was so mad at myself and all ready to say a lot of things to you that I’d hate myself for later. And I never want to do that again.”
“Like what?” Drew waved his hand. “Never mind. Forget I asked. I don’t want to know.”
“The primary issue is that I know almost nothing about you.”
He smiled. “Well, I think you found out quite a few things last night. What else do you want to know?”
“Not that way…”
The phone rang loudly, and Beth looked through the doorway at the big kitchen clock. “I’m late! I need to clean this up right now.”
“It’s no big deal. I’ll help you. Thanks to Dixie, I have quite a bit of experience.”
The answering machine clicked on and Beth heard Bea Sullivan’s voice asking if everything was all right at the bookstore. Beth wanted to scream in frustration. Her forays into irresponsibility always led to disaster. Mom was going to be furious when she found out Beth hadn’t even managed to open the store on time. That was probably the most serious retail rule violation she could make.
After locating Arlo, speed-cleaning the carpet, and securing the dog in the kitchen, Beth left for the store. Drew loaded up Dixie for the return to Mrs. Oliphant’s house. He said he’d stop by the store later during Dixie’s walk if the weather warmed up. Beth drove to the store, even though her mother would consider it a waste of gas and a store-proprietor parking faux pas.
She unlocked the front door a half-hour late and sheepishly called Bea Sullivan at the gift store to let her know everything was okay. Almost immediately after Beth hung up, a woman walked in. It was the slothful browser, who seemed to view this bookstore as her personal library, rather than a retail establishment where people actually paid for merchandise.
Beth was not in the mood to watch the woman move slowly through the store for an hour and a half again. Glaring at the woman from behind the desk, Beth tried to telepathically tell her to get out. There were phone calls to be made. The woman’s straight brown hair brushed her chin as she bowed her head to read the front flap of a hardback. She had to have looked at the cover of almost every single book in here by now. Twice. The store just wasn’t that large.
Because of the various distractions related to Drew, Beth hadn’t dropped off the books her mother had asked her to take to Mrs. Oliphant. Beth had been so excited about dinner with Drew that the task hadn’t even crossed her mind. It was also clear that Beth needed to take Arlo to the veterinarian. The dog had just been outside a few minutes before the latest dining-room disaster. Did Arlo simply view the rug as his personal toilet, or was something actually really wrong with him? It was hard to tell, and she was starting to worry about the little guy.
Beth dragged a box of books from the back room and began sorting. If Sloth Woman ever left, Beth could try to call the vet and make an appointment. Maybe if she dropped Arlo off in the morning, Cindy would be willing to pick him up from the vet’s office. Unfortunately Cindy did not seem to be Beth’s biggest fan, but maybe a significant cash incentive would improve her disposition and willingness to help.
Beth heaved another book into the recycle stack. Maybe Mom wouldn’t notice if she just took all of the boxes to the dump. It would certainly save a lot of time. This was ridiculous. Ninety-eight percent of them were too damaged to be salable. But then, there had been that antique copy of Alice in Wonderland with the beautiful illustrations. That single volume had been a little sparkling gem in an immense field of ugly rocks. Beth sighed. What if she threw away something wonderful? Much as she would prefer to be rid of this onerous activity, there was no way she could avoid looking through every single book in every single box.
An hour later, the woman was still in the store, aimlessly wandering through the aisles. Beth couldn’t stand it anymore. She cleared her throat. “Excuse me. Are you looking for something in particular?”
The woman looked surprised and said in a soft voice. “No. Just looking.”
Beth picked up a tattered paperback from the box. “We have more books in the back.” A whole lot more books. Thousands. Millions! “Would you like to see them?”
The woman’s expression lit up, transforming her appearance. “Oh yes. I just love looking through used books.”
Beth smiled. “Well, today is your lucky day. Let me get you a chair from the back.”
After settling the woman in with a folding chair and a box of books, Beth said, “This is embarrassing. I didn’t even ask your name.”
“I’m Linda…Linda Howland.”
“Are you related to Walter?”
“Yes, he’s my husband. Or he was.”
Beth cringed inwardly. She was so bad at small talk. “I’m sorry. I think I knew your daughter. Karen. She was a few years behind me in school.”
“Yes. She moved away after she graduated.”
Beth held up a book. Or what was left of one. “This volume is exemplar of the type of book we can’t sell. No cover, missing pages, and shredded binding. Books like these can be added to the recycle pile in that box over there.”
Linda nodded.
Sure, Beth was shy, but in comparison to Linda, Beth was practically a raging extrovert. Maybe this is what she’d be like if she’d never been forced to confront her fear of speaking in front of people. That was a somewhat aberrant thought. Like the path not taken if Drew and her mother hadn’t pushed her to do the speech in high school. Beth had tried to quit or make excuses so many times and they both had kept telling her she could do it. At the time, she hadn’t appreciated their support, but now she did.
