by Diana Orgain
Maeve cringed, thinking of how strange Rodney had been acting lately.
Could the magick that took place the night of Eleanor’s arrest have altered her as well?
“What are you going to do?” Maeve asked.
“I don’t know. You know she really hurt me. Bad. But you can’t just erase eight years of a marriage from your memory. A part of me still loves her, you know? How stupid is it that I was just as angry with James for dumping Eleanor as I was with him for cheating with her? I mean, I was furious that he broke her heart even though she broke mine.”
Maeve offered him a sad smile. Christian seemed very sweet, but there was something still unsettling about him: coming back into town out of the blue, admitting to violently assaulting James once, saying a part of him still loved Eleanor, and then saying he was angry at James for breaking Eleanor’s heart. He certainly had motive.
While they had been talking, Wanda had been sniffing around the property. Maeve watched as Wanda sat herself down beside Christian and gave her a slight shrug as though to say, “Nothing suspicious here.”
“So tell me about the incident the morning of James’s murder. I heard you got into it with him?” Maeve asked.
He sighed. “I suppose this is good practice for when the police show up, huh? No doubt they’re going to have some questions for me. I just cussed him out, and we got into each other’s faces. I haven’t seen him since Eleanor’s affair, and I couldn’t just ignore him. I guess, I honestly don’t have much self-control. I got into it with him. A few words were exchanged. That sort of thing. Nadine’s brother was there, and he told me to back off. Then he got in my face, but I suppose I can’t blame him. My ex-wife did kill his sister.” Christian glanced down at Wanda. “Mind if I give your dog a snack?” Christian asked as he reached into the back of the truck and revealed a half-eaten hot dog.
“Early lunch?” Maeve asked.
“Yeah,” he said. “I’m stuffed though.” He fed Wanda the rest of the hot dog and patted her head. “I like this dog. I heard she helped you out the night Eleanor was arrested. Good girl,” he said, scratching behind her ears.
Maeve exchanged contact information with Christian before departing. She and Wanda sat in the purple Volkswagen for a while as she talked to the dog, verbalizing her thoughts to help her concentrate. Wanda seemed to nod along to everything she said.
I swear that dog really does understand everything I’m saying, Maeve mused.
“Hmmm … It’s still pretty early,” Maeve said. “I bet Gracie and Donnie can handle it a little longer without me. I say we track down Nadine’s brother. He was with Mayor James the morning he died.”
Wanda nodded in agreement, and Maeve pulled out of the neighborhood and headed back into town.
Chapter Eight
Chuck
Food! I have never in my life adored food so much as when I am Wanda. It’s ridiculous. Is this the mental state dogs deal with all day? Because now I kind of feel bad with how annoyed I would always get with dogs who beg. I can’t help it. Maeve has taken me to a bar, and bar food smells so good. She used a bit of magick on the employees to shut them up about bringing a dog inside, and now I almost wish that she had just left me outside.
The smells … oh, so good.
“Why is this dog in here?” one woman gripes because I’m staring at her.
I’m pretty sure that I’m drooling … yeah, I’m drooling.
Come on, honey, you don’t need those fried mac and cheese bites anyways.
Just give me one!
“Wanda, knock it off,” Maeve whispers to me and pats my head to regain my attention.
Fine.
I follow Maeve further into the bar over to a grouping of pool tables where I spy the group of Navy boys hanging out. Evidently they have nothing better to do at eleven in the morning than hang out at a bar and play pool. I suppose they are probably on leave or something. I recognize the one guy, Nathan, as Nadine’s brother. He and his buddies had been at Maeve’s café opening, and I also saw the guy’s picture on his sister’s desk when Maeve had been investigating the woman’s murder.
“Maeve,” Nathan says when he spots us. He puts down his pool stick. “This doesn’t really seem like your kind of scene.”
She laughs. “What? The coffee shop lady can’t hang out in a dive bar?”
Nathan smiles at her. “You play?” he asks, reaching for a pool stick. “We’re just starting a new game.”
