Joel grinned. “Good kitty.”
As Joel drove up the hill toward Alpine Grove, the weather began to deteriorate. Kat turned to look at him, “Welcome back to the land of extreme precipitation.”
“All the rain and snow is what makes it green.”
“I keep telling myself that. Be glad you missed the freezing-cold weather before this. Even the dogs were annoyed. They don’t believe me when I tell them it’s not my fault when their dainty little paw pads are cold. I think Tessa takes temperatures in the single digits as a personal affront.”
“So has Lady been behaving better?”
“I haven’t given her the chance to be bad.” Kat squeezed his hand. “Sorry, but your dog hates me now. She really does not appreciate being walked along with Chelsey on a leash. We are way too slow and boring for her.”
Joel shrugged. “I’ll work with her again. She never has run off like that before, even when she was young.”
“I think she was looking for you. Maybe it’s a collie thing. She thinks you’re Timmy trapped in a well somewhere and it’s her responsibility to find you. But the whole Lassie Come Home thing doesn’t work out too well when you’re three thousand miles away.”
He glanced at her. “I’m not sure I buy the Lassie theory.”
“Sorry. It’s all I’ve got.”
They drove through downtown Alpine Grove and headed north toward the house, listening to the windshield wipers flapping back and forth in the driving rain. It was foggy and the two-lane road was lined with tall ridges of sodden dirty snow that had built up from months of winter plowing.
Kat pointed at the road ahead. “Look out! There’s a coyote.”
Joel braked hard and the truck fishtailed as he maneuvered it to the side alongside a driveway. “That’s not a coyote, Kat.” He opened the door and leaped out of the truck, running along the shoulder. Grabbing the animal, he collapsed into a snow bank, hugging it to his chest. Kat turned off the truck and got out.
As she walked up to them, she realized that Joel was not hugging a strange dog. It was his collie-mix Lady. She crouched down next to them. Lady’s fur was sodden and she was squirming in Joel’s arms, obviously delighted to see him, but a bit annoyed at being manhandled in the snow. Joel was soaked and his hair was hanging in dripping strands in front of his face. Kat stroked the wet fur on the dog’s head. “Is she okay?”
He nodded. “I think so. Let’s get her home.”
Joel carried the dog back to the truck and loaded her into the cab. Kat got in, collected her long hair back behind her shoulders, and wrung it out while Joel started the truck. She looked over at him and realized he was shaking and his cheeks weren’t wet from just the rain. Lady had curled up in a ball on the bench seat and Kat reached over the dog to touch Joel’s arm. “I think she’s fine—just really, really soggy. I bet she’ll sleep for hours.”
He swiped at his eyes quickly with the base of his palm. “Why is she way out here?”
“I left everybody locked in the house, happily snoring away. Cindy was supposed to come by and give them a walk around lunchtime. I told her that she had to walk Lady on a leash now, after your dog ran off on me.” She’d made a big point of it, so it wasn’t like Cindy didn’t know.
Joel shook his head and mumbled, “Unbelievable.”
They drove the rest of the way back to the house in silence. Kat had found that when Joel was really upset, it tended to be a good idea to leave him be for a while. As they bumped through the ice ruts and slush in the driveway, Kat said, “Sorry about this. It’s kind of a mess.”
“Well, Cindy got in and out of here okay in that piece of garbage she calls a car.”
Kat mentally cringed. Okay, Joel was definitely still angry. “I’ll towel off Lady and get the woodstove going again to help dry her off.”
He looked at her and the hard expression on his face softened. “Thanks, Kat.”
They went inside and the other dogs greeted them with a cacophony of barking. Joel dropped his suitcase and laptop case in the entryway and walked off toward the bedroom, pausing for a moment to look at a piece of paper that was lying on the dining room table.
Lady ran down the steps and stood in front of the gate, waiting to be let into the downstairs hallway. The other dogs stood on the other side of the gate wagging, obviously thrilled that their missing cohort had returned. Kat opened the gate and got an old towel while the dogs engaged in a flurry of canine greeting.
