Hello Love

by McQuestion, Karen

  “What happened?” the female half of the couple asked. She and her husband were a matched set with dark leather jackets and plaid scarves. She wore a black beret, set off jauntily to one side. “Did she get loose?”

  “She just ran out between two parked cars,” the elderly gentleman said, his voice cracking. “I didn’t see her, honest.”

  “I have to go lock up the store,” Carter said to no one in particular. Andrea heard his footsteps recede as he trotted back across the street.

  A few minutes passed and although Andrea’s attention was completely on Anni, she was aware of the activity around her. The old man went back into his car to turn his flashers on, Carter came back once the store was securely locked, and the middle-aged couple, who really hadn’t seen anything, left after telling Andrea they were truly sorry and hoped her puppy would be okay. Marco said nothing, but she saw his feet out of the corner of her eye. He’d caused this, and she wanted him gone, but she couldn’t muster the necessary emotion to lash out at him just now. All her energy was directed toward Anni.

  A squad car pulled up and two officers came out. Just knowing they were there made Andrea feel better. One of them, an impossibly young-looking cop with a buzz cut, crouched down next to her and asked, “Is this your dog?” His manner was kindly. When she nodded yes, he said, “We called ahead and the emergency vet is on standby waiting for you to bring her in. Is that what you want?” She gulped and nodded again. Somehow she’d lost her voice, but that turned out to be okay, because Carter from Spirits said, “I saw the whole thing,” and suddenly their focus was on him, the star witness, taking notes of everything he said. Carter gave them her name (he’d gotten it off her charge card) and told the story from the beginning. When Carter said Marco had taken Anni from the signpost, Marco, who’d been quiet the entire time, spoke up, irate. “This is my wife’s dog. I didn’t steal it.”

  Andrea found her voice then, although it sounded strange even to her, forced and guttural. “I’m not his wife. We’re divorced and I didn’t give him permission to take my dog. He was following me. I didn’t even know he was here.”

  Anni lifted her head at the sound of Andrea’s voice, stress and fear in her eyes. Andrea stroked her head, afraid to touch her anywhere else in case she had internal injuries. “It’s okay, hang in there, Anni.” She looked up at the police. “Can we take her in now?”

  “Are you going to want to press charges?” The cop motioned to Marco, who looked like he wanted to punch a wall.

  “No, I just want to get Anni to a hospital,” Andrea said.

  The officer leaned over and quietly said, “Even if you don’t press charges, you might want to think about taking out a restraining order.” He handed her a card. “Call me if you have any questions or any more problems.”

  The old man brought a blanket from his car, and they wrapped Anni up like a baby. He’d stopped crying, although his face was puffy and red. “I’ll drive you,” he offered, pointing to his car, a black BMW, and Andrea, not able to think straight much less drive, nodded mutely. He opened the door for her and she arranged Anni on her lap. Through the windshield she saw Marco talking to the cops, laying on his Marco charm. At one point, he waved and smiled sympathetically in her direction; she cast her eyes downward, refusing to acknowledge him. The old man got behind the wheel, telling her, “I got the directions from the police officer. They said to tell you they’ll get your statement later.”

  A knock on the window on her side of the car, just before they pulled away, caught her attention. It was Carter, holding out the gift bag with her bottle of wine. “You left this on the counter,” he said through the glass.

  She didn’t want it anymore, but he’d been so kind, calling the police and giving his statement, that she rolled down the window and accepted the bag. “Thank you.”

  “I hope Anni is okay,” he said. “I’m sorry.”

  Andrea was overwhelmed by the kindness coming from all sides. As the old guy drove, she found herself choking back tears. “We’ll be there soon,” he said, in a voice so sweet that it made her cry even more.

  “I’m sorry,” she said, wiping her eyes with the back of her hands.

  “Don’t be. You’re entitled. My name is Guy, by the way.”

