The woman chuckled as a stocky, muscular, elderly man stepped out onto the porch with an equally quizzical look on his face as his wife said, “That one's a handful. She's always runnin' off and bringin' those bones fer her and the others ta gnaw on an' bury. We've tried stakin' her on a lead, even those pet perimeter fences with tha shocking collars. But hounds are too big an' strong fer their own good. Nothin' works.”
I smiled at the woman, she seemed a sensible woman who loved her dogs and was trying to control her unruly one. A bit of training would work wonders. I went about taking the harness off the big lumbering girl.
The man muttered in good humor, his accent sounding like he came from the south in the States, “That one again? I'm telling you, Joslyn, we should just saddle her and use her to plow the fields, then she'd be too tuckered to make trouble.”
He took a step down offering a hand, “Kyle, Kyle Verner, of Verner Hounds. This is my wife, Joslyn. I hope Buttons wasn't making too much trouble.”
I shook his heavily calloused hands and asked, “American?”
He nodded with a chuckle. “Haven't been for thirty years since this beauty stole my heart.” He indicated his wife who rolled her eyes at him as he continued, “Still haven't lost the Georgia accent tho.”
I smiled and said, “Well we shouldn't take up any more of your time, we just wanted to make sure the big silly girl found her way home.” Then I asked, “You're a breeder?”
He nodded. “Not by choice.” He winked at us. He indicated the fields around the house. “Started as barley and potato farmers. Had a couple wolfhounds to tend the few chickens and goats we had. Nature being nature, we wound up with more. Now people come from all over Europe to breed with our lot.”
He shrugged and supplied, “So I thought, what the hell, and we started a very selective breeding business. We only allow our bitches to litter once every couple years.”
I noted now that we were all standing there, Luce seemed entranced by Buttons. Just standing there her fists bunched in her fur. I got her attention, “Luce?”
She whispered without looking at me, “This one is just like in my dreams.”
Joslyn was smiling at her as she came down the steps to stand next to the girls and stroke Button's ears. “Did you know that this brindle color is tha rarest in a Wolfhound?” Luce's spell seemed to snap as she looked up at the woman and nodded enthusiastically.
The woman looked almost haunted as she gave the dog some attention. “This one has a sad history.”
I cocked my head and asked in genuine curiosity, “How so?”
The woman dropped her hand from the dog and stood straighter. “Where are my manners? You returned our Buttons to us, you should at least come up for a lemonade and tea cakes.”
That seemed to excite the girls... well, sugar, duh. I nodded and she led us up the steps. Buttons and Calvin joining us as she motioned to the table on the porch. “I'll be just a moment.”
We all sat, and Kyle stood behind one of the carved wood chairs with wicker seats and regarded our group then looked at the dogs. “I hope she didn't cause any trouble.”
Brianne snorted when I squeaked out, “Oh, no trouble at all.”
The teen rolled her eyes. “If chasin' a wooly mammoth halfway across Ireland is no trouble.”
Luce chastised her. “Teasin' is not polite in tha company of strangers. I swear I raised you better than that.”
The man chuckled then furrowed his brow. “Married an Irishman, did you? Your daughters don't sound American.”
I giggled. “They aren't my daughters... well Luce will be, we're adopting. And I would have given birth at like ten or eleven to have had Brianne.”
She snorted. “Startin' young were ya... mum.” I squinted an eye and brought my hand to my face to look over my warning finger at her. She grinned and told Luce, “It's like a kitten threatenin' to cute ya ta death.”
I loved how playful Bri was, she reminded me of a mashup between Kerry and Jessie more and more.
Joslyn came out with a tray full of little cakes and tea and lemonade as promised. She sat it in the middle of the table, and sat, then slapped the tip of Button's nose when the big girl leaned in to snuffle the tray. She said, “That one thinks she's people.” Then she told the fuzzy lady, “Shoo now, this is for tha girls here.”
