For Love of a Dog

by Janice Carter

  “Speaking of Thomas. Last week we invited him for a playdate. Would tomorrow work?”

  Hearing his name, Thomas turned away from the paint chip display. “Would you like that, Thomas? Go over to Robyn’s tomorrow?” Kai asked.

  His animated nod and glowing eyes said it all.

  The grown-ups smiled at one another. “We can pick him up at your place on our way home from church. Say around noon?” Jane said.

  As the family moved on, Kai thought about the conversation. The Pattersons were people who wanted to live in Lima. It was an idea she’d never entertained, although it had been what her brother and his wife had always wanted—to follow the paths of their families. Taking in the groups of people mingling and chatting in the community store, Kai was beginning to understand why someone might want to live here. Except for me.

  She realized Luca was staring at her. “What?”

  “Nothing. Just thinking about that family. Nice people.” Then he shifted his attention to the paint chips. “Okay. Has a decision been made?” he asked Thomas.

  As they made their way to the cash, Kai studied Luca’s expression. Serious. Intense. As if he was wondering about something. Something triggered by the talk with the Pattersons? She shrugged off the thought and followed the two out to the parking lot.

  The day sped up once they were back at the farm. Kai made bacon and tomato sandwiches, and the two guys went back to work on the shelter. She offered assistance, but except for helping place the roof, she was relegated to the kitchen to, as Luca joked, make something special for the hardworking men. She’d rolled her eyes at that while Thomas giggled.

  Her equipment and notes for the Memorial Day event were spread out on the dining-room table. Her original excitement about the job, muted by the monument visit with Luca, surged again as she formed her own outline for the day. She’d visit the site again tomorrow when Thomas was at Robyn’s for a last-minute go-through. Brian had warned her that the crowds would inevitably mean her plans would have to be flexible, but Kai had worked in many challenging situations. She knew when to take advantage of the right moment.

  She was just packing up her notes when the two stomped into the kitchen. “I recommend showers,” she announced, noting their sweaty faces.

  Thomas raced upstairs, and Luca left for the bungalow while she rummaged through the refrigerator, suddenly realizing the dinner hour was imminent. After his own hard work, not to mention his care with Thomas, Luca would be the guest of honor. She found steaks in the freezer that Luca could barbecue. There was a head of lettuce that wasn’t too wilted, and salad was one thing—besides sandwiches—that she could muster.

  Thomas came downstairs with Amigo and, helping himself to an apple, went out into the yard. Kai glanced out the kitchen window to see them heading for the shed. Thomas appeared to be using his hands to convey some message to the dog. Maybe recounting the shelter building. When Luca walked into the kitchen in trim jeans and a short-sleeved cotton shirt, it occurred to her that she hadn’t put any thought into her own appearance.

  “Help yourself to a beer,” she said. “I’m going to change, too. And Thomas and I are hoping you’ll have dinner with us. I found steaks in the freezer.”

  He glanced from her to the counter. “Wouldn’t miss it.”

  “Um, would you mind barbecuing them?”

  A second look at the steaks. “No...but they seem a bit frozen. Depends when you plan to eat.”

  Kai shrugged. “Say in an hour or so? We can always defrost them in the microwave. I do it all the time.”

  Luca laughed. “Fair enough. And thanks, a cold beer is exactly what I need.”

  In her haste to get to the farm weeks ago, Kai had packed only short-term essentials, and her summer clothes were still in New York. Fortunately, her mother, who was a pack rat, hadn’t cleaned out the chest of drawers in Kai’s bedroom. There were no chic sundresses around, but she discovered a clean pair of tan Capri pants and eventually found a favorite sleeveless cotton blouse left behind from last summer’s visit. Only weeks before David’s accident. The memory surged, sharp and cruel.

  Kai held the blouse with trembling hands, inhaling deeply and waiting for the moment to pass. The anniversary of his death was coming up at the end of August. She’d be back in New York then, but would return to the farm that week. It would be a difficult and painful time for all of them, especially Thomas. If only Amigo—even Luca—could come back to help him. Don’t get ahead of yourself, Westfield.

