by Verna Clay
Sean followed her to ICU.
Toby said, "Hey Sean, good to see you, although I wish it were under better circumstances."
The men shook hands and Sean glanced toward the dog. "Like I told Tessa, anything he needs, I'll pay for it."
Toby said, "We'll take good care of him. He's a damn lucky dog. But there is a slight problem."
Sean looked stricken and both Tessa and Midge held back grins. They knew where the conversation was going.
Toby laughed at Sean's expression. "I'm just messin' with you. He's doing fine, but he needs a name. Tessa and I decided to leave that up to you. What do you want to call him?"
A slight smile tilted the corner of Sean's mouth. "Hell, I don't know. Whatever you want."
Toby lifted an eyebrow. "He's your dog, you name him."
Sean glanced at Tessa and she shrugged.
He blew a breath. "Okay, okay. How about, ah, Red?"
Toby said, "Come on Sean, you're the songwriter, you can be more original than that."
Sean rubbed the side of his nose, studied the dog, and said, "Toby I think you hit the nail on the head when you said 'Lucky'."
Tessa, Midge, and Toby grinned. "Now that's a great name. Lucky it is," said Toby. He motioned toward Midge. "Sean, meet Lucky's other caregiver, my assistant, Midge Farmer."
Midge stuck out her hand and winked. "I wish I were twenty years younger and liked rock music. Nice to make your acquaintance, Sean."
That evening, Tessa sat in her recliner at home and tried to concentrate on reading the latest romance novel by her favorite author, Mims Murphy, who also happened to be Toby and Preston's mother, but finally gave up. She glanced at Sadie, the German shepherd at her feet, and Muffin, the two-year-old calico cat in her lap. Both animals had been part of her divorce settlement. There was no way she'd leave them behind with an abusive ex. She finished her last bite of salad and set the bowl on the table next to her recliner.
She apologized to her animals. "I know. I know. We could be enjoying pizza right now if I wasn't such a stick-in-the-mud. But if anyone should understand, it's you two. We like being alone. We don't want to complicate things with a social life. Sure, Sean's nice and he's famous, and he's really cute, and he's nice, and…well, he's cute…but I'd probably fall for him and he'd never look twice at me, so why go through all that?" She stretched and Muffin jumped off her lap, lifted her tail in disdain, and pounced off toward the kitchen. Sadie wasn't so disgruntled about the pizza and chose to stay curled at her feet.
Tessa reached for the lever of her recliner and leaned it back, grabbed her remote, and punched on the television. The first thing that popped up was a pizza commercial.
Chapter 4: Off the Grid
Sean padded into the kitchen in sweatpants and an old T-shirt. He headed straight for the coffee pot, grabbed the biggest mug he could find and poured it to the brim. Cecelia was scrambling eggs and his dad was reading the morning paper. His adopted sister, Merry, was spreading a huge glob of strawberry jam on her toast and his other adopted sister, twelve-year-old Goldie, was trying to read the backside of her father's paper.
Sean grinned because he couldn't help himself. His father, once a recluse, now had a family worthy of a Norman Rockwell painting. And, actually, his dad could paint the picture himself, being a renowned artist.
Cecelia said, "Sean, have a seat and I'll have your eggs, bacon, and toast ready in a jiff. Did you sleep well?"
"I did. Thanks."
"Do you want orange juice?"
"Yeah, but I'll get it."
His dad lowered his paper. "So, what's on your agenda for today, son? We can close the music room off if you want to practice."
Merry said, "Can I practice, too?"
Sean shook his head. "I'm not planning on playing music for awhile. I've been on the road for over a year and I'm burned out. I've been looking forward to a break for a long, long time." He ruffled Merry's hair. "So the room's all yours, midget."
Merry looked disappointed. "Okay, but I don't want to play if you're not going to."
Sean said, "How about you give me a few days and then we'll play chop sticks?"
Merry grinned. "Okay!"
Goldie said, "Daddy's been teaching me to paint trees. Do you want to see what I've done, Sean?"
"I sure do."
