They ate dinner to the whimpering of the puppy. It didn’t want to be alone in the living room in it’s kennel. Finally Joan went and brought it to the table to scamper about their feet. As it’s rescuer it decided that she was it’s master and it sat at her feet adoringly. Finally, it drifted off to sleep, leaning against her feet it literally slid down them to sleep.
They ate goose and it’s stuffing. Cranberry sauce and ambrosia, green beans, carrots, and new potatoes. Rich creams and sauces. Grace had out done herself. She so enjoyed fixing it for her appreciative audience. They did enjoy it too! Everyone ate heartily, even Joan. They felt stuffed afterwards as they watched the kids play with their Christmas sleds and the puppy. Craig, Adam, and Bryan challenged each other to sledding races much to everyone’s amusement, but when Adam cracked one of the sleds and almost his head it came to a laughing halt. Joan, Grace and Aaron challenged the big oxes to a snowball fight and were soundly beaten. Joan pointed out that they were adult men and she and Grace helpless woman with an infant. Aaron who was five now protested at being called a baby. Jane and Gwen with their big stomachs and Jennifer watched from the deck with hot cider and hot cocoa standing by.
As the short afternoon became evening Jane and Craig bundled their sleepy children up and took them home protesting for the puppy. The puppy lay exhausted in it’s kennel. Bryan left a little early saying he had some things he wanted to do and friends to see. Joan wondered if Kim was the reason. Adam and Gwen were the last to leave.
Joan turned to Grace with relief. It had been a very full day for everyone. She told her how relieved she was that the collar was for the dog! Grace laughed at her knowing what she had been thinking when she opened that package. She took her into her arms and kissed her soundly. “What are you going to name it?” her head indicated the little ball of fluff in it’s kennel.
Joan hadn’t really thought about it. The kids had all referred to it as ‘puppy’ as though it were it’s name. She didn’t even know if it was a boy or girl. How unobservant was she. Yawning widely though she would have to give it some thought.
Most of the food had been doled out and given to the guys but the few dishes left they put away. They discussed various names and Grace revealed it was a male. Then after everything was put away, Grace handed her an envelope with the dog’s pedigree papers inside.
He was officially named “Sir George of Aberdeen, out of Sir Rufius and Lady Amelia.” Joan nearly choked. The dog had all this behind it and looked like a mop. Grace explained that Bryan had helped her locate a breeder of poodles. She didn’t want a yippy toy around and she felt a miniature would still be too small with the kids around. She was looking for a standard and Bryan had located this particular breeder in New York. Yes, there were breeders closer but discussing it with Bryan and seeing emailed photo’s of the parents and their pups they didn’t find what they were looking for until last week. This breeder was breeding what they called King Standard Poodles and hence the royal name of the pup. They were usually a couple of inches larger than a normal standard poodle. Looking at the little puppy sleeping Joan knew she couldn’t saddle him with the moniker on the papers. After awhile though with a smile on her face she found the exact name that appealed to her. She decided to call him ‘D.O.G.’ it sounded like deeooogeee when you said it correctly. Knowing Joan’s sense of humor Grace could only shake her head, she tried other names but Joan was adamant. So D.O.G is what the little black ball of fluff became.
Grace was worried. Joan still was having so much trouble sleeping. She was convinced it was a sleeping disorder brought on initially by the tour and continued on with the stress of the marriage and everything else. She wanted Joan to go see a specialist. Instead, Joan went to see Kim. After a lengthy conversation Kim agreed with Grace and put Joan on a different diet than she was used to. It included all of the vegetarian items she had been living off of for years but she insisted on adding meat to each meal. Some people, she insisted, could eat vegetarian their whole lives quite happily but she felt Joan was one of those who actually needed the fats and calories as well as the vitamins that meat would endow. As an extra precaution she added vitamin supplements. Joan hated taking pills but even she had to admit to feeling better after a few weeks. Her sleeping habits became better and she could now concentrate on work. She was turning out paintings from her mass of sketches. She even made plans to release a book or perhaps a couple of books of all the final sketches of her body of work over the years. As spring came she felt great and looked it. She started jogging regularly and often D.O.G accompanied her. It was funny at first as he only could make it to the driveway. He never could go very far down the road but as he grew he slowly went farther week by week. By the end of summer he could easily make the miles that she jogged. She complained though that he had four legs and she only two. Frequently Grace would be driving home and find the two of the jogging on the road towards home.
