The Chihuahua Affair: Best in Show

by Amy Jarecki

  He made progress but the icy cold sapped him. His spirits fell as he looked up to see the river had forced him back into the swirling center. A rush of water deafened him. He glanced upstream.

  His heartbeat spiked.

  A log torpedoed toward him. Matt dove sideways, but he moved too late. It struck him with a bone crunching blow to his temple. Blood gushed, turning the water red. Head throbbing, he floated on his back, giving in to the pull of the current, trying to focus on his next move.

  ***

  Late morning, Amanda crawled in bed with her mother. “What are you doing with your clothes on, Momma?”

  Rebecca rubbed the sleep from her eyes while she thought of an explanation. “I must have been too tired to put on my pajamas.” She’d never forget the heavenly moment when she fell asleep in Matt’s embrace and how she melted into his arms when he carried her to the bed. She was grateful he had been discrete and so nice. How could a man that considerate be unattached?

  “You’re under too much stress.” Amanda jumped up and tossed her mother a robe. “I’ve got a cure for that. Let’s have pancakes.”

  “Okay.” After pulling herself out of bed, Rebecca poked her head in Ryan’s room on her way downstairs. He stirred.

  “Are you hungry?”

  He sat up, the bruising on his face a dark purple. “Starved.”

  Rebecca winced. “Want some pancakes?”

  “Sounds awesome, and some protein.”

  “All right. Pancakes with eggs and sausages.”

  He smiled and then swayed a bit. “You’re the greatest, Mom.”

  Ryan had some difficulty getting down the stairs but by the time he hit the bottom, he mastered the use of the crutches. Rebecca made him rest on the couch with ice on his ankle. It was still swollen and had turned a dark shade of purple, even darker than the left side of his face. Fortunately, there was plenty of football on TV and Ryan would have no trouble playing the couch potato for the day.

  Amanda started mixing the pancake batter while Rebecca let the dogs out. When she came back in, she stopped short. A news flash aired a frogman dangling from a helicopter pulling a runner out of the Cooper River.

  She stepped in for a closer look. “Ryan, doesn’t that look like Matt?”

  He leaned forward. “Holy shit—it is Matt.”

  Rebecca snapped her hand over her mouth. “Oh my God.”

  “Hey, I think he’s alive,” Ryan said pointing at the screen.

  “Oh for heaven’s sake.” Rebecca barked orders as she raced upstairs, “Amanda, finish making breakfast. Ryan, your pain medicine is on the kitchen counter. I’ll call as soon as I know something.” She threw on a black track suit and a pair of Nikes and raced out the door.

  If they plucked him from of the Cooper River, they must be taking him to Kennedy.

  Her pins and needles prickled her skin while she weaved through the Sunday morning traffic.

  What am I doing? Why am I rushing to the hospital?

  With a groan, she punched the accelerator.

  Stop it. He’s a friend, and he’s new to the area and doesn’t know anyone. I can’t just sit at home and do nothing.

  When she final dashed up to the emergency room reception desk, Rebecca felt like she had déjà vu. Knowing a little about the system, she figured she’d be more likely to get to see Matt if she pretended he was a relative. “I’m here to see my brother, Matt Johnson. I think he should have just arrived in by helicopter.”

  The attendant pointed to a set of heavy white double doors and Rebecca wandered through Emergency, peeking in each room until she found the crazy man, propped up in a hospital bed under a mound of blankets. Blood seeped through his bandaged head while a paramedic took notes. “I’m fine. Nothing’s wrong with me. I went for a run and slid into the river. Next thing I knew I was fighting the current to get to shore and all at once everyone on the planet was there to rescue me. Boy, I gotta hand it to you guys, you’re fast.” Matt shook his head and hissed with a grimace.

  When finally he looked past the room full of strangers, his eyes popped. “Becky!”

  Rebecca rushed in. “I saw them pull you out of the river on TV. You were all over the news.”

  “Yeah?” He gave her a wink. Jeez, even when in pain the guy could be a charmer. “I guess I finally got my fifteen seconds of fame, huh?”

