Fuzzy Logic

by Susan C. Daffron

  “Didn’t you leave it with your mom’s suitcase in the dressing area? I was watching Swoosie, so I wasn’t paying attention to what you were doing. But thanks for being in the routine. Bob sure liked it.”

  “Yes, Bob is charming. How do you know him?”

  “He was one of the kids I played sports with in junior high. In high school he was a football star, but we didn’t really hang out. After that, we lost track of each other.”

  “What a shame.”

  At her tone, Michael glanced up from his chip and the bowl of dip. “Hey, he’s a good guy. Or he was, anyway. He was there during some tough times.”

  “I’m sure he is a fine human being. By the way, you might want to keep a closer eye on Swoosie. I think she has inhaled most of this side of the buffet table.”

  Michael looked at the empty platters on the buffet and then down at the dog, who was sitting and slowly wagging her tail in a feeble attempt to look innocent. “Swoosie! We’ve talked about this. Counter surfing is bad. You’re a bad, bad girl!” He stepped away from the table, pulling the dog with him. “Thanks for letting me know. I wonder what was on those trays.” A look of concern crossed his face. “There wasn’t anything bad she could have eaten, was there?”

  Jan shrugged. “I don’t know. I was entertaining Bob, remember? I do know chocolate is bad for dogs. But I don’t think this is the dessert section of the buffet.”

  Michael sighed. “I know my veterinarian way too well. Swoosie eats everything. It’s better now that she’s older, but she’s eaten towels, a coffee table, part of a door, and any food she can get at. I can’t leave anything out in my kitchen at all. When a, um, friend brought me dinner one time, we put it on top of the refrigerator and somehow Swoosie got up there, knocked it down, and ate a bunch of it. Including some of the glass casserole dish. That was a bad one. She had surgery and everything.” He bent down and stroked the white fur on the dog’s head. “Are you okay, girl? I really can’t take you anywhere, can I?”

  Swoosie looked pleased that Michael wasn’t angry at her anymore, then her brow furrowed and her expression changed to one of distress. She stood up quickly.

  Michael jumped back, “Uh-oh. I know that look. Let’s go Swoosie!” Gathering up the leash, he ran away from the buffet table with Swoosie dragging behind him trying to stop. Her body was twisting and she finally was able to gain purchase and dig her paws into the grass, forcing Michael to a halt. The dog’s back arched as she retched. Jan and most of the other wedding guests looked on in wonder. It was hard to believe such a small animal could make so much noise while expelling the contents of its stomach.

  Michael waved weakly back at the crowd, “Sorry! I think she ate something that disagreed with her.”

  Jan shook her head. She’d had enough of this guy and this place. Any time she had anything to do with her mother, it was always filled with endless embarrassing scenes, drama, and mayhem. Why should today be any different than the legendary fire of 1977 when the lava lamp exploded? Or the various scandals that littered the newspaper and gossip rags in the 80s? It wasn’t like her mother didn’t have a bedroom. But no. Mom had to have her romantic interludes outside in odd places. Savvy photographers had learned to follow her around, leading to years of mortifying media coverage with headlines like, “Farm Lady and friend found in the buff on a bluff.”

  Jan shook her head. Getting a scholarship and leaving San Diego had been the best thing that had ever happened to her. This place was filled with bad memories. And today, because of the open bar, the tone of the reception was likely to go even further downhill. Time to find her clothes and get out of here.

  The library had always been her refuge and she was looking forward to returning to her books and her sweet dog Rosa, who didn’t eat things she wasn’t supposed to. The rotund black dog mostly just spent her day lazily sleeping on the floor of the library office. Jan turned away from the crowd and walked toward the head table to say goodbye to her mother.

  After returning to her motel room and packing, Jan called to set up her return flight. She was pleased she’d planned ahead and left her schedule flexible, even if it was more expensive. It wasn’t the first time she’d wanted to escape an uncomfortable family situation, after all. Calling Kat was a little more worrisome, since she’d be picking Rosa up earlier than expected and it could be an inconvenience. Although Kat had seemed surprised about the change in plans, she didn’t seem to mind and said Jan could pick up Rosa that afternoon.

