Sit, Stay, Love

by Debbie Burns

  The way Frankie came to life at seeing them—wagging his tail and barking and dropping into a play bow, enticing the nearest horse to run and buck—made Kurt laugh. After watching the horses a bit, they headed down a dirt road. When they’d made it a safe distance from the herd, Kurt unleashed Frankie and let him run until he was panting heavily and content, his crooked smile wide and drooly.

  “Thank God you’re getting a second chance, buddy. Kind of makes you want to believe again, doesn’t it?”

  Kurt blinked away the unexpected tears stinging his eyes. He’d let Frankie in, let them all in, even though he hadn’t planned on it. It had started with Kelsey, then the house, then everything else came tumbling along after.

  By the time they made it back to the Mustang, it was almost fully dark. The passenger-side door wasn’t closed completely, which made Kurt start. He’d gotten Frankie out the driver’s-side door. The road was deserted but someone had been here, checking out his car. Nothing seemed harmed, and he’d had the keys and anything of value on him. The glove box was open, and he spotted Nana’s rosary inside, lying on top of a few napkins. Lifting it out, he held it in the dim light. The wooden beads were faded and worn from her many prayers. He’d carried the rosary around in his pocket the first few days after getting it but had no recollection of putting it in the glove box. Yet, here it was.

  Beside him, Frankie whined as he looked around in the darkness. “Yeah, yeah, I hear you, buddy. We’ll head into town before we catch some z’s.”

  Kurt slipped the rosary into his pocket, loaded Frankie up, and continued on until he reached a brightly lit truck stop. He was so fatigued by then that he fell into a doze within seconds of turning off the ignition. He woke a few hours later. Frankie had wedged the front half of his body between the bucket seats and was licking his face.

  After grabbing a meal for each of them, refueling, and letting Frankie stretch his legs, Kurt continued west, dipping into Utah, then driving through Idaho. Passing the Oregon state line renewed his energy, as did the second sunrise of the trip. The green hills of Oregon seemed to stretch on forever. He napped again midway through the day and suspected that tonight, no matter what happened when he reached the beach, he’d need to find a room to stretch out in before heading back tomorrow.

  By the time he finally made it to the coast, the sun wasn’t far above the horizon, and the western sky visible in gaps in the forest promised a spectacular sunset. He caught glimpses of the ocean as he drove the last few meandering miles to a beach town. A pleasant calm trickled over him, and he couldn’t help but feel as if Nana was beside him in the passenger seat.

  He should’ve come home for her funeral. He suspected that’s what had been bothering him most of all. He’d extended his service three times. He could’ve taken leave, but he didn’t even try. Instead, he pushed her smiling brown eyes, slim frame, and wrinkled-smooth skin from his mind and immersed himself in duty.

  If she’d been here, she would probably have told him there was some pain you couldn’t work through. Some pain was so real that there was nothing to do but let it in. Somehow, though, he’d made it through mourning her with his head bent down in duty, first in the service and later at the Sabrina Raven estate.

  And even before seeing the beach—the reason he’d driven all this way—he felt deep in his core that somehow, now he was okay. He was ready to let it all go. Ready to move on. Ready to really live. That letter of his mother’s could wait. For months, maybe for years. Someday, he’d open it. Or maybe he wouldn’t.

  Having finally reached the western edge of the continent, he parked in a public access lot. He stepped out, stretched his stiff back and neck, and sucked in a breath of cool ocean air before raising the seat to let Frankie hop out.

  Frankie raised his head as he jumped down, sniffing the sea-salt moisture on the wind. Storm-gnarled evergreens decorated the edges of the parking lot and nearby two-story hotel. Cedar-planked coastal houses dotted the hillside, nestled in a wash of green firs, spruces, hemlocks, and cedars.

  Kurt spotted a pedestrian sign for the beach and urged Frankie along. They wound through a dense grove of waxy brush that opened to an expanse of light-gray sand, blue-gray ocean brushed with foamy white caps, rolling dunes, haystack rock formations jutting out of the water, and rocky cliffs surrounded by a forest of emerald green.