“No thanks,” Maeve says with a laugh that lights up her whole face.
Man, she really is beautiful.
“They let you bring your dog in here?” one of the guys with Nathan asks. I think to growl at him, but then the guy feeds me some fried pickles.
Yes! Food!
Ugh, I’m such a dog!
My tail is going a million miles an hour.
“You remember George,” Nathan says, nodding toward the pickle man. He puts his thumb toward two other men who are racking the pool balls and chatting. “That’s Alex and Kevin. We were all there at your grand opening.”
“Yes, I remember,” Maeve says, nodding.
Kevin gives me a slice of bacon from his bacon and cheese burger. I like Kevin.
Alex is distracted. I stare at him as he eats his jalapeno poppers in a daze. He doesn’t even say hello to Maeve when Nathan re-introduces them.
Rude –give me some poppers!
The guys start their pool game.
Maeve says, “I was told you saw Mayor James the morning he died.”
Alex nods. “Yeah, we met for breakfast. He just sort of wanted to be seen in public with me, I think,” Alex says with a sneer on his face. “My sister was his assistant, so he wanted to offer his condolences type of thing.”
“And Christian showed up?” Maeve asks.
Alex notices me and pets my head. He gives me some French fries … I want the poppers, man!
Give me a popper!
“Yeah,” Nathan says. “It got pretty heated. I think I should have let Christian say his piece to James instead of getting involved. The confrontation was fairly calm until I got involved.”
“Really?” Maeve questions.
A serious expression darkens Nathan’s face. “Christian’s ex-wife killed my sister. Christian was defending Eleanor, and it made me mad. He gave James a piece of his mind about the affair, saying that he’s the one who made Eleanor the way she is. Christian started to walk away, and I told him his ex was crazy. I should have just kept my mouth shut. The man is clearly still hung up on his ex,” Nathan said.
Alex strokes my head, and I scoot closer. He passes me another French fry. “No more, girl,” he says. “You’ll get sick.”
“You’re so lame, Alex,” Kevin says. “Come here, girl.” He offers me more bacon, and now I am his friend again.
“You shouldn’t give a dog too much table food,” Alex argues.
Shut your face, Alex.
Maeve is focused entirely on her conversation with Nathan. “Sounds like it,” she says.
“I still should have kept my mouth shut, though,” Nathan says again. “I mean, the man’s been through a lot.”
“So have you,” Maeve says.
“Losing Nadine has been rough,” Nathan says. “She was everybody’s sunshine.” He then nods toward Alex who is telling the others to stop feeding me so much fried food.
Alex can go live in a hole.
“His sunshine too, apparently,” Nathan says. “Alex just told me he and Nadine had been dating for a while. They were going to tell me when I got back to town.”
Alex scratches me behind the ears.
I really would prefer food, but man, do I like being scratched behind the ears.
How about the belly?
Do my belly, belly, belly.
I wiggle and roll onto the ground offering up my belly.
Maeve looks our way, and Alex glances up. “Yeah,” is all he manages to mumble.
“Wanda, get up!” Maeve scolds.
/>
I jolt into a sitting position.
What got into me, man?
Nathan sighs. “I shouldn’t have gone to see James at all. I knew it was just some stupid publicity thing. It was the most awkward and uncomfortable breakfast I’ve ever had to sit through.”
“Really? Why is that?” Maeve asks.
“Honestly?” Nathan huffs. “James had it coming. He was a jerk. He sleeps around with another man’s wife, breaks up their marriage, and then dumps the woman. And he thinks there are no consequences for that? Eleanor was going after him–not after Nadine. Nadine had to suffer for his sins. He deserved what he got.”
Maeve presses her lips together and says nothing.
“I’m sorry if it sounds cold, but my sister is dead,” Nathan says. “She’s dead, and it all goes back to James and all the trouble he caused.”
Just as Maeve is about to respond to Nathan, I feel Alex’s hand touch my inner leg. Nope!
What the heck?
I yelp and jump. Maeve’s eyes dart in our direction.
