by Sue Pethick
“You should always know an animal’s history before you take it into your home,” she said. “I don’t suppose you could get the guy who sold him to you to take the dog back.”
“I don’t think so. I mean, I met him in a park and all I’ve got is his e-mail address.”
Jody pursed her lips. It seemed a shame to put down an animal like that. She’d have bet her eyeteeth that the blond woman had done something to provoke him, but there was no way for her to check out her story and the shelter was obligated to destroy any animal deemed to be vicious. She reached behind the counter and took out a release form.
“Here,” she said. “Fill this out while I put him in back.”
She picked up the carrier and headed into the back room where the animals awaiting euthanasia were kept. Vic, the veterinary assistant, was setting up the injection table when Jody walked in. She opened the carrier and removed the little dog.
“Got another one for you,” she said.
Vic looked over. “What’s his problem?”
“Beats me,” she said. “His owner says he bit her, but he looks pretty docile to me.”
Jody set the little mutt in the cage and watched him curl up. Something about the situation didn’t seem right. Would the previous owner have sold him if he knew where he’d end up? Maybe there was more to this story than she’d been told.
“You’re not going to put him down right now, are you?”
“I can, if you want,” he said. “But we usually do them all at five, when the doc gets here. Why?”
She shook her head.
“I just have a hunch,” she said. “Just leave him where he is for now.”
The blond woman was already getting back into her car when Jody returned. She’d left the form on the counter with a twenty-dollar bill on top. Jody ran outside.
“Wait a minute!” she yelled.
The woman looked at her irritably.
“The form’s on the counter. I don’t need a receipt for the donation.”
“I know,” Jody said. “But don’t you want your carrier?”
“No, thanks,” the woman said. “I won’t be getting another dog anytime soon.”
Todd listened as Gwen’s phone kicked his call over to her voice-mail box. He pressed the disconnect button and lay back on the bed. This was the fourth time he’d called her in half an hour and he’d already left two messages; it didn’t make any sense to leave another one.
Emma had stepped out to call the inn. She needed to see how Jake and Adam were and she’d promised to have them check to see if there were any messages. Todd set the phone down. Gwen’s taking off like she had was giving him a bad feeling.
She wouldn’t hurt Archie, would she?
Don’t be ridiculous, he told himself. Gwen might be hurt and upset, but she wasn’t a monster, and their broken “engagement” had nothing to do with Archie. If Todd had just put the ring back in his dresser instead of sticking it inside the suitcase, it never would have happened. Chances were good that Gwen had either driven home with Archie or taken him to Claire’s.
Of course! Why hadn’t he thought of that before? Claire’s house wasn’t too far away. He’d give his sister a call and see if Gwen and Archie were there.
Todd looked down at his phone and saw that he’d missed a call. It must have come in when he was calling Gwen. He checked the number and smiled. It was from Claire, probably calling to let him know that Gwen and Archie had arrived safe and sound. Talk about a coincidence. He hit “call back” and waited. Emma walked in as it started to ring; he held up a finger for her to wait a minute.
“Hey, Claire, it’s me.”
“Todd? What the hell is going on?”
“What?”
“I just got off the phone with Ma. She’s practically hysterical, thanks to you.”
He felt his jaw tighten. “Sorry. The next time I stand under a ceiling, I’ll try not to let it fall on me.”
Claire’s voice dropped several decibels.
“What ceiling? What are you talking about?”
“I’m in the hospital. Didn’t Ma get Emma’s message?”
“She didn’t say anything about a message. What happened to Archie?”
“That’s what I was calling you about. Aren’t he and Gwen at your place?”
“Gwen? Why the hell would she be here?”
“I thought Archie was with her,” he told his sister.
“Archie’s at the pound,” Claire said. “They called Ma and told her they’re putting him down. How could you do that, Todd? I told you we’d take him.”
“I didn’t take him to the pound! I’ve been in the hospital since yesterday.”
“Well, somebody took him down there.”
Todd finally noticed the look on Emma’s face and realized she must have known something was wrong before she walked in.
“Hang on a second, Claire.” He put his hand over the phone. “Do you know what’s going on?”
She nodded. “A little. Your mother called the inn and said to tell you that you have to get Archie from the humane society by five or they’ll put him to sleep.”
“What? They can’t do that.” He uncovered the phone. “This has to be a mistake. How did the humane society get Ma’s number?”
“Archie’s chip. When they scanned it, they got Uncle Bertie’s phone number and when they called it, they got forwarded to her.”
“But the humane society doesn’t put dogs down,” he said.
“They do if they’re vicious.”
“Archie isn’t vicious!”
“The woman who dropped him off said he was. Ma said she told them he’d bitten her.”
Todd’s head began to pound. It had to be Gwen; Emma had seen her put Archie in his carrier. But why would she do that? Why hurt Archie because she was angry with him?
It didn’t matter. The important thing now was to get him out of there before the place closed.
“Can you go pick him up?” he asked.
