by Muth, Becky
“I wouldn't mind.”
“Oh, you wouldn't mind? That's nice." Kurt chuckled. "Are you sure Gilda’s up for sharing you?”
“I’m sure you could sway her with bacon.”
“In that case, we may need to stop by the butcher shop on the way home.” Kurt felt Peyton’s hand squeeze his and thanked his lucky stars that she happened to be on the beach that day.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Six months later…
“This will never get old. The Cliff Walk is definitely one of the perks of living here.” Peyton gazed out at the Pacific Ocean. The fingers of her right hand entwined with the ones on Kurt’s left. In the past six months it had become their signature expression of affection.
“You’re right," he agreed, giving her hand three gentle squeezes, their way of saying I love you in public.
At their feet, the ball of black and gold fuzz connected to the leash in Kurt’s hand squirmed. Gilda held her paw against the puppy’s head in an attempt to get him to be still.
Handing her dog’s leash to Kurt, Peyton shook her other hand free and pulled her phone from the back pocket of her jeans and snapped a photo.
“What are you doing?” Kurt peered over her shoulder.
She grinned. “I’m putting it on Reel Life with the caption you can’t keep a good dog down.”
“Heh. That’s cute. Don’t forget to include Rex when you tag Gilda. Which reminds me, I need to get the poor fella some more followers on his Reel Life account. As it stands, he's only got you, mom, and Dr. Keller.”
Peyton put her palm against her chest and gave a little bounce. “Aww! We have the best veterinarian ever. I love that he follows all his patients on social media.”
“Yeah. Dr. Keller is great.” Kurt handed Gilda’s leash back to Peyton and glanced at his watch. “Oh, hey. We should get going if we’re going to make it to Diana’s big event on time.”
“What’s she doing again?”
“It's some big surprise.”
“Well, let’s go!” Peyton re-laced their fingers and tugged him toward the parking area, the dogs racing ahead as far as their leashes allowed.
* * *
Peyton's mouth opened in shock. Focusing on the stage, she leaned toward Kurt and whispered, "Did you know Carla would be here?"
He simultaneously shrugged and shushed her.
From the stage, Diana spoke into a microphone, “Thank you all for coming out here today. How much do you love adventure?”
The crowd of people cheered, and Peyton stepped closer to Kurt, who held a sleeping Rex in his arms. Gilda barked once, as if adding her voice to the mix.
“Today, Pacific Adventures Amusement & Fun Center is adding a new kind of adventure with our Adrenaline Rush Wedding packages. In addition to ceremonies for newlyweds, we’re also offering vow renewals. I’m looking at you, mom and dad.”
A chorus of whoops and nervous laughter rose above the throng of thrill seekers.
Diana continued, “If you have any questions, or if you’re ready to take plunge—literally, on our zipline as hubby and bride—then come on over to Boomer’s Hitching Post and talk to myself or Carla, our wedding coordinator.”
The crowd began to disperse, and Peyton smiled up at Kurt. “Okay, what next? I’m hungry. Churros or corn dogs?”
“Nah. Let’s go pan for gold.” Kurt jerked his head in the direction of the attraction.
Peyton scoffed. “No way. Morgan says that’s rigged. I want food, Kurt. Doesn’t a funnel cake sound good?”
“I want us to pan for gold,” he insisted.
“Fine.” Peyton walked with Kurt on one side and Gilda on the other. “I can’t believe Rex slept through all that.”
“He’s had a big day.”
“I’m really impressed with how well he’s doing with his training.”
“Not as impressive as his trainer.” Kurt bumped his hip against hers. “Dad says if this goes well, he wants to try training other shelter dogs.”
“That would be awesome.” She reached over and made a kissing face at the sleeping puppy. Looking up, she saw a food truck painted to resemble a chow wagon. A fiberglass statue of Boomer advertised cheese and pepperoni pizza. Craning her neck, Peyton pleaded, “Just one slice? Please? I’m starving.”
“Later. Come on. This way.”