  “I’m Andrea.” Her phone rang then and she fumbled it out of her purse, intending to turn it off, but then saw it was Cliff. She’d completely forgotten about the dinner party. She answered, but kept it brief, telling him what had happened and apologizing for her absence. When the conversation was over, she turned off her phone so that it couldn’t happen again.

  Guy drove expertly, maneuvering around slow drivers while still staying within a safe margin of the speed limit. “I can’t believe this happened,” he said. “My whole life I’ve never even been in an accident. I’m so careful. I saw her come out between the cars and the next thing I know, I heard a big thump, so of course I stopped. I just couldn’t believe it. I feel terrible.”

  “It wasn’t your fault. She just ran out. It happened so fast. I couldn’t stop her.” Andrea stroked Anni’s head and she let out a slight whimper. “There’s no blood. That’s a good sign, right?”

  “You’d think so, but there could be internal injuries.” They turned right onto a wide street lined with businesses, office buildings, and strip malls, most of them closed. A gas station’s lighted sign shone off in the distance. “Can I ask you something?” Guy said, glancing over to get her reaction.

  “Sure.” Andrea kept her hand lightly on Anni’s side.

  “That fellow, your ex-husband, is it true that he took Anni, and you were struggling to get her back and that’s what led to her running into the street? I mean, that’s what the guy from the liquor store said he saw.”

  “Yes, that’s how it happened.”

  “So why aren’t you mad at him? Your ex-husband, I mean.”

  “Mad? I’m furious,” Andrea said.

  “You don’t seem mad.”

  “Trust me, I’m mad. I just don’t have time to show it right now.”

  Guy shook his head. “If I live to be one hundred, I’ll never understand women.” A lit sign just up ahead said “Emergency Animal Clinic.” He pulled the car into a space by the door. Andrea already had the door open and her feet on the ground before he’d even turned off the engine. She carried Anni snug against her chest and opened the door with crooked fingers. A red-haired woman met her in the entryway. “Is this from the car accident the police called in?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m Dr. Fischer. Come this way.”

  Andrea followed her to an examination room and gingerly set Anni down on the table. Another woman appeared through an open doorway and took over, unwrapping the blanket from around Anni’s middle and running her fingers over the dog’s midsection. Dr. Fischer beckoned to Andrea to join her in the hallway. “Let’s let Dr. Bauer take a look, shall we? Just tell me exactly what happened.”

  Once Andrea started, she couldn’t seem to stop from babbling. All of her anxieties and guilt rushed out at once. “I shouldn’t have left her alone, but it was only for a minute while I ran in to the store. I was on my way to a dinner party and I didn’t want to come empty-handed.” Dr. Fischer didn’t rush her; in fact, she looked like she wanted to give her a hug. Andrea went on telling every detail and ended by saying, “I didn’t see any blood. That’s a good sign, right?”

  “Possibly. We’ll know more after we examine her and take some X-rays.” Without even realizing it, Dr. Fischer had been steering her to the waiting room where Guy sat waiting. “Just take a seat. We’ll come and get you in a little bit.”

  Andrea sank into a chair and gave Guy a weak smile. “They seem very capable.” She ran her hand over her hair and twisted it nervously. “It’s my own fault. I shouldn’t have left her tied to that signpost. You know how even as you’re doing something, you think it’s probably a b
ad idea, but you do it anyway? I just told myself it was only for a minute. I was in such a hurry. So stupid.” She pulled a tissue from her coat pocket and used it to blow her nose. “I was so stupid. I can’t help but think I’ll never see her again. Alive, I mean.” A lump rose up from her throat, making her gulp. Her eyes filled with tears.

  “Hey, hey,” Guy said, alarmed. “No need to think the worst.” He patted her back. “I’ve been thinking while I’ve been sitting here, and you know, I don’t think I hit her after all.”

  Andrea stopped. “What do you mean?”

  “I think she hit me. I mean, I think she ran into the side of the car and knocked the wind out of herself. Think about it—a dog Anni’s size hit by a car would be pancake batter right from the get-go.”

  She nodded. It made sense. “I hope you’re right.”