  Chapter 3

  Rumors

  Back in Alpine Grove, Jan drove out Forest Avenue to the outskirts of town where she lived. As her cheerful little yellow cottage came into view, she breathed a sigh of relief. She always felt a sense of calm when she returned to her tidy little house. The leaves on the huge tree out front were starting to change color, and although the summer flowers in her mini-garden were beginning to fade, the lawn hadn’t turned brown yet. Apparently there hadn’t been a frost, but she made a mental note to get out the rake this weekend and clean up some of those leaves.

  Jan stopped by the bright kelly-green mailbox out front and collected her mail. Then she went inside and dropped her luggage in the hallway. It was odd not to have Rosa there to greet her or see Rosa’s wide body snoring away on the old multicolored rag rug in the living room.

  Although it was good to be home after all the weirdness and travel, Jan couldn’t relax. The library was always a good antidote for anxiety, so she might as well go to work until it was time to pick up Rosa. After grabbing a snack, she locked the door and headed back into town.

  The Alpine Grove library wasn’t particularly large, but it was crammed full of books. Years before, it had been the town post office, so it wasn’t ideally designed, but after many creative modifications, it was now a nice quiet space for people to enjoy reading and research time. Jan greeted a few regular patrons and noted that the other librarian, Jill, was helping an older man find a book back in the woodworking and crafts section. Jill was about twenty years older than Jan and had gray hair that she pulled back into a long braid that fell down to the middle of her back. Periodically, Jill complained about how much work it was to deal with her long hair and that she wanted to cut it. But Jan couldn’t imagine her actually doing it; the long braid was part of Jill’s identity.

  Jill walked up to the desk and leaned forward, putting her elbows on the counter. “What are you doing here?”

  Jan picked up a pencil and put it into the cup holder with the others. “I decided to leave early.”

  “You’re not exactly Miss Spontaneity. You had this trip planned for weeks. What happened? And where’s Rosa? It was strange to not be tripping over her in the office.”

  Jan smiled. Jill loved Rosa, but refused to admit it. “I’m picking up Rosa this afternoon. She’s staying with a friend of a friend.”

  “And? Why aren’t you in San Diego? Did you ditch your mom’s wedding?”

  “No, you know I would never do that. But I didn’t have a good time.” Jan waved her hand in the general direction of Southern California. “The whole thing was strange and stressful and awful. I was tackled by a dog and met a rude man. Oh, and that pretty dress I bought is completely destroyed. I loved that dress.”

  “So was the rude man cute?” Any mention of a man and Jill wanted to know. No matter how many times Jan told her that she was engaged to her boyfriend Steve, Jill kept trying to find her another man. It was annoying.

  “I suppose he was good-looking,” Jan said. “But he’s definitely not my type. He lived next door to us when I was little. I don’t want to go into that. What did I miss here?”

  “Well, I thought Steve was going with you to the wedding, but then I saw him here. Do you want to know more?” Jill made no secret of the fact that she was not a big fan of Steve and delighted in sharing her low opinion of him at every opportunity. It had become a touchy subject between them, but Jan knew that Jill meant well in a kind of over-protective-mother type of way.

>   “I’m sure it wasn’t him.” Jan said as she picked up a stack of books. “He had to cancel at the last minute to go on a business trip. It was for a major client. I talked to him before I left.”

  Jill gave her a knowing look. “That’s so typical. I know it was him, all right. Yesterday I had to write a letter to the book distributor. So I used that infernal machine.”

  “It’s called a computer.”

  “Whatever. I used it, okay? I know it’s 1995 and we’re all supposed to be ‘embracing technology,’ but I still hate it. And of course, something happened and then the screen was blank and my letter was gone. I don’t know where it went. That never happened with my typewriter, you know. It was the end of the day and I was fed up with it all. So I turned the stupid machine off and locked up. I was so angry that I decided to go for a walk to enjoy the pretty fall weather before I dared get in my car. I needed to clear my head, and it was so beautiful outside. I walked by the H12 and saw Steve come out of one of the rooms with a very blonde woman.”

  The H12 was a low-budget motel that had earned its moniker because it had 12 rooms. Those rooms were in dire need of restoration and it was not the type of place anyone would go to impress a date.