That late spring yielded a wonderful harvest for them all. Two new babies born within a month of each other. Craig and Jane, much to Aaron’s disgust produced another daughter that they named Amelia. Adam and Gwen had a son that they named Don after her father. Little Donny was doted on by all of his grandparents immediately. Mrs. Kovoch frowned upon finding Joan and Grace already fussing over the baby when she and Don had arrived at the hospital. Gwen had been in labor on and off for three days which gave them plenty of notice to get there.
Summer was wonderful for everyone. There was the puppy and the new babies. The boat and the wave runner’s were tuned up and put into play and the trampoline was inflated. Joan didn’t spend much time painting she so enjoyed the time with her children and grandchildren. Almost every day someone was there using the boat or wave runner’s. She got to play with Aaron and Jennifer exclusively for Jane was so involved with her new baby. Grace would take off afternoons if she could and join all of them. Bryan brought Kim frequently and she observed a new aspect of this close family. Friends dropped by and the Jacuzzi’s were in constant use. What a great summer everyone said over and over again.
As summer came to a close, Joan realized she should get her plans for the books in order. She had already contacted Allan about them and he was enthused. He had wondered for years what happened to her sketches and was thrilled with her idea for the books. An explanation along with each of them giving her thoughts, feelings, and perhaps motivations would accompany each sketch in the book. Joan had to go over thoughts and feelings of the decades that the sketches covered, good and bad she had to bring them into her thoughts. Quite a few of the sketches never became paintings but that was a plus they decided for the book. When she came to the thoughts and feelings regarding the sketches of THE GRACE though she hesitated and left that for last. This sketch would be in the second book anyway and released a year after the first book.
Fall came and Aaron had to start first grade. It was a pretty big step. After the first week he came to visit with Joan and Grace to give mom and dad a break and he talked non stop all day. He played roughly with D.O.G and they had a wild time. He’d throw the toys for the dog and they’d play tug of war. Who was more tired when he left Joan didn’t know.
Grace really enjoyed having D.O.G in their life. She talked about getting a cat and naming it C.A.T. but they agreed, no one wanted the hair. Besides Mrs. Richardson might just quit over any more additions to their household they joked. D.O.G had added so much to their lives. Joan kept the food dishes in the alcove out of the way but so that D.O.G could eat with them. She kept kibble in an automatic feeder so the dog could eat whenever it wanted. She felt with all the exercise the dog got that it should eat when it felt the need and not become overweight. When Joan was working D.O.G would watch her all the time. Every time Joan stood up to move anything the dog was aware of her. When she worked too much or too late the dog’s sighs were an amusement to her ears, letting her know that it was enough. Frequently, D.O.G would grab his leash and start bouncing around, time for a walk or a jog. He knew how to tell
time by the grandmother clock that bonged in the living room. At 5 PM it was time for Joan to quit work and go for a jog. Most days if D.O.G needed to go out Mrs. Richardson would watch as he did his duty in the side woods away from the traveled paths of their yard. Joan had taught him this in the first few weeks, taking him to the same spot repeatedly and praising him. He soon learned that pooping and peeing elsewhere were not praised. Grace took him to the vet’s after a few months and they had him fixed. Joan took him to a doggy spa and they got him used to the clipper and it’s noise. When Grace would come home he’d gallop to greet her. Discouraging his kisses was useless. You had to stop and say hello or he’d continue until you did. They did work on getting him to sit, stay, lay down, and even shake his paw and speak on command. By the end of the first year they had a well behaved and well groomed gentle dog on their hands. He was so much fun for everyone that Craig and Jane discussed getting one of their own and contacted the breeder that Sir George had come from. They didn’t have a ready litter but perhaps in the spring.
