For Love of a Dog

by Janice Carter

  “I understand, Luca. I’ll talk to Thomas about taking Amigo in the morning. And sorry for...well...presuming you might be interested in coming, too.” With that, she pushed open the screen door.

  Luca sat, replaying the last few minutes over and over. Despite his resolve, her words stung. Presuming? Did she mean presuming he was a compassionate, reasonable man who’d see her point at once and eagerly volunteer to lay bare a personal, grievous episode in his life to a bunch of third-graders? That galled.

  At the same time, he wondered if the inverse meant he wasn’t a compassionate person. He absently rubbed his knee and thought for a long time about how he could extricate himself from this unexpected situation. He knew his anger had nothing to do with Kai or her suggestion. It was all wrapped up with his own guilt about what had happened in Afghanistan. Now he had the fallout of his comments to deal with. More emotional scenes ahead.

  He levered himself off the sofa, supporting his weight on his good leg, then shifting to find a balance for both. The throbbing pain had returned. Retrieving the bottle of painkillers, he went to the kitchen for water. His work on the farm was basically finished, and there was no real reason to stay on. Perhaps what had happened was all for the best. The next natural step would be simply to leave. Luca sighed, rubbing his hand along his jaw as if to erase the feeling that he’d been presented with a challenge and hadn’t measured up.

  * * *

  KAI HUNG UP the phone and sat, oblivious to the toast that had popped up and the bacon sizzling in the cast-iron fry pan. Her mother’s voice, trembling with emotion, seemed to echo in the kitchen. She’d only known Margaret to cry twice in her life—at Annie’s and David’s funerals.

  Her father had made good progress in the rehab program. His speech had returned; memory lapses were minor and normal for his age, according to his doctor. His motor skills were getting better and his mobility level was acceptable.

  “What does ‘acceptable’ mean?” Kai had asked.

  After a long pause, her mother had explained that Harry could walk short distances and stand without losing his balance. But his left leg hadn’t regained full movement. He would need to use a walker or cane for anything more than a few steps.

  “What about working? What about the farm?” she’d blurted.

  It was then that Margaret had begun to cry.

  Kai knew the prognosis did not look good for Harry’s return to the farm that had been in the Westfield family for three generations. Her next thought concerned her own future on the farm...and Thomas’s. What did this development mean for her nephew?

  But the aroma of crisped bacon got her moving again, and she was flipping the eggs over when Thomas and Amigo came into the kitchen. Thomas slipped onto his chair, a puzzled expression on his face.

  “I decided to make a special breakfast this morning in honor of our visit to your school.” Last night at supper she’d told him about her idea to take Amigo in for the class presentations. He’d seemed startled at first, but nodded slowly when she reminded him that his teacher had invited students to bring in pets.

  “And Grandma just called,” Kai went on. “Grandpa’s doing very well in his rehab, and they may be coming home sooner than they thought.”

  He smiled, leaning down to rub Amigo’s head. Kai turned away, hiding her frustration. Not that she’d been expecting a big response from Thomas—he was a child and had other things on his mind this morning—but still, his refusal to talk led to uncertainty over how he felt about things. She dished out their breakfast and was just sitting down when there was a tap at the kitchen door.

  “Sorry to interrupt your breakfast...”

  “Come in, Luca. Would you like some? There’s extra.”

  “Thanks, but I’ve eaten.” He came in and sat next to Thomas, whose beaming smile was the only one in the room. Kai’s discomfort from Luca’s mood yesterday returned. She’d had a restless sleep, embarrassed by his cool rejection of her idea about telling the class his story. Now she wished she hadn’t even mentioned it.

  “Some coffee then?” she asked, wanting to break the uncomfortable silence.

  “Coffee would be nice,” he said.

  She noticed that he wasn’t dressed for farm work, wearing a crisp, short-sleeved cotton plaid shirt tucked into khaki chinos.

  Setting his coffee down, she asked, “Going somewhere?”

