When she got down to the parking lot, she discovered that in her rush to be on time for that second-rate meeting, she’d locked her keys in the car. This resulted in a long wait in the parking lot and a bill for fifty bucks. By the time she was back behind the wheel, she had only about twenty minutes to make a run to the store. Then she got home to learn that her mom had slept nearly the whole time Caroline had been gone, which meant she’d missed out on a blessed two hours of peace and quiet.
Caroline noticed a small slip of paper still sitting on the window ledge by the sink. She’d torn this off a flyer at the grocery store. She’d seen a young woman sticking it on the bulletin board, but it was the photo that got her attention—a happy-looking golden Labrador retriever with amber eyes and a red bandana. The heading above the photo read: Free Dog for Good Home. Of course, Caroline knew it was nuts to even consider a pet, not to mention a dog of that size. But those eyes in the photo melted her heart, and Caroline had torn off a phone number tab and slipped it into her pocket. Back at home, her mother’s foul mood had provided a much-needed reality check. Caroline knew it would be pure insanity to call that number.
“Here you go,” she said pleasantly as she set the tray in front of her mom. “Applesauce and Vienna sausages just like you wanted. Enjoy.”
Her mom scowled, poked a sausage with her finger, then looked away as if disgusted. Caroline braced herself, hoping her mom wasn’t going to throw her food again. Even if she did, Caroline told herself she was not going to clean it up. Not this time. Oh, she knew it was ridiculous and childish to react this way. She also knew she would clean it up. She always cleaned it up.
“Do you want to watch Animal Planet while you eat?” Caroline asked cheerfully, picking up the remote and turning on the TV. This distraction might entice her mom to nibble on her food. Sometimes it worked. Sometimes it didn’t. Knowing this could go either way, Caroline returned to the kitchen, stood in front of the sink, and blinked back the tears. She looked at the window, which, thanks to whatever Janie had put back there, looked black and bleak behind the faded yellow curtains. Kind of like Caroline’s life.
The slip of paper with the handwritten phone number caught her eye again, and before she could think or reason, Caroline reached for her cell phone and started to dial. As the phone on the other end rang, she told herself to hang up. In the same instant she told herself it would be too late anyway, because a great dog like that would’ve been snatched up already, which was just not fair. If anyone needed that lovely golden dog, it was Caroline. She hurried to the bathroom now, closing the door behind her with her heart pounding.
“Hello?” a female voice answered.
“Yes, I’m calling about the free dog,” Caroline said nervously. “Is he still available?” She waited.
“He is.”
“Oh?” Caroline felt a mixture of surprise and apprehension. Perhaps she should say thank you and hang up like a sensible person. “So … may I ask why you’re giving the dog away?”
“He was my husband’s dog.”
“Was?”
“I mean he was my ex-husband’s dog. My husband left me, you know, for another woman. He left his dog too.”
“He doesn’t want his dog back?”
“No. He can’t have a dog where he lives.”
“Oh. I understand.”
“I was going to keep the dog, but I went and enlisted in the army.”
“The army?”
“Yeah. It was kind of an impulsive thing to do. But I did it anyway.”
“Wow.”
“I leave for boot camp on Monday, and I thought my friend was going to take Chuck, but then he changed his mind, and my parents sure don’t want him, and I just really need to find him a good home and fast. That’s why I put that flyer up.”
“Oh … his name is Chuck?”
“Yeah. He’s a good dog. I just want to see him get a good home where he’ll be treated special, you know what I mean?”
“Special?” Caroline looked around at the tight little bathroom filled to overflowing with too much of her mom’s old clutter and junk. “How do you mean, exactly?”
“Like I hope he’s the only dog in the home. He’s used to being the only dog, and sometimes other dogs intimidate him. He doesn’t really like small yippy dogs either. I guess he’s a little bit spoiled. But he does like kids.”
“I don’t have kids.”
“Any other dogs?”
“No. Just me.” She almost added and my mom but couldn’t force those words out of her lips. Maybe it was just denial.
“Chuck’s used to being inside. I mean he’s a big dog and likes to go outside sometimes, but it’s like he thinks he’s a person, you know?”
“Sure. I think so.” Caroline wondered what kind of questions a potential pet owner should ask. “Uh, does Chuck have any bad habits? Like does he chew things or bark all the time … anything like that?”
“Not really. But he does like to run.”
“I like to run,” Caroline said wistfully.
“He’s about three years old. My ex got him a year before we married.”
“You were only married two years?”
“Yeah, not even.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Thanks. Me too.”
“The truth is, I’ve never had a dog,” Caroline confessed. “But I always wanted a golden retriever. I just never lived in a place where a dog made sense. When I moved back here, I decided I had to get a dog. I want a dog to run on the beach with me.”
“Chuck loves the beach.”
“So do I.” Caroline felt seriously depressed to think how long it had been since she’d actually been on the beach. Especially when she’d imagined herself going there every day.
“Would you like to come over here and meet him?”
Caroline considered this. “I would. But, you see, I’m kind of caring for my mom, and I can’t leave her alone right now.”