  “The H12? That’s not a very nice place. I wonder why he would be meeting a client there.”

  “Honey, that woman was no client.” Jill cleared her throat. “Unless he’s selling something more than just drywall. Or maybe she was selling something, given how she was dressed.”

  “You’re just saying this because you don’t like Steve. He’d never cheat on me.”

  “I hate to be the one to tell you this, but they looked pretty cozy.” Jill crossed her arms. “I’m serious, Jan. I’ve heard rumors about him before, but I didn’t want to pass on anything that was just idle small-town gossip. This time I saw him with my own eyes.” She reached out and put her hand on Jan’s shoulder and looked into her eyes. “You really need to talk to him, honey.”

  Jan shook her head. “I’m sure it’s all just a misunderstanding. I’ll give him a call after I pick up Rosa. Everything will be fine.” But the slightly sick feeling she had in her stomach suggested that it might not be.

  After the conversation about Steve, the rest of the afternoon at the library with Jill was awkward. Jan asked a couple of questions, but Jill kept repeating that she “knew what she saw.” Jan decided to leave a little early to pick up Rosa and let Jill lock up. As her car bumped along the driveway toward Kat’s house, she replayed the conversation with Jill over in her mind. But she kept coming back to the same place. Steve would never cheat on her. He just wouldn’t. They’d been together too long. Maybe sometimes he got angry or didn’t understand what she was saying. But after all these years, she knew him. He wasn’t a bad person. Sure, he spent a lot of time on the road for work, but Steve always said she was the best thing that had ever happened to him. Jill just didn’t get it. Jan was the woman Steve wanted to marry and he would never jeopardize his future with her.

  Jan got out of the car and went over to the Tessa Hut straightaway so she could say hello to Rosa. A flash of panic went through her chest at the sight of the empty cage. Where was Rosa? She heard noises outside and peeked out the door. Kat was walking over from the house surrounded by three of her dogs and Rosa on a leash. Jan exhaled with relief. Her black dog was obviously happy to be part of the pack trotting toward her.

  Jan waved. “I wondered where Rosa was for a second.”

  “Yes, she’s with me. And everyone else. They all got along well, although I think Rosa may have some issues with cats. The cats took the safe approach and opted to hide while she was here.”

  “Wasn’t she out here in the kennel?”

  Kat looked toward the Tessa Hut. “Not exactly. I wanted to ask you about that. Has she ever been in a kennel before?”

  “I’m not sure. She was my mother’s dog, and my mother is not particularly good about caring for, well, much of anything. I guess you’d say Mom doesn’t have a very long attention span. She got Rosa, kept her for a little while, and then gave her to me when taking care of a dog wasn’t fun anymore. At first I was angry about it, but Rosa is so sweet, I couldn’t just give her away.

  “I know that feeling.” Kat smiled. “I inherited all of my Great-Aunt Abigail’s dogs and cats. And Joel’s dog, too.”

  “You get to work here, where you can take care of your pets. The problem for me was that I have to work all day at the library, and I wasn’t sure what to do about Rosa. I talked to Jill, the other librarian, and she was okay with Rosa being our office dog as long as she didn’t disturb the patrons or cause any trouble. And she doesn’t. She’s really good. Sometimes Rosa hangs out with the kids at story time, too. They love her.”

  Kat nodded. “I guess that makes sense. It’s funny; I’ve been to the library many times and never seen a dog there.”

  “Rosa mostly sleeps back in the office. Jill complains about how she’s in the way all the time, but she really loves her.” Jan looked over Kat’s shoulder. Joel was walking toward them from the house. “Hi, Joel.”

  “Hi. Sorry about the problem we had with Rosa.”

  Jan looked from Joel to Kat. “Problem?”

  “More of a mystery, I guess.” Joel looked over at Kat. “Didn’t you tell her?”

  “I was getting to it.”

  Jan bent down to pet Rosa. “Is she okay? She seems okay. What happened? She didn’t get sick or anything, did she?”