She curled up on the porch and Cal went over and plopped down beside her. I almost said, “Daww,” when she nosed her prized bone toward him. And then they started gnawing it together. Calvin has a girlfriend, Calvin has a... what? Shut up. It's cute and you know it. Now let me tell the story.
As the girls dove on the tray I said, “Hey now, just one or it will ruin your supper.” I took some tea as the girls poured lemonade. Then I prompted, “You said Buttons had a sad history?” I bit into a little iced pasty confection and groaned in pleasure.
She leaned back into her husband who took his place behind her, holding the top of her chair. The woman sipped at her tea and then nudged her chin toward the dogs. “That tag Buttons is wearing is from her... let's see, two generations back... her gran.”
She paused in her story when she turned to the girls. “For how big an' sweet these overgrown cuddle monsters are, they're cursed with a very short lifespan...”
Luce nodded and interrupted, “Six to ten years.”
The woman smiled and took another sip as she nodded. “There was this sweet young couple who came calling, for a hound for their wee daughter. It has to have been what...?”
She looked back to Kyle who supplied, “Has to be ten or eleven years ago now.”
The woman shook her head in disbelief and continued, “Ten years back. Their little toddler was one of those who once they learned to walk, they were running and getting into all the trouble little ones are prone to.” Her smile was wistful and sad as she shared, “That girl fell in love straight away with this one's grandmother. A one-year-old brindle, she would just fist her hands in her fur an' let the dog walk her around.”
She patted her husband's hand on the back of her chair and said, “The mother was a dear, and she brought the collar and tag from the hound she said she had as a little girl. Her Buttons.”
Kyle continued for her, at the look sadness in his wife's eyes, “They bought the brindle straight away for their daughter and put the collar on it.” He looked toward the bottom of the fields by the road.
He said in painful memory, “We learned the next morning on the radio, that that young family had an accident, just down Quarry there. Their car had turned over and the parents were killed. The poor girl went to the local orphanage.”
Luce gasped, her hand grabbing her hair and she started to yank hard. Bri pried her hand away and linked pinkies.
I whispered in shock, “That was Luce's family.”
The woman who had been looking distressed over Luce's reaction covered her mouth. “Oh, you poor dear. We didn't mean to bring up painful memories.” She reached over to touch Luce's shoulder but my girl pulled back.
The man studied us, a bit of shock in his own eyes. He pointed at Buttons. “I was plowing the fields that morning and came upon Buttons. She was in bad shape, broken ribs and a broken leg. She must have been thrown from the vehicle in the wreck and she had dragged herself... back home. They didn't find her at the accident site.”
Joslyn shrugged apologetically. “The young couple had no family and we didn't know what to do with Buttons, so we kept her and nursed her back to health. Her daughter is inside, a bit geriatric, arthritis and all. And when she had a litter last year, we named the female Buttons and kept her, giving her the collar.”
Luce released Bri's pinky, her emotions sidetracked so easily, as she whispered, “Can I see her mom?”
The woman stood quickly. “Of course, sweetheart. She's just inside.”
Bri went with her as I tried to absorb what had just happened. The man watched them go then turned back to me shaking his head as he wondered aloud, “What a small world.” Then added, “
After all this time.”
He seemed to be making a decision so I left him to it and excused myself from the table to go peek in the door. Mrs. Verner was standing there cocking her head at Luce's behavior as I watched the young girl, cradle the head of another brindle on her lap, stroking its fur as she explained, “So that'd make you my niece if Buttons was my sister. You did good and must know things bein' so old. Yer daughter is strong. She can run forever, you must be proud.”
I don't know why, but tears were rolling down my cheeks as I watched the elderly dog lick her hand.
We noted the time after we visited for a while and I reluctantly said to everyone, “We best get moving if we're going to get back to the home on time. Mr. and Mrs. Verner, it was a true pleasure.”
Bri called Luce over, who was having an in-depth conversation with the five dogs that surrounded her at the base of the steps. I shook their hands then the man held up a finger. “Just a second.” He grabbed a woven leather leash hanging with a half dozen others on pegs by the door; I approve; and stepped over to where Buttons stood with Calvin.
