by Kim Koby
Ben chimed in. “Yeah, apparently they had an entire network. Ship the stuff in and store it in the cavern. It was never seen since they went through the tunnel that led from the barn, then ship it out through the other side in the dead of night. And yet, the opening was only some thirty feet away. How did it go undetected all that time? I guess when you don’t want to believe something, you look the other way.”
Abby sunk back against the chair cushion. “Mm, that massage feels good. Thanks.”
“Sure, babe. You know what gets me the most? It’s not even all of that, but the lengths that they went to all to cover up another crime. I doubt when Mr. Anderson first got involved in the racket, he thought he’d end up killing somebody. And yet, it was a choice he made while following a bad path. Things got out of control. Don’t get me wrong, he gets no sympathy from me, but it’s like one thing leads to another and before you know what happened, it spirals out of control. What’s freaky is that Mrs. Anderson was completely oblivious to what was going on right under her nose. That must be such a weird feeling to be married to somebody, then hear about his arrest and being blindsided. You think you know somebody all of your life…”
Abby agreed. “At first, I wasn’t sure about Mrs. Anderson after the big arrest, but it sounds like she really didn’t have anything to do with it, or even know what her husband was up to. The bad path thing, I think that’s what happened to my brother. He got in too deep. What if my father had never got to the authorities? Nobody would be the wiser. Mr. Anderson would have gotten away with his murder, and he’d still be moving drugs.”
“I’m glad they busted the drug ring after his arrest. I guess that’s why they had to sit on the information for a while. That way they’d get the supplier along with the distributors. Your dad made the difference by going to the authorities. Hey, did you hear about that guy who was implanting bags of liquid heroin in puppies? He was a vet or something and stitched the bags into the stomach of the puppies. I can’t even fathom what went into doing all of that. It’s hard for me to wrap my head around. And yet, there it was in the news in black and white.”
Abby nodded. “I did read that article. It made me angry for the poor puppies, and grateful that they’d caught and sentenced the guy. I hate drugs and what they do to this country. And it’s not just the drug users, it’s the people that sell their souls for extra cash. It’s sad what people are willing to do for money.”
Ben added, “Honestly, I don’t think we would have learned the things we did if Mr. Anderson hadn’t had gone for a plea deal to take the death penalty off the table. The worker who set the barn on fire, who knows if they’ll ever find him. He took off with the drugs as payment for getting rid of any evidence, then disappeared into the night. Mr. Anderson threw him under the bus to try to save himself, but how many others did they at least get off the street because of the bargain.”
Abby leaned back and looked at Ben. “The only thing I’m happy about is that at least Mr. Anderson got the animals to safety. I’m still trying to work out the logistics of the entire night in my mind. Anyway, it would have been needless for them to suffer for his stupidity. Remind me again why I brought this up?”
Ben sighed. “The more you discuss it, the less shock value it has on your life. Get it out while it’s on your mind. There will come a point where it doesn’t push your buttons every day. Give it time, babe. In the scheme of things, not that much time has passed. Sure, we got to put it to rest, but it’s all still fresh on your mind. It was your father. There’s a reason it’s so personal.”
“You’re right. I’m sorry I keep talking about it, though.”
“Don’t be. I’m here for you no matter what you want to talk about. You know that. I love you, Abby. I’ll support you in any way that I can,” Ben reminded.
“How did I get so lucky? I landed the sexiest fireman ever. Not only is he sweet, but he’s an incredible person.”
Ben walked around the chair and took Abby’s hands. He pulled her to her feet. Shadow was sprawled out on the floor. Ben wrapped his arms around her, then gave her a kiss. “Come sit next to me on the sofa.”
She was more than happy to oblige. There was nothing better than curling into the crook of his arm and being close to Ben. “I’m glad it’s behind us. I’ve got plenty of notes, but I’m not sure I’m ready to work on this after all. I want to, but I’m feeling a little raw now that I know all of the details.”
“You do what feels right. Nobody says you need to write the book. I know it was important to you, but I’m guessing you weren’t expecting some of the answers you found.”
“That’s so true. At least I found what I set out to find. Either way, I’ll think on it for a while before I make a decision.” Every last bit of the situation was so much more than she’d ever thought it would be.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Time passed, the holidays neared, and soon the season was changing back to warmer temperatures. Almost a year had gone by.
Abby’s mother had fallen into a comfortable relationship with her plumber, Butch. Ian was focused on work, and Abby plucked away at words. She hoped to wrap up her book by the end of the summer. It didn’t quite turn out the way she’d planned. While she’d intended to write the story of her father’s journey, somehow it turned into a love story about two people finding themselves with the last person they expected.
She’d meant to write about her father, but it crowded her with too much stress. One word turned into another, and before she knew what she was doing Abby she was knee-deep in a romance novel. Not quite what she’d intended, but the words flowed, nonetheless, and she ran with it.
In all honesty, once she learned what had happened, the drive wasn’t the same. The answers had been solved, stories were coming out, and producing the book would have caused her family too much heartache. Did she really want to air her family’s dirty laundry? After talking the situation over with Ben, she concluded she’d made the right choice.
