Her Holiday Hero

by Margaret Daley

  There was so much feeling behind that one word. She attempted a laugh that came out shaky. “You mean I wore you down?”

  “Not exactly. But the compassion you’ve shown me, even when I tried to reject it, reminded me how beneficial it is to help others. Maybe then I won’t think about my own problems all the time.”

  She grinned. “So you’re taking Shep?”

  “Maybe. If we’re a good fit. I’ve been reading up on service dogs, and I talked with Ben this afternoon.”

  “You did? I didn’t think you would call him.”

  “Can’t a guy change his mind?”

  “Sure.” She shooed him outside. “Then go see Shep.”

  His chuckles lingered in the air as he left. The sound warmed her. She closed her eyes for a moment, immediately picturing the laugh lines at the corners of his eyes deepening and the edges of his mouth tilting up. The image sent goose bumps spreading over her. She rubbed her hands up and down her arms as though she could erase his effect on her.

  *

  In his backyard Jake slowly eased himself down on the step next to Josh. The boy stiffened but didn’t move away. Instead, he lobbed a tennis ball for Shep to retrieve.

  “Does he like to do that a lot?” Jake asked, not sure how to approach an angry eleven-year-old to deal with a problem he probably thought was unsolvable. He could remember feeling that way on more than one occasion.

  For a long moment Josh’s mouth remained clamped. “Yeah,” he said finally.

  “That’s good to know.”

  When Shep trotted back to Josh, he dropped the ball in the child’s lap, then sat waiting. Jake petted the German shepherd while the dog’s attention was on the boy’s hand. Josh didn’t toss the ball but instead squeezed it over and over.

  “I know you aren’t happy that your mom wants to talk with Carson’s mother or that I pointed out the two boys in the yearbook to her,” Jake said, hoping to get a reaction out of Josh and a chance to approach the subject of bullying.

  A frown descended on Josh’s face, the quiet lengthening. Jake searched for another way to start a conversation. He’d led men into battle, but this wasn’t an area of expertise for him. About the only qualification he had for this was that he had been a boy once.

  “Why did you show her their pictures? I thought you weren’t going to tell her.” Disappointment leaked into Josh’s voice and expression.

  And that bothered Jake more than the child’s anger. “I told you that I wouldn’t say anything about the fight because you were going to. Some things you can’t hide from a mother, and being beaten up like you were is one of them. What did you expect her to do? Not to care and let it keep happening? Do you think that’s realistic, knowing your mother?”

  Josh shook his head. “I was going to hide from her until I looked better.”

  “That would be days, possibly a couple of weeks. Do you think that would have worked?”

  “She’s doing exactly what I knew she would: interfering.”

  “Because she’s acting like a typical mother. You should have seen my mom when I was first beaten up by some bullies.”

  Josh twisted around and pressed his back against the wooden railing on the stairs and the decking, his focus on Jake’s arms. His muscles were evident since he was wearing a short-sleeved shirt. “You were bullied? You’re huge.”

  “I was small when I was your age.” The subject still bothered Jake. He’d been taught by his father never to show weakness. As stress began to blanket him, he continued to stroke Shep. “It seemed like everyone was bigger than I was. In sixth grade one boy was determined to make my life miserable. When my mother found out and told my dad, he went to the other guy’s parents.”

  Hope brightened Josh’s blue eyes. “He left you alone after that?”

  “No, he didn’t. His dad even looked the other way. Later I found out that his dad behaved that way and didn’t see anything wrong with it. He got his way by intimidating others.”

  The boy’s shoulders slumped. “So you kept having trouble.”

  “Yes, I kept having trouble, but my attitude began changing. I was determined not to be a victim. I started exercising and making myself as strong and capable as I could. I was small at that time, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t use my wits. I found out other kids were being bullied by these boys, too. We stuck together and helped each other. A lot can happen when you realize you aren’t alone.”

  Josh moved down a step closer to Shep and hugged the dog. “I told the lady who supervises recess at lunch about Sean and the other guys last week. They got me alone at the side of the building and took my money then pushed me down in the mud. She didn’t do anything.”