Peyton gave the food truck a little wave and followed Kurt to the panning for gold attraction.
“It’s a video arcade?”
“Mhmm. When you play the game, you get gold tickets that you can trade for prizes.”
“This is why we couldn’t stop for a churro?”
“I really want us to play some of these games.”
For the next hour, a baffled Peyton followed Kurt and their dogs around from one machine to the other. By the time they finished their third round of Skeeball, she asked, “Can we trade in our tickets and get waffle cones? Or maybe trade in our tickets for waffle cones?”
Kurt laughed and shook his head. “Okay. Let’s go see what we’ve won.”
On their way to the prize wagon, Peyton sang a line about having golden tickets. Looking at Kurt and following the same tune, she added, “But I don’t have any chocolate.”
“You’re in a crazy good mood.” He pulled her into a quick hug and kissed her forehead.
Peyton laughed. “Is this your way of thanking me for not being hangry? You know, so hungry I turn angry?”
“That’s it. Oops, our turn.” Kurt put his hand on her lower back, ushering her to the prize attendant’s counter. “My girlfriend won all these tickets and would like to know what prize she can get.”
“Put your tickets in the tin and we’ll weight them up.”
Peyton followed the attendant’s instructions and watched him place the tin on a rusted scale.
A light atop the prize wagon started flashing and a siren went off. The attendant grabbed a bullhorn and announced, “Ladies and gentlemen, we have a big winner!”
“Yay! We won something!” Peyton cheered, punching the air with her fist. She leaned down to hug Gilda, who danced on her paws, straightening in time to watch the attendant handed Kurt a blue velvet ring box. Her mouth dropped open as Kurt dropped to one knee in front of her. He opened the box and she saw her great-grandmother’s engagement ring. The last time she saw it was the last day she saw her mother alive.
“Peyton, I know we haven’t know each other that long. From the day we met, there was something about you. I love how fearless you are. How much of your time you spend volunteering, working with Gilda, helping me, and I don’t know what the future will bring, but I know that I want you at my side no matter what." Kurt paused before asking, "Will you be my wife?”
“Oh Kurt. Yes, yes I will.” Tears ran down Peyton’s face as he put the ring on her finger. Question after question raced in her mind, but there would be plenty of time for that later.
Kurt’s family rushed from the background with a chorus of cheers and began a series of hugs.
“Another daughter! You'll call me mom, won't you?” Mrs. Collins squealed, squeezing Peyton in a warm embrace.
Peyton felt tears of joy spill onto her cheeks. "Yes, yes I'd be honored."
Morgan laughed. “See? I told you this game was rigged.”
Someone tapped her shoulder, and Peyton turned to see Carla. The older woman’s beamed a smile while blinking back other emotions. “Oh, Peyton. I’m so happy for you. I know if Owen were here, he would be, too.”
“I know, but it’s okay. It’ll be okay.” Peyton found herself consoling the woman for a brief second. I wish I could tell her, but there’s no way I’m going to compromise my brother’s safety.
Carla stood back and Kurt’s sisters each took a turn at hugging her. A tug on her elbow caught her attention and she turned around. Kurt’s father stood there, beckoning her to one side.
“Welcome to the family, Peyton. Thank you for everything you’ve done for me and my son. You can be sure that I’m going to do
everything I can, well...”
Before she could reply, he palmed a small envelope in her hand.
“You should read that later. When you’re alone.”
“Thank you. I will, Sarge.”
“Pfft. Call me Dad.” He winked and stepped away as she slipped the envelope into the pocket of her jeans.
A second later, Kurt appeared at her side. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah. Your dad was just welcoming me to the family.” Peyton smiled, then giggled as a wave of giddiness surged through her.
“Still want that snack?” he asked.
“Nah. I’m okay.”
Kurt laughed. “Good, but I hope you’re at least a little hungry. Mom has a feast planned back at the house.”
“Oh good, because I’m starving.”
Kurt leaned down to kiss her, and Peyton wrapped her arms around his neck, returning the emotion until Gilda wormed her way in between them, pushing them apart.
