Last Chances

by Jeanne Bannon

  * * * * *

  Janet was at her desk, waiting with arms crossed. “What did I tell you before we went in there?” She didn’t wait for an answer. “You broke both rules within the first ten minutes on the job.” With a shake of her head, she pointed toward a binder sitting on Pressley’s desk. “Everything you need to know to do your job is in there. Jess, the gal you’re replacing, wrote it. I don’t have time to train you myself so go on, get to work. Lunch is at one — you get half an hour. You might be tempted to go back in there, you know to see the animals, and I can’t stop you, but please remember what I said, leave Hayden and Jasper alone.”

  Pressley nodded and took a seat at her desk. Though she did want to bring to Janet’s attention the fact that it was her idea to go out into the back, not Pressley’s. None of what just happened was her fault. Despite ignoring Janet’s attempts to pull her away from Jasper and Hayden, it was Janet herself who took her over to see Jasper in the first place, and how the heck was she to know Hayden would be right there, too!

  As for the binder, she slid it to the farthest corner. She didn’t need anyone or anything to do her job. She may be lacking in self-esteem in some areas, but not when it came to brainy stuff. She, Pressley James, was one smart cookie, and she knew it.

  * * * * *

  Pressley ate lunch at her desk, deciding not to push her luck with Janet. Her job consisted of writing up blurbs for social media sites. She’d found a computer file with a list of postings, along with pictures of the animals. Each contained detailed notes on the animal’s intake date and adoption date. It was an easy job, taking no time to master, and was a welcomed change from her previous career as a realtor. Something she was not cut out for. Real estate was a career for an extrovert and Pressley leaned more toward the sensitive, introverted type, though her feisty side did emerge from time to time. She never could understand why people thought extroverts were better and were always telling her she should be more outgoing. She didn’t want to be anything but herself.

  Despite her reserved personality, she’d managed to do well for herself in the real estate business, making a ton of money during the boom. She’d bought two small properties and rented them out for a steady income, and now that she didn’t have to work for the money, she’d searched for a job more suited to her personality. Pressley loved animals and hoped that soon, she’d get to spend more time in the back, “helping out.” She didn’t mind cleaning — it would give her one-on-one time with the barkers and kitty cats, as Janet called them. And maybe sneak in some time with Hayden?

  Just thinking of him made the heat rise in her neck and face. Pressley fanned herself cool. Janet had told her to stay away from Hayden — that he preferred to keep to himself — but that wasn’t the impression she’d gotten. Feisty girl was banging on the walls she’d built, but fear kept her jailed.

  Three

  Hayden Pearce picked up the framed picture on his nightstand. It was a selfie they’d taken at the cottage two summers ago. That place had been heaven on Earth, but now, Hayden had to push the sweet memories away because they’d turned sour.

  It had already been a year since the accident, but it was still hard to believe Shaun was gone. He spoke aloud all the time, hoping that somewhere, somehow, Shaun could hear him. Was his fiancée watching from wherever it is we go when we die? He doubted it, because if there was a world beyond the physical, with a god of some sort, it didn’t make sense that the person he loved would be so cruelly snatched away three months before their wedding.

  He sat heavily on the bed and thumbed away tears. He replaced the picture, gave his head a good shake and silently scolded himself for indulging in self-pity. What’s in the past cannot be undone. He had to soldier on if he was to bring Shaun’s dreams to fruition — that meant working at the shelter to find permanent homes for the animals.

  The day, however, hadn’t been a total disappointment. The new woman, Pressley, was nice enough, and attractive in a sexy librarian kind of way. Her cheekbones were high and angular, her eyes kind, and her lips full. He was surprised with how much he’d noticed about her. The fact that Jasper almost seemed to like her buoyed his spirits. He’d been working at the shelter since it opened. It was something he and Shaun did together, and in all that time, not one animal had been put down unless it was old or sick. Jasper was young, probably only two or three years old. He sighed. There was no reason to cling to hope. Jasper was on his way to that rainbow bridge where all animals eventually wind up.