“Hey,” Alex says to Maeve. “You know your dog is in heat, right?”
Wait. What!
“Oh? Really?” Maeve questions. “I didn’t notice. Honestly, Wanda’s my first dog. I’ve never really been a pet person. I don’t know what to look for.”
Alex nods. “You might want to get her some doggy diapers. She’s kind of young. It’s probably her first time in heat, and with this type of breed it can get a little messy.”
In heat?
What does that mean?
Oh … my … goodness.
I’m on a period! I’m a grown man, and I’m having a period!
Screw you, Selena!
Suddenly my stomach churns. I have to puke. I bet if I puke in here, Maeve will get in trouble. I bolt, and Maeve and the Navy boys all hurry after me. Thankfully someone is coming in as I am going out, and I slip out the door.
“Wanda! Don’t run out into the parking lot!” I hear Maeve cry out.
As soon as I make it outside, I puke in a bush while Maeve, Nathan and his buddies stand over me.
“That dog has better manners than you, Georgie,” Kevin teases. “Last week he had too much to drink and threw up in the bathroom.”
“Shut up, man, not in front of a lady,” Georgie says.
I feel awful. I keep puking. I’m on a freakin’ period, and it’s grossing me out! All that fried food probably didn’t help.
Does anyone have any chocolate?
Wait! What am I saying?
I finish puking and go lay down on the sidewalk and moan.
Maeve kneels down beside me, visibly worried, and pets my head. “You poor thing!” she exclaims. “I’ve never seen her do anything like that before.”
“That’s one smart dog you got there,” Alex says. “How did she know to go outside to do that?”
“I have no idea,” Maeve says. “I found her as a stray, but she was obviously trained before I found her. She’s really smart.”
My stomach churns, and I feel like I’m going to throw up again. I gag a few times. I hold it together, though.
“Here,” Alex says, reaching into his wallet. He hands Maeve a business card. “In case she keeps throwing up, you might want to make her a vet appointment. Has she had her shots?”
Maeve blushes. “Oh my goodness, no! I’ve only had her for about a month. I haven’t even taken her to the vet, yet. She was a stray. I don’t know that she’s ever been to a vet. I’m awful! I’ve been so busy with my café, I never even thought to make my dog a vet appointment. I’m a terrible pet owner!”
Nathan chuckles at Maeve’s sudden hysteria. “I’m sure she’s fine. She probably ate too much. You can blame that on us. My friends kept passing her snacks while we were talking.”
The next thing I know Alex is walking us to the purple Volkswagen and helping Maeve lay down a towel he had in the back of his truck, on the passenger’s seat.
Ugh, it’s so I won’t make a mess.
I’m going to throw up again just thinking about it. Next time I see Selena, I’m punching her in her stupid face. I guess this is what she meant by trials to come and becoming a real woman.
Forget her!
She gave me a period!
Maeve calls the vet and makes an appointment right here and now.
Great. That’s just awesome.
She thanks Alex for the recommendation and for the towel, and then we climb into her car. She calls Gracie and Donnie to let them know she’s going to be later than promised now because her pooch is sick. I can hear Gracie’s voice on the other end of the line, and she sounds very concerned for Wanda.
Kind of feels nice to have people worrying about me.
The next thing I know Maeve and I pull up outside a vet clinic. She grabs the leash she bought the first day she found me, that she keeps stashed in the back of her car. She puts it on me. I don’t like it, but I decide not to fight her.
Now I know why animals freak out at vet’s offices. As soon as we enter, I hear horrible whining dogs and other animals screaming in the back, and the dogs and cats in the waiting room are whining and barking and hissing. It’s so much noise. I actually feel myself shaking.
Maeve pets my head. “It’s okay, girl,” she promises me.
She tugs on my leash, dragging me to the counter, and she starts filling out the new client paperwork. She makes small talk with the nurse at the counter while I hide behind her legs. The other animals are all staring at me.
“She smells nice,” I hear the large pit bull say as he looks my way. I swear that dog winks at me.