Abby glanced at her watch. She had a meeting at three o’clock with a rescue group. Ben had spoken about getting another dog, but they wanted to make sure their new addition was a good match for Shadow.
Ben was swinging by to pick her up, and together the three of them would head to the foster home where the mixed breed was staying. From what they’d gathered, they knew he was a beagle mix, but they weren’t positive what the beagle was mixed with at this point! He was a stray that had found his way to a shelter. A no-kill rescue group saved him from the sad possibilities and was looking to place him in a forever home.
Abby hoped they’d be his forever home.
They’d heard about the dog on the Good Morning Gold Coast show. They’d recently been showcasing more pets for adoption, trying to get the word out for those in need.
When Ben arrived, Abby was giddy with delight. The idea of adding a second dog to her household left her as happy as a clam. It would do Shadow good to have a playmate. There was more than enough love to go around.
“Are you ready?” he asked, when she ran out to the truck before he could even climb out and ring the bell.
She laughed. “Am I too…anxious? Is it obvious?”
“I think it’s sweet. I do have to make one pitstop before we head over, but I should only be a minute.”
“Okay, sure.” She buckled in after Shadow jumped into his truck. “Are you ready to go meet your new friend, Shadow? I hope you like him. It would do you good to have some company.”
Ben ruffled Shadow’s ears. “Don’t worry, boy, you’ll still be my number one.”
They drove in the general direction of their meeting. They were on their way to the connecting highway. Ben turned off before they could get there and steered his truck toward the park.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“I wanted to show you something,” he said. “I hope you don’t mind. It will only take a second.”
She shrugged. “Okay. We won’t be late, will we?”
“N
o, we’ll be there in plenty of time. Don’t worry.” Ben parked his truck, then led Abby out of the parking lot toward the trail at Cliff Walk.
“Do you think we should be doing this now? Maybe you should show me whatever it is after we go meet our new buddy?” She glanced at her watch nervously.
“We’ll be quick,” he answered.
They walked just past the entrance of the trail, not far from where they’d parked. He stopped in front of a new bench that sat in a semi-shaded area. “What do you think?”
Abby turned to look at the bench. Why would he want to show her a bench? And now? They had other things to do. “A new bench?”
He nodded with a grin.
Her eyes shot open wide when she read what was engraved on the back panel of the bench. Abby’s hand shot up over her mouth as a small gasp escaped.
She turned around. Ben was down on one knee. In his hands was a small jewelry box.
“Ben?” Everything happened in slow motion the moment she realized what was happening.
“Abby, you’ve changed my life for the better in so many ways. I’d be honored if you’d be my wife. I can’t imagine what life would be like without you. Will you marry me?” he asked, a slight tremble in his voice gave away his nervousness.
She started to laugh, then cry…she nodded quickly. “Yes! Really? Yes!”
Ben opened the box. Relief washed over his face. A diamond solitaire sparkled against the blue velvet of the box. He fidgeted as he wiggled it from the container. He tenderly placed the ring on her finger. He beamed with pride.
“It’s so beautiful.”
“You like it?”
“It’s perfect. It’s so pretty. And that?” She spun and pointed toward the bench.
“If you didn’t approve the message, we can change it. The person who carved it for me is aware we might need to adjust it.”
“You’re kidding me, right? It’s amazing exactly as it is.” She couldn’t speak. It was overwhelming. Her emotions flooded through her like a mighty river. She jumped into his arms.
“I’m stunned. I mean…the ring, the bench…what you’ve done...” She tried to slow down her thoughts. “I guess you’re glad I said yes, huh?”
He squeezed her hand. “You have no idea!”
The bench read: In memory of Jack Donovan. With love from Abigail Foster and Ben Foster.
She didn’t know what to say. The memorial bench on Cliff Trail was something she’d never have thought of. That Ben went out of his way to do that for her was another token of how special he was in her life. He always put her first. She’d never been more certain of anything in her life. Ben was her future. Abigail Foster. She liked the sound of her future name.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Ben, Abby, Shadow, and Duke walked the trail. After their jaunt, they made it a habit to stop at their bench and enjoy the moment. They’d sent away a swab of Duke’s saliva and found that his part beagle was mixed with part Labrador. It was perfect having another retriever in the family.
Abby leaned against Ben and placed her hand on his leg. They’d since added a wedding band to the engagement band. The sun glinted off the precious metal. In another hour, the bench would be covered by shade, but the sun still peeked through in some spots.
“When is your brother leaving?” Abby asked.
“He heads back East next week. It’s been nice having him here. He’s been staying at Mom and Dad’s but moved over to the Redwood Cove Inn when his girlfriend arrived in town. She feels horrible she missed the wedding, but her father was going through surgery.”
“Oh, there’s no reason for her to be upset. I’m so happy her father ended up being okay,” she said. “We’ll see them in a few months anyway for their wedding. Her father got so lucky he didn’t hit his head when he fell.”
“Yeah, that was a scare, and so close. Oh, by the way, I was at work yesterday and the chief asked when we’ll be having kids! I told him not to rush us. After all, we just got married.”