  She rubbed the sleeve of his hospital gown between her fingers. “If you want fifteen seconds so badly, I’ll let you handle Bruno in the Philly show, no need to throw yourself into a raging river.”

  Matt flung his arms out to his sides, his eyes wide. “I went for a run and slipped. One second I was jogging along the path and the next I was fighting for my life.”

  Rebecca clutched her hands over her chest. “Oh my goodness, that sounds like a nightmare.” She pressed his shoulder, urging him to lay back.

  “Yeah, they said I was lucky another runner saw me fall. He called nine-one-one from his cell phone. I fought that current with everything I had. Was just about to reach the shore when the helicopter showed up with a frogman.”

  Rebecca’s mind flashed back to the news clip. Matt wasn’t anywhere near the shore when the frogman pulled him out. No matter, it was a relief to see him so animated. And funny. His feet nearly hung off the end of the bed and she found it amusing to watch him interact with the nurses—asking if he could go, insisting he was fine but tolerating their persistent examination. She noticed the needle and tube in his arm. “What’s the IV for?”

  “Hypothermia. I was shaking pretty good when they pulled me out.”

  After sufficient prodding, his temperature back to normal, the doctors released him with a concussion and instructions to rest. Rebecca loaded him into the car and they stopped by Matt’s place to pick up Patches and some dry clothes. He agreed to go back to her house to watch football with Ryan. They would be good company for each other where she could keep an eye on both.

  Amanda opened the door to greet them, rolling her eyes with a snort. “I can’t believe it. Of all the lame excuses to spend Sunday at our house.”

  “Yep, the things I’ll do to spend time with you, Mandy.” Matt gave her a quizzical look but at least she smiled.

  Ryan flipped up his la-Z-boy. “What the hell happened?”

  Matt slid onto the couch and crossed his ankles on the ottoman. “Hey dude. I thought you could use some company in the infirmary so I dove into the Cooper River in a thunder storm.”

  Shaking her head, Rebecca tossed him a pillow and an afghan. “Matt’s got a concussion, so we need to keep an eye on him. The doctor ordered twenty-four hours of rest.”

  “Cool.” Ryan shook the remote at the TV. “The Eagles are playing the Giants. It’s the fourth quarter and tied at twenty-four to twenty-four.”

  Once she had the infirmed settled, Rebecca slipped back to her studio to let the dogs out just as her phone rang.

  “Rebecca it’s Jack…”

  “…and Alan.” The couple always finished each other’s sentences.

  “Hey. How are you guys?” she asked.

  “We’re fine. It’s you we’re worried about…”

  “…Yeah, what happened? We walked past your spot and your RV was missing.”

  She cringed and took a seat at her desk. “Oh dear, I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to say anything. Ryan was hit by a car. I had to race back to Medford.”

  “Oh my God, girl!”

  “…Is poor baby Ryan okay?”

  “He’s pretty bruised up but nothing is broken. He can’t play football for a few weeks, though.”

  “I know that won’t go over well,” Jack said without an added comment from Alan.

  Combing her fingers through her hair, Rebecca glanced toward the door. “You’re right about that. Thank goodness he and Matt get along so well.”

  “Yessss…”

  “…Ah, yes, Matt. He’s quite the catch.”

  Rebecca didn’t want the rumor mill to get out of hand. “He’s
a very nice man but we’re just friends. You know, he bought a dog from me and is taking classes.”

  “Girl, that man ain’t just taking classes…”

  “…You got that right, he’s got big saucy eyes for you.”

  She thought about hiding under the desk, but settled for cupping her hand over her mouth. “What are you talking about? You guys are crazy. For all I know he might like things better on your side of the road.”

  “Nope, you’re wrong there...”

  “…Oh, no, no, girl. I had my gay-dar up. That boy’s as straight as Robin Hood’s arrow and his sights are locked in on you…”

  “…Locked tight, oh you are sooooo right, Alan.”

  Rebecca’s heart skipped a beat as she drew her fingers down her face, forcing herself to frown. “You guys are silly, but I love you. Tell me, how’d you do today?”

  “Got B.O.B. with Lilly…”

  “…Went to group but nothing panned out.”

  Rebecca giggled. “Oh well, you can’t complain about Best of Breed.”