“If you live in town, I could bring him by for you to see, but I’d have to do it right now because I’m going out with my girlfriends tonight.”
Caroline imagined this young woman taking one look at her mom’s house and running the other direction. “Let me see if I can get a friend to come sit with my mom for me,” she said. “Not tonight. But maybe tomorrow. Is that soon enough? Would that work?”
“Yeah. I guess so. I mean if you’re really serious. I did have another guy interested in Chuck, but he already has a dog, and I’m not sure it’s a good fit.”
“I’m very serious,” Caroline said. “I think I really need Chuck. I’ve been through a lot of stuff the past few years, and getting a dog feels important to me.”
She gave the woman her name and phone number and almost offered her a credit card as security but remembered the dog was free.
“My name’s Morgan, and you’ve already got my number. I plan to be here all morning tomorrow. After that, I can’t promise you anything. I mean I’ve got a lot to get done by Monday. But it’s my parents’ house, and I suppose someone will be here to show you Chuck if you make it.” She gave her address, which Caroline jotted down then tucked into her jeans pocket.
“I’ll do everything I can to be there tomorrow by ten. Please, don’t give him to anyone else before that,” Caroline urged her.
“Well, since I’m going out tonight, there’s probably not much chance of that. Unless my mom gives him away.” She laughed like that was a real possibility.
“Please, don’t let her do that.”
“If you promise to come by tomorrow, I’ll tell my mom that I think I’ve found Chuck a good home. I’m sure she’ll be relieved.”
“Thank you so much.” Caroline heard a noise in the living room and slipped out to see that her mother had, once again, thrown her plate of food onto the
floor. Well, at least the dish was plastic this time. “Now you have a nice evening,” she told Morgan. She wanted to add, Be sure to enjoy this freedom while you have it, because someday you may end up caring for your mom too. Of course, Morgan was going into the army. Maybe that experience wouldn’t be much different. Although a short stint in the army almost sounded like a vacation compared to this.
As she cleaned up the mess her mom had just created, Caroline thought a dog might come in handy at times like this. Chuck would probably make those sausages disappear like magic. He might even like applesauce. Not that she wanted him to be her garbage disposal or cleanup crew. Really, was it even fair to bring a dog into this house? Was Caroline being selfish? She dumped the remains of the uneaten dinner in the trash and took out a can of protein drink. She tried to use these as the last resort, because her mom needed to continue eating solid foods for as long as possible. And yet Caroline couldn’t let her go to bed on an empty stomach. Caroline popped open the can and stuck a pink straw in. While her mom was staring at the television, Caroline set the can on the TV tray and slipped away, knowing that her mom would eventually notice it and take a sip.
Caroline thought about Morgan and Chuck again. She should call Morgan and apologize. It was a crazy idea, and Morgan should just find another home for Chuck. A large furry thing wandering the house would probably be upsetting for Caroline’s mom. It might just push her right over the edge.
On the other hand, her mom had always liked dogs, and she loved watching the dog shows on Animal Planet. What if her mom really liked Chuck? What if it perked her up? Didn’t some of the more progressive nursing homes use dogs and cats to help in their patients’ recovery? And what if having Chuck made Caroline feel happier? Wouldn’t that be an improvement in this living situation? And maybe Chuck needed Caroline as much as she needed him. After all, she had a lot of love to give, and she could lavish it all on the right dog. She remembered those soulful amber eyes. Chuck seemed like the right dog.
Was she being a fool?
She was washing down the countertop when she heard someone knocking at the door. Hopefully it wasn’t a solicitor again. Thanks to some unwanted interruptions, she’d actually posted a No Solicitations of Any Kind sign on the front door just yesterday. To her surprise, it was Darlene.
“What are you doing here at this time of day?”
Darlene smiled. “Just giving you a little break.”
Caroline was stunned. “You’re kidding.”
Now Darlene held up a familiar paper bag. “Has your mom eaten yet?”
Caroline gaped at the bag, thinking she was about to fall over. “You went to McDonald’s?”
She nodded. “May I come in?”
“Of course.” Caroline stepped out of the way. “You’re like an angel, Darlene. How did you know I needed you just now?”
“A little bird told me,” she said mysteriously.
“Huh?”
They were in the kitchen, and Darlene was pointing to the back door. “You’re supposed to go out there.”
Suddenly Caroline realized that something was different. The windows that had been blacked out were now letting in the afternoon light. “What do you mean?”
Darlene took Caroline by the arm and led her to the back door, unlocking the deadbolt then opening it wide, letting the sunlight in. Caroline gave Darlene a curious look then glanced out the door, expecting to see the usual piles of rubbish and junk, or perhaps a path cleared through it all. Instead she stared out to what looked like someone else’s backyard. She actually steadied herself on Darlene’s arm as her jaw dropped. “No way.”
Darlene grinned. “Why don’t you go check it out while I check on your mom? I can only stay an hour.”
Caroline burst out the back door. There, standing on a perfectly lovely patio, complete with furnishings and plants and everything, were her three best friends. “What? How?” Caroline couldn’t even form a complete sentence as she looked around, attempting to take it all in. The whole yard was transformed. Everywhere she looked was something pretty or fun or interesting. There was even grass—real grass!
