by Karis Walsh
“In a kennel?” Casey gave her a lopsided, adorably self-deprecating smile. “Not that I’m complaining after sleeping crammed against the truck door last night. Hell, a few minutes ago I was wondering if I’d be able to sneak one of these dog beds out without you noticing. I was going to put it in the bed of the truck.”
“I think the human bed in the bungalow might be more comfortable, and smell better, too.” Iris didn’t mention that her own bed was even nicer than the one in the interns’ cottage. She cleared her throat. Her fantasies were fine when she was alone at night, but she needed to keep them at bay while she was around Casey. “Do you want to keep the dog with you? Leo will have him cleaned up in no time.”
“You mean keep him in the house? Not here in the kennel?”
Casey looked…what? Confused? Hopeful? Iris dismissed the latter idea. It was too absurd. If she had wanted the dog with her, she would have just asked, wouldn’t she?
“Yes, in the house. The interns always have one or two with them. They’re great company, and the personal interaction is healthy for the animals.”
“Sure, I guess that would be fine. I’ll get my things.”
Casey turned away abruptly, and Iris jumped into action just as quickly. The retriever seemed well-behaved around cats, but Iris would put up some baby gates to give the cat a safe place to get away. She’d also grab a couple of her frozen meals and put them in the bungalow’s fridge. This was why she’d made them in the first place. For unexpected situations.
Unexpected. Unsettling.
And far too exhilarating.
Chapter Seven
Casey carried her small bag to the bungalow as she struggled to sort out her mixed feelings about staying on Iris’s property. Iris affected her too much. Usually Casey was in control, but around Iris she felt buffeted by their conversations, swinging from irritation to laughter much too quickly for comfort. Iris didn’t understand Casey’s job or her personal investment in it. She was tied to this tiny island and to her kennel full of animals. What could they possibly have in common, besides the physical attraction Casey felt every time they were near each other?
But Casey didn’t have many options. She couldn’t keep the dog with her, and she wasn’t going to abandon him after going from house to house near where she’d found him without anyone recognizing him. What else was she supposed to do?
She shifted the strap of her bag higher on her shoulder as she turned off the gravel walkway and onto a path made of gray octagon and square pavers. She stepped carefully from octagon to octagon, admiring the neat, symmetrical pattern and trying to conveniently forget her earlier visit to Jazz’s restaurant, where she had annihilated a huge plate of homemade fries smothered in curry sauce while the dog chewed happily on a bone at her feet. She had asked Jazz to recommend a place to take the dog, fully expecting her to offer Iris’s name, but Jazz had instead told her to contact the San Juan County Humane Society on Orcas Island. Casey had tried to be subtle about soliciting a different suggestion, but eventually she had come right out and asked for Iris by name. Jazz had paused, giving her an annoyingly knowing grin, before she wrote Iris’s address down on a piece of paper. I’m pretty sure her shelter is full right now, but maybe she’ll make an exception for you. I mean…for your dog.
Casey knocked on the door of the little house. It didn’t matter how she got here. Iris needed help cleaning up after the earthquake, and she needed a place to stay. End of story.
Iris opened the door and smiled at her, and Casey started editing that story in her head. Did it have to end so soon? Unfortunately, it had too many what-ifs in it. What if Casey didn’t live in Seattle, miles away in terms of distance and atmosphere? What if Iris wasn’t tied to this shelter?
Casey didn’t need another reminder of the pain caused by ill-advised dating choices, and she wasn’t about to add a potential third ex to the mix. She and Sophie had differences that complemented each other. Then she had picked Shelby because they were similar. After those two fiascos, finishing grad school single seemed the prudent choice, and then she’d crack the dating code and start again. But grad school segued into her first job, and as soon as she had gotten comfortable there, she had received the offer from the UW lab. More upheaval, more excuses to avoid the dating pool.
She still hadn’t figured out the formula for selecting the right person to date, and until she did, she wasn’t going to take a chance that a random encounter with a beautiful woman meant they were destined to be together.