Since she started eating and sleeping better, Joan had made it a practice to jog daily. With the added bonus of spending it with D.O.G she began to keep up a regular regimen. She hadn’t felt this good physically in years. Her arms and legs became very toned, no longer too skinny. Her ribs no longer showed and she even had the hint of a six pack on her tummy. The equipment in the basement became used more frequently as well. Grace joined her when she could, especially after a stressful day at her work. Grace loved seeing Joan so healthy and happy. She loved feeling her body as it subtly changed shape. Joan, no longer sleepy all the time became a vigorous lover. Grace to keep up started taking stock of her own health. They both felt in the prime of their lives with each other.
Joan was out jogging one day when D.O.G started to strain at the leash and growl. A car she noticed was again parked at the end of their road. It was on their land and had been there a few times. She had always thought it was a hunter or a fisherman who took one of the paths off through the woods to the river. She couldn’t deny them the right to fish on a public river but it annoyed her that it was parked on her land. She never saw it park or leave but knew it wasn’t there every day. She mentioned it a few times to Grace as well.
Today as D.O.G growled she thought she saw someone duck out of sight in the car. Feeling creeped out she finished the end of her jog and headed back, pulling the dog along until he complied. The entire length of the road until she went through the gates she had the feeling she was being watched. The hairs on the back of her neck told her so. Grace told her she must be imagining things when she mentioned it to her later. Joan had to agree with her but still she wasn’t sure.
Grace had a problem of her own. Greg had decided to move on and his position as chief of psychiatry was open. She and Jason were both applying for it. They were friends as well as colleagues but competing for this position was creating a strain. Jason had more years here in Wausau but Grace had more years of experience. They knew that it might just come down to them both if no one was hired from outside the department.
One rare afternoon in fall with the leaves turning around them, Grace joined Joan and D.O.G for a jog. She couldn’t keep up the miles that these two put under their belt but she jogged the length of the road and walked until she met them returning. She saw the car that Joan had mentioned parking in it’s spot and with the intention of telling them they were on private land she stopped surprised to see Beth behind the wheel. She hadn’t seen her in months. She’d come by the hospital a couple of times to visit people but Grace had always avoided her and not seen her. Since her firing she had gone to work in private practice. Far away from the hustle and bustle of the hospital. Beth was equally surprised to see Grace there. She’d been coming for weeks to this lonely spot to watch the chalet and had become used to seeing Joan and the dog on this lonely road. She never had seen Grace except as she drove up to the gate as it swung open for her Jaguar. Coming face to face with her was startling and unwelcome.
“Uh, hello Grace” she began. They had never spoken since that fateful day at the hospital.
“Hello Beth” Grace responded quietly. “What are you doing here?” She indicated the well used parking spot that bore the prints of many a parked vehicle. Actually the prints of one vehicle parked here many times.
“Just looking, daydreaming.” Beth was very uncomfortable. She thought she had never been spotted and she was right but her car had been. It wasn’t easy to hide a car.
“You know your trespassing don’t you?” Grace asked her gently. Not knowing Beth’s mental state she wasn’t going to antagonize her. After what she had done, Grace felt she was a bit obsessed.
“Oh really?” Genuine surprise was in Beth’s voice. “I thought this was public land.” Her hand swept the land around the car.
“No, we own it right up to the side road off the highway.”
“Oh, no one ever said. I don’t see any signs saying no trespassing and thought that that land over there was state forest” she said pointing.
“That land is. This land and the road are private.” Grace was sure Beth knew it and was just hedging.
“Oh, okay I’ll go.” She started up the car and turned again to look at Grace, hope in her eyes “it was nice to see you again, Grace.” She drove away.