After giving the dogs who had not just run away an outing and dealing with the wood stove, Kat went back upstairs. Getting out of her wet clothes was her next trick. She looked at the note on the table, which was from Cindy. She said Lori had been anxious to go outside so Cindy had unlocked the doggie door. Lady had run out after the border collie before Cindy could grab her. It sounded like the whole thing was an accident and Cindy had to leave to pick up Johnny from school.
Kat looked over her shoulder toward the bathroom. The shower was running. She wiggled her cold toes in her soggy sneakers, which made a squishing noise on the wet foam insoles. Ugh. Joel had the right idea. A hot shower sounded fantastic right now.
She skimmed the note again and jumped at the sound of the phone ringing. Cindy’s voice greeted her. “Kat, did you see my note? I’m so sorry! I wanted to see if you’re home yet. I can come back out and help look for her, but I had to pick up Johnny first.”
Kat sat down in a chair. “You don’t have to do that. Lady is here. We found her out on the road on the way home. She’s fine. Just extremely wet.”
“Should I come out? Joel is probably really mad at me.”
Kat gazed at the ceiling. “You could say that. It might be a good idea if you leave him alone for a little while. I’ll talk to him.”
“It was an accident. I didn’t think Lady would run out like that.”
“I understand. Lady has not exactly been on the ‘A-Plus Good Dog’ list lately.”
“I’m so sorry, Kat. I feel terrible. Thanks for talking to Joel.”
Kat hung up the phone, took off her sneakers and socks, and gazed at her pruney, waterlogged feet. She looked up at the sound of a door opening. Joel walked from the bathroom to the bedroom, and with a sigh, Kat got up and walked to the bedroom doorway. “So are you ready to speak?”
He yanked the sleeve of his flannel shirt on and held out his arms. “Yes. I’m sorry.”
Kat walked into his embrace and wrapped her arms around his waist. “You’re warm.”
“You’ll feel better if you take a shower. I’ll make us something to eat. All I’ve had is airplane food and I’m starving.”
Kat stood on tiptoes to kiss him. “Thanks. I’m so glad you’re home.”
Later, after a shower and dinner, Kat curled up with Joel on the sofa. She snuggled into his flannel shirt and leaned her cheek on his chest. He wrapped his arm around her and she looked up into his face. “So I know you saw the note from Cindy. She called while you were in the shower.”
“Great. Did you tell her to go away?”
“Yes. I said you might still be a teensy bit mad.”
“Just a teensy bit.” Joel stroked Kat’s cheek. “Lady could have been hit by a car out there. It was pouring and we could barely see her. I could have hit her. I could have killed my own dog.”
“I know. I get that. And I’d feel horrible if I had been driving. But Cindy didn’t do it on purpose. It was an accident. I told you about the day I thought I lost Lady. It almost gave me a heart attack. I thought you might die from a brain injury and I’d lose your dog all in the same day. It was pretty much the worst day ever.”
“I know. But I’m fine.”
“So is Lady.” Kat pointed at the furry ball of collie on the floor. “She’s napping hard, even now.”
“I know. I realize that dogs don’t live forever, but when I saw her out there, it just tore me apart. It was too much like when I found her.”
“You found Lady? I don’t think you ever told me that. Where?”<
br />
“Out near The Shack. You know where it’s located—it’s the middle of nowhere. That’s where people go to dump critters they don’t want. They drive out to the end of some country road and ‘set them free.’ It’s horrible. Lady was about seven or eight months old, so she was beyond the cute puppy stage. After she wasn’t adorable and fuzzy anymore, someone decided to ditch her. It makes me sick, but people do it.”
Kat sighed. “I know the obnoxious canine adolescent phase can be unpleasant, but humans are worse.”
“True. I asked all over town if anyone had lost a dog. No one has come forward yet in five years or so. I think she’s mine.”
“Definitely yours. She has no interest in me.”
“That’s not true. You feed her.”
“I suppose Lady is pleased that you found a dog-feeding helper who happened to have some canine friends for her to play with.”
Joel ran his fingers through her hair, pushing a long dark strand behind her ear. “You’re a lot more than that to me.”
Kat smiled. “Your dog isn’t the only one who loves you, you know.”