At least Linda was helping with the endless book-sorting project. The quiet woman seemed to enjoy the process of sorting through the books. A little smile touched her lips as she flipped through the pages.
Beth helped a few customers as Linda continued to softly riffle through books. The only sounds were the thump of volumes periodically hitting the rec
ycle box. After a customer left, Beth turned to Linda. “I know it’s a bit rude, but would it be a problem for you if I make a couple personal phone calls? I need to make an appointment with the veterinarian for my mother’s dog.”
Linda nodded her head in mute assent.
Beth arranged to drop off Arlo with the local vet, Dr. Cassidy, the next morning. If Cindy stopped by with Drew, Beth would have her chance to beg Cindy to pick up Arlo before the vet closed for the day. If Cindy wouldn’t do it, Beth had no choice but to close the store for a little while. Her mother had a deep loathing of signs on shop doors that said “Back in fifteen minutes.” She always shook her head and said, “Fifteen minutes from when?” Oh well. Beth’s failures as a shopkeeper just kept growing. Sorry Mom.
At a movement outside, Beth looked up from her sorting. Drew was outside the glass door, picking up Dixie. The bells jingled when he walked into the store. As he strode across the room to the writing desk, Beth’s pulse quickened as memories of the night before flashed through her mind.
He smiled. “Hey there. That’s quite a pile of books you have here.”
Beth wanted to run around the desk and engage in an overt and passionate display of affection right there in the middle of the store, but refrained. Linda probably wouldn’t appreciate that at all. “Hi Drew. This is Linda. She’s helping me sort. We’ve gone through quite a few boxes and that heap over there is the recycle pile. The serpentine path through the storeroom is almost getting to the point that one might regard it as a navigable walkway again.”
Linda smiled politely. “Hello.”
“Pleased to meet you.” Drew waved at the pile. “Given how much work it is to write something, it’s kinda depressing to see that.”
“They’ll be recycled, though.”
“Great. Each one is eighty- or a hundred-thousand words of someone’s creative effort getting turned into corrugated cardboard. Kinda makes you wonder why anyone bothers to write anything.”
Beth looked quickly at Linda and walked around the desk. She took Drew’s arm and led him toward the front of the store. “Are you distressed about something?”
He readjusted Dixie in his arms. “Probably just tired. I didn’t get much sleep last night.”
Beth hoped Linda wouldn’t notice the flush rising on her cheeks. She whispered, “I enjoyed some of the modernized naked Monopoly rules.”
“Me too, Bethie. Although if you want to play again, maybe next time we could go for a larger game board. In a room with functioning heat.”
Beth giggled. “That would be a welcome change. By the way, did you see Cindy out there in dog-walking land? I have an appointment to take Arlo to the vet tomorrow. I need to drop him off before I open the store.”
“Nope. I didn’t see her today.”
“I have to make other arrangements, then. This afternoon I need to take books to Mrs. Oliphant.”
“Want company? That woman loves Dixie and she’s a hoot. I hope I’m that sharp at ninety-two.”
Beth smiled. “Everybody loves Dixie. And yes, it would be wonderful if you came with me. I don’t know Mrs. Oliphant very well. As you know, I’m not the most talented conversationalist in situations like that.”
“You’ve always been kinda hard on yourself about that stuff. Don’t worry. Mrs. O is great.”
“I tend to think it’s an accurate assessment of my social skills.” Beth glanced back at Linda and took his hand. “I want to thank you for being so kind to me this morning when I was upset.”
“He’s just a dog, Beth. You don’t need to get so worked up. Some days dogs are cute as pie. And some days they take a crap in your shoes.” He grinned. “Life’s kinda like that when you get right down to it.”
Chapter 7
Choices
As Kat drove down the 405 toward LAX to pick up Joel, she remembered exactly how much she hated Los Angeles drivers and the associated gridlock they created. No matter how much time you allowed, other drivers seemed to do their utmost to delay any trip into the city. It would be equally exciting trying to find the correct airport terminal and then a parking lot that wasn’t twenty-five leagues away from the gate.
Air travel was horrible and it just seemed to get more unpleasant all the time. Kat wound her way through the maze of airport traffic and noted the controversial new LAX control tower with its unusual curved roof and the Theme building with its spidery arches and flying saucer motif. George Jetson would feel right at home in this airport.
As Kat walked through the long hallways toward terminal 5, she witnessed the wide range of human emotions that can be found only at a busy airport. There were happy reunions, furious delayed travelers, anxious people standing in line, patient airport personnel trying to soothe upset passengers, and the occasional breathless runner trying to catch a tight connection. Finally, Kat arrived at gate 53B and sat down heavily. Many hours after leaving home, she had actually managed to get here before Joel’s flight landed. It was a miracle. By now Cindy should be at the house walking the dogs. She said she would be anyway.