  Shaun though, would have been torn up about Jasper. After all, her family owned the shelter. The Westons were animal lovers and philanthropists. Yet, once Shaun died, the family fell away from both him and the shelter — both were painful reminders of a life cut short, he realized, and even though it hurt, Hayden was determined to keep Shaun’s dreams alive.

  He cleared away leftover Chinese food from his desk and sat down. He wasn’t much of a computer guy but from time to time, he checked out Facebook and played a few games online. Hours later, with sleep-heavy eyes, he powered off his laptop. It was time to turn in. A new day would be dawning soon enough.

  Each day blurred into the next with nothing much changing. Even weekends were uneventful, and so he filled them with working around the house — anything to take his mind off his broken heart. Yet tonight, something inside him, some tiny niggling of excitement, flickered. Could Pressley be responsible for that? She looked to be near his age — maybe just a year or two younger, but compared to Janet and the volunteers, she was a breath of fresh air. And God knew he could use a friend right now. He’d been a hermit far too long.

  And, if he was honest with himself, he was curious to see if what Pressley said about Jasper was true. Had the dog really taken to her? He’d missed most of that interaction, but he did see Pressley petting the dog. That was major despite what happened the second time she tried. But the dog lunging like that might have been because he was there with Pressley. Jasper didn’t like men. He let out a sigh. Grief was messing with his head. Finding a home for Jasper was just wishful thinking.

  But then why wouldn’t the notion leave him? Hayden pondered — Pressley did say she wanted to adopt the dog. It was all her idea. What would it hurt to get the two of them together again so he could watch their interaction? Maybe Jasper wasn’t as far gone as everyone thought. He owed it to Shaun to try.

  Hayden pulled off his jeans and T-shirt, headed to the bathroom to brush his teeth and when he looked at his reflection, he saw the bags under his eyes, the shaggy hair and beard. He’d let himself go. He opened a drawer and took out a pair of scissors, his electric razor, shaving cream and a couple disposal razors. He was going to need the full arsenal to clean himself up properly. He’d have a bit of a five o’clock shadow by morning, but it would be a big improvement on how he looked like right now.

  When he was done with his beard, he trimmed his hair down until it was a manageable length for the electric trimmer. Hayden set the trimmer to the longest length — he didn’t want to scalp himself — and then he got to work. When he was done, he barely recognized himself. Looking back at him was the before version of Hayden. If Shaun were looking down on him, he was sure she would be pleased.

  He jumped into bed and looked over at the picture. “I miss you.” He reached out a finger and lightly touched the photo. Tears begin again, but he willed them away — one day the pain would subside. It was already getting easier, wasn’t it? Even if just a little?

  Four

  Pressley worked up the nerve to bring in her own laptop. She didn’t know if Janet would approve and she was already walking a fine line with the woman, but oh man, work was soooooo much better with her trusty Mac Book Pro. She hauled the old monitor off her desk, found a corner of the office to tuck it away in, and settled the slim, powerful machine on the worn veneer. Then she grabbed the bottle of Windex and a roll of paper towel and got to work cleaning the office. She was done by the time Janet walked in.

  Her boss didn’t notice
the Mac Book or Pressley’s cleaning job. Or, maybe Janet just didn’t care. Either way, Pressley was happy. Her nose no longer tickled, and she’d be able to type faster and navigate the Internet on her own laptop.

  * * * * *

  Pressley finished a full day’s work before lunch. A thought jumped to mind, or maybe it was more of an urge. She powered off her Mac Book and announced, “I’m gonna go out back. Maybe clean out some cages. That okay?”

  Janet swiveled round in her chair and with narrowed eyes, took a long, slow, breath and let it out in a huff. “You finish all your postings for the day already?”

  Pressley nodded.

  “Guess I can’t stop you. Cleaning up in back is part of the job, too.”