  “Why not?”

  “She didn’t see it. They said I was lying, but I had mud all over my clothes. That’s why they beat me up in the park the next day. To teach me a lesson.” Josh rubbed his face against Shep’s neck, and some of the tension dissolved from his features.

  Watching the interaction between the dog and the boy reinforced what Jake had heard and read about service dogs for people with PTSD. “If one person at school doesn’t do anything about it, go to another. Find someone who’ll listen to you. From what your mother’s told me, your teacher seems sympathetic. Start with her.”

  “But they’ll come after me.”

  “Possibly. I can teach you a few self-defense moves when you’re cornered, but try to outsmart them. Don’t put yourself in a place where they can get you alone. Have friends around you. If you see them, get to a safe place where others are.”

  “But they’ll call me a chicken.”

  “For defending yourself any way you can? I call that smart. Even the United States Armed Forces use defensive moves to protect themselves.”

  Josh straightened on the step, his shoulders back. “Yeah.” Shep barked a couple of times, nudging Josh’s hand with the ball. “Do you want to throw it for him?”

  “Sure.” Jake took the ball and hurled it so far it ended up at the back of the fence on the one-acre piece of property.

  “Wow!” Eyes wide, Josh looked at him. “Did ya play baseball or something?”

  “In college I was on the baseball team.”

  “Where?”

  “Oklahoma University. I got my degree in psychology.”

  “I want to go there. My dad did.”

  When Shep returned, he released the ball at Jake’s feet. Jake snatched it up and gave it to Josh. “Your turn.”

  “I can’t do what you did.”

  “I wouldn’t expect you to. I played the sport for years and practiced a lot. I also lift weights to keep my muscles in my arms strong.”

  “When did you start playing?”

  “When I was ten. Are you on a team?”

  “I thought about it last spring, but I didn’t try out. I’m not very good. Maybe next spring if I can get better.”

  “When you throw the ball, put your whole body into it, not just the arm you’re using.”

  Josh rose and tried to do what Jake had said. The ball flew a couple of yards farther.

  “That’s better. With practice you’ll improve. It’s a good way to build up your body.” Jake heard the screen door open and close behind him. The hairs on his nape tingled as if Emma were staring at him. “If you want, we can practice a couple of times a week. I’ll also teach you those defensive techniques.” He looked behind him. “That is, if it’s okay with your mom.”

  Josh whirled around. “Is it? Did ya see him throw the ball? He’s good.”

  “If Mr. Tanner doesn’t mind, that’s fine with me.” Emma’s eyes glinted with a smile—aimed at Jake.

  “I don’t. We can use my backyard. It’s big enough even to work on batting, at least at the beginning. But we’ll need a fielder since I’m not ready to do too much running after the ball.” Jake turned his attention to Emma, who was wearing a look that had power to slice through the barriers he’d erected. “Do you know anyone who can do that?”

  Pink tinted her cheeks. She lowered her eyelids, veiling her expression. “If you can be patient, I will. I got hit with a baseball when I was a kid and can’t say that I’m very go
od at putting myself in the way of one. My first instinct is to run from it.”

  Laughter welled up in Jake, and its release felt good. Even better, Josh and Emma joined in.

  “Josh, you need to go wash your hands. Then please get the salad and dressing out of the refrigerator and set the table with the paper goods I brought.”

  When the boy disappeared inside, Jake used the wooden railing to hoist himself to his feet and faced Emma at the top of the steps. “We had a good conversation. He wasn’t very happy with me at first, but he listened to my explanation.”

  “I’m so glad you volunteered to help. You should see me throwing a ball. Not a pretty picture. I have never been athletic. Actually, as you heard, I’m pretty much a wimp.”

  “A cute one.”

  Her blush deepened. She looked down for a few seconds before lifting her head. “Are you sure you want to do this? I know a lot is going on in your life and I don’t want to add—”

  “Stop right there. I wouldn’t have offered if I didn’t mean it. Josh reminds me of when I was young. When I struggled with bullies, I had a father to help me. Josh doesn’t.” When Shep planted himself next to him, he stroked the dog’s head as though he’d been doing it for a long time.