“I know. I love you too.”
After closing the store and sending Linda home, Beth walked Arlo and went to pick up Drew and Dixie at Mrs. Oliphant’s house for the trip out to the assisted living place. Beth pulled up along the curb. Like her mother’s house, Mrs. Oliphant’s home was in the older part of town. The Craftsman-style house had cream clapboard siding with dark wood trim that showcased a large covered wraparound porch. Huge old maple trees rose above the fenced backyard and probably provided lots of shade in the summer. Behind the wooden fence, the tattered ropes of an old swing hung from one of the massive tree branches.
Drew opened the door and picked up Dixie’s sky kennel by the handle, carrying it down the sidewalk to the car. He put the kennel in the backseat and got into the Explorer. “Hey Beth. That’s a whole lotta books back there. Good thing Dixie is confined, or she’d be thinking it’s a mighty fine buffet.”
“Yes, I’m so glad you’re helping me take all these books to Mrs. Oliphant. I note that she is requesting True Enemies. According to my mother, she’s a dedicated A.J. Emerson fan.”
“Well, you gotta figure after reading four of them already, Mrs. O isn’t gonna punish herself with another one of the stupid things if she doesn’t like them.”
Beth glanced at him. “Your books are not stupid things. Is something bothering you?”
“Nope. Just a big day of underachievement for me. I walked my dog. Read some stuff. Answered some e-mail. Laid around. Just your typical slacker activities.”
“I told you I really don’t think you’re lazy. Honestly. I truly don’t. And you’ve written five novels. Lazy people don’t do that. Back then, I was upset and scared. I had to say goodbye to you and I made a horrible mess of it.”
Drew looked out the window. “I think it might be cold enough to snow again. At least Dixie will be pleased about that.”
Beth acknowledged the unsubtle change of subject with a nod. “Has she eaten the house yet?”
Drew turned to look back at Beth. “Nope. She’s been pretty good. I think she’s finally catching on to the going outside thing too. She lets me know instead of just letting loose, so at least I have a chance to get her outside before it’s too late.”
“I’m sure that is good news for Mrs. Oliphant’s flooring.”
“Yeah. She told me the place was built in 1925. If you can imagine it without all the overstuffed antique old-lady furniture in it, the house itself is kinda cute. It’s got really high ceilings and hardwood floors. There’s mahogany trim around all the windows and doors and this huge deck off the back. I bet it’s nice in the summertime. At least the deck is covered, so it’s not a gigantic pile of snow right now. That makes those late-night puppy outings easier.”
Beth laughed. “I’ll bet.”
“I think Mrs. O. hasn’t used the upstairs much in a long time. It’s kind of amazing that she’s been living in the place for as long as she has. We should all be so lucky to stay healthy for so long.”
“Yes, I think about my mom’s health a lot.”
“Your mom is thirty-two years younger than Mrs. O. You think too much, Beth.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Drew raised his hands in front of him. “Nothing. Never mind. I’m just in a bad mood. You know how I get sometimes.”
“Why?” Beth pulled the SUV into the parking lot. “I thought you had a nice relaxing day.”
“I don’t want to get into that now. Let’s just give Mrs. O her books, okay?”
Beth watched as Drew unlatched his seatbelt and got out of the car. He seemed particularly annoyed whenever the subject of his books came up. Something was definitely going on with him. Maybe she could get him to talk later and answer all of her other questions as well. It wasn’t like she had been a bright ray of sunshine today either. The dreary gray weather certainly didn’t help.
Drew leashed up Dixie and let her peruse the parking lot for a few minutes before helping Beth with the books. They went into the assisted living center and the woman at the front desk directed them to Mrs. Oliphant’s room. The young nurse smiled. “Dot is going to be so thrilled to see you with all those books and the puppy. You’ll make her day!”
Beth and Drew walked by an elderly woman in a wheelchair who smiled and reached out her hand toward Drew. “Oh, look at the puppy!” Drew put down the bag of books and crouched next to the chair, holding Dixie up next to the woman’s arm so she could stroke the dog’s head. “Her name is Dixie.”
