by Jen Atkinson
“Wait! Wait!” Dakota zoomed past me, almost running into Carter. “It’s my birthday tomorrow.” She popped her tiny hip and handed him a piece of notebook paper. “And you’re invited.”
Virgie, Shiva Asan, and her momma—that didn’t exactly make up a party. But there would be cake. I hadn’t planned on him though. “I’m sure the deputy has to work, Kotes.”
Carter held up the lined notebook paper. “Tomorrow, at Virgie’s, at six-thirty. I can make that work.”
I ground my teeth together. “Are you sure?”
Carter had the gall to bear his teeth in a grin. “Yep. I’ll be there, Kotes.”
I wanted to yell at him to stay home and to not call her Kotes. I wanted to slug him in the arm as hard as I could, but Dakota whooped and hugged him about the waist.
“See you then,” he said, a promise to Dakota, a threat to me.
Emma
I may not have had the money to buy a fancy toy. I didn’t have access to any stores, anyhow, but I did have a grandmother who took care of me once upon a time. Daisy had stored a few of my old things in a box in the attic. I’d never looked through it, but it had always been at the back of my mind. I knew one day my girl would grow and there’d be hidden treasures in the attic to pass on to her.
“Thank you, Grandma Daisy,” I said as I pulled the lid from the old cardboard box. Because of that sweet angel woman I’d have a gift for Dakota’s seventh birthday.
Chapter 14
Carter
“You’re gonna get yourself in trouble.” Andy pulled at the buckle on his belt hiding beneath his round belly.
“She needs this.” I dialed the number of the shelter, ignoring Andy’s warning, but in truth, a little fearful for my life.
Andy picked up a donut and white powder dusted his uniform. “Why are you going to this thing, anyway? Emma does not like you. You know that, right?”
“I’m not going for Emma.” The line started to ring and I turned away from Andy loving his powdered sugared sweetheart.
“Hello?” The phone sang out.
“Shawna?” I gripped tighter to the office phone handle. “Is he ready?”
“Yep. Jax is all set for pickup. He’s so happy, he can’t stop slobbering.”
“Oh.” I cringed at the thought, remembering my imaginary would-you-rather cake. “Um, great. I’ll be there at six.” I hung up and jotted down the shelter’s address on my desk calendar. “You don’t mind if I duck out early, do you, Andy? I just have to change and pick up a few things.”
He chuckled, white powder on his cheeks, but the donut long gone. “Oh, no. You go. Make sure you take your radio, but leave your gun. I don’t want anyone gett’n shot. You will have to call for backup. Guaranteed.”
“I’m not scared of Emma.”
“You should be.”
“Ha. Ha.” I swung my coat over my shoulder and ripped the corner with the address from the calendar. I ignored the chill over my spine and started for the exit.
“There’s a reason most of us don’t mess with Emma Sunday.”
“Oh, yeah?” I paused at the door and riffled back to see Andy’s face. “And why’s that?”
“Cuz’ no one survives the wrath of that girl.”
Emma
Maybe he wouldn’t show up after all. It was almost seven and Shiva had to be home by seven-thirty. I could see his mom being strict about bedtime, or maybe she just feared me a little. It could have been either—or both.
“Can we do cake now?” I asked the birthday girl.
Dakota screwed her lips into a tight O. “I’m sure he’s coming.”
I couldn’t decide if I should be relieved to have Aiden Carter stand us up or if I should kill him. Kotes had her heart set on him coming—heaven knows why. “How about gifts? Can we open presents without the deputy?”
“Sure.” She smiled for me, but a little of her light had gone out.
“Shiva, Kotes, grab the presents, we’ll take them to Virgie’s kitchen table.”
“Stay on the path, please!” Virgie called out as Shiva strayed from the plastic walkway to the 1980s pink Berber rug. “The carpet, Shiva!”
Almost to the kitchen linoleum, Shiva finally registered what Virgie had said. He turned back around, covering another chunk of Virgie’s pristine carpet to land on the worn plastic walkway.
Virgie fanned herself with her TV guide. “Why did you have to do this here, again?” She crossed her arms over her large bosoms and yellow muumuu dress.