“You know what this calls for? A group selfie with Boomer!” Diana clapped her hands together. Kurt’s siblings groaned and protested until Mrs. Collins agreed, beckoning everyone to gather around the fiberglass mascot.
As Peyton walked with Kurt toward the others, she was happier than ever that Gilda pulled him from the ocean that first day on the beach.
* * *
That night at home, Peyton sat on her living room sofa with Gilda and gazed at the ring on her finger. There was only one way that Kurt could have gotten this ring. But how? And where? She hadn't heard a peep about Owen since the day they said goodbye. The one time she tried to bring it up, Kurt reminded her that her that for all intents and purposes, her brother had passed away.
Suddenly, Peyton remembered the envelope her future father-in-law gave her and pulled it from her pocket. Pulling a single sheet of paper free, she read the text.
Hey hey, Pey-pey,
That cop sure fell hard for you. Right now, you’re probably wondering where I am. East, west, south, north - it’s anybody’s guess. All I can say is, I’m safe enough. So, my little sister is getting married. Unless I’m wrong, you’ve started overthinking all of this. Right now, stop that. Easier said than done, I know, but things are okay—much more okay than you know.
Pey-pey, I know it feels like with me gone, you don’t have any family left. It is a reasonable way to feel. Nothing could be further than the truth. Every day, you have people around you love and care about you, and don’t say it’s not the same, because it's like Carla says. Sometimes lovelines are thicker than bloodlines.
Be good, love you,
Owen
She returned the note to its envelope and slid the envelope into her pocket. She was wiping away tears as Kurt entered through the sliding glass door.
Walking into the dining room, she asked, “How’d potty training go?”
“He made a stinky and a tinkle.”
Peyton burst into laughter.
“What? What’s so funny? He’s a good boy for doing both. Aren’t you, Rex? Who’s a good boy? You are! Yeah, you are!” Kurt snuggled the dog before putting him on the floor. The puppy ran as far as the leash would allow before tumbling backwards.
“The day I met you, I never would have guessed that this is where we’d end up.”
“That’s what you get for saving my life and all.” Kurt walked over to her and lowered his head to kiss her.
Peyton stood on her toes to meet him halfway when she felt herself being pushed away. She took a step back to keep from falling away from her fiancé. Looking down at the source of the disruption, she saw Gilda standing between them. The golden retriever grinned, her pink tongue lolling from the side of her mouth.
“Okay, while I work on potty training my dog, you need to teach yours how to share.” Kurt waggled his index finger at the canine sitting between him. Gilda’s tail wagged, enticing Rex to pounce it.
“You’ve got yourself a deal.” Peyton stood on her toes and reached up to put her arms around Kurt’s shoulders. As their lips touched, she knew that everything would work out, just as it was meant to be.
Afterword
about CARDA
When I applied to write for this series and learned the golden retriever would be a working dog, “search and rescue” was the first thing that popped into my mind. Then I learned the story would take place in California.
Um, I’ve never been west of the Mississippi! Turning to my old friend Google, I began my research. Although I read a lot about search and rescue dogs—and watched more than my fair share of YouTube videos—the organization I studied the most was the California Rescue Dog Association (CARDA).
CARDA, the California Rescue Dog Association, was founded in 1976. Their members are volunteers who have participated in thousands of searches, sometimes traveling hundreds of miles without reimbursement, and saving public safety agencies millions of dollars. Saving public agencies money means saving taxpayer dollars as well, something we all can agree is a good thing.
The volunteers not only give their own time and money, but they are responsible for staying in good physical shape so that they can keep up with their dogs in the field. They have to know how to use a map and a compass because GPS and WiFi aren’t a guarantee for every location. This is especially true of someone is hiking an area like the Appalachian Trail (on the east coast) or the Pacific Crest Trail (on the west coast).