  Guy didn’t make a move to leave, and Andrea found his presence comforting, so she didn’t tell him he could go. He’d brought the wine bag in with him and made her smile when he held it up and said, “I’d give anything for a corkscrew right about now.”

  After about an hour Dr. Fischer came out holding a clipboard and said, “I have good news. No major injuries, just an abrasion on one side of her head and a concussion from the impact. We’d like to keep her overnight just to keep an eye on her. She’ll probably be sore for a few days too.”

  Gratitude flooded every cell of Andrea’s body. “Thank you, thank you!” She got up and hugged the doctor and didn’t even care that it wasn’t appropriate.

  “My pleasure. That’s what we do here. I’m just glad we have a happy ending for you and Anni.” She had paperwork for Andrea to sign and then there was nothing left to do but go home.

  THIRTY-NINE

  Dan spent about an hour inside the parked truck outside Andrea’s apartment. He let the engine run until he saw the fuel needle dipping dangerously close to empty, at which point he shut it off. Which meant he no longer had heat. He really hadn’t thought this through. At least he wasn’t sitting in the dark. The condo units were like a Disney World village with old-fashioned light posts along the sides of the streets and similar but smaller lampposts next to the walkway leading up to each unit. Between that and the Christmas lights on the eaves, trees, and bushes, it was bright. A person could read a book out here even during the darkest night.

  When he started getting sleepy, he got out of the truck and walked up and down the short row of houses. It occurred to him that if he didn’t pay attention, Andrea could come home, pull into her garage, and lower the door behind her without him even realizing she’d returned. He didn’t want to miss her and leaving wasn’t an option. He wasn’t going to wait even one more day. If she did have Anni, that meant Anni had been hit by a car. The not knowing was killing him.

  When a car pulled into Andrea’s driveway, Dan watched from around the corner. The car idled while the garage door rose, and he hurried to catch her before she went into the house. When the car stopped and he heard the engine shut off, he walked up the driveway, calling out, “Andrea?” as she got out of the car. The garage door was still up and the overhead light was on, so he could see her perfectly: her slightly windblown dark-brown hair, purse over her shoulder, keys in her hand.

  He hadn’t counted on her reaction, how she immediately stiffened defensively, gripping her keys between her fingers so that they pointed outward. “Who is it?” she said sharply.

  “It’s me, Dan. We met at the coffee shop?” He held his arms up to show he had nothing to hide. “I was at my aunt Doreen’s tonight for dinner. You were invited too, I hear.” He jerked a thumb in the direction of Cliff’s house. “I guess Doreen and Cliff know each other from book club.”

  Her shoulders relaxed, although her expression was puzzled. “Huh,” she said, pausing. “Small world. Why are you here?”

  He got right to the point. “I think you have my dog, Anni. She was stolen from my house two months ago. I’m desperate to find her.” Andrea took a step backward, like she wanted to be able to bolt into the house if he tried something funny. He continued, talking rapidly. “I showed Cliff a picture on my phone and he said it looks like the same dog. Can you tell me where you got your dog?”

  “You think Anni is your dog?”

  “I do,” he said. “I know it’s kind of creepy springing it on you like this, but I have to know. Where is she? Is she okay? Cliff said she was hit by a car.”

  “No, she’s, um, going to be okay.” Andrea put her hand up to her forehead. “I’m sorry, I just need a minute here.” She blinked a few times and cleared her throat. “This is unbelievable.”

  “I’m sorry for just showing up like this. But if you do have my dog, it’s the answer to my prayers.”

  “I’m just . . . I can’t think straight.” She shook her head. “It’s been the night from hell. Anni’s spending the night at the clinic, just for observation. She ran into the car, we think, so it’s not as bad as it seemed at first, but still it was traumatic. For her and for me. But the vet says her injuries are minor. It was a miracle, really. If she’d run out in the road one second earlier, she would have been killed.”

  “Can I come over there?” He pointed. “Or would that weird you out? I just want to show you pictures of Anni. My Anni.”