  “How are you and Shep getting along?”

  “Fine.”

  “He can stay the night if you like.”

  “You’re one determined lady. I don’t have anything for a dog.”

  “I’ve fed him already today. I could come pick him up tomorrow morning before going to church. It would give you a chance to bond with him without doing the day-to-day care. Then if you want to try longer, I can help you get what you need and show you how to work with Shep.”

  “Ben warned me about you. You did the same thing to him.” Jake mounted the steps. “You do know that Josh is attached to Shep?”

  “Yes. He’s that way with every dog I bring home to train.”

  “He needs his own dog. I saw that earlier when we were talking about being bullied.”

  “He talked to you about that?”

  “Yes, after I told him what happened to me. Maybe Shep should stay with you and Josh.”

  “No, I’m bringing home a new dog that would fit Josh better. I’ve seen him with Buttons at Caring Canines. She responds with him already. I could involve him in Buttons’s training.”

  Leaning on his cane, Jake opened the back door, and Emma went inside ahead of him. The aroma from the dinner reheating filled his kitchen and enticed his taste buds. He hadn’t been eating as well as he should, but this evening he planned on having a second helping, and he hadn’t tasted the dish yet. But anything that smelled this good had to be delicious.

  “Take a seat, guys. I’ll get the casserole out of the oven, and then we’re ready to eat.”

  Both Josh and Jake washed their hands, then Josh sat while Jake remained standing and waited until Emma had placed the casserole on a trivet in the center of the table. He pulled out a chair for her. She flashed him a surprised look but eased down onto it. Then he took his seat.

  “Do you mind if we pray?” Emma asked, reaching across the table to take Josh’s hand, then offering hers to Jake.

  He clasped it, and the feel of her small one surrounded by his larger grasp seemed so right to him. Astounded by that sensation, he almost released it.

  But Emma bowed her head and said a prayer over the food, concluding with, “Please, Lord, put a wall of protection around Josh and Jake. Amen.” She squeezed his hand then let it go.

  Stunned, Jake couldn’t think of anything to say. To be included in the prayer with her son spoke of her depth of caring. The gesture touched his heart as nothing else had in months. Somehow he would return her kindness by aiding Josh with his problem.

  Chapter Five

  Later, in Jake’s living room, Emma sat on one end of the couch while Josh curled up at the other and fell asleep. After dinner he had asked Jake to show him a self-defense move, and they had practiced while Emma and Shep watched. Jake demonstrated how Josh could use his arms to form a triangle to block certain punches. Josh had wanted to go over the move again and again until finally Emma called a halt.

  Fatigue lined Jake’s face, and yet he stayed right there trying to help her son. She didn’t like the idea of Josh fighting, but she understood he needed to defend himself, especially when she remembered her child’s injuries. The cuts and bruises were healing, but Josh’s self-esteem was damaged.

  “Thank you for working with Josh. I hope he never has to use any of those moves, but at least he knows them.” Emma had wanted to smooth the tired lines from Jake’s face, but instead she curled her hands at her sides.

  “He’ll need to practice them until they become second nature.”

  She winced. “He’s eleven. This isn’t something he should have to know.”

  “Like you, I hope he doesn’t have to use them. I know how to snap a man’s neck and kill him, but that doesn’t mean I ever want to use that skill. If someone were trying to kill me, though, I’d protect myself. Those boys could have done a lot worse damage to Josh. They could have injured his eye, broken his nose, caused a concussion just to name a few things.”

  Emma’s stomach knotted. “I get it. You don’t have to convince me. But isn’t there a peaceful way to take care of this problem?” Was that too much to ask a warrior?

  “When people decide they aren’t going to tolerate bullying, then yes. When others stand up and say no, that makes a difference. No tolerance is the best policy, but it takes a majority of people pitching in to make that work.”

  “Maybe I can get other mothers to help fight the bullying.”

  “There are probably organizations out there. Check and see what they’re doing.”