Grace never said a word to her watching her go. Just then Joan and D.O.G jogged around the corner and had to jump in the ditch as Beth nearly side swiped them. Grace ran back to them as fast as she could. She heard some pretty good swearing coming from Joan in the ditch as she pulled herself out of it. “Are YOU okay?” she asked grabbing Joan’s arm.
Dusting herself off and grimacing at the scratches to her legs and arms she answered “yes, I think so.” looking down the road at the departed car she said “WHO WAS THAT?”
Grace told her and watched the anger begin in Joan’s face. She told her about the conversation as well. Carefully controlled well modulated tones said “Well then I guess we have No Trespassing signs to hang.” Joan and Grace walked back to the chalet to clean her up.
Indeed in the next couple of weeks Joan and Grace put the signs up every 20 feet around the perimeter of their land including along the river frontage. It was costly and they both got really scratched up but they felt better for it with a job well done.
The car though still appeared fairly regularly but Joan didn’t see where Beth was hiding. She checked the car and it was always well locked. She’d head back and by the time the tow truck or police came it was always gone. The police lieutenant she told her story to wasn’t too sympathetic. Lieutenant Gillespie was annoyed that he had been assigned to this case. The police chief though was friends of Craig’s and he had asked as a personal favor that this be treated seriously. Gillespie felt it was a waste of time. When he found out Grace and Joan were ‘married’ he thought this was an even more ridiculous case. Their accusations of it being this Beth Chappel were unfounded. There just simply was no proof. Beth denied it of course and confided that perhaps Joan had an ax to grind because of Beth’s previous relationship with Grace, implying more was there than there seemed. Gillespie didn’t want to get in the middle of a lesbian triangle and resented all of it and as a result didn’t take action. Joan hated calling the police as they felt it was a simple trespassing case. She was feeling frustrated and angry. After Beth had talked to the police phone calls started. Joan would go to answer and then it would hang up. Nothing came up on the caller id and there was no way to prove who it was calling them. She had to let the machine answer them so she could monitor them and answer when she wanted. It was a pain.
She’d go out for a jog, always accompanied by D.O.G and get that creepy feeling again. She didn’t know from which direction it came but she was beginning to get paranoid. It wasn’t just when the car was parked there anymore either. She even had the feeling a few times when she was painting in her studio. She’d look out the front windows and see the car or not and know she was being watched.
Grace didn’t feel it the same way but she could see it affecting Joan and that bothered her. They’d even had a couple of minor arguments about it. There was nothing either could do but the frustration had them yelling at each other about it. Grace was working hard to get her promotion and the stress was getting to her, she didn’t need this at home too.
One night Joan went out early without D.O.G but left him in the yard. She went to the spot where the car usually parked and looked around. From her viewpoint she could see the chalet clearly down the straight road. With a pair of binoculars she was certain you could see into the house with it’s wonderful windows. Hearing a car coming down the road perpendicular to theirs she hid in the brush behind the spot. The car pulled ahead and turned out it’s lights so they wouldn’t shine into the house at the end of the road. It backed into it’s parking space and Joan watched as Beth sat there awhile watching the chalet and it’s activities. Beth waited until she saw Mrs. Richardson leave for the day and then got out of her car to hide in the bushes near Joan. Joan didn’t make a sound. Obviously Beth knew the routine of the occupants in the chalet. When Joan didn’t make her usual appearance, Beth got back in her car. When Grace drove down the road after awhile in her Jaguar she ducked behind the dash until Grace’s back was to her. She watched using a telescope as Grace pulled into the drive and through the gates. The gates closing behind her as she went around the circular drive to the carriage house and put away the car. She watched as Grace walked from the carriage house to the chalet and let herself in. Shortly thereafter she started her own car and drove away. Joan came out from her hiding place. She was cold from her long wait and jogged back to the house to warm up. Her thoughts had her pretty steamed.
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