by Wendy Knight
Kayne’s steps echoed against what was left of the wood floor. Most of it had long since rotted away, and the walls crumbled around them. How anyone thought this was a safe place to spend the night was beyond him. “Any doggos here?” he called, his voice bouncing around what remained of a living room. Mrs. Stradley made kissing noises and Dustin shook the hamburger bag.
At first, there was no response and Kayne started to wonder if maybe the dogs had moved on, despite Red saying there had been sightings of them for over a week. It wasn’t until they had navigated through the front of the big house that he heard the low growl. Another weaker growl joined it, coming from somewhere near the back where the worst of the fire damage was.
“Here puppy, here puppy,” Mrs. Stradley called.
The growls increased, and Dustin muttered under his breath, “I think they don’t like being called puppy.”
Mrs. Stradley sent him a nervous smile. Every time they went out on a rescue, especially with big dogs, it was a risk. They’d all been bitten and clawed and pecked. Most of them had wound up with stitches. It was never fun getting attacked, but seeing the animal safe and rehabilitated was more than enough reward. It never failed to remind Kayne that there was still good in this world.
They came around the corner to what had once been a kitchen and in the back, a pantry of sorts. It was there, through the crumbling walls, that Kayne got his first glimpse of the dogs.
They were big, huskies or Alaskan Malamutes. Their fur was matted and thin, not nearly thick enough to keep them warm in this cold. One lay down, teeth bared but too exhausted or too injured to get up. The other stood in front of it, growling and barking, spittle flying from between sharp, sharp teeth.
“I think we need the dog whisperer,” Mrs. Stradley said.
Kayne shook his head. “They’re just hungry. We got this.”
Dustin made some sort of non-committal noise under his breath and they all pressed forward. Kayne focused on his breathing, on keeping calm because being nervous and afraid would only make things worse. It was difficult to see the extent of their situation, peering through the beams as he was. Once they got around the corner—
The dog waited for them there and lunged, snapping and barking, the sound echoing through the empty, torn halls. Kayne jumped back and the dog didn’t pursue, but he wouldn’t let them come any closer either.
They tried everything. He tossed the hamburger to him in pieces, and the dog took the bites but kept his eye on the threatening humans the entire time. The other dog couldn’t even get up to try to take the hamburger.
They tried just catching the big dog with leashes and ropes and cages, but he was too smart and too fast. Nothing they did made any progress and after an hour of it, Kayne and his team were all cold and exhausted and out of options.
Kayne sighed and picked up his phone. “Send the dog whisperer.”
Red was never going to let him live this down.
“She’s on her way.”
Minutes later, he heard Cleo’s jeep pull to a stop in the snow-covered drive. She’d gotten there too fast, which meant she’d already been in the area.
Already expecting him to fail, no doubt.
Mrs. Stradley led her back to where they’d set up a temporary base to work from, just out of sight of the dogs but where they could keep an eye on them.
“What are we dealing with?” she asked, tugging off her gloves. She glanced at Kayne and her eyes skimmed past him to Dustin and then beyond, searching for the dogs.
“Two huskies in bad shape. One can’t even get up. Looks like they’ve been out here for a while,” Kayne said. “You can see their ribs, but no other injuries as far as I can tell.”
Mrs. Stradley ran Cleo through everything they’d done thus far trying to catch them, and although she nodded absently, Cleo was watching for the dogs.
“Okay,” she said as soon as Mrs. Stradley finished, proving that she had, in fact, been listening, “Maybe I can help.”
“Be careful, Cleo. They’re not friendly,” Kayne said needlessly, because as soon as she took a step around the corner, the big dog started barking.
Cleo didn’t flinch.
She’d panicked and frozen in a tree twenty feet off the ground the day before because of a bird, and now she walked fearlessly toward a dog nearly as big as she was.
Weird girl.
“This will take her a while,” Dustin said. “Might as well get comfortable.”
Kayne had seen Cleo work many, many times through the years, but he never tired of it. It was like watching her put a spell over everything in her vicinity, calming the storm and soothing the wild. She got to the point where the dog lunged, and then she sat.