He clipped the dog and offered the leash to Luce. “Your parents bought the original Buttons from us, that makes this one yours. She's your family.”
Luce's eyes were huge saucers as she stared at the offered leash. Then she spun and looked at me with pleading eyes. I didn't know how it would work out logistically, but I couldn't break my girl's heart again. I nodded dumbly and she squeed and dove at me, she actually hugged me tight then turned back and took the leash from Kyle.
She did a sort of aborted curtsey and rushed out as she leaned into his personal space and said in a loud whisper, “Thank you, sir.”
Then she looked at me, holding the leash up in pride as she told me, “My grand dog niece!”
We said our thanks and goodbye's again and then set off down their driveway, Luce stopping every five or ten steps to turn back to wave at the old couple. Joslyn had tears in her eyes.
I looked lovingly at the girls as we walked, Buttons happily trotting beside Luce, likely wondering what new game this was. Then I blanched. Luce had a dog the size of a pony... how was this going to work? I sighed looking at the utter and complete joy on the tween's face, and I knew I really didn't give a fuzzy flip in space. My girl was happy.
We walked back into Sydenham and realized we couldn't catch a bus since Buttons wasn't a service dog, so we sighed and walked the girls all the way back to the home. We arrived with a couple minutes to spare as we headed up the steps.
Jane was there with an official police-y looking man, talking to Mrs. Johnston and Mrs. Doyle. The shocked looks on all their faces when they saw us made me wince. Yeahhhh the dog was going to take some explaining. But they looked to be in the middle of something important so I just followed the girls up the stairs. They fist-bumped a confused looking Jane, and I stole a quick kiss on my way past. I told her, “Something looks serious here, we'll leave you to it. The girls want to show Buttons off to the others. Come find us when you're done.”
Now how was I going to explain to her and the ladies back home that we would have another fuzzy houseguest?
I was blinking a bit later after Jane had caught up to us and told us how worried she had been and how she and the police had been scouring the city for us once they got reports of disturbances involving dogs and girls.
Luce sighed heavily and pointed out like it was simply common sense, “Finnegan can take care of herself. She's a hero. She saved Buttons' life.” I gave my wife a 'so there' look and stuck my tongue out at her... like any adult would. Shut up.
Speaking of superheroes, I'm pretty sure the younger girls saw Luce as one as they all crowded around to see and pet, 'Sissy's big dog' as she explained all the technical details about the breed to the little ones. Bri just stood there, hugging her own arms to her chest as she looked down with... pride? I moved over to the teen and hugged her to me and said, “She really is something, isn't she?”
The girl just nodded sadly and whispered back, “You've really no idea.” Then she sighed and smiled at me. “I'm really gonna miss her.”
Jane looked at me then Brianne and sighed heavily before saying to the girl, “Actually, about that. You, me, and Finnegan need to talk.”
I cocked my head in confusion as Jane looked back at Luce one last time with a proud smile a mother would have for her daughter and said, “We need to speak to Mrs. Doyle before we take Luce home with us tomorrow.”
Ok, mysterious much, copper?
Chapter 14 – Going Home
The next morning we stood in Mrs. Doyle's office with her and Mrs. Johnston as we all peeked out the blinds on the window at the groundskeeper cottage as Luce and Bri snuck up to it and let themselves in with Buttons tagging along.
I asked them, “You know about the girls going in there?”
Mrs. Doyle shared a grin with the older woman and shrugged. “The 'Quiet Place'? Of course. Who do you think put the key above the door frame.”
Mrs. Johnston pointed out to the woman. “You were even more of a handful than Miss O'Conner is when I was the counselor here.”
I blinked and looked at the women then back out to the cottage. Mrs. Doyle had been one of the girls here at the home? I shared, “Luce is putting her stuffed dog in the box of 'artifacts' for future kids, along with a message for them, like the girls in the past have.”
They nodded and Mrs. Doyle asked, “Do you know what it says?”