  No sooner had she hung up the phone when Barbara called. Of course she asked why Rebecca had left without a word, but the back of Rebecca’s neck pricked when Barbara asked if Matt was unattached.

  The thought of her field-playing friend flirting with him tied Rebecca’s stomach in knots. “I think he’s in a relationship,” she fibbed.

  “Just my luck.”

  “That’s how it goes, I guess.”

  When Rebecca clicked the end button, she had not one pang of regret for her fib. Though she had no intention of dating Matt, Barbara needed to find her beaus in someone else’s backyard. She took a deep breath and headed back to watch the end of the game.

  “Becky, come sit with us,” Matt urged.

  “Who’s playing?”

  “Wisconsin and Penn State.”

  She snapped her gaze to the TV. “Penn State? Why didn’t someone come and get me?”

  Matt patted the couch beside him. “Sounds like you’re a fan.”

  She sat, but kept a respectable distance. “Just a fan? I’m a major blue and white Nittany Lion. State’s my alma mater.”

  “Really? Seems I learn something new about you every day. I never took you for a Big Ten girl.” Rebecca threw a pillow at him and he caught it midair. “Maybe I’ll root for the Badgers just to make it interesting.”

  Ryan pushed back in the recliner. “Oh boy, no one roots against Penn State in this house.”

  The challenge certainly made a drizzly day interesting. Rebecca cheered with the Penn crowd and Matt whooped it up when Wisconsin scored. Ryan sat back and enjoyed watching the two go back-and-forth, badgering each other as if this game was the most important event on earth.

  Rebecca could hear Amanda talking on the phone in her room. She wished her eldest would come down and join them. Even with his headache, Matt made the game fun, calling the plays with Ryan, placing penny bets, pointing out good and bad maneuvers for Ryan’s education.

  If only Mandy could let him in.

  Chapter Eight

  Completely recovered, Matt arrived early for the last practice before the Philly show. Since Ryan was still on the injured list, the two were sitting at the kitchen counter talking football. Most of Ryan’s bruising was gone, with just a trace of yellow pooling around his eye.

  “When did you start playing?” Matt asked.

  “Dad signed me up for pee-wee league when I was in second grade. It’s funny to look at the pictures. I think my helmet was bigger than me.”

  Matt chuckled at the image in his mind—probably not much different from his own second grade pictures. “I’ll bet your mom was a nervous wreck to watch you out there.”

  “Oh yeah, she still is. And what’s funny is I don’t even get hurt on the field, some stupid car has to cut the corner and run me down.”

  “Seems we’re both prone to accidents.” Matt rubbed the knot on his head from his recent river riding incident.

  The two looked up when Amanda slammed the front door and stomped into the kitchen waving a piece of paper. “Where’s Mom?”

  Ryan threw his thumb over his shoulder. “In her studio, where else?”

  “What’s wrong?” Matt asked.

  Judging by her bloodshot eyes, she’d been crying. Amanda slapped the paper on the counter in front of them. “I’ll tell you what’s wrong. The whole damned world, that’s what.” With a huff she headed for the studio.

  Matt picked up the paper and knitted his brows.

  “What?” Ryan asked.

  “It’s a father-daughter dance.”

  Ryan winced. “Oh crap. You know, I still don’t think she’s over Dad’s death.”

  Matt nodded. “I’ve noticed some pent up hostility.”

  To say the least.

  “Yeah. She was Daddy’s little girl and she’s been mad at the world ever since he died.”

  Matt chewed his bottom lip. It had to be hard on both kids. “How about you, Ryan? How are you getting along with just Mom?”

  “Me?” He slapped his hand through the air. “I’m all right. I figure Dad would’ve wanted us to be happy—you know, to follow our dreams, that kind of thing.”

  “I’m sure you’re right. Your father would want happiness for both you and Amanda.” Matt reread the paper while listening to Amanda’s muffled sobs. The tortured agony echoing through the house tore him up. “Hey Ryan, what if I took her?”

  Ryan’s eyes popped as if that was the stupidest idea he’d ever heard. “You?”

  Matt glanced toward the studio door. “Why not?”