“No, that’s why I called you. Bob’s taken the truck and I’ve got no way to reach him.”
There was no other way. Todd would just have to get Archie himself.
“Which humane society was it, do you know?”
“Ma just said it had a three-sixty area code.”
Which meant it could be anywhere. He looked at the clock. There wasn’t time to call around and find the right one.
“Call Ma back. Tell her to check her caller ID for the number,” he told his sister. “Then call me back.”
“Okay, and then what?”
“Tell her not to worry. Tell her you talked to me and I’m going to get Archie.”
Emma was shaking her head. Todd scowled at her and pointed to the clock.
“I thought you said you were in the hospital,” Claire said.
“I was”—he reached under his gown and ripped the electrodes off his chest—“but I just checked out.”
Todd knew that waiting for a doctor to sign him out was the preferred method for checking out of a hospital, but putting on his clothes and using the service elevator worked just as well. Emma pulled her truck up to the curb and helped him into the front seat.
“Where are we going?” he said.
“Gold Bar. The woman on the phone said you’ll need to show ID and sign an affidavit swearing that Archie was stolen and that he hasn’t bitten anyone. Do you need help?”
“Not anymore,” Todd said, pulling his leg into the cab.
He slammed the door and Emma pulled away from the curb.
“How long does it take to get there?” he asked.
“Depends on what condition the roads are in. Twenty-five minutes if they’re clear; twice that if there’s ice on the road.”
Todd checked the time. It was four twenty-seven.
“That’s cutting it pretty close.”
“I know,” she said. “I’ll do my best.”
The truck’s engine roared as they pulled out into traffic. They were on the hig
hway in less than a minute, heading east toward Gold Bar.
“Thanks for taking me. I don’t know how I’d have gotten to him, otherwise.”
Emma looked over and smiled.
“It’s okay. You’d have done the same for me.”
Todd shook his head sadly. “This is my fault. If they put Archie down, I’ll never forgive myself.”
“How is it your fault? You didn’t take him down there.”
“No, but I didn’t do anything to stop her, either.”
“Um, excuse me? You were unconscious, remember?”
Todd licked his lips. How could he explain to her the person he’d become these last few years? To Emma, he was just a grown-up version of the little kid who’d done cannonballs off the diving board and shinnied up trees to spy into birds’ nests. How could he make her understand that losing his father had undercut his sense of security, made him so desperate for outside validation and approval that he’d been willing to throw away his moral compass in favor of money in the bank and marriage to a beautiful woman who treated him badly?
“By the way, I like your idea,” she said.
“What?”
“For the inn, remember? You know, somewhere people could go and stay with their animals where there’d be stuff for everyone to do. I’m still not sure about letting you—oh, no!”
Taillights were bunching up on the road in front of them. Emma took her foot off the gas.
“Looks like there’s a wreck up there,” she said as the truck slowed.
Todd took out his phone and checked the local traffic.
“It’s on the right,just before the next exit.”
“How much time have we got?”
“Eight minutes.” He slammed his fist against the door. “Damn it!”
Emma put on her signal and started cutting over to the left-hand lane.
“Don’t worry,” she said. “We can still make it.”
“How? There’s no way this is going to clear in time.”
“It doesn’t have to.” She pulled out onto the shoulder and gunned the engine. “But you’d better hold on.”
CHAPTER 27
Outside the humane society, the truck screeched to a halt. As Todd struggled out of his seat, Emma jumped down and ran for the door. She grabbed the handle and pulled.
“It’s locked!”
“It can’t be,” he said. “It’s only four fifty-eight.”
Todd tried the handle of the glass door, sending the bell on the other side clanging. He banged on the door with his fist.
“Open up! I’m here to get my dog!”
Emma ran back to the truck and laid on the horn.
“Come on!” Todd yelled. “Open up the damned door!”
A woman appeared behind the counter and hurried over.
“Hold on to your britches,” she said, turning the lock. “What’s this all about? We’re closed.”
The cast on Todd’s leg was ungainly. As the door swung open he teetered, nearly losing his balance.
“You’ve got my dog,” he said. “My mother got a call. I’m here to get him.”
“Are you Archie’s owner?”
“Yes, yes,” Todd said, looking around. “Where is he?”
“Oh, dear,” the woman said, glancing behind her. “I think they just put him down.”
“Last one,” Vic said as he reached into Archie’s cage. “Come on, fella.”
The vet glanced up at the clock. It had been a long day at the clinic. He was tired and ready to go home; he wasn’t going to quibble over forty-five seconds. He picked up the syringe.
“Let’s get this over with.”
Vic laid Archie on his side and stroked him gently. It was too bad the little guy’s owner hadn’t shown up, he thought. Jody would be upset. People did that sometimes, said they were coming and then didn’t bother. He wished they wouldn’t do that.
The vet paused. “Do you hear something?”
They heard the sound of rushing footsteps and the door burst open.