Iris’s smile made it oh, so difficult to listen to common sense. Casey had heard the phrase a smile that lights up a room plenty of times, but she had never fully comprehended it until now. Iris made the world brighter somehow, with a warm and earthy glow that reminded Casey of burnished wood and the heavenly scent of vanilla and kitchen-y spices.
Casey had to face the fact that she had come here on purpose, like a child daring herself to find out how long she could stand holding her fingers on the hot surface of a stovetop. Iris made her feel as if she was burning up, but she relished the sensation even though she knew she should step away.
Or step inside. Iris moved aside to let her in, and she crossed the threshold and set her bag just inside the door. The room she entered would have been appealing even if she wasn’t comparing it to her accommodations from the night before. She had been expecting soft florals and pastels given the bungalow’s woodsy, rural setting, but the living room was decorated in neutral shades of taupe, black, and silver. The clean lines and modern style of the furniture was saved from harshness by the bold splashes of jewel-toned throw pillows and abstract artwork. A fringed burgundy blanket was draped over the back of the couch, and an inviting stack of firewood sat next to the black-painted brick fireplace.
“I put a couple of meals in the freezer,” Iris said as she led the way to the adjoining kitchen. She tapped on a piece of paper lying on the dark quartz countertop. “Just put them in the oven to reheat them, according to these cooking times. There’s rice in the cupboard.”
“Rice?” Casey asked. She looked at the few lines of directions Iris had written on the paper. That part looked easy enough.
She looked up again and saw Iris watching her with one of those unreadable expressions, as if she was carrying on an internal dialogue. This one must be funny, because she looked like she wanted to laugh.
“Yes, rice. Boil water and pour it in.” Iris paused. “To boil water, you put water in a pan on the stove and turn on the burner. To turn on the burner—”
Casey laughed and waved her hand to make Iris stop. “I know that much at least,” she said. “I’ve made tea before.”
“Well, good,” Iris said with a smile. “I was a little worried because you looked confused when I mentioned rice.”
“I might not cook much, but it doesn’t mean I can’t cook. I certainly can make rice.”
Iris looked as skeptical as Casey felt, but thankfully she didn’t push the matter further. “The bedrooms are through here,” she said, gesturing down the hall. “I put the gate there for the cat, and you and your dog can sleep in this room.”
“Cat?” Casey asked, once again echoing the key word she picked out of Iris’s sentences like she was a human highlighter.
“Yes, cat.” Iris shook her head as she repeated her earlier phrasing as well. “The one I had with me on the ferry. She’s been sleeping in the second bedroom’s closet, so she should be fine having you here, as long as she gets her own space. She’ll be having kittens soon, but not for—”
“Kittens?” Casey’s voice sounded shrill to her own ears, and she cleared her throat. She could handle making rice and living with a cat, but she wasn’t prepared to be a midwife during the delivery. “What am I supposed to do when she has them? Did you put that on your instruction sheet, too?”
“Of course,” Iris said with a soothing tone. “Just boil some water. Put a pan on the stove, and fill it with water. Turn on the burner…”
Iris looked serio
us, and Casey wasn’t sure if she was joking or not. What was she supposed to do with boiling water and a cat in labor?
Iris laughed and gave her shoulder a playful shove. “Don’t worry. The vet will be here in the morning to check on her, and one of us is always here. If you notice her acting strangely, just come get me or Agatha or Leo. You said you wouldn’t be here long, so most likely you’ll be gone before the kittens come.”
Iris’s laughter faded, and Casey’s concern about the cat shifted to the back of her mind. Yes, she’d be leaving soon. She needed to remember that. “You’ve given me incentive to work even faster than normal,” she said, trying to make her voice sound light and teasing. “My boss will be grateful.”
“I’d keep her in my house, but I already have three cats in there. Leo or I will feed her, and you probably won’t even know she’s here.”