  He took a long sip before answering, and when he looked across at her, his face was flushed. “I’ve been thinking about your visit this morning and wonder if I could tag along? What do you think, Thomas? Would that be okay with you?” He turned to Thomas, who excitedly bobbed his head.

  Kai had managed to close her mouth by the time Luca’s eyes came back to her.

  “I realized it would make more sense to talk about Amigo from my point of view.” He paused, keeping his gaze on her. “If that’s okay with you.”

  She took a moment to say, “Well, then, it’s almost time to go. Thomas, go brush your teeth and get your backpack.”

  As soon as her nephew left the room, Kai blurted, “What made you change your mind?”

  “I had a heart-to-heart talk with myself last night. I figured I was putting my reluctance to tell my story ahead of what might be important to Thomas. Maybe the kids will see a different side to him—the bond he has with Amigo. It could make a difference in how they treat Thomas afterward.” He shrugged. “Worth a try, anyway.” He peered into his coffee, avoiding her stare.

  “Thank you for that, Luca. However it turns out, I know the kids will be interested. And last night when I passed it by Thomas, I could tell he was excited to be taking Amigo in. Your coming along is the icing on the cake.” She smiled as he raised his head, then impulsively added, “My mother called this morning. The doctors think Dad will be able to come home earlier than expected.”

  Luca raised an eyebrow at the change in her voice. “Oh? I suppose that’s good news?”

  “Of course. And, um, it means an earlier return to New York for me, too.”

  “Right.” He appeared thoughtful and was about to say more when Thomas rushed back into the room.

  “Okay! I guess I’d better get my things, too. Thought I’d snap a photo of the occasion. Since there’s three of us after all, I was wondering if we—”

  “We’ll take my car,” Luca said, reading her mind. “Thomas, Amigo should have his leash.”

  Kai ran upstairs for her purse and camera. Once again the man had surprised her. He’d actually expressed his reasons for going with her and Thomas, rather than leaving her second-guessing. But the unexpected lift in her spirits came from the realization that he wasn’t just considering Thomas; he was also thinking of her.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  KAI GLANCED QUICKLY at Luca when Miss Munro asked how to introduce him. During the drive to school, they’d had a brief exchange about this introduction, deciding “friend of the family” would be best. Kai added that Luca was helping with the soybean planting.

  “I’m happy you could come,” the teacher said. “Would you mind waiting here in the hallway while we have morning exercises? I scheduled the presentations throughout the whole day to give parents more flexibility. And to preserve some of my sanity, too.” She laughed, then ushered Thomas inside and closed the door.

  There were already half a dozen parents chatting quietly in the hall. Some were holding cages with small animals—cats or kittens and at least one rodent—but the only other dog was an excitable Chihuahua on a leash that yipped frantically at Amigo.

  Luca wound Amigo’s leash around his fist, keeping him as close as possible and asking him to sit. He stroked the dog’s head to reassure him and Kai hoped their wait wouldn’t be too long. She had a horrifying vision of pets—unleashed and uncaged—running wild during the anthem.

  Fortunately, the group was called
into the room seconds after the anthem finished on the PA system. The students were seated on a carpet in the front corner of the classroom and twenty-some heads pivoted to the door as they filed inside. Kai spotted Thomas, sitting cross-legged next to Robyn, and waved. He smiled but didn’t wave back.

  Amigo had also seen Thomas and gave a low whine as he strained against Luca’s grip. Luca shushed him, patting his head and back. Kai’s worry about how Amigo might handle this social event returned and she looked anxiously at Luca.

  “He’ll be okay,” he whispered, “once Thomas is with him.”

  Miss Munro called on Thomas and Luca after three short presentations. Kai readied her camera and as Luca led Amigo to the front of the room, she moved across to the window side, getting the sunlight behind her.