Kat pulled a book out of her bag and tried to settle into the uncomfortable plastic chair. With all the announcements over the loudspeaker and parts of the gigantic human being next to her oozing into her space, it was hard to concentrate on the novel. After a few minutes, she gave up, put the book away, and walked over to stare at the arrivals monitor for a while. Only a few more minutes. Joel had been gone for more than a month, and she felt as if it had been forever since she’d seen him. Although they’d talked every night, she was both thrilled and anxious about seeing him again. Her stomach was all tied up in knots worrying that something might be different after so much time apart. What if he was used to being alone again? What if he wasn’t attracted to her anymore? Or he couldn’t stand the idea of being around so much fur? Life with Kat was sort of strange in a lot of ways, after all. What if he’d changed his mind? This whole line of thinking was totally ridiculous, since it wasn’t like she hadn’t talked to him. And yet talking with someone on the phone wasn’t the same as being together in person.
On the monitor, the status of Joel’s flight switched to ‘landed’ and the announcement came over the loudspeaker. Kat turned to look at the gate. As a flight attendant opened the door, Kat’s heart-rate increased. She stood on tip-toe, trying to see the passengers as they walked through the doorway. At last she saw Joel, who was turning his head, looking for her. Spotting Kat in the crowd, he locked his gaze with hers and grinned. Kat yelped in excitement as all her fears and anxieties evaporated. She started pushing her way forward through the crowd around the gate. After shoving the last person aside, Kat leaped into Joel’s arms, causing him to drop his suitcase on the floor.
After a truly memorable kiss, Joel released Kat and whispered in her ear. “We’re really in the way here.”
Kat reluctantly let go and took his hand. “Oops. Okay, I’m moving.”
He picked up the suitcase and threw the strap over his shoulder. “Let’s get out of here.”
They walked through the terminal and out into the bright sunlight. Kat looked up at Joel. “The truck is not exactly nearby. Sorry.”
Joel readjusted the suitcase strap on his shoulder. “I don’t care. It’s such a relief to be off the plane and out of airports. I almost missed the connection in Detroit. It’s a good thing I didn’t check any luggage. Who knows where it would be by now?”
“No place good.”
Joel stopped walking and Kat turned to look at him. “Everything okay?”
He wrapped her in a hug and rested his chin on her head. “It’s just so good to be back here with you. I missed you so much.”
Kat stepped back and looked up into his face. “I know. Let’s try to avoid separation again for a while, okay?”
“I’m not going anywhere again for a long time, if I can help it.”
Kat was relieved to have Joel drive back to Alpine Grove. She turned to him. “I’m delighted to be relinquishing driving duties back t
o you.”
“It sounds like you adjusted to the truck okay.”
“If by ‘adjusted’ you mean the range of ways I have found to swear at it, then yes, I’ve adjusted.”
Joel laughed. “At least it’s still running.”
“True. There was some doubt the day I had to call Jack and ask him to come by and drag it out of the giant pile of slop in the driveway.”
“Yeah, that didn’t sound like much fun for anyone.”
“Have I mentioned that it has been raining?”
He glanced at her. “More than once.”
“The rain-on-snow motif hasn’t done much for my perfectly plowed driveway. You missed the three days when it was looking really good. I was proud. Now it’s a mish-mash of sloppy slush ruts.”
Joel reached across the seat to hold her hand. “Did you find Dolly Mae yet?”
Kat nodded her head. “I did. That dopey cat went up into the attic. Remember the weird scrabbly noise I heard coming from up there? After I talked to you, I sucked it up and got out the horrible old ladder so I could go up and investigate. I braved the creepy spider haven and didn’t see anything, so I went downstairs again. Then Maria called and we chatted about her lack of social life for a while. After I talked to her, I put the ladder away in the Tessa Hut.”
“I guess Dolly Mae followed you up there?”
“Apparently. I didn’t think she would do that. I mean, I didn’t know a cat could climb such a large ladder. Who knew? I wish I had seen her do it. She’s not that big and she must have had to really stretch out some paws to reach.”
“Did she start meowing or something?”
“No. I heard all these massive thumping noises from upstairs, which scared the crap out of me. I was afraid the scrabbly thing might have found some hefty friends and decided to have a party. I do not need gigantic varmints having some bizarre critter orgy in the attic.”
“I’m guessing that was Dolly?”
“Yes. Hunting makes a lot of noise. On a positive note, I think she caught whatever was up there. She looked really proud of herself.”
Bark to the Future (An Alpine Grove Romantic Comedy Book 5) Page 16