Casey sighed. Iris already had gotten a bad impression of her as an unfeeling seismologist, come to mock the island’s inhabitants. Now she had probably crossed animal person off Casey’s list of potentially positive traits.
“I don’t mind sharing a house with a cat. I just don’t have any experience with animals, and I don’t want something to go wrong and have it be my fault.”
Iris nodded as if accepting the explanation, but Casey wanted to offer more. She wasn’t sure why Iris’s opinion mattered, and she wasn’t exactly happy about delving into her past, but she couldn’t seem to help herself.
“My parents were divorced right after I was born, and my mother died when I was young. I went to live with my dad and grandparents, and when I asked them for a dog, they said no.” Casey frowned as she tried to remember those first months after she had gone to live with them. The habit of avoidance was powerful, though. Even when she tried to access the memories on purpose, they grew hazy and her mind distracted her with thoughts of work and of the sadness in Iris’s eyes while she listened. “They said pets were messy and too much responsibility. I eventually stopped asking, and I’ve never really been around animals since.”
“I’m right up the path,” Iris said, putting her hand on Casey’s upper arm and giving her a squeeze. “Come get me if you’re worried about anything.”
The touch both soothed Casey and made her want to cry. She felt vulnerable here, around Iris and all her animals, and she wasn’t sure why. She hated the feeling. Her childhood had made her strong. Educated and capable, independent and self-sufficient. So why did she feel weak? She needed to get off this island that was both too small and too expansive for comfort.
Iris let go of her and stepped back, as if sensing Casey’s renewed resolve to leave.
“I’ve got to get back to work while there’s still daylight,” Casey said. She and the dog had hiked along one segment of the fault this morning, and she wanted to examine another chunk of it before dark. She couldn’t forget why she was here.
Iris nodded, her expression a little distant again at the mention of Casey’s job. Casey wasn’t sure if it was because Iris still thought she was uncaring or if her work reminded Iris of the frightening earthquake she had experienced.
“Let me know if you need anything. If you want to take your dog with you, I’m sure Leo has finished with his bath by now.”
Casey nodded her thanks and left Iris standing in the bungalow. She considered getting in her truck and leaving, but the dog had been useful this morning. The presence of another living being had given her an excuse to describe her observations out loud, and she had made several connections she might not have made if she had been alone and silent. In the interest of scientific breakthroughs, she had better keep him with her.
For science. Not for companionship.
She went back to the kennels and searched for Leo and her dog. She walked with purpose for a few steps before giving in to the wagging tails and eager noses pressed against the chain-link fences. She crouched by one of the runs and let a little black dog sniff her hand through the wire. It wiggled happily when she scratched its chin, and she felt an answering smile creep across her face. She went from kennel to kennel, stopping for a quick visit with each of the dogs and assessing any damage she could see.
Research. For when she helped repair the kennels.
She saw several areas where Iris and her helpers must have done quick patch jobs, and her mind automatically started to rearrange panels to reduce the number they’d have to replace. By the time she reached the end of the aisle, she had a blueprint in her mind. They might lose a few inches of space in most of the runs, but the difference wouldn’t be noticeable.
Casey reached through the chain link to pet a small dog with frizzy tan hair. She didn’t know one dog breed from another, but this little creature looked like she was a mix of several different types. None of her parts—from her tall ears to her long body to her short legs—seemed to match. When Casey straightened up and moved away from the kennel, the ragamuffin dog stood on her hind legs and whined.
Casey shook her head and walked away. She felt as if she could stay here for hours, talking to each animal and planning how to fix the kennels, but she had her own work to do. Iris needed her to help clear away branches and to do some minor repairs. A few hours a day, once it was too dark outside to do her regular job, were all she had to contribute in exchange for a temporary place to stay. Casey felt herself getting too involved. With Iris, with the dog Casey herself had rescued, and with these other animals. She couldn’t get distracted from her study of the earthquake by the people and animals affected by it. She had tried to explain that to Iris on the ferry, and now she needed to convince herself again, as well.