  She took a deep breath, forcing her thoughts away from daydreams of exploring the Big Apple with Luca, and started to undress. Giving herself a once-over in the bathroom mirror, she decided a touch of makeup would enhance her last-minute efforts at recreating her former New York self.

  The kitchen was empty when she returned, but a quick peek out the window revealed Luca sitting in one of the Adirondack chairs under the maple tree. She poured herself a glass of wine and went out to join him.

  It was a snapshot of domestic bliss she could picture David and Annie in. Strangely, she could almost imagine herself in such a scene with the very man next to her.

  He turned as she sat down. “You mentioned you hadn’t managed to contact your mother. Have you been able to yet?”

  “Um...yes.” She hesitated, reluctant to dampen the moment with the latest from her parents.

  When she finished relaying most of the phone call, he asked, “So your folks are probably coming home on Tuesday?”

  She nodded, unable to look him in the eye.

  “And is there a problem with that?”

  Startled, she turned her head. “What do you mean?”

  “Well, you seem a bit stressed by the news.”

  “The thing is, my parents hadn’t realized you—and Amigo—were still here.”

  He silently chewed on that. “I get why they might wonder about my presence. But Amigo? Wasn’t he here before they left?”

  “He was, but my mother wanted me to...well...find another home for him. She thought Amigo was upsetting my dad.”

  “Oh. Right. That makes perfect sense.” Another pause and then, “What’s your plan?”

  “My plan?”

  “On handling the situation.”

  Oh...retreat to my bedroom? Run away before they arrive? “I only spoke to her a while ago.”

  He pursed his lips in a way that irritated her. “Okay. Will they be staying in the bungalow?”

  She hadn’t even thought to ask, but of course there was no way her father would be able to handle the stairs. When they’d been home for the few days after his discharge from the hospital, he’d slept on the living-room sofa. It had been a temporary solution because they were soon leaving for Columbus. But now they’d be home to stay. She sipped her wine and considered all the other ramifications of her parents’ homecoming.

  * * *

  LUCA WAS ABOUT to fire up the barbecue at the side of the house and Kai was tossing salad ingredients into a bowl when a car rolled down the drive. Her heart rate picked up; had her parents impulsively decided to return right away? But as the vehicle drew nearer, she recognized Bryant Lewis’s Oldsmobile. It pulled up in front of the garage as she came out onto the porch, anxiously scanning the yard for Amigo and Thomas. They’d been playing Frisbee but had since disappeared. Luca looked up from the barbecue and sauntered over to where the car was idling.

  “Don’t mean to interrupt at the dinner hour,” Kenny said, unwinding his window, “but I’m taking Dad home from the hospital and he wanted me to pop by here first.”

  Kai stepped off the porch to see Bryant in the passenger seat. His normally florid face was pale, and he looked as though he’d lost weight during his brief hospital stay. “How are you doing, Mr. Lewis?” She bent to his opened window.

  “Better than I was a couple days ago. That�
�s why I wanted Kenny to bring me here right away. To thank you both. The emergency people told me you saved my life. I owe you both, especially...” He screwed up his face.

  “Luca,” Kai quickly said.

  Just then Thomas and Amigo appeared from around the corner of the barn, heading their way. Kai noticed Bryant’s wary glance at the dog. She also noted that Thomas hung back, a hand on Amigo’s collar.

  Bryant shifted his attention back to Luca. “As I was saying, I owe you a debt, and I won’t forget it.” Bryant motioned to Kenny, who reached into the back seat to withdraw a gift-wrapped bottle. “Here. A token of my appreciation. My favorite single malt, and I hope you like it, too.” Bryant took the bottle in trembling hands and offered it through the open window to Luca.

  “Ah, that’s very sweet and generous of you, sir. But there’s no need. I simply did what anyone else would have.”

  Bryant harrumphed. “Not just anyone would’ve had the sense to do what you did.”