I tilted my head. Did she really want me to answer that?
She studied me, waiting, her face contorting into a scowl.
All right then. “Because, you and Shiva Asan are, heaven help me, Dakota’s best friends. You won’t leave your house, Virgie, not even for your beloved Pepsi. You said, and I quote: ‘If Stink wants me there, it’ll have to be at my place’.”
“That was before I knew you were inviting that bad-mannered Asan boy.”
“He isn’t bad-mannered. You’re just insane.”
Virgie hissed at me, but I ignored her. Still, I followed the plastic path into the kitchen.
I hauled out my phone for pictures, but pulled up my messages first. I typed in Andy’s name and shot him a quick text before Dakota opened her gift from Shiva.
Where is that idiot you call deputy? He’s supposed to be at Dakota’s party.
Dakota ripped into Shiva’s gift and gasped at the beakers and test tubes pictured on the outside of the box. “A science kit, Mama!”
“Wow.” I snapped a quick photo of Dakota holding the kit up to show me. “Nice, Shiva. Thank you.”
Dakota gave him a quick squeeze, but Andy’s text chimed through, interrupting the Kodak moment.
He should be there. Left early to get her a gift.
I stuffed the phone back into my pocket.
“And this one’s from me,” Virgie said, holding up a rectangular wrapped present.
Dakota shook the package, but it didn’t make a sound. She tore away the Rudolf-the-Red-Nosed Reindeer wrapping paper and held up a book. “English to Spanish dictionary.” Dakota giggled, holding her fingers over her lips. “Thanks, Virg.”
“You’re welcome, Stink.”
I shook my head. It didn’t matter what I said—those two were gonna do whatever they wanted.
“Here’s a card,” Shiva said, handing Dakota the blue envelope.
“From my dad,” Dakota beamed—boasting that she had a dad. That’s about all she could do, Keith wasn’t exactly present in her life. Still, he’d sent the card. Most likely because last year I’d reamed him out over the phone for twenty minutes for forgetting.
Dakota pulled a big blue number eight from the envelope. Wrong age and blue—did Keith think he’d had a son one year older than Dakota? My toes curled on Virgie’s cold linoleum. She opened the card and a twenty dollar bill slipped to the ground. She giggled at the note. “He knows I’m seven. He just liked the panda bear on the front, see?” A panda stuck it’s head through the bottom O on the big eight.
Sure. Nice cover, Keith.
“Don’t forget mine,” I said, pointing to the remaining wrapped box on the table. The treasures I’d found. For my ninth birthday Grandma Daisy had knitted me a sweater. It was pink and I refused to wear it. I found it in almost in perfect condition. It would be a little big for Kotes, but she’d like it. Daisy had put a few of my old books away too, The Babysitter’s Club. She’d bought me the first five in the series. I read them again and again. They were well used and it showed—but worn or not—Dakota would love them. It wouldn’t be long before she’d have them all read.
Shiva picked up the gift I’d carefully gathered right as Virgie’s doorbell rang.
“He’s here!” Dakota sang, and she shot off for the door, careful to keep her bare feet on the synthetic pathway.
Shiva and I followed after her, staying a few yards behind. We watched from afar as Dakota swung open the front door.
Carter stood
on the other side with a purple pointy hat on his head. “Happy Birthday, Kotes!”
“I knew you’d come!” She swiveled her neck around to see me. “He’s here, Mama.”
“I see that,” I said, a cold chip in my tone. “Late, but here.”
Carter’s lip twitched, his gaze darting from me to Kotes. “I am late. Sorry, Dakota.”
“That’s okay. We waited to eat the cake. Virgie made it.”
“Great. How about presents.”
“We did those already.”
We had—except for mine. Dakota had forgotten that fact with Aiden Carter’s arrival. But today was about her—not me. She’d open it eventually.
“Well, I have a gift, too.” He blew out a sigh and actually looked a little tired with the statement. I couldn’t imagine what Deputy Carter would pick up for my girl—in Dubois. Another twenty, like Keith. That wouldn’t have been too bad, Dakota rarely got to shop. She could buy herself something fun from Amazon.