Peyton McIntyre, the main character of this book, never reveals which agency she works with, but I think it would most likely be CARDA. You can learn more about them on their website. https://www.search-dogs.carda.org/
The CARDA YouTube channel also has more information, including how the handlers train their dogs, which you can see here. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbQZsP8V52OkUcAFjih89Yw
If you’d like to know more about CARDA or would like to make a tax-deductible donation, please visit their webpage. https://www.search-dogs.carda.org/donate/
Becky Muth
P.S. Although the CARDA dogs are real heroes, Gilda is fictional and I am solely to blame for any mistakes regarding the search and rescue terms and techniques, or any other errors both related and unrelated, in this book.
Sneek Peek
Read the first chapter of FINDING FELICITY, book 5 of the Gold Coast Retrievers…
“Shake, JJ,” little Addison commanded, holding a hand out to the Golden Retriever.
The three-year-old Golden Retriever set his paw in the palm of her hand, eliciting an excited giggle from Addison. Felicity couldn’t help but smile at the little eight-year-old girl. Addison had been diagnosed as mildly autistic and had a hard time making eye contact with people or talking with anyone outside of her family. But she’d begun to open up to Felicity’s dog, Jay, or JJ as Addison called him, over the past week. She’d even interacted with Felicity on occasion, although she had kept her eyes on the Golden. It was still a win.
This was the reason she loved her job. Though Addison hadn’t gone up much in her reading comprehension, she was interacting with Jay, which was all that really mattered. She smiled down on Addison, wanting to pat the girl on the shoulder, but Addison would shy away at Felicity’s touch. Instead, Felicity patted the dog’s head while she spoke to the girl. “You did great today, Addison. I’m so proud of you. JJ is super proud of you, too. He can’t wait to hear what happens to the brown bear next. Will you try to read ahead and practice so that next time you can tell JJ more of the story?”
The little girl nodded, her eyes never leaving the Golden Retriever’s. Then she took hold of the small book and pulled it to her chest, running off in the direction of her other classmates as they heading outside for recess.
Felicity knew that Addison would practice hard so that she could share more of the story with Jay. The simple fact of knowing that JJ was waiting to hear more from her would be a big enough motivation. Jay always listened and sat still. He never criticized her or the other children when they stumbled upon a word. His patience knew no bounds, and the kids trust
ed him.
After giving Jay a scratch behind the ears, Felicity stood up from her cross-legged position on the floor mat. Her muscles were a bit stiff from sitting too long, but she wasn’t about to change position when one of her students tried hard to increase their comprehension. If they got a hint that she was being impatient with them, they’d quit trying. It was the nature of working with special needs children.
“How did today go?” Mr. Jordan, the vice principal, asked with a wan half-smile and a raised eyebrow.
Felicity’s chest tightened. He’d snuck up on her as he was apt to do, asking the same question each time. She knew how this conversation would go, nearly by heart. She turned toward him with the biggest smile she could muster. “Very well. I think I made excellent progress with all of my students today.”
He scratched his chin. “And how many students did you work with today?”
She swallowed before answering. “Four.”
He nodded his head, his mouth twisting as he narrowed his eyes at her. “Four students.” He gestured toward Jay. “All of this… to help just four students. Seems like an inefficient way of doing things.”
And with those words, her heart sank to her stomach. She cleared her throat, her arms crossing over her chest. “These children need alternative methods to the mainstream way of doing things, to combat their difficulties with learning. These methods may not seem efficient for the time being, but they will pay-off in the long run.”
He sighed. “I guess time will tell. Meanwhile, keep that dog on a leash, even in the classroom. We can’t have him biting a child.”
“He would never—”
“Any dog will bite, depending on the situation. And Gold Coast Elementary doesn’t need the premiums on our insurance increasing. Just do as I ask and keep him on a leash. Understood?”
Felicity felt the anger boiling within her, heating her cheeks. Jay had sat beside her the entire time with his tail wagging while watching the exchange. She didn’t usually keep a leash on him when he sat in the reading nook with children, because the bookshelves provided a physical barrier. The children connected with the dog better without interference from the leash. She pulled the leather lead from her pocket and snapped it on Jay’s collar without another word.