by Dan Walsh
“Wow. You’ve given this a lot of thought.”
“I’m sorry. That was probably way too much information.”
“No need to apologize. I like what you said. And you might be onto something. Dogs really do seem to have a special gift. I actually came here today because a good friend of mine, really my best friend, was in seriously bad shape not that long ago. He was suicidal. I didn’t think he would make it. He called me a few days ago, and it was like he was a different person. We didn’t talk about it in depth, not the way you and I are doing here. But my guess is, he could relate to everything you just said about Finley.”
“I bet he could,” she said. “Now you know why I’m having a hard time letting go.”
Chris did. He absolutely did, but he didn’t know what to say. How to comfort her. He knew she didn’t mean it this way, but he almost felt guilty being the one taking Finley away from her. “Well, you still have him for a month, right?”
“Closer to three weeks now.”
“Well, I don’t live that far from here. After graduation, I could bring him by to visit.”
“Oh no, Chris. I’m sorry. I don’t want you to feel bad. I’m really glad you came today. And I’m really glad Finley likes you so much. This is what’s supposed to happen. All of this training and all this time I spent with Finley was to get him ready to be with you. There were a bunch of guys who wanted Finley before you came here today. But he didn’t want any of them.”
“You could tell?”
She nodded. “I could definitely tell. I could also tell, I didn’t want any of them to take him home. You’re the first guy he’s reacted to this way, and the first guy I’ve felt comfortable about releasing him to. Seeing him here with you, I’m actually relieved.”
Chris liked the sound of that. A lot.
But if that was true, why were tears now welling up in her eyes?
40
Amy looked up from her cot in response to a quick knock on the door.
Rita peeked her head inside. “You okay? Can I come in?”
It was amazing to see how much softer and gentler Rita had begun to treat Amy in the last month or so. It was fair to say they were friends now. The age difference put Rita in something of a big-sister role. “Sure,” Amy said.
Finley had been napping inside his pen. He lifted his head briefly, then laid it down again when he saw Charlie wasn’t with her.
“Charlie’s napping, too. Thought I’d get caught up on how things went with those vets you were talking to. Miss Bridget said you got Finley paired up with one of them.”
Amy sat up. “I did. After we talked, he met with her, got everything all squared away. It’s official now.”
“Which one was it? One of the two guys who came here together or the good looking one?”
Amy smiled. “The good looking one. His name’s Chris. Chris Seger.”
“I’m glad. A dog as nice looking as Finley deserves an owner in the same league. You’ve seen the guy Charlie’s paired up with, right? Short and stocky, minus a neck. Just like Charlie.”
Amy laughed. So, Rita thought Chris was nice looking, too. She’d thought he was but wondered if he was the kind of good looking that might seem that way to one woman, but not another. Knowing Rita thought it, too, meant Chris actually was good looking; which probably also meant he wasn’t in her league. What was she thinking? Chris wasn’t in her league, either way.
She wasn’t in anyone’s league. She was in prison.
“So, what was he like? I looked over a few times, seemed like Finley really liked him.”
“I barely know him,” Amy said. “But I like what I know. He’s the kind of person you almost can’t help but like right off the bat. Know what I mean? Easy to talk to, easy to listen to.”
Rita just nodded and smiled. “Easy to look at.”
“It’s not like that, Rita.”
“Of course it’s like that. It might not be all it’s like, but I’m just saying…he’s a handsome man. A far sight better looking than any of the other guys we’ve had in this latest group.”
Hearing Rita go on like this about Chris made Amy feel even more certain she had no chance with someone like him. Not that she ever did.
“What’s the matter? I thought you liked him.”
“I do, and he’s the first guy Finley’s taken to.”
“So, you only like him because he’s a good fit for Finley?”
“No. He also seems like a genuinely nice guy. But what difference does that make? I don’t have a chance with a guy like him. Even if I wasn’t stuck in here and looking like…this.” She held out the side of her orange jump suit.
“Don’t be so hard on yourself, girlie. You’re a beautiful young woman. All you need is one of those—what do they call ‘em—overhauls.”
“Makeovers?”
“Yeah. Get you all fixed up, your hair done, the right outfit, I think you’d be just as good a fit for him as Finley.”
Rita was just being nice. Ridiculous, but nice. None of it was true, of course, but it made her feel a little better. “He’s missing a leg, did you know that?”
“He is? I couldn’t tell. I didn’t notice him limping.”
“He said it was kind of a goal he had been shooting for, to get his stride to where people couldn’t even tell.”
“Is he ashamed of it? The leg being gone? Seems like nowadays with so many vets missing limbs, people are pretty used to it.”
“No, I don’t think so. He talked about it pretty easily. He didn’t say why, and I didn’t ask. Maybe he just doesn’t want people feeling sorry for him all the time.”
“That could be. He tell you what happened?”
“A little. We talked some more after he met with Miss Bridget, just before he left. He stepped on a mine in Afghanistan. I think it was two years ago. But I’d say he’s been struggling more with the PTSD thing than his leg. That’s why he was so excited about Finley. He said he could already see Finley making a difference in him.”