  She thought Luca seemed a bit pale as he stood before the students. During the drive to town, she’d noticed him nervously tapping the steering wheel, and as they crossed the school parking lot she’d placed a hand on his forearm, saying, “You’ll be fine, and Thomas is so happy.”

  He’d followed her gaze to Thomas, skipping ahead to join his classmates as the bell sent them inside. He’d simply nodded but flashed her a quick smile.

  Before Luca began to speak, Kai took a couple of pictures and then let the camera dangle from her neck. She figured neither Luca nor Thomas—much less Amigo—needed the distraction.

  “Thank you for having me today, girls and boys,” Luca said. “And a special thanks for inviting Amigo. I know he’s been wanting to see Thomas’s classroom and meet his friends.”

  At this, a couple of students giggled.

  “Can anyone tell me what his name means? Amigo?”

  Robyn’s hand shot up. “It means friend,” she said when Luca nodded to her.

  “Right. Friend. And that’s an excellent name for this dog because he is my friend and he’s also Thomas’s friend. I guess you could say we share Amigo, and we’re both very grateful for his friendship.

  “Today I’d like to tell you how Amigo and I met.” As Luca began his talk, Kai noticed the color returning to his face, and his voice, quiet at first, picked up a steadier, more natural pace and volume as he recounted the meeting between dog and soldier and the fateful day that changed both their lives.

  Inexplicably, her own nervousness reappeared and she tiptoed around the room, snapping photos of some of the animals, fish bowls and even a terrarium. She took a couple of photographs from the back of the class, noticing how the children were hanging on Luca’s every word.

  Thomas had moved to sit at Luca’s feet, his arm around Amigo’s neck. Kai had never seen such pride in his small face, and she welled up.

  Luca was wrapping up by the time she made her way back to her place by the windows.

  “And that’s how Amigo basically saved my life.” When he paused, several students immediately raised their hands.

  “I see that some of you have questions, but first Thomas would like to show you how he has trained Amigo to perform some tricks.”

  Kai straightened. She’d only ever witnessed Amigo fetching a stick, and she doubted that trick would go over well in the classroom. But where and when had other training occurred? Clearly Thomas and Amigo hadn’t been receiving her full attention since Luca had come into her life.

  Thomas got to his feet and used his hands to signal for the dog to lie down, roll over and sit. The gestures were simple and quick. But after Amigo obediently performed all three tricks, the dog sank onto his forepaws, giving a little moan as if to say, “Are we done here?”

  Everyone laughed. Luca tugged gently on Amigo’s collar to get him up and started to lead him to the back of the room. Many of the children rushed to crowd around all three of them—the dog, the soldier and the smiling boy.

  Miss Munro gave three sharp claps and the students froze. “Children, we have two other presentations. May I suggest that you save your questions for Mr. Rossi and Amigo until recess?” She sent Luca a questioning look.

  “For sure, Miss Munro,” he agreed. “Good idea. Could Amigo and I wait in the playground? I think he might like some fresh air.”

  “Of course. And now, girls and boys, back to your places.”

  Kai caught Thomas’s glance as she followed Luca and Amigo to the door. His freckled face was lit up with a broad grin.

  * * *

  “THAT WENT WELL,” she said, as Luca drove out of the school parking lot long after the recess bell had rung and the students, including Thomas, had reluctantly returned to their classroom. “Don’t you think?”

  “Amigo was a hit,” he commented. Mention of his name prompted a sharp bark from the back of the SUV.

  Kai laughed. “I had no idea you’d taught Thomas those hand signals.”

  Luca looked at her. “Thomas was a quick learner, though to be honest, those are the only moves in my dog communication repertoire.”

  “I got a great photo of the three of you when you were finishing up.”

  “Did you take many? I noticed you wandering around the room.”

  “I did get a few of the classroom and the kids sitting, rapt, at your feet.”

  “It was nice of her to let you photograph.”

  “Yes, it was. She told me she’s spoken to the parents of the boy who was bothering Thomas. They’ve had a talk with him and promise it won’t happen again.”