Carter stepped into the house and handed her a pink envelope.
“Are we doing this out here now?” Virgie waddled out into the hall. “Hi there, Deputy.”
Carter nodded, but he only had eyes for Dakota’s face as she opened up the card. It was blank on the outside, no flowers or panda bears. She opened it, and I could see Carter’s small script.
Dakota read out loud, “Kotes. Seventh birthday. Smart, smiling, laughing, fun. She deserves a real special day. Sweet girl.” She giggled, her eyes scanning over the card again. “It’s a cinquain.”
Carter’s lips parted into a grin, he nodded, and shoved his hands into his jean pockets.
“A what?” Shiva asked before I could.
“A poem. See?” She held out the card for Shiva and I to see verse by verse.
There wasn’t a twenty inside—only the poem. Kind of sweet. I bit my lip. I could play nice—he seemed to be—and this day belonged to Dakota. “Let me take your coat,” I said, holding my hand out to him.
“Oh,” he said, his eyes sliding up to meet mine. “Um, her gift is in the car. I need to grab it. Kotes, could you help me?”
Dakota snatched her coat from the hook in Virgie’s hall and opened the door, leading Carter outside.
“Mmm-mmm,” Virgie hummed. “He is nice to look at.”
“Virgie! You’ve got your head in a telenovela cloud.”
“If his hair were a shade darker he’d make a great Captain Mendoza.”
“Heaven help me,” I muttered under my breath.
The knob on Virgie’s front door twisted and the wind blew the thing open until it banged against Virgie’s back wall. “A puppy!” Dakota howled as she stumbled into Virgie’s front entryway, a leash in her hands. The most pathetic looking mutt was attached to the other end of the thing.
The white and black dog had patches of hair missing over his scrawny body. Black spots splashed in speckles over his pink skin. His too big ears stood up on end and his tongue hung from his mouth. He howled upon seeing us and promptly peed all over Virgie’s carpet—missing every speck of the plastic covering that protected her floor.
“Mercy,” Virgie moaned before stumbling against the wall and sliding all three hundred pounds of herself to the ground.
Chapter 15
Carter
“Aw, hells bells,” Emma muttered.
I held Jax back and watched as Emma fanned Virgie on the ground. “Do you think you can hold him, Kotes? I’ll clean this up for Ms. Wire.”
“I’ve got him,” she said, her little hands tight around the leash.”
Shiva Asan stood in the hall, his dark eyes as round as marbles.
“Shiva, could you help her?” I pointed at Dakota and the dog. This wasn’t going as planned.
He shook his head. “No, sir. I’m allergic. I’d break out into hives all over my body.”
“I’ve got him.” Dakota beamed, holding the dog’s leash and loving every second of it.
I hurried through the hall until I found the kitchen and a new roll of paper towels. I mopped up the mess while Emma helped Virgie to the couch into the other room. I had the perfect view of them and hoped that Ms. Wire wasn’t about to have a heart attack.
“Emma, please get that thing out of my house.” The woman’s breathing sputtered. “Please, dear.”
“The deputy or the dog?” Emma growled.
“Emma,” Virgie said more forcefully.
“Sure thing.” Emma gave Virgie’s shoulder a pat and passed through the hall to the kitchen. She followed her steps back to the living room, this time with a can of pop in her hands. “Here ya go. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” Back in the hall, she sighed at the sight of Jax. “Kotes, Shiva, it’s time to go.”
Shiva stood back, not willing to come near the dog.
Emma took the reins from her daughter. “Mangy beast. Clean up that slobber, too.” She pointed to another spot where Jax had left his mark before taking him back out into the cold, Dakota and Shiva on her heels.
He’d have to be an inside dog with his thin hair—hopefully Emma would realize that.
The cupboards and counter in the kitchen were just as pristine as the carpet had once been. I opened a few doors before finding the trash and threw out the paper towel roll I’d emptied. I stopped just in the living room, taking note of the floor covering, and kept both feet right where they should be. Ms. Wire’s head lay back against the couch, a can of Pepsi in her hand. “Are you okay, Ms. Wire?” I said, “I’m sorry about all that.”