  A smile tugged at the corners of Kurt’s mouth. He chuckled and brushed tears from the corners of his eyes. He’d been a lot of places, but he’d never seen anything so starkly beautiful. He suspected Nana would’ve agreed with him. He could swear he caught the scent of her lavender lotion in the salty air. His hand slipped into his pocket and closed over the wooden bead rosary.

  He led Frankie north on the beach, away from a small group of people wading around a massive rock haystack that rose several stories skyward at the edge of the ocean. A half-dozen beachgoers had dogs with them. Some on leashes, others off. Frankie eyed them warily until they were far enough away, then he turned his attention to the lapping waves.

  The sun sank low, sending a yellow, gold, and purple glow across the sky. Kurt unclipped the leash and let Frankie run across the deserted sand. If he could do anything over, it would be to bring Nana here.

  A memory rushed in of the day in fifth grade when he beat up Jimmy Varges for spitting on a third grader and got expelled for two days. The worst part was coming home to face the sternness of William Crawford. After a lecture that wounded his pride more than any spanking ever had, Kurt had locked himself in his room.

  He let Nana in sometime later. She sank to the bed beside him after having pulled that book out of God knows where. She hadn’t read it to him in a couple of years. He was too old to be read to. But he let her read it and still knew every upcoming picture before she turned the page. A boy and his grandma and a cold, windy beach and nobody else in the world.

  He held the rosary in an open, calloused palm. A wave crashed over his feet. The water was shockingly cold. A seagull circled curiously before landing a few feet in front of him, eyeing the draping rosary and all but ignoring the dog who was running in and out of the water, barking and kicking up sand.

  Kurt walked for a long time, letting the waves numb his feet through his boots, watching the sun disappear below the horizon. Once it was gone, a silver light hung in the air and stars began to dot the darkening sky. The beach was nearly empty aside from a few people huddled around campfires far back from the waves.

  When it was so dark he could barely make out the edge of the ocean on the horizon, he pitched the rosary far out into the water.

  “I miss you, Nana.” Beside him, Frankie looked up and whined as he gave a hopeful wag of his tail. “Yeah, I know, buddy. It’s time to go home.”

  Chapter 29

  Ida Greene pressed the button to the elevator on the entry floor of the Clayton high-rise after checking her paperwork for the correct floor, number seventeen. She gave a silent exclamation over what an intuitive person Sabrina had been, right up through the end. Whatever it was that waited for good souls at the end of this life, Ida was determined her sister was there and smiling over this turn of events.

  Inside the crowded elevator, Ida settled in for the ride next to the men and women in tailored suits who were going places without seeming to notice much of anything.

  Her sister’s law firm, the one that had written her will, was at the northwest edge of the building and had a pleasant view of Forest Park. Megan, the shelter’s director, was already there and waiting in a conference room with floor-to-ceiling windows.

  Ida was ushered into the room by an assistant but turned down the water she was offered. Megan stood up and wrapped her in a hug.

  “Thanks so much for meeting me here and, more importantly, for agreeing to this.”

  Ida waved her off. “How could I not? It’s the best possible outcome I could’ve imagined for my sister’s house, and it’s
a win for your shelter too. Sabrina’s will was so long and tedious that I don’t remember the stipulation even being in there. Did you know it all along?”

  “Honestly, no, I didn’t. It took Kurt calling and asking to have the will reviewed.”

  “I’m not afraid to say how fond I am of that young man. And of your Kelsey. She was over yesterday. Brought me lunch. She showed me pictures of your special day. It was lovely. And I’ve been enjoying my wonderful honey pot.”

  “Thanks, and I’m glad. It’s been a bit of a whirlwind, but I’m really happy.”

  “Well, if I can give you any advice, it would be not to get too busy to stop and smell the roses. Or to bake a pie. That’s always been my favorite activity and the one that reminds me of all the good this world provides.”

  “I appreciate the reminder. Kelsey told me how amazing your pies are.”

  “Did I hear you right that Kurt’s due back tomorrow? If so, I’ll bake one in the morning. Stop by and have a slice, if you will.”

  Megan was accepting the invitation when the door swung open and a woman stepped in. She introduced herself as a legal assistant and said she’d be taking care of the paperwork.