  “Well, I thank you again, Mr. Lewis, but we all really have Amigo to thank.”

  Bryant frowned. “How so?”

  “If he hadn’t come to the house to raise the alarm, you might have been out there a lot longer. He took Kai right to you.”

  Bryant didn’t speak for a long time. “Then I’ll have to find a way to thank Amigo, too.”

  “You do that, sir. And by the way, I have something for you. Give me a minute.” Luca headed for the bungalow.

  “I’m glad you’re feeling better, Mr. Lewis,” Kai said, filling the silence that fell.

  “Thank you. And Kenny is going to stay with me for a bit, till I get back on my feet.”

  Kai was about to speak to Kenny when Luca came toward them carrying the shotgun he’d picked up from the field.

  Bryant flushed.

  “I’m sure you’ll be needing this for those pesky groundhogs and rabbits,” Luca said, opening the rear door to stow the gun inside.

  Bryant kept his eyes on Luca. “Maybe I’ll just let them have their way. They can’t damage my crop that much.”

  “Good idea.”

  “Okay, Kenny, we can go now. And that’s Bryant to you both. No more Mr. Lewis.”

  The car windows eased up, and Kenny turned to head back to the highway. Kai and Luca watched the Oldsmobile disappear before speaking.

  “That was almost surreal,” Kai murmured.

  “Or maybe just ‘real,’” Luca said. “He’s behaving like a normal person. Offering thanks and maybe an implied apology.”

  “You don’t know him the way we do.”

  “No, you’re right. I don’t. So I see things a bit differently.”

  Kai swallowed the rebuke on the tip of her tongue. “Is it time to put the steaks on?”

  Luca glanced swiftly over to where Thomas still stood, holding on to Amigo. “It is, but before you go inside, I want to tell you something.”

  “Yes?”

  “I’ve decided to follow your advice. I’m going to visit Lopez’s family.”

  “When?”

  “I think tomorrow afternoon. I have to finish putting in the shelter window and help Thomas paint it. Unless you can do that.”

  She didn’t trust herself to speak, and then her first thought was for herself. “So you won’t be here for the Memorial Day ceremonies?”

  His jaw tightened. “Guess not.”

  She was disappointed and was about to ask his reason for what seemed to be an abrupt decision when she saw her nephew and Amigo walking toward them.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  LUCA WAS UP EARLY. He hadn’t slept well and needed no alarm to rouse him for the early-morning painting gig he’d arranged with Thomas at bedtime. He hadn’t lingered after Thomas went to bed, knowing he ought to offer some explanation for his decision to go see the Lopez family. He’d seen the question in her eyes all night. Why now? And one he imagined she was thinking—isn’t the day important to you?

  Of course it was. He just didn’t think he could stomach the big event, thinking of Lopez, who’d never get to participate in a Memorial Day ceremony. Plus, there was his own ambivalence—wanting to be a part of the proceedings yet feeling some responsibility for what had happened that day in Afghanistan. When he’d said good-night without another word, he’d felt like a coward.

  He dressed and tossed his things into his duffel bag. The sun was rising as he headed for the shed to load up the supplies he and Thomas would need to finish off the shelter. He wheelbarrowed the lot up to the road to have it all ready. He had no deadline, but his gut told him he should make his leave-taking as quickly as possible. By the time he got back to the farmhouse, there were lights on in the kitchen. The day was gloomy, and he hoped it wouldn’t rain, which meant the painting wouldn’t get done.

  Despite his nonchalance yesterday when Kai had told him of her parents’ imminent return, he knew his presence might be awkward for them. He was staying in the house where their son and wife had lived. His dog was still here to remind them of the other dog—Lewis’s—and the accident. Plus, there was the hard fact that he had no reason to stay on the farm now. The planting was done. How could he justify being there?

  As soon as he saw Kai’s face, he knew she’d slept as poorly as he had. Thomas, too, seemed tired as he spooned cereal half-heartedly into his mouth. He perked up when Luca asked him if he was ready for painting.

  “Did you have breakfast?” Kai asked.