  “I will. I’ll do an internet search when I get home.” She rose and stretched her stiff muscles. It had been a long, tiring week. “So what have you decided about keeping Shep overnight?”

  Shep lay at Jake’s feet. The dog’s ears perked forward, and he sat up. Jake patted Shep then ran his fingers through the German shepherd’s fur. “I’d like to give it a try.” Standing, he gripped his cane. “Where does he usually sleep?”

  “In his crate. I didn’t want him to get too used to sleeping somewhere special in my house since he wouldn’t be there long.”

  “Should I have the crate, then?”

  “Try without it. You can fix up a bed with a blanket on the floor. I’d suggest in your bedroom. That’ll strengthen your bond. If there’s a problem, give me a call—anytime.”

  As they talked, Emma realized they kept stepping closer to each other. To her surprise, she wanted to touch him, reassure him this would work. Still, she kept her arms by her sides. “Okay?”

  “I can’t ask Josh to help himself if I won’t at least give this a try. He’s a smart kid. He’ll figure that out. I’ll be fine.”

  “I know you will. Shep’s a good service dog. When I’ve had a particularly bad day, he’s sensed that and is right next to me, rubbing against my leg or nudging my hand to pet him.”

  “That’s a good reason for Josh to have one. As I said before, I don’t want to take anything away from your son.”

  Without thinking, she started to place two fingers against his lips but stopped herself inches away from him. “Not another word.” The feel of his breath against her fingertips tickled, and she dropped her arm back to her side. “I’ll involve Josh in the new dog’s training, and if Josh wants to keep her, we will.”

  Jake’s eyes shone as they roamed over her facial features. “You have your hands full working two jobs. Do you have to work so hard?”

  “I’m still paying off my husband’s medical bills. The hospital is patient, but I want the debt paid off this year. Then I might be able to cut my hours at Harris Animal Hospital and devote more time to training. The demand for service and therapy dogs is growing.”

  He lifted his hands but dropped them back to his sides, a hesitance entering his expression. “It sounds like you need to relax.”

  She attempted a smile. “I watched my parents struggle with debt, and it nearly destroyed their marri
age. I worked hard never to have any until Sam went into the hospital. Then it was like the floor fell from beneath me. My life changed in an instant.”

  He stepped back. “I know that feeling firsthand.”

  “I know there are no guarantees in life, but it seems I take one step forward, then two back.” In his eyes she saw a reflection of her concerns. He was going through the same thing for different reasons. In that moment she experienced a kinship with him she hadn’t felt with anyone but her husband. The realization left her speechless.

  Sounds of her son waking up propelled her back a few paces. When she turned toward him on the couch, he opened his eyes slowly and looked from her to Jake.

  “What did I miss?” Sleepiness coated his words.

  “Not much, kiddo,” said Jake. “I’ve agreed to take Shep tonight and see how it works.”

  For a fleeting moment, a frown skittered across Josh’s face.

  “This way we can concentrate on making Buttons feel at home her first night at our house,” Emma said, glad to see Josh looking more relaxed. “I was thinking of letting her stay in your room at night if you think that’s okay.”

  He perked up and scooted to a sitting position. “Sure. She’ll probably be lonely without the other dogs at Caring Canines.”

  “That’s what I was thinking.”

  Josh rubbed his eyes then peered at Jake. “Can I come visit Shep sometime?”

  “Yes. Don’t forget we’ll be working on your baseball skills and self-defense. There’ll be plenty of time for you to see Shep.”

  The boy grinned. “Yeah, right.” He hopped to his feet, started for the foyer but paused a moment to pat Shep and say goodbye, then continued his trek toward the front door.

  Emma laughed. “I guess we’re leaving.” She turned to follow Josh. “Call if you need me.”

  “Okay.” He waited until Josh went onto the porch, then lowered his voice. “I hope your conversation with Carson’s mother goes well tomorrow.”

  For a short time tonight she’d forgotten what she needed to do. She prayed Sandy would be receptive. It wasn’t a conversation she was looking forward to. “Can I ask you a favor?”