On the ground, in the snow.
She tossed out small bites of food she had in her pocket and she talked, her voice soft and easy. Kayne couldn’t hear what she said, only the constant stream of her voice. Every several minutes, she’d inch a little closer. Before the dog even realized it, Cleo was right in front of him, and she reached a hand out with the last of the food resting in her palm.
The dog watched her suspiciously, starving eyes going from her face to the food in her hand and back again. After a lifetime, during which Cleo sat perfectly still, the dog hesitantly took the food from her hand. In one lightning fast move, she slipped the leash over the dog’s head. The dog jumped and twisted, but Cleo held firm, rising to her knees as she continued to talk and to calm. “I know, I know. It’s scary. But we need to help you and your friend. It’s okay. It’s okay.”
She handed Kayne the other end of the leash without even looking, and reached out with more food. The dog calmed, although his hackles were still raised and a low growl rumbled continuously through his chest, and finally gave up and took the food.
Cleo nodded at Kayne, and he and Dustin worked to get the dog to the truck while she moved on to the other one. Dustin stayed behind at the truck, and Kayne jogged back to help with the injured dog.
Cleo was on her knees next to it when he got back in the house. Mrs. Stradley was hurrying toward them with towels, eyes drawn. “She’s hurt pretty badly,” Cleo said, glancing up at Kayne. The dog had her head on Cleo’s leg, as if she somehow knew that Cleo was there to help. “The other dog was just trying to protect her, I think. We’ve got to get this poor baby to Stacey ASAP.”
Now that he was closer, Kayne could see the blood staining the snow, fresh and old. She probably tore open wounds whenever she moved, maybe wounds that had frozen to the icy ground beneath her. Every rib was visible and her spine was too pronounced along her back.
“She’s been on her own for a while.”
Cleo nodded. “Mozzie didn’t seem to be in nearly this bad of shape.”
“Mozzie?” he knelt next to her, taking the towels Mrs. Stradley handed him and sliding them beneath the dog. She whimpered, her entire body trembling, and stared up at Cleo with big, terrified eyes.
“It’s okay,” Cleo cooed, bending her face close to the dog’s. “He’s helping. We’re going to get you out of here.” To Kayne, she said, “She won’t eat. I’m worried that…” she trailed off, glanced up at Mrs. Stradley, and bit her lip. Back to Kayne, she said, “I named the other one Mozzie. He’s my favorite character on White Collar.”
Kayne nodded, keeping his face carefully blank. She’d punch him if he even dared think about mocking her.
“I don’t think I can lift her. Can you? And get her to my jeep?”
Kayne nodded, sliding his arms through the snow and beneath the towels they’d just tucked around her. She was surprisingly light, much lighter than she should have been for such a big dog. She twisted and turned, alternating between growling and whimpering. Cleo scampered around Kayne, walking backward with the dog’s head in her hands, talking gibberish in that low, soothing voice that seemed to hypnotize everyone around her.
It certainly had that effect on Kayne.
Mrs. Stradley ran to open the jeep door and slid the dog into the bac
k seat, climbing in behind her. Cleo hurried to the driver side, pausing to wave at Dustin, who sat with Mozzie in Kayne’s truck. Mozzie was in a cage and not at all happy to see his friend brought out unprotected. He barked and howled and snarled, pawing and snapping at the cage and ignoring the food Dustin plied him with.
Kayne got in the truck and Dustin breathed a sigh of relief. The dog—Mozzie—was not so happy to be on his way and redoubled his angry efforts to escape or eat the cage, whichever came first.
It was a long drive back to the sanctuary.
CHAPTER THREE
Stacey was waiting for them when Cleo roared up to the clinic and slid into an empty space. She helped them get the husky, whom Cleo had decided to call Glacier, out of the back seat. Cleo went with her, trying to keep Glacier as calm as possible. Every time she twitched or moved, blood gushed from some wound Cleo hadn’t found yet.
Kayne came in with Dustin, carrying Mozzie’s cage between them. Mozzie hadn’t yet exhausted himself and still kept trying to nip their hands whenever they got too close. Kayne looked exhausted, and Dustin had blood running down one finger. They deposited the cage in Stacey’s waiting room and both backed away.