  She swiveled back around and when Pressley passed her on her way out, she noticed Janet was engrossed in a game of Candy Crush, volume set to mute.

  When she opened the heavy metal door and heard the barks, whimpers, and meows, she relaxed despite the prospect of running into Hayden, which would surely make her heart somersault. But this was why she was here — for the animals. They were her true love. She needed to familiarize herself with the shelter area of the building, so she took a left and made her way to where the cats were housed. She stopped to watch a pile of kittens playing. They were too busy with each other to bother with her — jumping and pouncing, and batting each other.

  While the kittens played, she opened the cage door and fished out a litter box, quickly closing it again before they realized freedom lay just steps away. Pressley searched through cupboards until she found clean litter and garbage bags. She made quick work of the smelly job, replacing the clean box and then moved on to filling the food bowls. This brought the kittens pouncing over. Their barely audible meows made her smile. She reached in and snagged a calico, closing the door behind it. She held it close to her chest and snuggled her face against it, enjoying the soft warmth of its body. The tiny fluff ball sniffed her and began to knead her sweater, its claws plucking up threads, but she didn’t care. She closed her eyes for a moment and listened to the faint purring become louder as the kitten made itself comfortable.

  A little orange fella pressed itself against the cage, wanting some attention, too. Pressley petted it with as many fingers as she could fit through the bars. Soon, another identical kitten sauntered over for a little affection and before she could stop herself, Pressley had the door open and was on the floor playing with all five of them. The calico remained curled in a neat ball on her lap. Maybe kittens were her thing after all.

  She doled out kisses and cuddles before corralling the kittens back into their cage and heading off to the one next door, where she did the same thing — cleaned litter boxes, filled water and food bowls, dished out kisses and cuddles, then moved on to the next, and the next, and the next. Pressley cleaned and tidied and petted as many as she could, but the cages of cats seemed never ending. The sheer volume of animals in the place made her marvel at how the shelter managed to find homes for so many.

  She silently chided herself for not cleaning all the cages. She’d intended to and knew she’d score brownie points with Janet if she had, but the cats were too cute not to spend time cuddling. A few were shy and a few hissed when she neared, but she had a feeling they’d warm to her in time. That is if they were at the shelter long enough. At every opportunity Janet boasted about the quick turnaround in finding “forever” homes for the furry residents, and then hinted that the turnaround rate might even improve now that they had Pressley working the social media campaigns. Pressley certainly hoped so, and was determined to do her best.

  So far, she’d managed not to run into Hayden, but curiosity had her eying the long hallway. Was he down there? He might be right around that corner. The thought made her heart race. Maybe she should get back to the office. She checked her cell phone for the time. It was only three and she’d already eaten her leftover casserole at her desk. What else could she do with her day? She decided to stick with the cats for a while longer — no dogs, no matter how tempted she was — just visit a few more fluffballs and then back to the office.

  The kennels in the feline area were smaller, so she had a better sight line in case Hayden headed her way. But what would she do if he did? Scamper away like a scared schoolgirl? No, she thought not. She’d face him. She’d talk to him, despite Janet’s warning and her own anxieties.

  She was holding a brown tabby, a full-grown male with a sweet, laid-back disposition, when she heard him.

  “That’s Sam. He’s one of our long-time residents. Probably won’t find a home for this fella.” Hayden scratched behind Sam’s ears. “Sometimes I let him out of his cage to roam the place. He’s like a dog, follows me around. When the time comes to put him back in his kennel, he goes willingly. I don’t know why no one has snatched him up. He’d be the perfect pet.”

  For an instant, she hadn’t recognized him. Without the beard and shaggy mane, Hayden could pass for a college student. It was his voice that gave him away. Even though she’d barely spoken to him, she’d know it anywhere.

  “Maybe I should do a feature on him? On our site?” Pressley suggested. “We might find someone to take him.” She tried to keep the wobble from her voice. Hayden’s sudden presence gave her no time to prepare and her heart jackhammered against her rib cage.