  “Yeah, but she doesn’t like you.”

  “Aw, she only thinks she doesn’t like me.” He gestured to himself with a lopsided grin. “What’s not to like?”

  Ryan shrugged. “Don’t ask me, I think she’s nuts.”

  He rapped the paper with his finger. “You’ll have to help. I’ll need you to go with me to get a dress and shoes, and all the stuff that goes with it.”

  “What? You’re not going to tell her about it so she can get her own damned dress?”

  “If I told her about it, do you think she’d go?”

  “No.” Ryan swiveled on his stool. “You’re right. She’d probably mouth off at you.”

  “You gotta keep this under wraps, though.”

  “Don’t worry. There’s no way I’d rat you out.”

  Matt turned the paper over and started writing. “Ok, what’s her dress size?”

  Ryan spread his palms. “How should I know?”

  Matt folded the flier and stuffed it in his pocket. “I need her shoe size, her dress size and her favorite color. Can you get that for me?”

  “Okay, I’ll find out. The color’s easy, it’s black.”

  Matt cringed. “Black?”

  Ryan laughed. “Yeah. She’d go Goth but Mom would freak.”

  They agreed to go shopping the day after Thanksgiving with Ryan promising to sneak into Amanda’s room and get the sizes.

  Matt picked up his step in class that night. His timing with Patches had never been better. This dance might just be the thing he needed to show Amanda that he was a decent guy and he hoped he could melt a little of that icy exterior, too.

  ***

  Having been to the dog show in Bloomsburg, Matt approached the Philly Convention Center with confidence that comes with life experience. But when he was forced to stand in line for the officials to check his crate and verify Patches’ paperwork, he realized the intensity of this show might be different from the one up north.

  From the immense parking lot, the building looked big, but crossing past the check point, the enormity of the center engulfed him. It was probably larger than three football fields. The walls towered above like the structure of a great and powerful arena, every square inch of the space alive. The last time he remembered having this sensation, was when he walked through the tunnel on the morning of the Rose Bowl, overcome with awe that he would take the field with legends who had prece
ded him.

  Butterflies of anticipation stirred in his stomach as he circled in place then proceeded down the aisle where countless vendor booths emerged from the walls. Merchants selling grooming supplies, squeaky toys, doggie photo shoots. Taking it all in, Matt strolled along the market corridor with his mouth agape. The wafting odors of dog food on display intermixed with the fragrance of greasy hamburgers heightened his anticipation of the day to come.

  He made it to the center of the building where a black curtain shrouded a rectangle the size of a house. He peeked through a gap and watched the bustle of pre-show setup. People busily erected bleachers, lights, TV cameras, all pointing toward the white-fenced ring. Lined with colorful mums, the ground sprouted with green carpet. So this was where the group classes would be filmed.

  Holy cow, we’re debuting in the big time.

  A Beagle across the aisle barked incessantly, grating on Matt’s nerves like a child’s toy stuck on play. He glanced at the dog, eying the number fifty-one on the aisle post. Looking down at the paper in his hand, he noted aisle number seventy-two was where Patches was supposed to be benched. He headed that way.

  As the heads of passersby turned and gawked, he said hello to everyone. Matt imagined a six-three former quarterback toting a Chihuahua wasn’t hard to miss. Ahead, Rebecca looked up and smiled. Matt’s stomach pulled a handstand—she looked so darned cute in her pink paw-print smock and her hair styled with ringlets framing her face.

  “I see you found your suit,” she said while she brushed the Chinese Crested. Matt couldn’t see what she was wearing under that smock, but those lovely, slender legs slid out from beneath the shapeless garment. His fingers itched to kneel down and run them down her smooth skin.

  “Hi Matt, ready to show Patches?” Amanda asked, coming up behind him.

  His jaw dropped, pleasantly surprised by her friendly greeting. “Hello, Mandy, as always you look beautiful. And, yes, I’m ready but have a healthy nervous edge about our performance today.”

  “Don’t worry, you’ve been doing pretty well with Patches in class.”

  Rebecca bent down and pulled a brush out of the grooming box—showing a bit more of those alluring legs. “And it’s only his first show.”