“In what way?”
“He said he felt totally calm when Finley was near. He was certain when he drove in here that he wouldn’t last twenty minutes, but he was here over an hour. And there at the end, you could tell he didn’t want to leave.”
“I’m sure some of that was Finley,” Rita said. “Maybe even most of it. But I’ll bet you some of it was being there with you.”
Amy sighed. “You’re delusional, Rita. A girl can tell when a guy is interested, and he wasn’t sending me any of those signals. All his signals were going Finley’s way.”
“We’ll see,” Rita said. “We’ll see. When’s he coming back again?”
“He said tomorrow, if he can make it work. He asked how often he could come back between now and graduation. I told him as often as he wanted. The more time we can spend together, the better.”
“I’ll say.”
“I mean, for training. You’re just being silly. You know how this goes. Miss Bridget’s been saying to the other vets, the more time they can be here bonding with their dogs and learning all we’ve taught them, the smoother the transition will be after they graduate. So, that’s what I told Chris.”
Rita just smiled.
“I don’t know why you’re going on like this, as if there was even a chance for something romantic between us. He’ll be gone with Finley in a few weeks. I’m stuck in here at least six months, maybe more. He’ll forget all about me long before then.”
Rita’s smile grew wider. “Maybe. Maybe not.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Let’s just say, I know something you don’t. And maybe you should have a talk with Miss Bridget. Like, right now.”
“What? What do you know?”
“I’m not supposed to say. You need to talk to her. But I was in her office just before lunch, saw something on her desk. That’s all I can say.” She got up, waved, and slipped out the door.
41
After Chris got back to the golf
course, he got right to work on the mower. He didn’t want to give anyone the impression that this new development would become a distraction to his job. He couldn’t let that happen. But one thing was clear: that sense of calm he felt back at the prison with Finley and Amy lingered the whole drive back and for the first hour or so as he mowed.
And he was aware of something else he hadn’t felt in quite a while: Hope. That and something in his life to look forward to.
He was mowing the ninth hole now, which led him back toward the clubhouse and maintenance building. It was also time for his lunch break. It felt odd taking it so late in the day, but he’d better get used to it. He had been thinking through a plan that would allow him to be out at the prison for training every weekday until Finley’s graduation.
It was still daylight savings time. Didn’t get dark until eight p.m. He could come in early, like he did today, take two hours off and head out to the prison, then work two hours later in the afternoon. It took some time, but he came up with a plan where he could do all the mowing in the big mower during the hottest part of the day, since it was air-conditioned. He was certain Tom would okay the plan once he understood it.
He rode down the last section of grass that ran between the fairway and a row of trees, which finished up this hole. He disengaged the mower and lifted the carriage up to a setting that let him travel at a higher speed. Up ahead at the maintenance building, he saw Tom’s car in the parking lot. Jed was just riding a golf cart from around the side of the building into the garage. Chris waited for a foursome of golfers to pass, then rode the mower into the parking lot and parked under a shady tree.
As he got down from the mower and walked across the lot toward Jed, he rehearsed his spiel for Tom. Fortunately, Jed was facing the other way, hooking up a battery for recharge. It wasn’t that he minded talking to Jed, just not now. He quietly walked past him toward Tom’s office.
“There you are, Chris,” Jed said over his shoulder. “How’d it go at the prison?”
Chris stopped and turned around. “It really went great. I got the perfect dog.”
“You already got a dog?”
“Well, I got paired with one.”
“What’s that mean?”
“He’s going to be mine, in a few weeks when he graduates. He’s got to stay there until then. But he’s perfect, Jed. You really should sign up for this thing. I can already see this is going to be a good thing for me.”
“Yeah?”
Chris nodded.
“What kind of dog is it?”
“He looks like a golden retriever. Amy said he was part that and part something else, but I couldn’t see any other kind of dog in him.”
“Who’s Amy?”
“She’s the girl who’s been training him.”
“She’s a prisoner though, right?”
“They call them inmates.”
“Okay, inmates. But that’s what she is, right? You know, Orange Is the New Black?”
“Yeah. She was even wearing an orange jumpsuit.”
“You said girl. So she wasn’t an old lady?”
“No. I didn’t ask her age obviously, but I say it’s close to mine.”
“You sense any desperation in her? You know…those ladies all shut up in prison with no men around? For years?”
Chris smiled. “No Jed. She wasn’t desperate. Not even a little. She seemed like a really nice girl.”
“Maybe she’s not into dudes. Happens in a place like that.”
“This wasn’t that kind of thing. What she’s into is training dogs, and she’s amazing at it. All of them were. I’ve never seen so many dogs so well behaved. And Finley seemed like the smartest one of them all.”
“That’s the dog’s name?”
Chris nodded.
“What other kind of dogs they have?”
“I’d say about half of them were pits.”
“That’s what I’d want.”