Cecelia said, "Not this morning. We have to leave in thirty minutes. I've got to be at the coffee shop early to showcase some new ChocoDrops from Alligator. He's come up with another flavor—Salsa Pizzazz."
Sean laughed. "Have you tried them?"
"I have and they're wonderful. Spicy, but not too spicy. I don't know how he does it. I got a letter from Dixie recently and she said their family is doing terrific and business is booming. They've even begun shipping orders to China. She also said they sold their home in Denver because they're building a bigger one. Seems their family is expanding; they're adopting their third child, an eight year old Haitian boy."
"Like you adopted me!" Goldie exclaimed.
"And me!" Merry joined in.
"Yep, my daughters. Just like we adopted you two, which were the best things we ever did." She smiled lovingly at her girls and then her husband. Sean saw him wink at her.
Merry said to her brother, "Are you going to visit the doggy today?"
"I am."
Cecelia said, "Well, tell Tessa and Toby hi. And if you think of it, remind them that the Fourth of July Committee needs to know if they're planning on setting up a booth this year. The clinic has had one every year, but since the twins bought the practice only a few months ago when Dr. Torres retired, we don't want to be presumptuous in thinking they want to continue the tradition."
"I'll remind them."
"Thanks," replied Cecilia.
Sean had never been friends with Toby's brother, Preston, but he asked, "By the way, where's Preston? I didn't see him yesterday?"
"He got invited to France to speak at a symposium on some procedure he's perfected. I guess in the vet world it's a big deal. Those boys are as smart as they come. Sarah said they graduated high school with honors and aced it through college and vet school. Tessa told me Preston is expected back some time in July." Cecelia served Sean his breakfast and then said to her daughters, "I've got to finish my makeup and hair. Girls, brush your teeth as soon as you finish eating and meet me in the living room. Don't forget your backpacks." She bent to kiss her husband and he cupped her head to lengthen the kiss. The girls giggled and Sean laughed with them. He loved his adopted sisters and admired his father and stepmother for taking on the responsibility of two children with special needs: Goldie wore leg braces and Merry had a learning disorder requiring special education.
Two hours later he pulled his black Porsche 991 into the parking lot of Tanner Veterinary Clinic. His heart hammered for a couple of reasons. First, he was going to see Tessa, and second, he sure hoped the dog hadn't taken a turn for the worse.
Chapter 5: Bodygraph
Tessa watched Sean enter the foyer of the clinic and her heart flipped, which was a reaction she didn't want. She'd had a crush on him growing up, but an even bigger crush on her scumbag ex.
The first time Sean had arrived in Paxtonville to visit his dad he'd been a sullen and defensive teenager. Tessa had learned early on that his attitude stemmed from the fact that after being led to believe he'd been orphaned as a baby, he'd discovered his father was alive. She wasn't sure what had brought Sean and his dad back together, but she remembered it as being a turbulent time. And although she and Toby had taken a liking to him, Preston never had. Throughout the years, whenever Sean visited his father, who'd become a permanent resident after marrying the sister of Miles Brightman, a famous author who lived in Paxtonville, he and Preston had often sparred words. There seemed to be some sort of rivalry between them. She remembered Sean and Preston both being present at her thirteenth birthday party and their animosity toward each other. Over the years, it had gotten to the point that they totally avoided each other.
Tessa pushed remembrances aside and motioned for Sean to come to the back of the clinic. He opened the door and walked into the hallway. Tensely, he asked, "Is he okay?"
She smiled. "Yes, Lucky is doing great. I thought you'd want to see him awake. We're just about to feed him. Follow me."
She led the way into ICU and approached the dog's cage. "Good morning, Lucky," she crooned.
Sean followed Tessa into ICU and watched Lucky lift his head. The dog made some whining noises and then laid his head back down. Tessa stepped away from the cage so Sean could lean down.
"Hey, boy," he said. "How're ya doin'? You're sure lookin' better."
The dog lifted his ears and followed Sean with his eyes.
Tessa walked across the room and returned with a small plate of moist dog food. She handed it to Sean. "Here. I'll open the cage so you can put the food inside."