  Kat shook her head. “No. But she kept getting out of her kennel in the Tessa Hut. We couldn’t figure out how she was doing it. I’d put her inside, go to do something, and then I’d turn around and she’d be sitting next to me. It kind of freaked me out, to be honest. We’ve checked the chain link, the latch—everything. I have no clue what she’s doing.”

  Jan stroked the dog’s head. “Wow, Rosa. I didn’t know you were so creative.”

  Joel smiled. “Maybe your mom taught her some of her magic tricks.”

  Kat gave him a blank look. “Magic tricks?”

  Jan scowled at the mention of her mother; it was always about her. “That would be her style, I suppose. Anyway, I should get Rosa home. It sounds like everything worked out.” Jan pulled her wallet out of her purse and opened it. “How much do I owe you?”

  Joel and Kat exchanged a glance and Kat looked down at the photo in Jan’s wallet. She pointed at the photo.

  “Hey, do you know that guy?”

  The picture was a photograph that a Japanese tourist had taken of Jan and Steve in front of a waterfall when they’d been on vacation in Maui many years ago. “Yes, that’s my boyfriend Steve.”

  “Oh. Oops. Sorry to be nosy.”

  Joel put his hand on Kat’s shoulder. “She gets like that.”

  “I know. I can’t help it.” Kat said. “It’s just that the other day in the parking lot at the grocery store, I saw that guy with a woman and she seriously smacked my car door with a shopping cart. Then she yelled at the guy to be careful of the wine bottle. My poor Toyota has enough problems. It hasn’t recovered from moving here. Now it’s got another dent. I think the woman was really pissed off and she took it out on my car.”

  Jan frowned. “What did the woman look like?”

  “She was a tall blonde woman wearing a red dress and heels. I don’t think I’ve seen her before. But like I said, I don’t know many people like everybody else does in this town. Isn’t Cindy your friend? She might know.”

  Joel nodded. “That’s true. Cindy makes it her business to know everybody else’s business.”

  As the implications of what Kat had seen sank in, a sick feeling settled in Jan’s stomach. She tried to smile. “I agree. Cindy does know everything. But we’re actually not that close. I see her at story time with her son almost every week at the library, and she does love to talk. I told her about my situation with Rosa and she said she knew a solution. I’m glad she led me to you. Rosa looks happy.”

  Kat reached out to touch her
arm. “Are you okay? I’m really sorry we couldn’t keep Rosa confined. We talked about it and you don’t have to pay us anything. It was such a short time—only a couple of days. It’s okay.”

  Jan sniffed and shook her head. “That’s very nice of you, but I’ll pay you.” She yanked some bills out of her wallet, and thrust them toward Kat. “Is this enough?”

  Kat took the money quietly and looked up at Joel questioningly. His eyes widened slightly, but he didn’t say anything. Kat turned to Jan again. “That’s more than enough. I’m sorry. Did I say something wrong? Sometimes I speak before thinking.”

  A tear slid down Jan’s cheek and she blurted out, “I think Steve is seeing someone behind my back!” Wait. Did she really think that? It was impossible. And even if it were true, why was she telling this to people she hardly knew? She grabbed her purse more tightly, digging her fingernails into the leather. “I know this isn’t your problem and I’m so sorry to fall apart like this in the middle of your front yard. It’s just it’s been a long couple of days with the wedding and travel...and everything. Steve and I have been engaged since I got out of college. We’ve just been waiting for things to settle down before we get married.”

  Kat squinted slightly. “I know I haven’t lived here long, but Alpine Grove is not exactly a hotbed of activity. I don’t think you can get more settled than this, can you?”

  Joel gave Kat a long look and turned back to Jan. “I think what Kat wants to say is that maybe you should talk to him.”

  Jan opened her purse, pulled out a tissue, and wiped her nose. “This is so embarrassing. It’s just a big surprise. I really should go. I appreciate your kindness and for taking care of Rosa.”

  Kat nodded. “No problem. Any time. Like you said, she’s a sweet dog. And apparently because of her magical abilities, when she’s here she receives the ultra-red-carpet treatment and gets to stay in the house.”

  Jan smiled weakly and took Rosa’s leash from Kat. “Yes, I’ll talk to her about that, but I doubt she’ll reveal her secrets.”