I nodded and sighed, proud of the girl we were adopting. “Yes, it says, 'If the world ever gets too big for you, don't be scared. Everything will be ok, I promise. And if you need to talk to someone about it, email me at [email protected] and I can help. Have a great future, Luce O'Conner.'”
Mrs. Doyle shook in an aborted sob as a tear trickled down her cheek while she nodded. “That's Luce.” The women here really loved my little redhead. I placed a hand on her arm in support. She patted my hand and nodded.
When the girls came back out and headed back inside, Mrs. Johnston asked as she handed over a large manila envelope that had the copious forms for the adoption and travel papers, “How did your family take the news?”
Jane said with a smile, “When we spoke with them and told them that we'd have another 'guest visiting for a bit' they were pretty happy. I guess the few interactions they've had with Bri during Luce's facetime sessions with us back home had them impressed by the spitfire teen.”
The women both smirked at us and I rolled my eyes at them, pointing out, “Subtlety is not either of your fortes, so it's best you don't quit your day jobs.” They chuckled at me so I savagely nose crinkled at them as I bounced on my toes. Take that, evil woman-lings!
When the girls rejoined us, Jane asked coyly and leadingly like the cop she was, “So ladies, did you finish your task?” They nodded, looking as sneaky as hell. I wonder if that is what Garrett and I looked like every time we thought we were being sneaky. No wonder mom always seemed to know when we had been getting into mischief.
I glanced ay my cell when it buzzed. I snorted. Mom was up this early? It was only three in the morning back home, and she was excitedly asking if we were heading to the airport yet. She was beyond thrilled to learn that we had completed all the requirements to be able to take Luce home with us for the placement trial, the last step in the adoption process before the adoption hearing.
She was acting just like she did when Becky was expecting with her first grandchild. And... it warmed my heart that she saw adoption no different than pregnancy, we'd just have an already potty trained baby girl in the seventh grade in her eyes.
When we told her that Bri would be coming to stay with us 'for awhile', she got just as excited, babbling on about best friends and transitions. Jess and Ker had very insightful and in-depth reactions to the news, I believe the well-articulated response had been, “Rock on.” I loved my uncomplicated besties.
Jessie had assured us that they would have a spare bed set up in the rec-room outside of Luce'
s bedroom for Brianne when we arrived. Her parents had a rollaway she could borrow.
I noted how nervous and excited the ladies sounded about everything. Ker had gone silent for a bit before making the realization. “This is really happening, Tempe, you're going to be a mom.” Then she got silly. “And I'm gonna be a godmother.”
Jess quipped, “Hey, lady, don't get ahead of yourself, Fin and Five-O already asked me to be godmother.”
Jane chuckled at the two twits and pointed out, “You two are married, Einstein. We had asked both of you.”
She squished her lips to one side, making a Jess face and said succinctly, “Oh.” Then a shoving match ensued. I swear those two aren't any more mature than Luce and Bri.
I looked at the small suitcases each of the girls had sitting beside the door of the office, and it sort of hurt my heart a little knowing that besides Luce's little library upstairs it was all their worldly belongings.
We had offered to pay to have her books shipped but Luce had just said plainly, “No. The next Sissy will need them to learn things, so she knows things, so she can teach the wee ones.” She had only packed her encyclopedia of dogs and an extremely well-worn dictionary that had pages marked in it with little tattered strips of colored paper.
I had to grin at Buttons as Cal flowed around everyone's legs like liquid canine to go greet after being apart for five minutes. That, was an ordeal, trying to figure out how to get Buttons home. Since she wasn't a service animal, yet, she would have to fly in a kennel crate, but she and the crate couldn't exceed twenty pounds to fly in the cabin. For a dog her size, the crate alone would exceed that weight so that meant that all the airlines required her to fly in the cargo hold.
There was no way in fluffy fuzzing hell I was going to allow that. Not only would it be traumatic not knowing what was happening with all the noise of the plane's engines and the terror of turbulence, but some cargo holds, though pressurized, are not climate controlled and would be cold as an Alaskan Husky's big wet nose.
Unleashed- Case of the Hound About Town Page 13