“Sounds good.”
“But first, I’ve got a little surprise for you.”
“Sadie, no more surprises.”
“Oh, I think you’ll like this one. Besides, I need to change.” Sadie jumped off the boat and glanced back at him. “Come on, silly.” Jim jumped to the dock and followed her back to Novel Idea. “Wait here,” she said climbing aboard and disappearing down the companionway. Jim only had to wait a moment before she reappeared wearing clean white shorts and the same faded pink tee she’d been wearing when they’d first met. He suddenly remembered her with paint in her hair. He felt himself smile. She climbed the steps and turned. “C’mon,” she said, gently tugging the brown leather strap looped around her wrist. “C’mon, girl.”
A small black dog appeared. Jim felt his chin drop.
“Well? What should we call her?”
Jim’s chin began to quiver. He jumped aboard and dropped to his knees. Tears welled up in his eyes as he stroked the small animal’s neck. “How did you find her? How did you know?”
“You mentioned her when we first met. I found her at the pound.”
Jim wrapped his arms around the dog and lifted her into his lap. “You sweet girl,” he whispered. “You made it!”
“The vet said they found a total of four stab wounds. You saved her life, Jim.”
Jim didn’t even try to hold back the tears. He gently squeezed the animal as she eagerly licked his face. He glanced at her wounds, pink scars well on their way to healing. “I can’t believe this. I thought for sure she was gone.”
“We need to think of a name.”
Jim sat back and wiped his eyes. The dog looked weak and tired, but happy, as if she understood she’d been offered a second chance at life. It gave him an idea. “When I was kid, I had a dog named Chance. Best dog I ever had. Loyal. Adventurous. She used to run with me, swim, fish, hunt beavers in the woods.”
“You want to call her Chance?”
“I was thinking of Second Chance.”
Sadie smiled, and then stood on her tiptoes and kissed Jim’s lips. He felt a manly rush, and somewhere in the periphery of his mind he saw a white cloud beginning to form. He chuckled to himself, pushed it away, and kissed her back … a warm, satisfying, healing kiss. “Thank you,” he said gazing into her eyes. “For being there.”
“No,” she said kissing him again. “Thank you.”
“C’mon. Let’s take that walk. I want to see where you’ve been running.”
“You should run with me, Jim. You might like it.”
“Not until this stupid cast comes off.”
“That’ll be weeks.”
“Hopefully.”
Sadie giggled. Jim took her hand and walked with her up the dock, across the marina lawn, and down the short dirt road that crossed Core Creek Island. At the end, they stepped over the crumbling brick wall onto the sandy beach. Small waves rolled over his toes. He felt good. He glanced at the sky. There were no clouds in sight. Not even a wisp. “So,” he said. “Let’s start planning that next bestseller.”
“What do you think we should call it?”
“How about Starting Over?”
“I like it. But wait,” Sadie said. “I still need a man for Abby. A really tough guy with soft hands and hazel eyes. Got any ideas?”
“I’m sure he will come along.”
Sadie reached up and kissed his cheek. “He already has.” And with that the three survivors walked down the beach together, into a perfect sunrise.
Other books by Pat Patterson
Don’t Forget Your Free Gift
Sign up for our FREE Kindle ebook subscriber list and begin receiving Advance Review Copies of our Kindle ebooks.
http://lighthousepublishingofthecarolinas.com/free-ebook/
Paramedic Killer Page 24