Cleo knelt next to Mozzie, murmuring quietly. It was hard to tell his coloring given how dirty he was, covered in dried mud and blood and who knew what else. His fur was matted close to the skin and his tail was practically bare. Although Glacier was in obvious bad shape, Mozzie wasn’t great, either. They were both going to need a lot of care.
“We’ll check them out,” Stacey said as Red came around the corner, “And let you know what options we have.”
“That one’s not going to let anyone near him but Cleo,” Kayne said, motioning with his head toward Mozzie. “He tried to eat us the whole way back to town.”
Stacey smiled. “I’ll manage.”
Red placed a delicate hand on Cleo’s shoulder. “They’re in good hands. Why don’t you guys go get warmed up.”
The bright purple paw-shaped clock on the wall said it was long past dinner time. Cleo hadn’t noticed, and the thought of her empty house didn’t sound inviting, even if she was frozen to the core and felt like her toes might never be warm again. But what could she say that wouldn’t make her sound weird? All these people had families to go home to. She couldn’t just hang out in the waiting room of the clinic and hope for company.
She nodded at Red’s inquisitive stare and rose stiffly to her feet. Her jeans had been soaked through and then dried hard, so she felt like they’d at some point turned into cardboard. “You’ll call me if you need any help with him?” she asked Stacey at the door. Stacey was already unlatching the cage. She would take good care of Mozzie, Cleo knew.
Still, it was hard to walk away.
“Of course, I will. Thanks, Cleo.” Stacey waved as she coaxed the unwilling Mozzie toward the cage door. He’d been so eager to get out and now wanted nothing to do with it.
Being a stray was rough.
“You got plans tonight?” Dustin asked no one in particular as they walked out to their waiting cars. Mrs. Stradley had grandkids coming in for the evening, so she was already hurrying off. The chill in the air had only become more biting as the sun had faded into the western sky, and it stung the tip of Cleo’s nose and ears.
“Nada,” Cleo said. “My parents are still in New Mexico and none of my friends came back for winter break.” Cleo forced her voice to remain upbeat. Her friends had all gone off to school, but Cleo couldn’t bear to abandon Red and her sanctuary, so she’d stayed in Huckleberry Falls and taken classes online in between animal care and tutoring other students. Still, she couldn’t help but feel that she’d been left behind while everyone else had moved onto bigger and better things.
Left behind and forgotten.
“I came back,” Kayne objected.
Cleo rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean.”
Kayne gave her an unreadable look and then changed the subject. “Why are your parents in New Mexico?”
“They’re retired and decided being park rangers was the thing to do.” Cleo shrugged, smiling. Her parents were living their dream, and she had to ignore the sting of their absence. “But it’s fine. It means I’m available for Red if she needs me. Or Stacey, when those pups are ready to leave the clinic. Or the partridge even.” Cleo shuddered.
Kayne almost snickered, which was saying a lot given the fact that she’d heard him laugh maybe twice in the twenty years she’d known him.
“How about you?” Dustin asked Kayne.
“I’ve gotta do some Christmas shopping,” Kayne said gruffly. “I’ve put it off for too long. Christmas is in eleven days.”
“Shopping for anyone special?” Dustin laughed when Kayne scowled.
“Yes. My mom. She’s impossible. I was thinking of a vacuum.”
Kayne had grown up with only brothers. His poor mom had never been shopped for by the gentler hand of a woman.
“Please,” Cleo begged. “Don’t get her a vacuum.”
“Hers smokes whenever she uses it,” Kayne objected. “She needs a new one.”
“Yeah… then get her a new one for the fun of it. Not for Christmas. No one wants to wake up Christmas morning to a vacuum, trust me.” Cleo hit the unlock button on her jeep and swung the door open.
Kayne shut it.
“Help me then, smarty. You shop with me and I will buy you dinner. Whatever you want. Steak, lobster, caviar, whatever it takes. I’m desperate.”