“Eventually. I’m certainly in on hurry. I figure nature will help us decide. Oh, and I’m so excited to get away for a while. What about you?” The beach called to Abby. While she enjoyed the trail at Cliff Walk and the dog park, she was ready to go to Southern California for a change of pace.
“Yeah. I would have booked our honeymoon for directly after the wedding, but with my brother being in town…I hope you don’t mind.”
“I have you. That’s all that matters. Besides, in two weeks I’ll be off on a wild adventure with you. Nothing could make me happier. The boys will love it,” she added. She reached down and stroked Shadow’s shoulders.
Ben reached down to pet Duke’s head. “Shadow will show you the ropes. You didn’t know you’d be joining a family that went on adventures, did you?”
“San Diego and Coronado Beach. I can’t wait!” She leaned toward Shadow. “Don’t worry, North Beach is dog-friendly. You’ll enjoy our time away as much as we will. It was such a great idea to find a dog-friendly rental.”
Shadow wagged his tail.
Abby knew she’d live happily ever after with Ben, Shadow, and Duke by her side. One day they’d add children to the mix, but they were in no hurry. They had their entire lives in front of them.
One year later.
Abby wrapped her hands under her stomach. They didn’t plan her pregnancy, but it was a blessing, nonetheless. With a couple months left to go, she couldn’t imagine her belly swelling any bigger.
Ben called out over his shoulder. He was standing in the kitchen. “I was thinking—”
“That’s always dangerous,” she teased.
“Ha, ha. You’re a riot. Seriously, have you narrowed down your list of names yet? I’ve been working on mine, but I only came up with one.” He opened the refrigerator and pulled out the jug of sweet tea.
“Let me guess. Ben, Jr?”
“I was thinking more along the lines of Jack,” he answered with a shrug.
Her eyes opened wide. “Really? You would be okay with that? Jack? I didn’t want to press.”
“I think it would be the perfect name for our son. Don’t you?”
Abby stood and waddled over to Ben and gave him a hug. “I love you, Mr. Foster.”
“I love you too, Mrs. Foster.”
She glanced at the floor, then admitted. “I was secretly hoping you’d consider it, but I would have understood you wanting a Ben Jr, too. Why don’t we combine them? Jack Benjamin Foster? That way he can have both my father’s name and yours.”
He nodded. “It does have a nice ring to it.”
“Right, so I have one more question.” Abby leaned against the counter.
“What’s that?” he asked.
“What are we going to name his sister?” Abby rubbed her hands across her stomach. The idea that she was pregnant was a surprise as it was, but twins added an entire new level of surprise.
Ben sighed. “Twins. They really said twins? I’m so sorry I missed the appointment. I got caught at that house fire longer than I expected. I was so excited to go to the ultrasound with you. Two little heartbeats! Amazing. I wish I could have seen it.”
“Don’t ever apologize for being a hero,” she said softly. “Besides, we have the video and images, though I guess it’s not quite the same.”
Ben looked into his wife’s eyes. “You are the best thing that ever happened to me. Do you know that?”
She turned to Duke and Shadow and teased. “Yeah, I kind of do? Hear that boys? I’m the best. Try not to be jealous!”
Shadow wagged his tail. Duke barked in response.
“Okay, so girl names…”
THE END
Sneak Peak
Read the first chapter of SAVING SARAH, book 1 of the Gold Coast Retrievers…
Sarah let go of her patient’s hand and watched as it settled back on the rumpled hospital blanket. Just yesterday Mr. Hinkley had regaled her with stories of his youthful heroics, of his time spent serving their country in Korea, a
nd of the big, loving family that came after.
For more than eighty years he’d lived life as best as he could figure out how… and now?
He’d died alone in a nursing home, attended only by a nurse and her faithful therapy dog.
Her Golden Retriever whined and nudged the old man’s hand one final time before looking to Sarah for guidance.
“Good job, Lucky,” she whispered to the dog while pulling herself slowly to her feet. Sometimes she cried when residents left them. Other days she just felt numb. Whatever the particular case, saying that final goodbye never got any easier.
Not for Sarah, and certainly not for Lucky.
“Let’s go for a walk,” she told the dog as they click-clacked down the hall.
Lucky wagged his tail weakly. They both needed the warm California sun on their faces to coax the life back into them. It was part of their routine—treat, comfort, move on. If they mourned too long, then they wouldn’t be on their best game for the other patients who needed them.
And so many needed them.
Each new person who passed through this facility offered Sarah a new life to try on, a new person to become. Outside of her work, her life had been rather unremarkable. She’d always done what was expected when it was expected. She’d gone to school, received straight A’s, stayed out of trouble, and treated others with as much kindness as she could muster. Sarah was a good person, but not the kind anyone would remember when she herself passed.
She’d been working at the Redwood Cove Rest Home for the past four years now, and more than three of them with Lucky at her side. Of course, Sarah hadn’t originally planned to turn her pet into a colleague, but now she couldn’t imagine herself getting through the day without the big yellow fur ball with her every step of the way.