  Ida slipped on her glasses and skimmed the passage in the will that gave her permission to oversee the sale of her sister’s estate prior to Mr. Longtail’s passing, as long as the shelter could provide proof that he would be well accommodated for.

  “Well, since Kurt intends to keep him right where he is, I can’t see how that mischievous cat could possibly be better accommodated. And my sister’s lovely home couldn’t have found its way into better hands, of that I’ll guarantee.”

  The assistant smiled. “Great. From what I’ve been told, the sale won’t be final until the dogs have been rehabbed and moved to the shelter so as not to void permits, but a fair price has been agreed upon by both parties. So, if you’ve no objection, I just need a few signatures and the sale can proceed as directed in Amendment C.”

  Ida signed in several places and afterward walked out into the main hallway with Megan.

  “That baby of yours… Have you found out what it will be?”

  Megan’s hand closed over her belly. “No, I guess we’re dinosaurs that way. Everyone I know has been having gender reveal parties, but we really want the delivery room surprise.”

  “I, for one, appreciate that. If you ask me, a life well lived has exactly the right number of sincere surprises. It’s always good to take it slow and savor them.”

  * * *

  With Kurt away, Kelsey felt a bit like she was turning into him, flitting from one chore to the next and staying up way past her typical bedtime. She passed her first full night alone in the house with less unease than she might have expected. Tess, who was without a car on her return to St. Louis, had biked in for the day from her grandmother’s in the Hill, the Italian-American neighborhood where Tess’s family lived. She biked home just before dark, promising to return early the next morning.

  After Tess was gone, Kelsey was alone in the quiet house. But rather than making her relive the unease she’d once felt arriving after dark to take care of Mr. Longtail, the house was almost cozy. Certainly, the dogs gave it warmth, but she suspected it was more due to her attitude. The Sabrina Raven estate wasn’t the home of a deceased and mysterious donor any longer. It was the former home of a remarkable woman who had cared enough for it and her cat to brainstorm an unusual bequest, and in doing so, had kept the old house from being stripped of its character by indifferent investors hoping to make a few dollars.

  Even if Kelsey hadn’t been so comfortable staying, leaving the house unattended wasn’t an option, not with the protesters still afoot. Locking up the shelter for the night was different. It had a security system and was in a bustling part of Webster Groves. And while the protesters hadn’t thrown any bricks lately, when they weren’t demonstrating in front of the shelter, they were trying to overturn permits and spamming the social media accounts with hateful comments.

  Before going to bed, Kelsey gave serious thought to sleeping on one of the downstairs couches in case the protesters showed up again, but she opted for the comfort of Kurt’s room where Mr. Longtail kept her company most of the night.

  The next morning, after she and Tess finished the feeding routine, they headed to the side yard with Zeus and Orzo for one of the lighter training sessions of the day. Tess began working on basic training commands with Zeus, while Kelsey added to his challenge by creating constant distractions with Orzo. Once Zeus sat through a series of three basic command routines, he’d be awarded with a morning play session with his buddy.

  A young jogger who lived one street over had met Zeus on a run and was showing serious interest in adopting him when the court determined he and a few of the other easily socialized dogs could leave. Even though she knew she had to let things play out, Kelsey could hardly contain her excitement over the possibility that Zeus could settle so close to the Raven estate. To one day soon be able to see the big, playful dog on a jog with a loving owner would be surreal.

  Shortly after Zeus was released from training and the dogs were starting to play, Kelsey noticed Patrick’s gray Tacoma coming down the road.

  “Patrick’s early today,” Tess said, surprising Kelsey by how accustomed she’d already become to the routine here. He typically didn’t show up until midafternoon to work with Devil.

  “Yeah, and who’s that behind him?” Kelsey spotted an older-model minivan following just behind. She scrambled over to the rowdy duo of dogs and picked up Zeus’s leash in case he developed an interest in checking out the visitor.