Dixie wagged and wiggled, enjoying all the attention. The woman looked at Drew. “Oh, I had a dog just like this named Coco when I was growing up. Look at how sweet she is. So soft. Thank you for letting me pet her.”
Drew stood up. “Any time, ma’am. Dixie loves any excuse for attention.”
Beth took his arm. “You seem to meet women of all ages, thanks to Dixie.”
“She’s a puppy. What can I say? Puppies are total chick magnets.”
Beth giggled. “I always learn new things when I’m around you.”
They walked into Mrs. Oliphant’s room. The elderly woman was sitting up in bed surrounded by books. She looked up as they entered. “Drew! What are you doing here? And you brought Dixie too!” She reached out her arms. “Let me see that adorable ball of fuzz!”
Drew grinned. “Okay, but you asked for it.” He placed the puppy on the bed. “You be good, Dix.”
Beth said, “Hello, Mrs. Oliphant. It has been many years, but I’m Elizabeth Connolly. My mother asked me to bring you the books you ordered the other day.” She held up her bag. “Where would you like me to put them?”
Mrs. Oliphant moved one of her hands from Dixie’s head and patted the bed next to her. “Right here. Show me what you brought.”
“Okay.” Beth moved around to the other side of the bed and set down the bag. “Do you want me to move some of these other ones?”
“No. I want to be able to reach them all. Take those out and line them up. I want to look at the covers.”
Beth began pulling the books out of the bag and laying them on the bed. “Drew, I think we forgot one of the bags.”
“Gimme the keys, Beth, and I’ll go get it. Keep an eye on small-fry there and make sure she doesn’t make a break for it.”
Mrs. Oliphant was snuggling Dixie to her. “Dixie would never do that, would you, sweetheart?” Dixie’s stubby tail went back and forth wildly as she tried to stand on her hind legs to lick the woman’s face.
Beth said, “Is she being too much trouble? I can take her for a minute if you want to look over the books.”
“Did you bring the A.J. Emerson one? I want to read that book next.”
Beth sat on the edge of the bed and held Dixie, who was starting to look sleepy. “I think it’s in the other bag. I just read it though, and It’s extremely good. I think it’s my favorite of all of them.”
“Yes, I
told Drew he needs to stop fretting about these things. He’s got a gift with words, for heaven’s sake. I always wished I could write like that. I dreamed of writing novels, but it didn’t happen for me. I’m fated to be a reader.”
Beth looked up. “You know he wrote the books?”
“Of course I do. He’s living in my house. Did he finally finish the sixth one? The poor thing was just beside himself.”
“He said he sent it to his editor last weekend.”
“Well good. I told him he needed to work out the issues and not let things get left unsaid.” Mrs. Oliphant stroked Dixie’s brown fur slowly. “That’s what keeps you up at night as you get older and you outlive everyone you know. Not the things you did, but the things you didn’t do and the things you didn’t say and you wish you could have.”
“Well, it certainly sounds like it will be an interesting story.” Beth didn’t want to tell her that Drew killed off the character of Liz Logan. It would undoubtedly infuriate Mrs. O. just as much as it did her.
“I’m sure it will be. I think he just needed to talk to someone about it. He’s a wonderful person.”
Beth was a bit taken aback. Drew really had some hard-core fans, even among senior citizens. “Well, it does sound like he receives quite a bit of fan mail from readers.”
“I don’t mean as a writer. Don’t take him for granted, Liz.”
“It’s Beth, actually.”
Drew smiled as he walked into the room with the bag. “It looks like Dixie fell asleep on you. That little pup is really a short hitter.” He handed the bag across the bed to Beth. “More for your collection.”
Beth laid out the rest of the books. “Okay, here they are. Thank you for purchasing them. My mother always says you are her best customer.”
“Thank you for bringing them all the way out here. When you get to my age, you never know if you’re going to get through the end of a novel, much less a series.” She shook her finger at Drew. “That book better be out soon. I’m not getting any younger.”
Drew smiled. “It’s out of my hands at the moment. I’ll let you know when I get it back for revision.”
Bark to the Future (An Alpine Grove Romantic Comedy Book 5) Page 17