  She nodded and he came into the garage and handed her the phone. He could tell by the look on her face that she recognized her Anni as being his dog, and for a moment he felt sorry for her.

  “I’m pretty sure it’s her,” she said, letting out a sigh.

  “Can you tell me where you got her?”

  Andrea said, “Why don’t you come in and I’ll make some coffee and tell you all about it.” She gestured to the door; her keys dangled from her pointer finger, not a weapon anymore.

  Andrea had been lost in thought when Dan walked up her driveway. His voice calling her name had scared the hell out of her and her fear turned to absolute astonishment when she realized all the connections: Dan, the man she’d struck up a conversation with in the coffee shop, was related to Doreen, who was in a book club with Cliff, who happened to be her neighbor. Very small world all around. As if that weren’t enough, he now might be laying claim to Anni. It was a bit mind-blowing.

  Andrea knew inviting a strange man into her house was risky, but she didn’t feel at risk. If anything, he seemed a little scared, standing on her rug and not moving off it until she invited him to follow her into the kitchen. It felt like the middle of the night, but it was only just past seven. Winter nights played tricks that way. She put coffee on to brew and then started telling him about how she found Anni chained up on the frat boys’ balcony.

  “That was them. I’m sure of it,” Dan said. “My daughter, Lindsay, saw the guys who took Anni, but she couldn’t get to the car fast enough. Punks. She thought they were drunk.”

  “You have a daughter?”

  “Yes, she’s seventeen. She’ll be going off to college next year.”

  “You and your wife will miss her, I bet.”

  “No wife. It’s just me.” Dan said, matter-of-factly. “I’m a widower.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry.” She was relieved he was single, but she was sincere in saying she was sorry for him. The poor man lost his wife and now his dog, but why did it have to be Anni? Anni was her dog. She continued, “So I’ve had Anni ever since. I took her to the vet and got her checked out and there was no microchip.”

  “We didn’t get her microchipped, but she had an ID tag.”

  She shook her head. “Her collar had her name on it, and that was it. I took her home and it just felt right, you know? I take her to work with me. I love her. Everybody loves her.” Already she was making a case for keeping Anni. Andrea got up to get mugs out of the cabinet, then poured coffee out of the pot. “Cream or sugar?” she asked, like this was a normal social event.

  “Black is fine,” he said. When she placed the mug in fr
ont of him, he slid his fingers through the handle. She realized then that he hadn’t taken his jacket off. They were both on guard.

  She continued, telling him about the stop for a bottle of wine on the way to Doreen’s and everything that happened right up until she came home to find him waiting outside her condo. “You must think I’m negligent for letting her get hurt, but I would have traded places with her if I could have. I feel really guilty.”

  “It’s not your fault.”

  “Yeah, well, it feels that way,” she said. “I was so happy when the vet said she’s going to be fine.” She cast her eyes downward and took a sip of coffee.

  “I know this is a tough situation,” he said. “If it is Anni, then we both want her.”

  “And we can’t both have her,” Andrea said, which is what they’d both been thinking.

  “Is there any way . . .”

  “Yes?”

  He looked straight into her eyes and what she saw was pleading. “Is there any way I could go with you tomorrow when you pick her up? We don’t have to decide how to handle this just yet. I just want to see her, and make sure it’s really her.”

  Andrea tilted her head to one side, considering. “I’m not trying to be difficult, but this is a lot for me to process. Can I take the night to think about it and get back to you?”

  He nodded. “Fair enough.”

  FORTY

  When his cell phone rang the next morning and Dan saw it was Andrea, he breathed a big sigh of relief. “The emergency clinic called just now,” she said, sounding happy. “They said we can pick Anni up this afternoon. She’s doing really well.”

  It was the word “we” that did it for him. Just the sound of it made the day several shades lighter and filled him with a kind of buoyant hope. Maybe life could get better after all. He spoke cautiously, “How did you want to handle this?”

  “Why don’t you come out to my place around one?” she said. “We can drive together.”