  He winced at the flat tone in her voice. “Uh, yeah,” he lied. Her body language suggested a sit-down at the table would be uncomfortable for them both. “But, um, coffee would be great. If I can take it up to the shelter with me. Tommy and I have a lot to do this morning.”

  Her sharp glance at Thomas implied he didn’t yet know that Luca was leaving later in the day. Another hurdle, Luca thought.

  It didn’t take long for Luca and Thomas to organize themselves, and soon they were walking up to the highway, Amigo trotting behind them. The skies were clearing as he helped Thomas start painting the bottom half of the shelter while he tackled the higher parts. Luca was used to Thomas’s silence by now and even found it oddly soothing. The lack of small talk allowed his mind to dwell on his trip to see the Lopez family.

  At first, he’d thought of heading straight across to Elizabeth, New Jersey, where the family lived but later realized he could hardly be so close to home without a short visit to his mother. Then he could return to Lima to say goodbye to Kai and Thomas. Plus Amigo.

  Amigo. He’d truly be sorry to say goodbye to the dog that had saved his life. But there was no way he could take him now. And he was sure Kai would get her parents to accept Amigo, given how Thomas had improved.

  But he still couldn’t figure out why Kai had seemed surprised that her parents were mystified by his continued presence. He could understand their confusion perfectly. Since he was no longer there as a worker, they must be wondering if he was there as a friend.

  And it was something he’d been tossing about in his mind for days. Sure, he and Kai had shared some personal and painful moments. They’d laughed together and sometimes argued. He couldn’t gloss over the frustrating miscommunications they’d had. They’d worked well together, he thought. Most of all, they had a common interest in guiding Thomas through some challenging situations. And of course, there was Amigo. Their love for that dog was the glue that bound the three of them. All of those things could happen with friends.

  But he knew that he and Kai were more than friends from the way his heart raced when she entered a room. And his constant desire to hold her close, lower his face into that chestnut hair to whisper how much he cared for her. Loved her.

  He sighed. That was the problem right there. He wasn’t certain of her feelings for him, though he figured he couldn’t be mistaken about the way her face lit up when th
ey were together. There was the bubbly warmth of her laughter yesterday, when he and Thomas were building the shelter. Surely these were signs that they were far more than friends?

  By midmorning they’d finished the first coat, and Luca had installed the window. He noticed Kai walking up the drive carrying a basket, the slight breeze ruffling her shining hair, which swept across the top of her shoulders.

  She was smiling when she plopped the basket on the ground and stood, hands on hips, to survey their work.

  “It looks amazing. Congratulations, you two. I’ve brought you a snack and have come to remind Thomas that Robyn and her parents are picking him up on their way home from church in about an hour or so.”

  Thomas carefully placed his paintbrush across the opened top of the can and helped himself to the cookies and juice in the basket. Luca, meanwhile, was drawn to Kai’s intense, brown-eyed stare.

  “I’ve been thinking all morning,” she said, “and you’re right. This is as good a time as any to visit Lopez’s family.”

  Noticing Thomas’s interest in their conversation, Luca explained, “I’m going to see the family of my sergeant—the one who was killed in Afghanistan.”

  Thomas frowned, looking from Luca to Kai.

  “It’s only for a few days,” Kai added. “I’ll help you give the shelter a second coat of paint after you come home from your playdate with Robyn, okay?”

  Eventually, Thomas nodded but Luca saw that he wasn’t happy about the situation. Another change Thomas had no control over, Luca thought. He resolved to have a heart-to-heart with him when he came back from the Lopez visit. He wanted to reassure the boy that his departure from Lima didn’t necessarily mean he was leaving forever. Whatever the future held for him and Kai as a couple, Thomas needed to know that he, too, would be part of it.

  * * *

  KAI WAITED WITH Thomas at the shelter, watching the Pattersons’ car pull over to the side of the road.

  “Looks great,” Mike called out while Thomas climbed into the back seat next to Robyn. “Luca and Thomas could get some moonlighting work building bus shelters.”