“It’s all right, dear.” She waved a hand at me, excusing me to go.
I hurried out the door and through the blowing snow, over to the Sunday’s cabin. Shiva stood outside the open door, quivering.
“He doesn’t have much hair, Shiv, maybe you’d be okay,” Dakota called from inside.
Emma’s killer laser beams fluttered when her gaze met mine. “Here,” she said, handing me the leash. “I have to take Shiva home, he won’t come in with your Franken-dog here.”
“Okay.” I might have felt guilty if it weren’t for Dakota’s glowing expression.
“Don’t let that thing crap on my floor,” Emma said, her tone hushed. So, at least she could see how happy Jax had made Dakota, too. She slammed the door and left the three of us alone.
“Where’s your grandpa?” I asked Dakota.
She sat on the floor, nose to nose with the dog, while she rubbed his back. “He’s at Twila’s.”
Aw. Sorry I asked.
“I can’t believe you brought me a puppy.” She rubbed her nose to Jax’s again and he sneezed in her face. Dakota giggled and wiped at her lips with her sleeve.
I sat on the floor next to them, stroking Jax’s back. “He’s not really a puppy. He’s pretty big to be a puppy. The shelter said they thought Jax was close to four-years-old.”
“Jax?”
“That’s his name. Cute, huh?”
Dakota wrinkled her nose. “He doesn’t look anything like a Jax. Virgie cleans her toilet with Ajax”
“Oh, well, I mean, he’s yours.” I shrugged. “You get the last say on his name.”
Her brows rose and when she bit her lip, she looked a little more like her mother. “Really? I do?”
I crossed my legs, forgetting my concern over changing the animal’s name with Dakota’s grin. “Yes, sweetheart, you can name him.”
“This is a big responsibility. It has to be smart and it has to be important.”
“Einstein?”
“Nah.” She shook her head. “I’ll think about it.”
“Okay. So, what else did you get? A doll? Um, a Barbie?” What did seven year old girls normally get for a birthday?
“Oh, darn it.” She smacked her knee with her little fist. “I left my test tubes at Virgie’s.”
“Test tubes?”
“Yeah.” She nodded. “I got a science kit.” Her shoulders rose and fell with the thought of her gift a whole house away. “And a Spanish dictionary.”
“I can go grab
your things.”
A drizzle of drool fell from the dog’s open mouth, leaving a line from his jaw to Dakota’s foot. She giggled and scratched behind his right ear, which seemed to be a little larger than his left. He lay his head in her lap and shut his eyes. Dakota ran her fingers through the thin traces of his hair. “That’s okay. I can get them tomorrow.”
A small motory snore left the dog. He’d snuggled right up to her—as if he knew he belonged to her. “I think he likes you.”
The dog snorted his reply, his eyes blinking open.
“I think so.” Dakota dipped her head to look him in the eyes. “You like me, don’t you doggy.”
The front door unlatched and I stood, feeling safer on my feet with Emma around. “Doggy?” I said, still attempting to focus on Dakota. “You’ll have to do better than that.”
She giggled at my comment, but her eyes slid to the open door. “Mama!” The dog, formerly known as Jax, jerked in her lap. She hunched her shoulders and patted him on the head. “Mama!” She whispered this time. “Guess what? I get to name him!”
Emma’s eyes went wide. “Wow, Kotes. That’s just hunky-dory.” She clutched to the cake pan in her hands
The dog raised his head, drool reaching from Dakota’s leg to his whiskered jaw.
Emma grimaced and then set her glare on me. Somehow she glared and smiled all at once. It frightened me. She pointed a long thin finger my direction. “You, come with me.” She softened her face for Dakota. “We’ll get your cake ready.” She held up the cake in her hands. Her brown hair hung down her back, her light eyes—maybe hazel—shone when she looked at Dakota. Again, I thought she could have been pretty. But when her gaze slid back to me, it turned to a hard, ugly scowl once more.
I followed her through the kitchen doorway, jerking when she tossed the cake onto the counter. She spun around, pointing a finger at me, but I stood so close behind her that the tip of her finger hit me in the chest.