“The rest were all different. Couple of hounds. Saw one that looked mostly like a German shepherd. But I’m sure you can find one you like, especially if you sign up early. This class ends in less than a month, but I asked the main lady in charge and she said you could sign up anytime, online. They’ll email you when the new class starts. But hey look, I gotta get in there and talk with Tom before my breaks over.”
“He needs to approve it?”
“Mainly, I’m hoping he’ll let me change my schedule for the rest of this month to be more like today. They train the dogs every morning, and I want to be there for it.”
“Well, that’s great, man. I can tell this dog is already doing you some good.”
“You can? How?”
“You’re smiling. You’ve been smiling, off and on, the whole time we’ve been talking. I’ve never seen you smile before. Hope this thing works out for you, bro.”
“Thanks.” Chris turned and headed for Tom’s office.
Amy knocked on Miss Bridget’s office door.
“Come in.”
Amy did. “It’s just me. Can I talk to you for a few minutes?”
“You certainly can. Actually, you’re saving me the trouble. I was planning to come find you. Something I need to talk to you about.”
So, Rita was right. Amy wondered what it could be.
“But first, congratulations on getting Finley matched up with his new owner today. That’s a very big step.”
“Thanks, I guess. No, I’m sorry. I’m really happy it happened. For him and for Chris.”
“Chris seems like a really nice guy. He was so excited when I talked to him. It sounded like he’s going to try to get here to be part of Finley’s training every day until graduation.”
“That’s what he told me, if he could get his boss to agree to it.”
“Well, that’s a very good sign,” Bridget said, “for the new owner to be willing to get that involved. That’s gotta give you good feeling about what kind of home Finley will have when he leaves here.”
“It does,” she said, with absolutely no joy.
“I know it’s hard. It’s especially hard letting go the first time. But unfortunately for you, or maybe I should say, fortunately for you…Finley will be the first and last dog you train here with us.”
“What? Why? Aren’t I doing a good enough job?”
“You’re doing a great job. As a matter fact, keep this to yourself until I announce it at the graduation ceremony, but you and Finley have made the Top Five competition.”
“We have? Really? But I don’t understand. If that’s true, why can’t I train any more dogs?”
“Simple,” Bridget said, “because you won’t be here that long. They refigured your gain time, adding in all the extra time you get for being part of this program, and you’re going to be out of here, girl, less than three months from now. Two months after Finley’s graduation. There’s not enough time for you to train another dog. But I’ve got it worked out that you can stay in the program, as an assistant trainer.”
Amy couldn’t believe it. Three months. Less than three months, she would be free. “That’s wonderful.”
No one said anything for an awkward moment.
“You don’t seem as happy as I’d expect you to be.”
“No, I am happy. This is wonderful news. It’s just I wish…I wish there was some way I could’ve kept Finley. Someplace he could go for those two months after he graduates where he could wait until I got out.”
“Amy, I know how attached you are to him. But you’ve got to know, this whole program is set up to train dogs like Finley to help guys like Chris. And you’ve done a wonderful job with him. I can already tell, Finley is going to change Chris’s life. And you’ve played a major role in that.”
“I know. I know. I’m just being selfish. It’s just Finley’s changed my life, too. I can’t imagine not having him around.”
“I’m sure it’ll be hard at first. But here’s the good news, you can take the skills you’ve learned with you. I can talk with Kim Ha
rper at the Humane Society. She’ll help you pick out a dog that would be a perfect fit. You can train him, or her, just the same way. And I’m sure you’ll bond with that dog just as strongly when the time comes.”
“I’m sure you’re right.” Amy stood. “Well, thanks Miss Bridget. Not just for the good news, but for helping me think this thing through. I’m sure I’ll be fine in a few days, once I get used to everything.”
“I’m sure you will.”
Amy took a few steps toward the door then turned. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“Since I will be getting out two months after Finley graduates, do you think it would be okay if I mentioned that to Chris? I could just mention that I’d be okay if he wanted to call me…if he had any follow up questions about Finley’s training.”
Miss Bridget made a face. She clearly was against the idea.
“Never mind. It’s a bad idea. I can see how it would come off as kind of pushy. I don’t want to be like that.”
“I won’t forbid you from telling him. But you’re right, I don’t think it’s a good idea. We never mention that as an option to the new owners because, let’s face it, all the women who’ve trained their dogs are still in prison. Plus, we really want the vets to move forward, not stay in a long-term relationship with us. Usually, we give them a short list of certified dog trainers in the area, if they want to do any follow up training.”
“That makes sense,” Amy said. “Just forget I ever mentioned it. Thanks again for the good news, and for putting Finley and me in the Top Five. That’s such an honor. I’ll see you later.”
“Remember, now. Don’t say a word about that.”
“I won’t.” She opened the door, stepped into the hall and closed it behind her. She just heard two bits of wonderful news. She should be absolutely elated. But all she felt was confused. Even a little bit sad.
42
Two Weeks Later
Finley was getting excited. Since waking up, he and Amy had been going through their normal morning routine. As best he could tell, everything they’d done so far meant this was another training day. He hoped so. He’d get to see Chris again. Finley knew his name now.