  Hayden held out his arms for the cat and Pressley handed Sam over. “This might sound selfish, but I kinda like having this guy around. He keeps me company.” Hayden bent to let Sam down and once his paws hit the floor, he wound around Hayden’s legs and purred.

  “I think he’s yours already.” She laughed.

  Hayden smiled. There were those dimples again, but this time she got the full show. “Don’t tell Sam, but I’m more of a dog person,” he whispered and then was quick to hold up a stilling hand. “I love cats too, but there’s nothing like a good dog, ya know? They’re loyal and you can take ’em on hikes and for runs in the park.” He looked as if he was lost in a sweet memory.

  “So, you have a dog?” Pressley asked.

  “No. Not right now.”

  She was surprised and wanted to ask the obvious — why hadn’t he adopted one of the scores of dogs at the shelter? He must have a few favorites. Even she was on the lookout for a potential pet.

  “Shaun and I had a Boston terrier a while ago. Name was Roxy.” He looked at the floor, seemingly examining his workbooks, and when he looked back up at her, she thought she saw the glint of tears in his eyes.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.” The name Shaun bounced around in her brain. Was he gay?

  “Don’t be sorry. I’m just not used to talking about personal stuff.” He waved a dismissive hand. “Anyway, that’s all in the past. Maybe I’ll tell you about it some day, but not today, okay?” He gave her a sad smile.

  “I like your hair,” she blurted and was immediately sorry. What was wrong with her?

  “Yeah? It’s kinda short.” He ran a hand back and forth over the top of his head. “I’m not quite used to it yet. I was rockin’ the mountain man look for a while.”

  Pressley liked that look too, but seeing more of his handsome face was better. She was relieved he was still standing in front of her, talking, and hadn’t taken off yet. His sweet, crooked grin soothed her anxieties.

  “Come on.” He took her by the arm. “You wanna go see Jasper?”

  Shock stole her words and for a moment she stood there, speechless. Hayden waved her forward. “No, I can’t. Janet told me to stay away from him and … you warned me too. Besides, the cat … Where’d he go? Doesn’t he have to be put back in his cage?”

  “Sam’s fine. Probably found a warm spot to curl up in for a while. He’ll head back home once he’s hungry.”

  Hayden stood in front of her and placed both hands on her shoulders. “You know Jasper’s not going to be around much longer, don’t you? Dr. Graham, the vet, is coming next week.”

  A jolt of adrenaline shot through her. She knew Jasper’
s days were numbered, but not that he was to be put down that soon. Didn’t Hayden realize that seeing him would only break her heart?

  “Thought you’d like to pay him one last visit. He doesn’t get many visitors and you said he liked you.”

  The abrupt turn of events was mind-boggling. Why did he want her to visit with Jasper, especially after the warnings from both himself and Janet? But how could she say no?

  Jasper’s ears stood at attention as Pressley neared.

  “I’ll stay back here. He doesn’t like me much,” Hayden whispered.

  “Really? You’re letting me see him alone?” The dog couldn’t do her harm even if he wanted to. He was, after all, behind bars, and this time, she wasn’t about to stick her hand through like she did before. It bothered her that Hayden was leaving her on her own, but she soldiered on.

  “Hey, Jasper,” she cooed, and crouched down beside the cage door. The dog got to his feet and trotted over, tail wagging. His large, muscular body banged the door as he sat leaning against it, trying to get as close to her as possible.

  Jasper pressed his snout between the bars, his nose twitching to pick up her scent. He whined and pawed the concrete, as if willing Pressley closer. She held out a hand and immediately felt the cold wet of the dog’s large nose against the back of her hand. He slobbered her with kisses. With confidence buoyed, she moved closer and, just as she did before, Pressley slipped her hand through the bars and scratched behind his ears. Jasper tilted his large head and shut his eyes.