“Here.” Janie took Caroline by the arm and led her to a lounge chair. “Sit down and let the shock wear off.”
“And here.” Abby placed a full lime-green margarita glass in her hand.
Caroline leaned back in the chair and just kept looking. “Am I dreaming?” she finally said. “Is this for real?”
They laughed. “It’s for real,” Abby told her. “Janie organized the whole thing. She and her worker dudes did most of the work. Marley and I only came along to do the finishing touches.”
“This is incredible.” Caroline took a sip of the icy drink. “I feel like Alice in her wonderland. Or maybe Alice in Through the Looking-Glass. It’s like I’ve gone to somewhere I’ve never seen before, and yet it’s in my own backyard.” She stared across the green lawn. “Is that my old bike?”
“Yes,” Marley told her. “That was Abby’s idea. Recycled art.”
“I love it.” Caroline got to her feet and started walking around the yard, pausing to examine every square foot and listening as her three friends described everything with nearly as much enthusiasm as Caroline felt. “It’s incredible.”
“We had so much fun,” Marley told her.
“I just don’t know what to say.” Now Caroline was crying. But unlike before, these were tears of joy—and gratitude. “I have the best friends on the planet. The best friends in the universe.” Then she hugged each of them, long and hard. “I don’t even know how to thank you all.”
“We just wanted to brighten your world,” Janie told her. “You’ve been through a lot.”
“Now if you need a break, you just bring the baby monitor out here and sit back and breathe a while,” Abby said. “Call it a mental-health break.”
“A change of scenery.”
“It’s like a vacation.” Caroline wiped her eyes with a bright napkin.
“Or a staycation,” suggested Marley.
“You guys have no idea how much I needed this right now.” Caroline sat back down and sighed. “You just threw a life preserver out to a drowning woman. No, I take that back. You just rescued a drowning woman and set her on the deck of a beautiful cruise ship!”
Chapter 22
Janie
“Is she asleep?” Janie asked as Caroline returned from the house.
“Yes.” Caroline nodded with wide eyes. “I can hardly believe that Darlene got her to bed this early. It’s not even six.”
“Think she slipped her a mickey?” Janie teased.
“I don’t think so.” Caroline chuckled as she set the baby monitor on the table and sat down across from Janie.
“Marley and Abby said to tell you good-bye.” Janie stretched her arms and let out a yawn. “I should probably go too, but it’s so nice here.”
“Oh, please, don’t go,” Caroline urged. “Unless you need to. This is the most fun I’ve had in weeks. And with Mom sleeping, well, I might just stay out here all night. I could almost make myself believe that this afternoon, the temper tantrums, the food throwing … that none of that even happened. Mom was really in a snit today.”
“Guess you can’t blame her,” Janie said sadly. “Can you imagine what it would feel like to be in that kind of condition?”
Caroline nodded. “Actually, I can imagine. In fact it’s like I’m living it. Sure, it’s from the outside looking in, but it feels very real. If I end up with Alzheimer’s, I hope that someone will simply put me out of my misery.”
“Really?” Janie studied Caroline. “You believe in euthanasia?”
Caroline frowned. “Not exactly. I certainly wouldn’t try to shorten my mom’s life.” She laughed in a slightly cynical way. “Oh, I might feel like killing her sometimes, but it seems I spend more
time obsessing over ways to entice her to eat something or to improve the quality of her life. Not that it’s working any.”
“It’s got to be frustrating.”
“It is.” Caroline smiled now. “But having this sweet little oasis is going to help a lot. I still can’t believe you accomplished this.”
Janie surveyed the yard again. In the dusky evening, tiki torches burning and colorful strings of patio lights glowing, the whole place looked more magical than ever. It was rewarding to stick around and enjoy the fruits of her labor. “I can hardly believe it myself,” Janie admitted.
“Seriously, when you said you were going to clean up my backyard, I was like—yeah, sure, good luck, Janie.” Caroline rolled her eyes. “I honestly didn’t think it was humanly possible.”
“It wouldn’t have been possible without my three amigos.” Janie was glad that she’d given them each an extra tip. “Roberto, Lorenzo, and Mario were the real workhorses here. And of course, I had Abby and Marley to help with the finishing touches. I can’t take all the credit.”
“Anyway, it’s just perfect.” Caroline held the monitor to her ear, then smiled. “I hope someday I’ll come up with a way to repay you.”
Janie waved her hand. “It’s like karma—what comes around goes around. It all equals out, right?”
“I hope so.” Caroline’s expression turned teasing. “I’ll bet you can’t guess what I’m going to do tomorrow.”
Janie chuckled. “Have a luau?”
“I wish. No, not a luau. But maybe someday.”
“What then?”
“Well, I’m not totally sure, but I called a woman about a dog.”
“You’re getting a dog?”
Caroline looked uneasy. “Does it seem crazy?”
Janie thought for a moment. “No. Not really. Not if you really want a dog.”
Hometown Ties Page 20