Casey peered through a glass square on one of the doors leading off the aisle, and she saw Leo grooming her dog. He was standing on a low table, and Casey saw a large stainless-steel tub in the corner of the room. She went inside and was hit by the menthol smell of eucalyptus. She blinked a couple of times at the eye-watering aroma. She now had a clean dog and clear sinuses.
Leo looked up when she entered and smiled at her. “He’s ready to go. He seems to be someone’s dog, and he was very well-behaved during his bath.”
“He looks great, Leo. Thank you.” Casey set her sweatshirt and backpack on the floor and went over to stroke the dog’s clean fur. He smiled at her with his tongue hanging out to one side. She wanted him to find his home again and she couldn’t keep him with her, but she secretly hoped the owners wouldn’t come looking for him until she was ready to leave the island. She scratched behind his ears in a way she had discovered that he loved. Maybe they could come for him after she had left, so she wouldn’t really have to say good-bye.
“Have you named him?” Leo asked.
“No. Should I?”
“We always give our new residents names, but not the earthquake dogs.” Leo put the shampoo and comb on a low shelf near the tub. “Iris is a bit superstitious about them because she wants to believe they’re only here for a short time until their owners come. We’ve been identifying them based on where they were found, so we can remember easily if anyone phones about a missing pet. But you can name him if you want.”
Casey had found the dog near Lime Kiln State Park, but she couldn’t imagine calling him Lime Kiln every time she needed his attention. She pictured San Juan Island, with the late Jurassic, early Cretaceous Constitution Formation covering most of the land mass. “I found him where the Orcas Chert is exposed near the coastline, if that helps.” She blinked away the map in her head and saw Leo watching her with his eyebrows pulled together, as if he was trying to figure her out. “The chert layer is older, and it’s exposed in a few places on the island. It’s a sedimentary rock, made of the silica-based skeletons of microscopic plankton called radiolarians, which dates it to the Triassic to early Jurassic eras.”
Casey stopped herself from launching into a more detailed description of the island. Leo was studying her as she talked, as if he was seeing something beyond her words. Most people got a glazed look in their eyes when she started rambling about
geology, but this was different, and Casey felt as exposed as the formation she was talking about. When she had chatted to Iris on the ferry, the talk of rocks and faults had been like flint—another type of chert—igniting a fire in Iris.
Why did people on this island seem to read more into her words than she meant to say?
“So you want to call him Chert?” Leo asked after the silence between them had stretched for too many seconds.
Casey shrugged. “Sure. Or Rover. Fido?”
Leo laughed loudly and patted her on the shoulder. “Chert it is. Are you taking this fellow rock hunting with you?”
“We’re going on a hike,” Casey said vaguely. She wasn’t sure how Iris would react to the geology-related name, or to him being part of Casey’s study of the island after the earthquake. “We have a few hours before it gets dark, and I’ll be back to help around here as soon as the sun sets.”
She lifted the dog off the table just as two small creatures careened into the room and ran into her legs. Both Casey and the dog jumped backward.
“What are…oh, they’re baby goats.” Casey watched the two brown-and-white spotted goats scamper around the washroom. Leo rescued her backpack from one of them when it started chewing on a strap.
“Iris’s Twins,” Leo said. “They can’t resist an open door, so be sure to close up tight when you leave the bungalow.”
Casey picked up her sweatshirt and shook a bunch of little brown pellets off it. “How cute,” she said, but she didn’t sound convincing even to herself. She remembered quiet goats from her petting zoo memory, but they were nothing like these exuberant kids. Chert watched them with his tail held low, obviously as uncertain about them as Casey was. One of the little goats jumped up on its hind legs and planted its front hooves on Casey’s thigh. It didn’t weigh much, but when the full force of its body was concentrated in such a small surface area, Casey nearly fell over. She was going to have two perfectly shaped hoofprints on her thigh tomorrow.