"Okay."
When the cage was open, he gently set the plate down and then reached to pet Lucky's head. The dog whined again and licked his hand. Sean couldn't believe that he felt like crying. He stepped back so Tessa could close the cage and quickly swiped his eyes.
Toby entered ICU and Sean jerked his hands away from his face.
Toby said, "I checked his vitals a few minutes ago and he's doing great. We'll move him to another room later today."
"If he needs a private room, I'll cover the cost," Sean quickly said.
Toby looked at Tessa. "Probably a day or two in a private room would be good."
Tessa said, "You got it."
Sean asked, "Have you heard anything from an owner?"
Tessa shook her head. "No. Did you get a chance to call the newspaper and run an ad?"
"I called first thing this morning. The ad comes out tomorrow."
Toby said, "Well, all we can do now is wait and see what happens. If no one comes forth in the first forty-eight hours, it usually doesn't happen. But we'll cross that bridge if we come to it."
Sean said, "Thanks for all your help. Guess I better leave so you can get to work."
Toby and Tessa both followed him back to the waiting room.
For some reason, Sean felt reluctant to leave and he supposed it was because he was feeling nostalgic about the times he'd palled around with Toby, Tessa, and another friend named Harris, during his annual visits to Paxtonville. After his rock band had unexpectedly hit stardom when a video of them went viral, which led to signing with a top record label, he hadn't had time for visits with his family, but he'd kept in touch via Skype and phone calls. He'd hit the big time at the age of twenty and now, having recently turned twenty-five, he was burned out and disillusioned.
He glanced from Toby to Tessa. "I'll see you guys tomorrow when I check on Lucky. Oh, I almost forgot…" he reached into his pocket and pulled out two cards, "this is my private cell phone number. Call me if anything changes."
At that moment, the door opened and a woman wearing a T-shirt with a Rottweiler's face emblazoned across the front said, "Sorry to interrupt, but Petunia has gone into labor."
Toby pocketed the card. "See you tomorrow, Sean."
Outside, Sean groaned when he saw about a dozen teenage girls hovering near his car. The first one to see him squealed, which started the others doing the same. They rushed toward him with flow pens extended.
A tall blond said, "Oh, Sean, you're our favorite rock singer. We couldn't believe it when we heard you were in town. Pleeeaaassseee autograph us." She extended her pen and lifted her tank top to just below her breasts.
Sean put on his best fake smile and wondered whatever happened to paper. He had a cardinal rule that he lived by. He never touched any of his groupies. However, the same couldn't be said for them when they crowded him.
"Hold on ladies. Just one minute and I'll sign some autographs." He hit the fob to unlock his car and quickly ducked inside. Reaching into the console, he pulled out color glossies of his band and grabbed the pen in one of the cubbies below his CD player. He counted the number of girls surrounding his car and signed as many pictures. He rolled his window down just enough to hand the photos out. The girls squealed again, but the one who'd raised her shirt said, "I want a bodygraph."
Sean smiled and shook his head. "Not gonna happen, honey." He fibbed when he said, "It's in my contract not to touch pretty girls."
That seemed to satisfy her because she grinned and said, "I won't tell."
The other girls repeated, "Yeah, we won't tell," and started lifting their shirts.
Sean gunned the motor of his car, which scattered the girls far enough for him to make his getaway. He was going to have to ditch the car and find something nondescript, preferably something like Newt Tucker's old rattletrap truck. At the thought of Newt Tucker, he headed out of town and in the direction of Lazy M Ranch, which belonged to Sage and Sarah Tanner, parents of Toby and Preston. He remembered visiting Newt and his wife Molly the last time he was in town. The Tanners had given the old-timers a house on their property that their daughter and her husband had once lived in, and Sean wondered if Newt and his missus still lived there. He'd find out soon enough.
Chapter 6: Old Friends
Sean drove up to the call box of the massive ornate gates that were the entrance to Lazy M Ranch. He punched a button and a woman asked, "Sean, is that you? I can see you on camera."
Sean recognized Sarah Tanner's voice. "Yes, ma'am, it's me."