  “Let’s hope not.”

  “Thomas likely won’t say anything to you, but I could tell from the glow in his eyes that he’ll never forget this morning. So again, thank you for that.”

  Luca flushed. He cleared his throat and asked, “Back to the farm then?”

  “I’d like to make a stop on the way. Yesterday after supper I called Brian Boychuk and set up a meeting with him tomorrow morning. I thought I’d drive by the flag monument and take a few test shots. It’ll be quiet this time of day, and I can get an idea of the lighting and angles. Do you mind?”

  “Um, no...sure.” He headed for Buckeye Road without another word, his silence rippling quietly around them like a pebble on still water.

  When he pulled into a parking space at the site, Kai reached into the back seat for her camera. “I’ll wait here,” he said.

  She paused, studying his profile for some indication of mood, but he was lost in thought. “Okay. I won’t be long.” She climbed out and slung her camera around her neck.

  The monument was deserted midweek, as she’d hoped. Kai approached the five towers with the same sense of awe and reverence she’d felt when she first visited them several years ago. She started snapping, moving around each tower for close-ups of individual bricks and then backing away for some long shots. Panning across the site, she thought she caught a glimpse of a man’s leg protruding from the side of the farthest tower. Had she been mistaken in thinking the place was empty? She shifted the camera lens and stepped to her right, zooming in. It was Luca, leaning against the tower, passing his hand over the bricks.

  He must have gotten out of the car when I was behind one of the panels. Her finger instinctively pressed down, clicking off a round of shots until he suddenly caught sight of her. Kai lowered the camera as he strode her way. She could tell from his tight face as he drew nearer that he was upset.

  “You’re not planning on using that photo in your article?”

  “I’m sorry if I intruded. I didn’t realize you’d gotten out of the car.”

  “But you must have figured out it was me as you were taking those.” He pointed at the camera in her hand.

  “Force of habit. Sorry again, and no, I won’t use any of you.” She fumbled to bring up the images and quickly deleted them. “See?”

  His expression relaxed. “Okay. Thanks.”

  “I wouldn’t have used the pics anyway, not without your permission. I have ethics, you know.”
>
  “Look,” he said, his tone softening, “I made an assumption and I shouldn’t have. I just don’t like being taken by surprise.”

  “So now I know,” she muttered, swinging away from him as she marched toward the car.

  As they drove home, Kai kept sneaking peeks at Luca, his hands clutching the steering wheel as if he might suddenly lose control of the car. Her initial embarrassment at getting caught taking his photo had leaped to anger in seconds. She understood that he didn’t want the picture publicized—as if she would do that, anyway! He’d already visited the site on his own, when he’d bought his car, so it wasn’t as if he were seeing it for the first time and she’d snapped him in a highly emotional moment. Unless she had.

  They were almost at the farm when she couldn’t contain herself any longer. “Luca, I don’t want you to think badly of me because I took your picture back there. I wasn’t thinking. I just reacted the way I would have on assignment—spotting a moment and capturing it.”

  “Is that what you call it? A moment?” The car swerved as he glanced her way.

  “I was doing my job.”

  “What? Taking advantage of people’s vulnerabilities?” His eyes were challenging.

  Kai forced herself to keep calm. “Some might see it that way. But this wasn’t your first visit to the site. If it had been, I’d have expected you to...well...be drawn into the emotion of it. And I’d have sensed your vulnerability.”

  Turning his attention to the road ahead again, he said in a low voice, “That time, I didn’t go up to the panels to read the names on the bricks. I was about to when Boychuk came along and struck up a conversation. We got talking and...well...frankly, I didn’t want to go right up to it while people were around. When you got out of the car back there, I suddenly realized today was a good time—no one else was around.”

  “Except I was.”

  As Luca pulled up to the garage, he looked at Kai. “Maybe I’ve made too much out of this. I apologize. We seem to get into these...I don’t know what to call them. Petty misunderstandings?”