  Patrick parked and offered a quick nod their way as he headed toward the minivan that had pulled in the circular drive just behind him. Through the lightly tinted glass, Kelsey could make out the profile of a woman whom she guessed to be in her early fifties. Her hair was one length, cropped short, and she was wearing a gray-checkered flannel jacket. When she stepped out to join Patrick, Kelsey noticed she was short and thin, almost frail.

  Even though he wasn’t talking loudly, Kelsey overheard Patrick saying, “That’s his cage there, in the second window on the south side.”

  Kelsey’s heart skipped a beat or two. “Oh my God, Tess, that must be Devil’s first owner. She must have called back.”

  “Wow. I would’ve guessed she wouldn’t come.”

  Kelsey understood her. Giving away a dog, learning about an ordeal like these guys had been through, and still coming forward took an enormous amount of courage. “Let’s get these guys put away. I don’t want any reason to get Devil’s guard up.”

  They headed in through the back of the house, kenneled the dogs, and met up with Patrick and the woman on the front porch. He made introductions, then asked if Tina wanted to see the other dogs before reconnecting with Devil.

  Tina flinched as the big dog’s new name rolled off Patrick’s tongue. “I’m not sure I can handle knowing what he’s done to deserve that name, but for most of his life he’s been Toby. And to be honest, my heart’s broken enough without meeting any more of these poor creatures.”

  Patrick nodded a touch more matter-of-factly than he should’ve, considering the circumstances. “He doesn’t do well with the other dogs. You should stay on the porch, and I’ll bring him out.”

  Tess followed him inside, while Kelsey opted to stay with Tina. “Thank you for coming.”

  Tina brushed a tear from the corner of her right eye. Up close, it was easy to see she’d shed more than a few this morning. Her eyes were puffy, and her voice was nasal. “I promised myself I wouldn’t cry in front of him. He can read me too easily. I had him for four and a half years, and I expected to have him for the duration of his life, but there were circumstances beyond my control.” She brushed away fresh tears. “Toby was never an easy dog. I had people tell me they thought he’d be better behaved with a man as his master. I loved him dea
rly though, and it was our life, not theirs.”

  Kelsey wondered if Patrick had braced her for the dog that Devil had become in their time away from each other. A dog who destroyed chew toys within a handful of minutes and was showing no progression with his zero tolerance for other dogs. He wasn’t aggressive toward people though, or Rob wouldn’t have allowed him to come here.

  She was debating whether or not to broach the topic when Tess pulled the door open wide. “Patrick’s walking him out.”

  Kelsey and Tina backed in front of the rocking chairs as Patrick appeared in the doorway, holding Devil on a short leash with two hands.

  At first and as was typical, Devil’s gaze immediately locked on the road. Then Tina choked back a sob loud enough to catch his attention. While his body froze, Devil’s head cocked sideways and he sniffed loudly.

  Then, in a burst of commotion so abrupt Kelsey could hardly register it, Devil dove toward Tina, yanking Patrick off his feet and half dragging him along behind. Kelsey braced for the small woman to be knocked down. But as abruptly as he took off, Devil skidded to a halt and burrowed his massive, drooly head against her as he whined. His bushy tail wagged like a set of wipers on high speed.

  Tina sank to her knees and draped her hands around his furry neck, sobbing. Her words were muffled and nearly incoherent from her tears, but Kelsey caught the forgiveness being sought in them. The floodgates opened behind her own eyes.

  Wanting to give Tina privacy, Kelsey excused herself and headed into the kitchen and toward the mountain of food and water bowls that needed cleaning. The warmth of the water and the silky soap bubbles always helped this chore to be a soothing one.

  Tess came in ten minutes behind her. She sank into a chair and collapsed her head and chest on the table. “Wow.” For a minute, she didn’t add anything else. Then, after a long breath, she sat up and explained that Tina’s father, a widower, had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer around the time Tina had been laid off. She moved in with him just over a year ago. His condo had a twenty-five-pound pet limit, and after finding no one willing to care for Toby, Tina had located someone on a big dog forum who lived in Arkansas and was looking to adopt a dog his size. They met up halfway. The man had pictures of his deceased Great Dane, and he’d seemed like a trustworthy, caring person, but giving Toby away had been the hardest thing she’d ever done.