"The gates will open in about ten seconds. What's your pleasure, coffee, soda, tea, water? I'll have it ready when you get to the house."
"Water with ice sounds great. See you in a few minutes."
The gates swung open. Sean had visited the Tanner ranch a few times over the years for parties or just to hang out with Toby. Mrs. Tanner was a very nice lady who doted on her husband and children, not that she didn't have her own career. She was a successful romance writer with over a dozen books published. Her husband, Sage, besides running his ranch, was just as successful in his own career as a model, and Sean guessed he was still going strong since he'd seen him in a Gucci advertisement lately. Sean knew Sarah was in her early sixties and Sage was a few years younger.
He pulled up to the house. Sarah was already on the front porch waiting for him. She grinned and waved.
"Hello, Mrs. Tanner," he called as he exited his car.
"Oh, don't you start calling me Mrs. Tanner. I'm Sarah to you, and always will be. Come give me a hug."
Sean grinned and gave one of his favorite women a huge hug.
She said, "Now, that's better. Come on back to the porch and let's catch up. Hannah is one of your biggest fans and she's going to be sorry she missed you. She's in Denver attending pep squad camp. She was so excited when she finally made the team. She's fifteen now, the same age you were when you first came to the Lazy M."
"Well, I'll be around for about three months, so I'll probably catch up with her sooner or later."
Sarah led the way through the house. She had a magnificent enclosed back porch and although the furniture was a little worn after years of gatherings, it was just as homey and friendly as Sean remembered.
Sarah motioned to two overstuffed chairs with beautiful views of the ranch's pastures. Several horses grazed close to the house and a rider was galloping across the field. Sarah pointed. "There's Sage riding in. I called him on his cell phone to let him know you were here. He said as soon as he gets his horse rubbed down he'll be in."
Sean said with sincerity, "I've sure missed everyone. Being on the road and playing gigs night after night isn't what it's cracked up to be."
Sarah laughed. "Are you tired of the fame?"
"Honestly, yes. But I seem to be in a cycle I can't break. Besides, I have a contract to fulfill. I think my manager saw how burned out I was and finagled three months off for me."
"You know, Sean, Sage will understand what you're going through. As a model, he's been on some whirlwind jobs that took him away from home when all he wanted to do was be with his family and run his ranch.
He's slowed down in the past five years, but he still accepts a few modeling contracts. Running a ranch on the scale of Lazy M is expensive." She chuckled. "Not to mention putting two sons through veterinary school. Of course, Toby and Preston both carried their own weight and worked to cover many of the costs. They're good boys." Her eyes got a faraway look. "I never thought I'd have children and then, in my forties, we had twins and later a daughter. Life sure throws a curve sometimes." She returned her attention to Sean. "Listen to me, going on and on about myself. Honey, tell me what your plans are for the next three months? Oh, but before you do, Toby told me about the dog and that he's doing well. Are you planning on adopting him if an owner can't be found?"
"No. Not that I wouldn't want to. But it's too difficult taking an animal on the road. I intend to find a good home for him though. Are you interested?"
"It's a possibility, but we'll talk about that if one isn't found."
Sean sipped his ice water and Sarah sipped her drink. He asked, "Are Newt and Molly still living on the property?"
"Goodness, yes. Newt is pushing ninety and Molly is past that age, but you'd think they were seventy year olds. It's only been in the past year that we got Newt to slow down. Sage doesn't let him work more than a few hours a week, so Molly had to find something for him to do before he drove her crazy." Sarah grinned and gave a laugh. "She's got him writing his memoirs and painting. Actually, he tells her about his life and she writes it down. But as far as painting, he's really good. Who would have guessed? In fact, he's so good that Cecelia is going to feature some of his oils in the coffee shop."
Sean shook his head. "I sure hope I have a life as full as Newt's and marry a woman as sweet and interesting as Molly."
"Molly certainly is that, also feisty, with an iron will. When Newt started moping around after Sage made him slow down, she said that if he didn't want to follow her suggestions about writing and painting, she was booking several cruises, back-to-back, and he wasn't invited."