Maeve gives a gentle nudge to my leash and goes to sit down. Then the pit bull stands up. His owner is only halfway paying attention. The dog stares across the aisle at me. I feel my stomach drop at the following realization: I’m in heat, and he wants some.
Oh … crud.
I whine, but Maeve just pats my head. I look over at the man across the aisle; he isn’t even holding his dog’s leash.
“Sit down, Buster,” the man says as he scrolls through his phone. With his free hand, he taps the dog’s head.
The dog doesn’t sit but continues to stare at me.
“If you come anywhere near me, buddy, I’ll bite your throat out,” I warn, but he perks up more.
Oh no … he seems to like the feistiness.
A nurse pops her head in and calls for Buster. The man stands, his fingers barely gripping the leash. As they head toward the door, Buster goes for it. He yanks himself free and bolts in my direction. Maeve shrieks in surprise, and I jump up into her lap. Maeve kicks her leg out to keep Buster from mounting me.
The man calls out angrily and hurries over, apologizing profusely as he jerks Buster’s collar.
“Control your dog!” Maeve shouts at the man. “He’s humping my leg!”
The man’s face goes pale as he grabs his dog under his front legs and yanks him back. “I am so sorry!” he exclaims. Without another glance in our direction, the man and the nurse pull Buster into the back.
“Jeez, maybe bringing you to a building full of dogs when you’re in heat was a bad idea, huh? Poor Wanda!” Maeve says as I climb out of her lap.
No kidding, Maeve!
We get called in next, and I stay close to Maeve’s side. We’re brought to a small room where we have to wait around for another twenty minutes. I don’t want to be here. Not at all. At last the doctor enters, and he’s all smiles. He’s an older man with graying hair and an old school lab coat.
“Welcome,” he says. “So this must be Wanda?” he bends down and pets me. He shakes Maeve’s hand. “Dr. Roberts,” he says.
He lifts me up and puts me on the examination table. Pretty strong for an older guy. He gives me a series of shots, but it doesn’t really bother me any. He pets my head and tries to give me a dog treat, but I turn up my nose.
I don’t do dog food.
“She sure is well behaved,” the doctor says. “Surprised she doesn’t lik
e treats though.”
“She thinks she’s a person, I swear,” Maeve says, and then I have to listen to the guy talk about not giving me table food.
I don’t like him now.
I am not eating dog food. It’s not happening.
She asks about doggie diapers, and the doctor nods along. “We have some you can try,” he says. “Have you considered getting her spayed, though?”
My ears shoot up. Fixed! He wants to have me fixed! I whine. No, no, no, no!
What would that mean when I became a man again?
Would my stuff be missing?
I hate you, Dr. Roberts!
“You know, that might be a good idea,” Maeve says. “I definitely don’t want to wind up with a bunch of puppies.”
Maeve, no!
I bark at her, loudly.
While I’m distracted, the doctor shoves something up my rear, and I jump.
Personal space, buddy!
This sucks in so many different ways.
The door opens as a nurse comes in to collect the test he just invaded my privacy with, and I bolt. I am not getting fixed! I fly through the door, knocking the nurse clear off her feet.
Maeve darts after me. “Wanda!”
Chapter Nine
Maeve
Maeve held in a laugh as Wanda squirmed out of her and Donnie’s clutches. The dog hobbled around, attempting to reach around to yank off the doggie diaper. At last realizing she was defeated, Wanda went and found herself a corner to sulk in.
“She looks so funny!” Penny exclaimed. “Poor Wanda!”
“I know,” Maeve said, shaking her head. “I am such a terrible pet owner. I’ve had her for a month and never once thought to take the poor thing to see a vet.”
“It has been a pretty busy month for you,” Gracie reminded her.
“Heck, my mom never took our pets to the vet,” Donnie said. “So don’t feel too bad.”
While Penny ran around the now empty café with her cat Tonya, Maeve took some time to sweep up and give Gracie and Donnie a break. The two of them sat at a table while Maeve waited on them, bringing them coffee and a complimentary lunch of bagels and smoked salmon schmear.