Cleo laughed. “Clearly. I’m a vegetarian. I’ll be happy with a cheese sandwich.”
“Does that mean you’re in?” Kayne asked, resting his hand on the top of her jeep. She was distracted momentarily by the callouses. He was a college student and a trust fund kid. He’d never worked a physically demanding job as far as she knew, except for rescuing animals, which was always a new adventure. She almost asked how he’d gotten them, but realized he was waiting for an answer.
“Oh, yeah. Sure, I don’t have anything else to do. Want to come, Dustin?” she asked, turning to their friend.
Dustin pursed his lips, trying to hide the quirk but failing. Cleo had no idea why he thought her question was amusing and waited for an explanation. “Uh… no. Thanks though. I’m—I’ve got plans. Busy busy, you know. Christmas season is busy.”
Cleo frowned. “Okay… I thought you were asking because you were—never mind. Have a good night.” She turned toward Kayne, who was shaking his head and rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Should I just follow you to main street?”
Kayne heaved a sigh. “How about you leave your car here and ride with me? I’ll bring you back when we’re done. Since you’re helping me out and all.”
Cleo jiggled her keys in her hand impatiently. “That doesn’t make sense. My house is on the other side of main street. It’s easier if I just follow you. Parking shouldn’t be bad right now.”
Kayne glanced at Dustin, who shrugged. “Okay. I’ll see you there then.”
Cleo swung up into the driver’s seat, careful not to slip on the ice getting in. Her jeep had lost any of the warmth she’d blasted on her way back to town, and the steering wheel nearly froze her fingers as she turned to follow Kayne’s giant truck out of the parking lot. His taillights flashed red in the quickly fading light, glowing like the Christmas lights lining the streets and shop windows.
Cleo loved Huckleberry Falls at Christmas time. They were famous for the Edelweiss ski resort, an upscale tourist destination that brought in celebrities from all over the world. It was the brainchild of golden Hollywood elite, Helen Lane. Her daughter, the actress Gretchen Ellington, owned it now, and it sat above the town like a castle overlooking them all. The town square went all out for Christmas, with lights and decorations and warmth and smiles. Each year during the holiday season, Huckleberry Falls did an Adventfenster. The shop windows and houses were set up like an advent calendar, counting down the days until Christmas. Every time Cleo thought about leaving town and moving on with her lif
e, the thought of saying goodbye to all of this hurt her soul. How anyone else had done it was beyond her.
“Finding a parking spot this time of year is impossible,” Kayne said as he walked up behind her. Cleo raised an eyebrow, given that he’d only parked three stalls down from her. It was true that Huckleberry Falls was a tourist destination, especially during Christmas, and crowds surged during the weeks before and after the holidays. But not so much that she hadn’t been able to find a parking spot. Most tourists were tucked away in their cozy hotels by this time of the evening.
“You can’t tell me this is worse than your fancy college town in Arizona.” She led the way across the square. She’d never been to Kayne’s house or met his mother other than for group pictures and school events, but she had a good idea of what to get the woman with four boys, all under the age of twenty-two.
“No one drives at school,” Kayne said. “I don’t even have a car there. I take public transportation or I walk. Campus is huge, like its own city.”
“And you walk everywhere? Sounds exhausting.” She grinned, bumping him with her shoulder. It failed to move him at all, big and sturdy as he was, but nearly flung her into a light pole decorated with wreaths and ribbon. Kayne grabbed her, saving her from herself, while almost-smiling.
The closest he ever got.
“How else can I stay in animal rescuing shape? You think I could climb trees if I sat at home playing video games?”
“I sit at home and I climbed that tree just fine.”
Kayne snorted as Cleo paused in front of the shop door of The Torta al Cioccolato. Although it was named “Chocolate Cake”, the shop had always offered much more than only pastries. The owners had fallen in love with Lugano, Switzerland and other cities in the Swiss Italian canton of Ticino and had patterned the store after the pastry shops there. The blend of Switzerland and Italy meant that the Torta went with the Swiss Italian version of things rather than the Swiss French, or Swiss German other businesses in Huckleberry Falls emulated.