“Stop!” Jody yelled. “Don’t do it!”
A man with a cast on his leg hobbled into the room. He had one arm in a sling and the other around the neck of a petite brunette. His face was bruised and his head bandaged. Vic thought the guy looked like he’d been in a car wreck.
“Archie,” the man sobbed. “You’re alive!”
Vic released him and the little dog struggled to his feet.
Archie jumped into Emma’s arms and she and Todd laughed as he licked their faces, his whole body wiggling with joy. Todd steadied himself against the table and carefully wrapped his arms around them both. This was what life was all about: love and family; someone to protect; someone to cherish and care for. He closed his eyes and a tear ran down his cheek. For the first time since his father had died, Todd felt whole.
“Let’s get you out of here,” he said. “You’re coming home with us.” He glanced at Emma. “Both of us.”
EPILOGUE
Archie stood in the bathtub and tried not to shiver as he waited for Todd’s mother to return with a towel. The bathwater tickled as it ran down behind his ears and along his back, but he resisted the urge to shake it off—a good dog didn’t shake himself inside the house. When Fran returned, she rubbed him down with a towel, then placed him on the counter and used a hair dryer to finish the job. It was good to be dry and warm again. Archie wagged his tail to show his appreciation.
There was a box on the counter. Fran opened it and took out a small bundle wrapped in tissue paper. Inside it was a tiny black jacket with a built-in dress shirt and cummerbund.
“I found this when I was going through Bertie’s things.”
Excitement shot through him as she took Archie’s front paws one at a time and pushed them through the sleeves. Fran clipped a bow tie to his collar and smoothed the fur back from his eyes.
“There, now,” she said, setting him down on the floor. “You look like a proper gentlemen.”
She took out her lipstick and drew a line of red across her mouth.
“Come along, we mustn’t be late. Those two have waited long enough for this day.”
Archie followed her to the front door and watched her pin her hat in place. Fran set her hand on the doorknob and gave him a stern look.
“Now, don’t forget,” she said. “You’re not the star of this show. I expect you to behave.”
Todd checked his watch. “What’s taking so long? Ma said they’d be here by now.”
“Don’t fret, deartháir,” Claire said, fussing with the nosegay on his lapel. “No one likes an impatient bridegroom.”
He frowned and fussed with his tie. Claire had been on her best behavior for months. The suspense was killing him.
“Go on,” he said. “Say it. I know you want to.”
His sister’s face was all innocence. “Say what?”
“I told you so.”
“Why ever would I do that?” She laughed. “You’ve already said it for me.”
Emma stood in front of the mirror, smiling at her reflection. The simple linen shift had been her grandmother’s; a wedding dress made for a war bride, given to her by the friend who promised to pass it along when the day came. Now it had been cleaned and altered to fit her. It was perfect.
“It’s beautiful,” she said. “Thank you.”
Dee sat behind her, one hand on the cane that was now her constant companion.
“You’re beautiful,” she said. “A beautiful bride.”
Emma swallowed the lump in her throat. With Gran and her mother both gone, she thought she’d have no one—no woman—to help her prepare for her wedding day. But when she told Dee she was getting married, she came at once. That she had brought Gran’s wedding dress with her made Emma feel twice blessed.
Dee picked up the garland of wildflowers and set it on Emma’s head, then handed her the bouquet.
“I think it’s time now, don’t you?”
Emma took Jake’s arm and he walked her down the
aisle, past the folding chairs they’d set up in the lobby. Todd stood with the minister by the front desk, beaming as his bride approached. Jake gave him a stern look before releasing Emma’s hand and taking his seat.
Archie was the ring bearer and he took his job seriously. In his pint-sized tux, and with a satin pillow strapped to his back, he waited until the rings were requested, then stepped forward and patiently waited while they were untied. When that was done, he sat back and watched as his two favorite people exchanged vows in front of God and their witnesses.
And when at last the minister pronounced Todd and Emma man and wife, Archie kissed the bride.
Keep reading for some special advice from the creators
of GoPetFriendly.com on how to take your furry
friend on the vacation of a lifetime!
PREPARING FOR YOUR FIRST DOG-FRIENDLY VACATION
By Amy Burkert, Pet Travel Expert at
GoPetFriendly.com
You’ve been dreaming about it for years, and it’s finally happened.... For the first time in your life, you have your very own dog! Of course, he’s perfect in every way. You’ve already taught him some basic commands, and now you’re ready to strike out on your first big adventure together. You can almost see the miles of open road, feel the wind in your hair, and imagine all the new scents along the way. It’s going to be perfect, but first you’ll have to do a little preparation to be sure your first dog-friendly vacation comes off without a hitch!
A road trip is the best kind of vacation with your dog. It allows you to set your own pace and decide moment by moment what sounds like fun. Laying out your route and locating accommodations and activities along the way is easy when you use a pet-friendly road-trip planner, but there are a few other things you’ll need to think about before you take off!
Prepare Your Vehicle